Rainy Days Are Back

It sucks. For a while I thought that I wouldn’t have to go to Ramadi tomorrow with the rest of the guys. I just found out the news that I’m going and I have to be up at 0445. As if I haven’t got enough sleep lately. But I have a plan for that. I know that I won’t be gunning tomorrow. It will be one of the Hoosiers and I have a plan on how I’m going to sleep in the back of the truck. I’m going along for the ride. I don’t know why I am, but I am. I had my hopes up too. I was planning on catching up on some sleep and getting a haircut tomorrow too. Now it’ll have to wait.

We took two different squads out today. The first gunner out amazed me with us this morning. Just by talking to him I got the feeling that he knew what he was doing. I don’t know how or why. Maybe it was his upbringing. I got the impression that he grew up on a farm and sure enough he did. He spoke of all kinds of things like windage and mathematics. He mentioned that he had a sniper rifle. I really recommended to him that he brings that thing out. I’m getting the impression that he’s the shooter of the platoon. Heck, no one in our company even has a sniper rifle. I also got the impression that he’s an expert marksman. Heck, I should be asking him questions instead of the other way around. In fact, next time we’re together I’m going to start asking and finding out what tips I could learn.

We came back to the camp for lunch chow then went back out. In the afternoon we took a different squad out. We took them through some of the mean streets of Baghdad, almost trashed a few cars in traffic, and gave these Hoosiers a little bit of a tour.

It felt a little relieving today. I felt as if I’ve move up to another level, alumni. I feel like I’ve graduated to another class, riding in that back seat today. I wasn’t gunning for the first time. I was actually, just along for the ride. I got to sit down and look around and see Baghdad from a different perspective. Now I am a coach. I’m not sitting on the sidelines, watching the action, and telling my players what to do. It also helps me realize that I won’t be here for long. These guys are taking over day by day. They’re pushing us out and I don’t mind. I feel sorry for them, but not for us. They have a whole year to spend here and we haven’t even finished ours. Pretty soon I won’t be riding along anymore and we’ll be handing over the rings and everything else to someone else.