Dynamic and Dusty

Nothing is static out here. Things are constantly changing...and dusty. Dusty and Dynamic if I had to pick only two words. We’re around a group of soldiers to learn a little about them, catch their names and run off and chase something else down.
When we do manage to spend more than a couple hours with them, one thing becomes very clear.

These soldiers have become adapt to an environment that is constantly changing. Plans that are made, require replanning. An open MRE has to wait a little longer to be eaten.

This morning, after an uncomfortable night in the back of a humvee, we awoke to the 3-1 Cav’s Assassin Troop trying to find a creative place to put an antenna for radio communications. They placed themselves well hidden from the enemy, but it also created a communication barrier. After a couple of tries placing the antenna in different locations, which was restricted by an attached cord, they realized they needed to be but a few close yards up a hill. The yards may as well have been miles; They had to completely break down command post to make the move.

So the guys started the task of tearing down camp. Getting half way through the job, a soldier notices a relay antenna tower being put up on a hill far west of our location. And suddenly, they have radio and it’s time to reset camp where it previously had been. A lot of problem solving to end up sitting where you realized the problem.

I don’t envy the jobs these soldiers do. Just the living conditions alone would be enough to make me miss home. I never thought I’d look forward to sleeping on a dusty cot, but after today and the "sleep" I got last night...I’m ready to hit the hay.