Geek in a War Zone

Of course leaving the family was sad and I did my absolute best not to cry, I turned and walked away after telling Kellythat I loved her, but I was choking back tears with images of my two kids and my dog still in my head.

I set to the task at hand... getting through airport security. I did it with barely minutes to spare before my plane took off. God had something to do with that because I had said a prayer while standing in line because I did not want to face the consequences of minssing the flight to my training location.

Flight was unremarkable except for the screaming kid and the delicious peanuts. I couldn't bring myself to read a book or even open my DS and play a game, I was stuck in my own thoughts. I looked around and surveyed what passengers I could see to somehow tell if someone was in the same boat I was in. No one remarkable, the usual business person, young adult with their head bowed to the electric device in front of them and a potential member of the military with the haircut that couldn't of been for any other reason then they were required to have it. I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia and after being lied to about which area my bags would come out of I finally gathered my belongings of all I would have for the next year. The baggage weighed a ton, maybe an exxageration but still about 50+ lbs of dead weight on my back.

I spotted another guy with a huge duffle bag looking as forlorn as I felt and immediately was comforted by the thought that he was doing exactly what I was doing. Looking down at my instructions I followed the directions to the transportation company which would be taking me to Columbus, GA or more specifically Fort Benning Georgia. The ride was long but the very same man I had spotted not long before was in the seat next to me.

We were more alike than I couldve guessed and talked of how hard it was to leave the family behind and I very quickly came to the conclusion that we both knew very little about what was ahead. I had at least had some dealings with working with the military and travelling but he was as fresh as could be, always working in the commercial world and never with the government or the military. I felt light years ahead and gave him as much information as I could in the long drive to the base. He and I were among two others there for the same reason but they were not as talkative but I had at least skimmed the information that one had recently come back from Afghanistan while in the military and was going right back as a civilian.

When we arrived we were sent to the "Staff Duty" for billings and linens. Of course having to sign for the linens as if they were a valuable commodity of scratchy wool and plastic flat pillows. The four of us were assigned a room together in one of twenty identical buildings with identical rooms with identical bunk beds. Me and the fellow who had rode next to me were quickly starting to become friendlier so we were already sticking together and walked to one side of the room and chose wall lockers, mine being closer to the window I started unpacking. He asked "Do you want top or bottom?" I commented to that being a very personal question, but after the laughter died down I chose the bottom, I just didn't like the idea of sleeping so high as an adult.

We were all hungry so we called a taxi and went to get some wings at a local place and enjoyed them, two of the guys needed to go to Wal-Mart to buy some supplies such as soap and towels, these guys I had found out had been a few times and were very non-chalant about alot of what they needed. Apparently all the preparation I had done in packing for this trip was unnecessary. My back agreed.

We arrived back and I decided even though it being as lateas it was I would shower and be ready for the next day, also I wasnt to used to the idea of showering with alot of other men. I'm not uncomfortable with the idea, I'm just not used to it. Of course someone else had the same thought and if we both had the same fear we got over quickly but I still made it a quick shower constantly reminding myself not to look his way.

Sleeping was a joke, ti wasn't uncomfortbale but thoughts of everything I had just gotten myself into was going through my head and it was just hard to fall asleep. I thought of everything that would be happening the next day, I thought of some of the conversations I had with my temporary roommates and some the stories they had of dangerous situations they had seen, observed and lived. Only to be interrupted with the occasional fart and snicker, I mean we were 4 guys among hundreds and I don't care if you're 70 years old and a well respected memeber of society; farts are funny to guys. Finally I drifted off into sleep and darkness ensued.