Night Life

Before Night Convoy

Driving during the night creates an entirely new experience of the countryside. Vast stretches of black desert press against brightly shimmering stars. Sand dunes rise and fall against the sky, creating the impression of being lost at sea. For brief moments the swaying truck feels like a ship, the turret a crows-nest.

A night in the Turret

 

Perhaps the most inspiring realization is not seeing what is there, but noticing what is not. A night sky sprinkled with twinkling balls of fire, and not a plane in sight. Hard to imagine? It is something I have failed to emulate since. Even while backpacking long stretches of wilderness in the Rocky Mountains, traversing desert terrain in the Mojave Desert, or climbing sandstone faces in Moab, never have I looked up and not seen a plane scrapping the night sky.

 

Lost on a sea of sand

 

The night does however bring relief from the scorching Iraq sun. As dusk arrives on a convoy, cool air fills the turret. This darkness grants us reprieve, and also provides a blanket of camouflage.

We exploit this cover of night with technology. By equipping ourselves with digital eyes capable of piecing the black, and lasers that speak in Infra-Red, we become night creatures.

Cool night air

As the sun sinks below the horizon, our drinking water cools. The melted pieces of chocolate become less, melted. Our rifle that has been sitting in the sun can now be picked up without wearing gloves, and we sweat, less. These brief moments of cool relief are perfect for snacking on food that you wouldn’t dare pull out in the sun.

Late night snack

Brake lights stretch like a serpent along the extended roadway, sparkling off into the distance. The night brings many dazzling moments, and a relief from the day. We welcome this friend with open arms, and embrace its many gifts.

Night in the Turret