Rail Riders

We have a term for people out here that are action junkies. I mean everyone out here is an action junkie to some extent but some go further than others. Rail Riders come from the term "riding the rail" that is to get as close to the edge as you can without falling off.

Some guys I know take unecessary chances "ride the rail" so they can go back home and tell awesome war stories about when they took fire or when something exploded or something like that. That's not my thing, I'll tell you right here and right now. I don't have any war stories and I don't have any desire to have a war story. If I ever have one I'm not telling anyone. It's not something I'd think I'd enjoy and I don't need the high.

I stay away from rail riders becasue they are psychotic in my opinion. They take unecessary risks and put others in danger for the glory of being someone who can say they did it.

Happy Birthday!

D. Hustle Jr. you are two years old today! I remember 2 years ago to the hour I was holding you in my arms thinking you were the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my life.

I'll see you soon

Love,

Uncle Furious!

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?

To anwser your question

This question was asked from my last Peanut Gallery. I haven't gotten much in questions lately so I figured I'd better ask it now.

Why did you ask for an extention?

I did the first six months to see how it was out here. I mean part of me saw the money and there was another part of me to see what it was like to be in a war zone. To see if what we saw on TV jived with what I experienced myself. Since I saw that they were two different things in parts. I decided to extend, plus with me being out here for a year I will get rid of all my debt. I'll be flat broke but, I'll own everything with my name on it. Not a bad deal I think, heck I can quit and then work at McDonalds and ball out of control. To me I want the freedom of not owing anyone. This gig will make that possible. Everything outside of that is secondary.

Why did you not come back to the states after your six month term had ended?

I did, I was on the low. I really tried to only speak with people that emailed me regularlly while I was out here. When you get out here you find out who is real and who is fairweather, not like I didn't know before but this kinda made it obvious to me who did and didn't care. So I was kinda like whatever but, on the same note there were those who I didn't really talk to in real life but regularly emailed me every week or so just to say hi. Those emails really came in handy when it was darker out here.

Rogue's Gallery: 0016 Shoulderman

Shoulderman is a newguy that I work with.I call him shoulderman because he is always looking over my shoulder, man!

I mean whatever I'm typing or looking at this guy is always on my screen. It annoys me to no end. I'm someone who tries my hardest not to look at other people's screens unless invited. To me that's someone's personal time and I try to respect their space especially since we have so little personal space out here.

He has another habit that it one of my peeves as well, he laughs at his own jokes. That is crazy lame. I don't know if he knows he does it because he actually thinks he's that funny or if it is a nervous habit. Either way it everytime this guy has a comment he makes me cringe becasue I know he has that laugh coming behind it.

Anonymous be gone

Sorry all only registerd users can comment. Looks like the spam monster has invaded the site.

Rogue's Gallery: 0015 SSgt. Huckleberry

SSgt Huckberry is on of the utility Marines that I work with, he has been a Godsend for me. I'm the resident diesel mechanic around here and if you know me that should tell you had sad the situation is. I'll tell anyone in a New York minute that I'm the smartest guy in the world. Not becasue I know everything but, I know how to find someone else that knows what I need to know. Back in the darker moments of this job I had to go out and network with people here and there to get what I needed. If anything I'm good at that.

Well SSgt Huckleberry is from some small town in Mississippi north of Gulfport and the like. He was married but, he got divroced from his wife of 14 years about 3 years ago he choose the job over home and she couldn't deal with it. Sometimes however distance gives people time to grow they have two kids together and from what I can tell he is all about his kids. He talks to his ex-wife daily and it seems like they will probably get married again once he gets out of here. He is retiring soon and wants to start over right. The thing that I liked about him most is that he isn't like most Marines. I mean I have guys coming to me all the time asking about getting a job with the company and how to do it. I never promise them anything but, I will always give them the company website and offer to help them with their resumes if they want it. Until SSgt. Huckleberry came around no one to date has been by my office for resume help.

Well he came in the office and once he saw that I had a computer he asked if he could use it because he needed to find some information. Well, I said sure (internet access is like gold around here) and what he logged onto I thought was going to cause a paradox in the timespace contimuim destroying the universe as we know it. The guy when to www.coondogs.com. I mean this guy is using the internet to find the perfect coon dog.

I didn't think that was possible.

How you get on top.

As I have said before if you have been keeping up when I came back from R&R Falljah was in shambles and I was really down on this job. I just kept pressing forward and doing what I needed to do

Gentlemen,

I have just returned to Camp Fallujah after a four month absence and here is what I have found. Thomas Johnson has supported our two UOC customers here, RCT-8 and 1/6 in an EXEMPLARY fashion. Every Officer and Staff NCO I have met with thus far have been extremely complimentary and find his professionalism, work ethic and knowledge of the system to be outstanding.

I was nervous about Tommie being here alone for such a long time, but he has acquitted himself well. The relationships he has built, nurtured and sustained both here and at Taqqadum reflect very highly on the entire team. And on a personal note, the office in Fallujah has never looked more squared away and professional.

Tommie is a true asset to the team, and is one of my "ringers"; please pass on to him my sincerest compliments and please make an entry into his personnel file indicating my kudos and his superior performance in this extremely harsh environment.

SF
Major Dymano

I've been putting in a lot of hours fixing the unfixable and putting things right but, I have to thank Mahi Mahi for supporting me while I'm here. The two of us had to dig in deep and hard to make it work.

That being said I'm on top now so that means I have to be extra careful of how I do because there are many that want me to fail even within my own company. I fully expect to be fired when soon after I get home.

It's the price of success.