26 June 2008
Things have been quiet in our sector for the past couple days. So we naturally fall into a casual routine. After staying up until 0100 playing guitar with SGT Pearson, I don’t drag myself out of bed till 0900, then nonchalantly check the internet, then depending on my ambition level, I’ll exercise right before lunch or just before dinner. The rest of the day is a mindless routine of whatever is on TV, and the only way to break the monotony is to go off alone up to the roof and sunbathe. So I struggle with the moral dilemma of praying for missions. Not literally, but we love our job. We’re disappointed when a day goes by and we don’t get to launch. It is the best mission in the military. I get to fly helicopters really fast, I don’t have to waste time planning all the details, just get a heads up on what the bad guys are doing and a grid coordinate, then haul in there ‘unarmed and unafraid.’ We always come away as the heroes, saving lives. Unfortunately, my job satisfaction comes at the expense of Soldiers’ lives and wellbeing. Thus the dilemma. We hesitate to say it, but we’re all thinking it. We are here to do a job…we do it better than anyone else, so let us do it.

“Be careful what you wish for…”

Today was probably the most graphic, disturbing one I’ve responded to…yet. I’ll just leave it at that.