Mission Change

Finally I have been released! I have been tasked out to another company for a new mission. Five months (three in country) of being both a problem and a solution for my LT.

“Oh’ say can you see…”

I just found out this morning, knew nothing of it. I leave tomorrow. Start tomorrow. It will be my third change of residence since I have been here. The first two were with my company, this one I leave solo. Tonight, I pack my shit.

2Lt: “Sgt Rolligun, I need to speak with you.” {always with the hands, (what is his deal?)}

Me: “Yeah”

I thought this was going to be my weekly lecture and turn into another homework assignment. (I may write about those someday)

I have been pleading and volunteering for things that don’t even exist. That’s how bad I wanted out. Originally I was trying to go further north, and was hoping to jump on one mission in particular come February or so. That may not happen anymore, it may have never happened. But I’ll take this. I wasn’t necessarily given a choice, my company commander needed someone and my platoon SGT suggested me, good ole LT obliged.

Thank you and GOOD BYE.

I have spoken very little of my old mission, in part because of OPSEC (Operational Security), but also because it was painfully uneventful. Trust me, you weren’t missing anything by me not writing about it. This new mission, however, is a whole different story. I won’t be going on patrol or living in a combat zone, like Chairborne does. I will still be stationed in Kuwait, but it may provide more opportunity for travel, experience and service.

Anyway here’s the jist of it. It’s kind of fucked up. Basically, I will be attached to a mortuary affairs unit. My job will be to inventory and filter the final possessions of our proudly deceased. To classify and collect, as well as making sure there isn’t any conflicting, embarrassing or illegal stuff leftover, that eventually goes back to the family. My excitement definitely tampered a bit when this was explained to me. I could have backed out if I really wanted too; my commander asked me if I could do it, if I could handle it. I accepted.

As the mission was being explained to me, my mind started to wander and I thought about what the hardest part will be. Here goes. It will come when I have to start watching the home movies. A home movie of say, a birthday party held for the absent soldier. A video that was previously sent to the deceased to say “we miss you, we love you, whether you are here or not we will celebrate for you, we’re proud of you.”

(As I write this, one of my roommates, a father, is smiling and stops me to share his own home video with me. It’s about his daughter, davy crockett and apple seeds) This is what I am talking about!!!, something graphic and physical, something that brings infinite happiness to him as he misses his family…What timing.

I watch him smile.

I smile.

Back to the hypothetical video.

The video will be full of laughs and excitement. There will be a proud and anxious spouse lighting candles on a cake. Everyone doing everything they can to celebrate their love and pretend this feeling of absence doesn’t exist. There will be young kids frolicking around in the back yard with birthday hats on. Missing part of their world, but celebrating just the same. The video will end with an enthusiastic…

“Happy Birthday!, We love!!, Come home soon!!!.”

The whole family blows out the candles together, makes a wish, and the video stops.

Never in my wildest imagination have I ever thought I’d being doing something like this. I am not even sure if this is something I want to do, although a little late now. I just wanted OUT of my last mission and I couldn’t work for my LT. But what the fuck!!, I am not a mortician. I don’t even like doctor visits. I’ll quarrel intensely with anyone who wants to stick me with a needle. It won’t be an easy process. Well digress, I’ve been disillusioned with my role over here anyway, this definitely is something different.

I wonder if they’ll let me write letters to these people.

One step further…

I will be sorry to leave some of my troops. I have some good relationships with them. I take pride in the fact that I’m kind of the alternative SGT, the one who they can talk off the record with. Balance and variety is my forte.

I will also miss SGT Oscar, we were the only two people who fought for things. We have twenty miserable soldiers, who keep asking “what and why.”
Despite never ending headaches, we tried to establish as much reason and sensibility as we could. I really admire this guy, he’s about fifteen years older than me, but is probably the most gifted “people” person I know. He’s also a career professional in his civilian life, and I’m just getting started. He doesn’t know it, but I quietly assigned him as one of my mentors. I tend to do that sometimes, even without them knowing about it.

Still, I am happy to be leaving.

I don’t know how long I will do this and I am not sure what happens next, but in any case, I leave tomorrow.

~Rolligun