An extra day at FOB Warhorse was my team’s reward for a job well done. After the previous day’s exertions there was really no option other than let everyone take the day off for recovery. Here’s how my morning went. 0715 I woke up, looked at my watch, and thought maybe I should get up and head over to the DFAC for breakfast. 0752 I woke up, looked at my watch, and thought maybe I should get up and head over to the DFAC for breakfast. 0824 I woke up, looked at my watch, and thought maybe I should get up and head over to the DFAC for breakfast. 1008 I woke up, looked at my watch, and thought damn I missed breakfast. 1048 I woke up, looked at my watch, and realized it was time to get up. 1135 I got up, went to the latrine, shaved, and headed over to the internet café to send in my SITREP from the day before. That took quite a while due to connectivity problems. After I finally got the SITREP completed I went to lunch. I was still in a complete daze from the day before. I tried to eat a plate of lasagna but it didn’t work. Fortunately, a KBR employee had a “taste of home” booth where he was serving red beans and rice. I got a bowl with a chunk of French bread. That went down much better than the lasagna. I then sat in front of a TV, watched news, and drank three cups of DFAC coffee.
I can’t say that I ever did feel awake. After lunch I attempted to use the internet café again but the connection totally sucked. Instead I walked around the FOB and took a few photos. Unfortunately, the heat kept me from seeing everything. Before long I was back at my hooch and laying down for a nap. On my way back to the hooch I took some photos of an armored humvee that had absorbed the blast of an IED. It appeared that the vehicle and crew survived without incident. There was obvious blast damage but it was all superficial. I’m sure the crew of the vehicle had a headache and a story to tell their grandchildren.
After a long nap I continued my walkabout. Eventually, I ended up back at the DFAC. The FOB is so small that a person naturally gravitates back to food. In patrolling terms it would be called “natural lines of drift”. Supper had been going for a good two hours but the place was overflowing. I had to wait in the hand washing area for twenty minutes before being allowed in. Even then I had to wait in line for another fifteen minutes to get to the food. It was steak and lobster night. I had a much bigger appetite than I had at lunch. I ate a big supper while talking to a Major sitting across from me. He’s Army Reserve and when not mobilized he’s a state trooper in Pennsylvania. We talked for quite a while. He introduced me to a burly First Sergeant who normally works on the ROTC staff at another college. It was nice to meet someone in the same line of work as me. We both agreed that teaching Army ROTC is one of the most enjoyable jobs to be had. Eventually supper ended and I walked over to Green Beans for a chocolate smoothie.
About 2155 I grabbed my gear, locked up the hooch, and started walking to the brigade HQ. There aren’t any area lights so it was pitch black. I had to depend on the horizon light for reference. I simply could not see where I was stepping. I knew I was on the road to the HQ but strayed too far off the hard surface. I didn’t remember seeing a gully when it was daylight but there sure enough was one there. I walked right into it. I busted my ass – falling face forward into the gully. I was wearing my body armor and my rucksack. Once I had fallen in I stumbled wildly getting out. Eventually I made it back to the hard surface of the road. My uniform and equipment was covered in dusty dirt, my left knee was throbbing from the fall, and I was throwing the f-bomb with abandon. Fortunately it was so dark that nobody saw it happen. A few minutes later I reached the HQ. I had dusted myself off and walked up with a happy face.
A sergeant from the brigade S4 shop drove us to the pax terminal. At FOB Warhorse there is no indoor waiting area. Everyone waits in a gravel open area surrounded by jersey barriers. Shortly after we sat down we noticed movement in the shadows. Our flashlights revealed the culprit – a camel spider. These things grow quite large, move lightning fast, and are very scary looking. It was coming towards us so we started kicking gravel and eventually drove it off in another direction. That caused a huge commotion with another group of soldiers. When they spotted it coming they started grabbing their gear, jumping up on chairs and benches, and doing whatever it took to avoid the beast. For the next twenty minutes they jumped at anything. It was very comical. One of the soldiers was convinced the spider had climbed into his IBA. We just laughed.
Our helicopters arrived early. My team had the birds all to ourselves. Fifteen minutes later we were on the ground at LSAA. Goodbye FOB Warhorse. The good news is we made it out. The bad news is we have to go back later this month.
I can’t say that I ever did feel awake. After lunch I attempted to use the internet café again but the connection totally sucked. Instead I walked around the FOB and took a few photos. Unfortunately, the heat kept me from seeing everything. Before long I was back at my hooch and laying down for a nap. On my way back to the hooch I took some photos of an armored humvee that had absorbed the blast of an IED. It appeared that the vehicle and crew survived without incident. There was obvious blast damage but it was all superficial. I’m sure the crew of the vehicle had a headache and a story to tell their grandchildren.
After a long nap I continued my walkabout. Eventually, I ended up back at the DFAC. The FOB is so small that a person naturally gravitates back to food. In patrolling terms it would be called “natural lines of drift”. Supper had been going for a good two hours but the place was overflowing. I had to wait in the hand washing area for twenty minutes before being allowed in. Even then I had to wait in line for another fifteen minutes to get to the food. It was steak and lobster night. I had a much bigger appetite than I had at lunch. I ate a big supper while talking to a Major sitting across from me. He’s Army Reserve and when not mobilized he’s a state trooper in Pennsylvania. We talked for quite a while. He introduced me to a burly First Sergeant who normally works on the ROTC staff at another college. It was nice to meet someone in the same line of work as me. We both agreed that teaching Army ROTC is one of the most enjoyable jobs to be had. Eventually supper ended and I walked over to Green Beans for a chocolate smoothie.
About 2155 I grabbed my gear, locked up the hooch, and started walking to the brigade HQ. There aren’t any area lights so it was pitch black. I had to depend on the horizon light for reference. I simply could not see where I was stepping. I knew I was on the road to the HQ but strayed too far off the hard surface. I didn’t remember seeing a gully when it was daylight but there sure enough was one there. I walked right into it. I busted my ass – falling face forward into the gully. I was wearing my body armor and my rucksack. Once I had fallen in I stumbled wildly getting out. Eventually I made it back to the hard surface of the road. My uniform and equipment was covered in dusty dirt, my left knee was throbbing from the fall, and I was throwing the f-bomb with abandon. Fortunately it was so dark that nobody saw it happen. A few minutes later I reached the HQ. I had dusted myself off and walked up with a happy face.
A sergeant from the brigade S4 shop drove us to the pax terminal. At FOB Warhorse there is no indoor waiting area. Everyone waits in a gravel open area surrounded by jersey barriers. Shortly after we sat down we noticed movement in the shadows. Our flashlights revealed the culprit – a camel spider. These things grow quite large, move lightning fast, and are very scary looking. It was coming towards us so we started kicking gravel and eventually drove it off in another direction. That caused a huge commotion with another group of soldiers. When they spotted it coming they started grabbing their gear, jumping up on chairs and benches, and doing whatever it took to avoid the beast. For the next twenty minutes they jumped at anything. It was very comical. One of the soldiers was convinced the spider had climbed into his IBA. We just laughed.
Our helicopters arrived early. My team had the birds all to ourselves. Fifteen minutes later we were on the ground at LSAA. Goodbye FOB Warhorse. The good news is we made it out. The bad news is we have to go back later this month.
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