Blood and Sweat

There are days that literally hate this place and this is a story of one of these days. I was coming back to Fallujah from one of my countryside tours and when I got on the ground there was no one to pick me up from the LZ. Well, I called the people that are supposed to give me a ride and they were like we don't have a ride for you *click*.

I'm like WTF? I am all over the country supporting the troops like the President said I'm supposed to do and you can get me from the LZ to my room. It's early in the morning, I'm in the middle of nowhere, I have YOUR gear that YOU need and you can't give me a ride. So what can I do? I sling my seabag on my shoulders with about 150lbs/70Kg of gear and the other 100lbs/45Kg of gear (not including my vest and helmet) and I walk, I walk for several miles nonstop. I was between angry and determined and you have to remember out here it is still over 100°/37° even at night. So I'm dripping in sweat and numb to the pain in my feet and shoulders.

I think the thing that made me even more angry is that Marines in cars passed me by without even thinking to stop or asking me for a ride. But, it's cool, I guess I'm not Semper enough to matter. So when I get to my office I just crash down in a chair. My hand hurt, my feet hurt, my shoulders hurt and I'm just in total pain and I'm just sweating like crazy from my shoulders. I put everything down and then drink like 4 liters of water before I drag myself to bed.

When I wake up in the morning my shoulders are killing me so when I take my shirt off I see why. The straps from my seabag had cut into my shoulders and I was bleeding from my shoulders. My shoulders are all black and blue bruised and sore from that. I will never forget about how the troops support me.

But, at least I'm supporting the troops right?