Sec Def - 7 May 2009 - 2300

So it turns out that today was a long one. It started out a little late but made up for itself on the back end. Last night I was chosen, along with 10 others from my platoon, as well as a few from our battalion, a couple Sailors, a couple Airmen and a shitload of Marines, to sit in on a little meet and greet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at around 1030. It was pretty short and sweet with a little bit of Q&A at the end. After the Q&A everyone who was there got an opportunity for a photo op as he shook everyone’s hand and gave everyone a Secretary of Defense coin. The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out how and when we were going to assist the Marines moving ammo. Every once in a while these missions come along and we jump at the chance to help, as ammo is after all our job. The problem was that we are stretched so thin with duties that we barely had enough people to cover it. On top of that, tomorrow we start another bullshit duty. Sparing the details, we are now guarding a tent inside a perimeter, which we are also guarding, in the center of our secure base. Like I’ve said before I can’t give out a lot of specifics for OPSEC purposes, but needless to say it’s going to be almost impossible to keep everything manned and not have overlapping duties and still get our “Mandatory Day Off Each Week.” I am so frustrated with the situation that we are in currently. On top of all the crap getting jammed down our throats, leave dates, which have been “locked in” are being moved around and now there are some less then terrific rumors floating around about exactly how long we are going to be over here. I’ll just say Chief threatened to throw his hot coffee in my face if he heard what he thinks he heard. They’ve, and when I say they that is the 100th as well as whoever is handling the logistics for our departure, have sucked the life out of me. I’m so frustrated with my current situation that I could scream, or eat paper. If anyone of any importance in the military or government ever reads this, how can you expect to keep retention numbers up when a unit is misused like we have been? A lot of people, such as myself, who I assumed would be lifers, have told me that they will absolutely not reenlist again and a few have said they won’t go to drill when we get back and let the Army discharge them. This whole thing blows; misused, degraded, and held to double standards. It’s all any of us can do just to get through each day without ripping our hair out. You would think, as miserable a country this is anyway and as crummy a situation as everyone is in that we would get a couple bones thrown our way and people would freakin chill out about stupid shit like brown t-shirts or hats that are worn incorrectly. Have you ever had a boss that you could never tell anything to? It’s their way or the highway, and even if you prove them wrong or point out an easier or more efficient way, it only makes matters worse for you. We happen to have been graced with the privilege of being under two of them. So needless to say I’m going through a bit of a funk right now. I’m keeping track of days gone by and days left, but no one knows how long we will be here so I really have nothing to count down to. My only saving grace right now is my leave coming up in less than 2 months. The Army simply needs to come up with some sort of teleportation system. If I could zap home at night this whole thing would just be like a crummy job, which all of us have had. But as it stands, it’s all consuming and it makes a person feel like they are in prison. Even in prison though, you are given a date that you can count down to with possibility of early parole and you aren’t in Afghanistan.