Our turn

The last week or so has been very hectic. We have now completely taken over and the unit that we have replaced is on the way back home. We’re in a transition period right now where we are figuring out how to balance our time between missions. We frequently miss meals and lose sleep, but we are taking charge and doing our job well. Our mission consists of many different jobs, but to put it simply we are the 911 for this area. If another unit gets into trouble or if the camp is being attacked we are the ones they call to take care of it. In this game it is always better to be on the offense instead of the defense. That's why I think our job is a good one. We know something is the matter ahead of time, or else they wouldn’t call us up. I personally feel much safer, though I realize that it might not sound like a very good situation to others. We’re always ready for the worst. Thus far the majority of calls have concerned suspected car bombs or some yahoos driving around shooting at our guard towers. The worst part of our job is the schedule we have to keep. Because we are always on-call in some form or another it is often difficult to do essential things like eat and sleep. Luxuries such as working out, checking email and calling home are often out of the question. As we settle in to our new home and our new responsibilities I’m sure that things will work themselves out and that we’ll find ways to get everything done.