Ah, Camp Patriot. Spent almost a year there. Not a bad tour, actually, since they had a coffee trailer and no one was getting was shooting at us. Trips to Arijan were always a bit more concerning. No one shot at us, but the locals were not the most careful drivers.Yeah, I was an E-3 on my first deployment in ‘01. On our first spec-op, I was barely qualified anything and so I earned the Naval Expeditionary medal by being the ship’s laundry queen for 40 daysGot the Armed Forces Expeditionary 3 weeks later after an op by cranking in the galley. Came home- country was different- people shook my hand and thanked me- called me hero- I’m like dude- I wiped tabled and folded undies
and get tossed out of my rack because we’re about to launch weapons so I had 5 minutes to get relieved from my watch, yank my crap out of my bunk, sheets, and get back on watch so they could move weapons and empty missile canisters. I didn’t get shot at or anything- felt bad sort of for eating my meals off porcelain plates- joined the expeditionary community- volunteered to go to Kuwait- camp Patriot- where they serve EVERY MEAL on paper or plastic plates, plastic utensils- so ya drive to camp Afrafjan or Ali As’Salim so you can eat a hot meal in a chow Hall on a porcelain plate and metal utensils. Funny how things work out
Foxhole Shavers Club
- Thread starter August West
- Start date
Yeah- the biggest threat we faced was a loss of internet. Facebook had just come out, lol- the up side was the “haji mart” on the naval base where Patriot sits where you could get KFC, shawarma, a solid haircut, and ice cream
The coffee trailer was Green Beans I think. They also had that salon trailer- pedicures, manicures, etc. I went in there and did the full menu because what else was there to do? The Grouper fishing was solid- you could see black all over the jetty at the waterfront because the Kuwaiti army guys- (who always walked around in relaxed uniforms and untied boots) used squid for bait & the ink was everywhere. Yep. I was there 2008-2009 with MESRON 1. I was in C2 division in detachment 522.Wow, sounds better than when I was there in 2012. I was the S6, as a Warrant. No KFC, but good food at the shops next to the PX. Green Beans was still there. I never did anything but haircuts, but I was in the office 7 days a week. I still miss those haircuts, where they would use a razor on the sides. We weren't allowed to fish. We had a mine float in, so they had good reasons for the rule. I deployed with the 42nd Rainbow Div, 27th BTSB.Yeah- the biggest threat we faced was a loss of internet. Facebook had just come out, lol- the up side was the “haji mart” on the naval base where Patriot sits where you could get KFC, shawarma, a solid haircut, and ice cream
It's funny, I spent more time away with the Army National Guard than when active duty.
Yeah, that’ll put a hole in your fishing day!!! Yeah, the army guys that stood the watch at Patriot were good guys- they were a unit out of Hawaii. Laid back, respectful, tried to learn navy ranks- I got lost after E5 w the army ranks, lol-
Every once in a while, I DID get the “MORNING SIR!!!” And a guy would snap to attention- mistaking my Navy E5 “crow” for an O6
the first time took me by surprise, but the second and third I’d say, “carry on….where ya from son?” I’ll tell you the coolest thing that happened on that deployment gave me a HEALTHY respect for the Apache helicopter. We were staging to escort LCAC’s (hovercraft) from amphibious ships carrying marines, beans, bullets, & bandaids headed north. I was the twidget “tech” out of a bunch of MP’s and gunner’s mates. I rigged and operated the trailer sensor platform- our eyes and tactical picture. Picks up aircraft, etc. im standing on the barrier overlooking the water. Im looking at the radar. Zero contacts and as fast as I pull my tin of chew out of my pocket, an Apache pops RIGHT THE HELL up in front of me and over the barrier with a healthy head of steam. I didn’t hear it, it was undetected, NOBODY saw it- and all I thought was- okay bro, ya got me. Glad you’re on my side
I just discovered this thread. I've shaved at -60F. I've eaten food so filled with mosquitos that it looked like some kind of pepper sauce and shaved in the dirt and grime. I tried using battery powered electric razors. They were worse than getting in trouble for not shaving...and we were required to shave. I finally found some rather oily lotion and was able to use that, summer and winter, with a safety razor. I've shaved in the rain and mud in a foxhole and learned I had better carry some kind of lotion because shaving in the field is going to give irritations. Ah, fun memories.
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