A few shots that I captured of T-Wall Art in Baghdad, Iraq
Tag Results: deployment
Homecoming
Half a world away, I lie here
unable to escape restlessness
Vivid images play on repeat,
and even with shut eyes
I cannot look away
My slumber has been compromised
by the echoing thunder of war
Although here,
There will be no cries from sirens or loudspeakers
Red White and Rude?
Respect goes a long way… I don’t fear any man on the planet, but I do my best to respect them all. —NativeSun
A foreign national subcontract worker, just peeped his head in my door, removed his hat, and thanked me for allowing him to use the facility. Completely unnecessary, yet his courteous and respectful actions, made me wonder what my reaction will be when I return to US soil where even in the hospitable South… folks’ manners seem to be on hiatus. On this side of the world I am called “Sir” and I receive close to 100 “Thank You’s” within a 12 hour shift. The guys that I supervise are from India, and Nepal and although there was a bit of distance in the beginning as we were getting a feel for one another… that subsided after a week or so. How? I treated the men, with respect.
Taji Nights
In the wee hours of the morning, I like to go outside and listen to the muezzin lead the call to prayer over a loudspeaker in the distance. Its warm and dusty out here tonight, but there’s a calm wind blowing that familiar gunpowder scent around. Suddenly, as if he was waiting his turn, a cricket chimes in immediately after the prayer is done, reminding me of summer nights in the South.
Fresh Meat in the Desert
So, I’m the new guy, right…
With no prior military background and only my life experience to compare it to, deployment is a trip… There are thousands of folks leaving their hearts at the check-in counter and picking them up from baggage claim as they return to their loved ones. Then the cycle continues.
I often poke fun at men that don’t know how to act when they get around women. Since training for my new job, what I noticed off top is that misogynistic conversation or “locker room talk” is apparently what the guys do out here to escape the realities of being away from home and family.
