Sunday, May 28, 2006
Night Patrol
You step off at 0200 to move to your destination. The Iraqis mostly stick to a formation known as the “Ranger file”, and they keep it tight. Americans are used to keeping their patrols dispersed, with at least five meters between each man, so it’s a bit uncomfortable at times as you feel like the Iraqis are crowding you. The helmet sits easily on top of your head – that is, until you add a small weight in the form of a night vision monocular on the front of it. It may not weigh much, but it shifts the balance of your helmet enough to be unpleasant. You used your NVGs while moving through the COP to the house where the Iraqi company has rallied, and in a few minutes you feel somewhat comfortable walking with them on. The green and black image deprives you of depth perception, so it is often difficult to judge when to step over obstacles. You compensate by walking more carefully and lifting your feet, which has to look comical, but it’s better than doing a face-plant. As soon as you leave the wire, the cultural lighting makes the NVGs useless. Every house has a light on it, and it’s enough to wash them out. Oh well, at least your helmet is better balanced with them flipped up.
It’s not a long movement, but the going is a bit slower since there is little moonlight and the fields are crossed by numerous ditches. Your radio operator takes a tumble, and given the size and weight of the gear he is wearing, you are impressed when he executes a pretty clumsy shoulder roll. There’s only one problem – a shoulder roll is supposed to end back on your feet, not on your back with your arms and legs waving. He looks like an overturned turtle for a few seconds before rocking on to his side and clambering back to his feet. He stumbles a few more times on the patrol, usually accompanying it with some muffled cursing. Fortunately, it gives you enough early warning to avoid the same holes.
Your body reminds you that it has been a while since you carried around this much weight. You start to get that familiar ache in your shoulders. Normally you don’t get it this early in a movement, but you haven’t done this in a while. During a brief pause, you squat at the knees and lean forward at the waist, hunching your shoulders to relieve the pressure for a few moments. It gives you a moment of relief, but it isn’t long before the vest and pack settle on the same spots.
You finally arrive at your destination, and the Iraqis move to occupy the house that will be your perch for the next eleven hours or so. Their actions on the objective are less than impressive, but if they executed it like a platoon of Marines then there would be no reason for you to be there, would there? You settle in on the roof to wait for the sun to rise so the engineers can get to work in a nearby field. Overall, it was an easy walk, but the walk back won’t be quite as fun. ¶ Sunday, May 28, 2006
You step off at 0200 to move to your destination. The Iraqis mostly stick to a formation known as the “Ranger file”, and they keep it tight. Americans are used to keeping their patrols dispersed, with at least five meters between each man, so it’s a bit uncomfortable at times as you feel like the Iraqis are crowding you. The helmet sits easily on top of your head – that is, until you add a small weight in the form of a night vision monocular on the front of it. It may not weigh much, but it shifts the balance of your helmet enough to be unpleasant. You used your NVGs while moving through the COP to the house where the Iraqi company has rallied, and in a few minutes you feel somewhat comfortable walking with them on. The green and black image deprives you of depth perception, so it is often difficult to judge when to step over obstacles. You compensate by walking more carefully and lifting your feet, which has to look comical, but it’s better than doing a face-plant. As soon as you leave the wire, the cultural lighting makes the NVGs useless. Every house has a light on it, and it’s enough to wash them out. Oh well, at least your helmet is better balanced with them flipped up.
It’s not a long movement, but the going is a bit slower since there is little moonlight and the fields are crossed by numerous ditches. Your radio operator takes a tumble, and given the size and weight of the gear he is wearing, you are impressed when he executes a pretty clumsy shoulder roll. There’s only one problem – a shoulder roll is supposed to end back on your feet, not on your back with your arms and legs waving. He looks like an overturned turtle for a few seconds before rocking on to his side and clambering back to his feet. He stumbles a few more times on the patrol, usually accompanying it with some muffled cursing. Fortunately, it gives you enough early warning to avoid the same holes.
Your body reminds you that it has been a while since you carried around this much weight. You start to get that familiar ache in your shoulders. Normally you don’t get it this early in a movement, but you haven’t done this in a while. During a brief pause, you squat at the knees and lean forward at the waist, hunching your shoulders to relieve the pressure for a few moments. It gives you a moment of relief, but it isn’t long before the vest and pack settle on the same spots.
You finally arrive at your destination, and the Iraqis move to occupy the house that will be your perch for the next eleven hours or so. Their actions on the objective are less than impressive, but if they executed it like a platoon of Marines then there would be no reason for you to be there, would there? You settle in on the roof to wait for the sun to rise so the engineers can get to work in a nearby field. Overall, it was an easy walk, but the walk back won’t be quite as fun. ¶ Sunday, May 28, 2006
