Random daily thoughts

3 June 08
You could see it in the medic’s eyes. There, mixed with the sweat, adrenaline and blood, was that look that shoots you point blank- that says “I need to walk this one off…” Nothing needs to be said. We nod at each other as he passes, and another crewchief and I dutifully go about the somber task of using a pressure washer to hose out the back of the aircraft.
We’ve been here two weeks and this isn’t the first (nor do I expect it to be the last) time I’ve had to block out the sights and smells to wash away the blood and tissue that once sustained life. It is our constant reminder of the realities ‘outside the wire.’ It’s very easy to become complacent in a large, secure compound like the one we have. So many thousands of people coming and going, shopping, heading to the gym, complaining about the food in the air conditioned chow hall. They’ve put a lot of effort into making it as comfortable as they can in the desert. I get vivid images of what it must have been like in the large port cities and reception centers in the late stages of Vietnam. What sights and sounds welcomed their new arrivals? The civilized bustle that belies the grim realities of the conflict. One can get too comfortable here and completely ignore all the men they may never see…the ones that toil in the heat and dust and mountains, exposing themselves to the dangers of combat on a very personal and dangerous level.