I had a nice telephone conversation with Ryan. Soldiers who do this kind of guard duty are chosen randomly from each group graduating from combat training. So, he was very very unlucky. This is a group of 72, with half of them more experienced by two weeks--and they will finished in a week. Then his group will be the trainers. I asked if the two-week senior group was visibly more worn down, and he said, "yes."
His shift is 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. the next morning. They guard in twos. I said that probably helped them stay awake. He said, "Not always." This morning they were walking along a road, and his partner would sleep walk into the middle of the road. On the other side is a cement ditch, and he sleep walked into the ditch and fell flat on his face. He says it woke him up for the rest of his shift.
He drinks coffee with every meal. It is a necessity, but he also likes it. Considering he is of the attention deficit variety that has had trouble staying awake his entire life--coffee might become a medicinal thing. (That is just me speculating.) I told him that I was afraid that by the end of this ordeal someone would offer him drugs, and he wouldn't even be awake enough--and also be so miserable--he would accept them. He said that coffee was as far as he was going.
He told me about the facilities he guards. I asked him what he guarded them against, and he laughed and said, "Nothing." We both thought that made it a lot easier.
He has a cigarette lighter that he plays with to keep awake. He can make flames shoot a foot. We are sending him some games for the hand-held play station. They can play with them at times when they are guarding.
When I've asked how he was going to get through this, he said, "It is miserable, but that is all it is. Just miserable--so a person will get through it."
I told him that I was praying for him several times a day--for his health and for his endurance and resilience. He told me to stop praying for his health--as he can take a sick day if he gets sick.
Ryan feels angry when soldiers verbalize that they are wondering why they ever enlisted. He doesn't feel that way at all, and he doesn't sound that way. He sounds very positive.
22 days of guard duty to go.
His shift is 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. the next morning. They guard in twos. I said that probably helped them stay awake. He said, "Not always." This morning they were walking along a road, and his partner would sleep walk into the middle of the road. On the other side is a cement ditch, and he sleep walked into the ditch and fell flat on his face. He says it woke him up for the rest of his shift.
He drinks coffee with every meal. It is a necessity, but he also likes it. Considering he is of the attention deficit variety that has had trouble staying awake his entire life--coffee might become a medicinal thing. (That is just me speculating.) I told him that I was afraid that by the end of this ordeal someone would offer him drugs, and he wouldn't even be awake enough--and also be so miserable--he would accept them. He said that coffee was as far as he was going.
He told me about the facilities he guards. I asked him what he guarded them against, and he laughed and said, "Nothing." We both thought that made it a lot easier.
He has a cigarette lighter that he plays with to keep awake. He can make flames shoot a foot. We are sending him some games for the hand-held play station. They can play with them at times when they are guarding.
When I've asked how he was going to get through this, he said, "It is miserable, but that is all it is. Just miserable--so a person will get through it."
I told him that I was praying for him several times a day--for his health and for his endurance and resilience. He told me to stop praying for his health--as he can take a sick day if he gets sick.
Ryan feels angry when soldiers verbalize that they are wondering why they ever enlisted. He doesn't feel that way at all, and he doesn't sound that way. He sounds very positive.
22 days of guard duty to go.
Comments
Elena wrote:
2009-03-22 14:19:42
Most people will wonder why they did something that makes them miserable. He is exceptional that he doesn't. He is to be admired for his dedication. Why don't you send him some caffeine pills so he doesn't learn to like the taste of coffee. I have always thought that it smells wonderful.
Tara wrote:
2009-03-26 02:55:24
One of Justin's friends (who just finished his Intelligence stint, after his Marine-boot camp stint) was over this week helping to unload manure for me in Justin's absence. He also enlisted because he *wanted* to and was happy for the experience. He is proud to be a Marine. It's good to see boys who feel this way.