It's a Good Thing

We are surrounded with paper work and chores.  We are in day fifty-something of lock down, and as of now, 2 have gone AWOL.  One just this afternoon.  Can't blame him.  How long do they think we can deal with level of tedium?  Those in the line companies get passes here and there.  And, they know that it all ends in 12 weeks.  But here we are indefinitely enduring this crap.

Last week an O-3 told me that "it's not so bad," because now "test scores are up, and you get your phones for an hour."  Thanks sir.  Yesterday an O-1 told me that "it's a good thing because before at HHC they would work for 4 hours and get into civvies and go get drunk.  It was a pay check for nothing!"  Amazing how those who are through are all for this.  Think they would have supported this when they were here?

This week we had a change of responsibility ceremony for the 1st Sergeant.  The Captain said, with a straight face, that the 1st Sgt. personally mentored us, helped with our security concerns, helped us stay connected with our families, and helped get us out of here.  We managed not to crack up in laughter.  New 1st Sgt. informed us that HHC is not a place to heal.  Someone should tell him that this is where OCs go to heal.  Someone who gets a phone for more than one hour please call him and tell him that.

Charlie is classing up again on Monday.  Above is the trash that those heading over left for us.  Thanks.  I heard they came and took care of it, but only because we raised the issue.  Think they'll have another suicide this cycle?

I snapped this last night.  I call it "resignation."  She was looking for something she couldn't find.

At least this week SM got her orders.  She'd been here since March.  I miss her, but I'm happy for her.  Am I up next?

Sleep, I Miss You

We're into our second month of mass punishment, and people are cracking.  I'm only writing now because I went to sick call and lost it and the PA gave me 48 hours of quarters.  Sleep, hooah.  I've noticed that people sit in the day room and knock their heads against the wall.  Not hard, but enough to catch my attention; this is not something I've seen here before all of this. 

C got her orders today.  She's clearing tonight, and she's out of here.  I'm happy she's escaping, but I'm going to miss her.  She's my lifeline here.  The other C is returning in one week, so I think I'll make it, it just sucks.  The other, other C got his orders today too.  He's been here 7.5 months, and I'm so happy for him, but I really will miss him too. 

I have a new room mate, and she really likes talking.  She butt into a conversation last night I was having with C.  She wanted to know C's story, and C just turned to her and asked: "Do we really have to have this conversation?"  There's a weird ritual when a new class comes in.  The new people have all the reasonable and basic questions, and they are all motivated about this shit, something that has long since evaporated from us.  What's your degree in?  What's the tape on your uniform for?  Are you classing up?  How long have you been here?  I'm sorry, how long?  Really?  Well I'm classing up with Alpha.  I'm going to branch MI.  I'm scared about the water combat survival test, what's it like? 

Oh, shut up!

My roomie doesn't understand that when I have ear buds in and I'm working on this computer, that's a cue that I don't want to hear about her tragic narrative.  She got kicked out of Alpha.  Hey, come to think of it, so did I, nearly 4 months ago, so shut up, because you've been here 72 hours.  Today she told me that it was difficult to watch Alpha finish their first week.  Hey, girl friend, try watching them graduate and then have the idiot new-LTs tell you what to do.  Then, watch them class up again!  How long have I been here?  Day 30-something of the lock down.