Saturday, August 16, 2008

D-173: ugh

It’s happened again; some idiot lost another pair of NVGs, so once again I find myself on “lockdown.” The only authorized reasons to leave the building are for showers and chow, and to conduct normal business. So basically, that leaves the PX and the gym off limits.

It’s not as if we are locked in here to furiously search for the NVGs; they weren’t even lost in the building. We are just being collectively punished. I don’t understand it one bit. This is just the Army way – I hate the Army way. Why they can’t just punish the people responsible and be done with it, I’ll never understand, but I’m told this “lockdown” may drag on for weeks, as it appears both the Major and the Colonel are extremely pissed off. Punishing the entire battalion by taking away gym privileges is the most arbitrary and ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard – first off, accounting for sensitive items and working out are not even remotely related; second, physical fitness is supposed to be important to the Army; and third, half of these people are fat pigs, who could care less about the gym being off limits and therefore are not being punished at all, except that now they can’t go buy Ding Dongs and Cheetos at the PX anymore.

I really don’t have enough to do here. Occasionally I get very busy, but for the most part, I complete all of my actual “work” in less than two hours a day, and read magazines and do crosswords with the remainder of my time. To most people that sounds like a good deal, but I hate it. It makes the days drag on forever and makes me depressed to be here. The Army could really handle this job if they were forced to.

I usually go to the gym at 1600 every day. I like it because it cuts the day up into two manageable parts. Not being able to go is frustrating.

We have been warned not to ask when we will be allowed to use the gym again. In fact, there was a whole oration on the subject at the morning meeting during which MAJ X threatened to “take our souls.” Something in his tone convinced me that he has the ability to carry out that threat, and I have prudently decided not to poke that bear.

I am in the worst mood imaginable, I’m 28 years old, I am stuck in Iraq for another 6 months, and I am essentially “grounded.” It is just so fucking stupid. If this tour serves one purpose, it is this: My appreciation for all things Navy is at an all time high, excluding, of course, the individual augmentee program.

As if things weren’t bad enough, the DVD drive on my brand new laptop is now broken; it last five months. Now I don’t even have a way to watch movies.

Quote of the Day:

MAJ X: “I will take your souls.”

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least you're relatively safe (sounds like)...

Drunk at work said...

At least you're not an Iraqi!

Sandy Salt said...

Aug,
It does get better when you just let your mind go or the Army will suck the life out of you. Remember this, you will be home in 6 months, but the rest of them will still be in the Army.

Leave is the best thing about the tour. Enjoy the living crap out of it because it sucks to go back.

It is good that you have realized that the job only really takes a couple of hours a day and you don't have to be like the Army guys faking they are busy.

Major X knows you are a good guy and have time to be a great morale officer. Keep up the good work.

Remember that the Army doesn't need to make sense, since you were smart enough to join the Navy. Funny as that sounds, it is the truth.

Keep the posts coming and enjoy leave. Sandy