There is an old saying, “nothing is more dangerous than a bored Marine”; and when considering that a vast majority of deployment is spent hurrying up to wait, Marines adopt outlandish tactics to remain entertained. Never is this more apparent than in a pastime that I have come to call, “The Aim-Game”.
The Aim-Game
While conducting everyday operations, a Marine would attempt to site in on another Marine through their rifle scope. The point of this game was to snap a photo, all while the other Marine was completely oblivious. This silent game of sniper would last for several days, both on and off base. Upon returning from the convoy, someone would walk and show you a digital photo of your face in the cross-hairs and announce; “You’re dead devil dog”.
I am not exempt from this list, there is a hypothetically dead me still somewhere out there, in the sands of Iraq. (*I actually never knew that I had been ‘photo-shot’ until months after the deployment!) To some this game may sound alarming, but once you really consider the context of the situation, it fits perfectly. This was simply the symptoms of long days spent in a turret, bored, with little more than a rifle and time.
Besides hypothetically killing each other, what do Marines do? Well, sleep of course. The Iraq experience, at least for me, consisted of hours upon hours of driving. These days in transport were sprinkled with naps and day-dreams. So where DO we sleep? Well, the answer is easier than you think; ANYWHERE!
The truth is, if you are tired, and I mean really-REALLY tired, then it is easy to fall asleep. Even while standing up.
It’s all just a matter of having the time
It’s common to find Marines scattered about the ground, eyes covered with whatever, sleeping soundly. It’s almost like we forget where we are, at least long enough to doze off. The imminent danger however is always present, and this creates the unique ability to sleep with a rifle. Not next to, or around, but WITH your rifle.
After months and months of never placing their rifle more than an arm’s length away, it becomes an extension of that Marine. So much so that it takes a period of adjustment when returning from deployment. Many Marines, myself included, have fell victim to sudden panic attacks when realizing their rifle is gone. This usually occurs within the first few days of returning to the United States. A clear example in my mind is after being state-side for about a week, I was riding the Greyhound bus from North Carolina to home. I had briefly dosed off when I abruptly awoke in a cold-sweat. “My rifle, WHERE THE FUCK IS MY RIFLE??” I nearly panicked and stood up before I realized that I no longer had, nor needed it.
Bitter sweet
It takes a certain amount of time to acclimate back to the civilian world of the United States. Road trips are difficult to make at first. The typical Marine will find themselves scouring the sides of highways and roads of their hometown for suspicious boxes, or potential threats. It’s not easy to turn off the go-button, especially when its been stuck in the on-position for so long. But time heals, as does maintaining the relationships with those Marines that shared this experience. I can honestly say this, there is no rifle scope I would rather be in the cross-hairs of, than those Marines. The Real Heroes
Everyday Iraq 
I thought this blog was extremely honest, and well written. i have learned so much about the life of a typical marine while reading your posts. it is true that most people think war is constant gun battles and explosions. I think you touch on a lot of the important psychological games that war plays on soldiers. I think this “game” shocked me when i first read it, but after thinking about the context, it makes sense that marines would do this to fight boredom.