Any combat vets out there?
 

Today was quite a day for a lot of our guys here. Granted Afghanistan is not Iraq, we've still been hit with VBIEDs, RPGs and lost a few guys from our company. The longer I'm here (been in country for about 7 months now), the more I wonder how all of this will feel when I get home for good. Most of us have found our "fearlessness" and find humor in a lot of rather disturbing situations. When I sit down at the end of the day, though, and think about it, I can't imagine what it'll all seem like in retrospect after I'm safely back in the US. It seems pretty surreal even as it happens.

So, to those of you already having been in a combat zone, any thoughts? Are you able to forget at least some of it later on? I recently reenlisted for another 6 years, and imagine I'll likely get deployed at least once more. How have those of you with multiple Iraq/Afghanistan deployments felt?

I'm an NCO and I didn't wanna give up my chevrons when I got out.

I will probably go back in some reserve / guard capacity after school.

...

Over there?

I felt like a crusader with no cross to carry.

That I was fighting with my hands behind my back.

That we let the locals get butchered for no reason.

I've seen Iraq and A-stan. Different planets.

How much money you get for six? 25k?

15k, though I likely won't get it because I'm transferring states and the state has to subsidize NGB bonuses. *shrug*

Yeah, I know that Iraq and the 'ghan are not the same. Being here I don't even pretend to know what the guys go through in Iraq. At the same time, I just don't know what to think about a lot of the shit that goes on now. The shit that we think is hilarious when it happens.... some of this shit you jsut can't tell your buddies back home.

An example... today there was a VBIED incident. One of our Navy Corpsmen took care of some wounded locals. He got back to the FOB and one of the other Navy guys went to give him a "man hug" then backpeddles pointing to his IBA. "Dude, you have some people on you!"... Corpsman looks down and goes, "Oh! That must be part of that guys ear" as he plucks it from his vest and tosses it in the trash. We were ROLLING with laughter. I'm pretty sure most of my buddies back home would think that was a pretty fucked up thing to be amused by.

*sigh*

if you re-enlisted, you will definitely get another all expense paid vacation. i've been to somalia 3 times, iraq, afghanistan, kosovo (when it was a deployment, not a TDY) and frankly, i had fun. ok, i never had to deal with a mine, but i've been shot at, i've been driving down the damn highway, not in a convoy, just a toyota pathfinder, 1 car, 4 guys, around basra. i've been in fairly dangerous spots. i enjoyed it, i really did. it was all surreal to me. when i got back i had some anger/rage issues, i didn't sleep all that well, but now i'm fine. i got addicted to the adrenaline rush, i think. it apparently happens to cops also. honestly, when i got back, i kept freaking out when i realized i didn't' have a gun, there would be a quick second when my heart would stop and i would think "oh shit, my gun, i lost it!"

i actually am planning on going back to afghanistan as a tourist. i had a good time (except for the constant vomiting and diarrhea).
i don't' know if this answered your question. it's up to you how you take it all, i guess. i saw it as extreme camping with guns, a chance to work out and get a tan, a chance to get cool pictures and have fun and bank some cash.

"Burst stress" is the technical term.

...

I'll be deploying with a har-har contractor group after college.

Need to make some oolahs without putting on ACUs again.

Xephreys, what general region of Afghanistan are you in? And big base or little base?

are you near/on gecko?

Gardez had ice cream.

I was in Balad for 4 months with KBR. Made some sweet mulah and got the hell out. I can't imagine not getting "paid" for doing what the soldiers do. I felt pretty guilty. It was even weird to come back to the states after only 4 months. I gained about 30 lbs from all the beer I drank.

You folks in uniform are my hero's for sure.

I like to think of us as noble morons.

Yeah, that about sums it up.

Little FOB (very little), in Khowst Province.

Waza Kwa to Gardez to Gazhni to Sharana to Kandahar.

A-stan! What a nation!