The Bond

A very unique relationship is forged in the friction of conflict. Being placed in a hostile foreign land can introduce an overwhelming sensation of helplessness. As we would pass vast stretches of open desert, a feeling of destitution always lingered. My truck—much like an island—was a small piece of familiar territory. In the distance I

Thanks, but no thanks

As this blog draws to a close, I would like to share a personal experience that has resonated deep within my psyche. And is, as I have come to discovered, the subconscious reason for this blog. With only a few weeks left in country, we were running our usual convoy operations. It was a typical

Roger-Tango, Oscar-Mike. Wait what?

Recently I was asked what languages I could speak. After all, I did a good deal of traveling while in the Marines—including a 2-year stay in Japan. After reflecting on the question, I was surprised to remember very little of the languages I had encountered. Some broken Japanese, a few inappropriate Tagalog (Filipino) phrases, and

Night Life

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.   Perhaps the

Turret Life

Life in a turret is hot, bumpy, and dangerous. This mobile machine-gun nest operates as a pivoting sector of fire that sits smartly on top of an armored truck. Appearing as a very large circular sun roof, the turret offers a swinging seat that suspends the machine-gunner half-in, and half-out of the truck; placing the

The Place

Iraq, also known as the cradle of civilization, represents the single oldest society in human existence. Formerly known as Mesopotamia, Iraq boasts a culture that is over 10,000 years old. This precedes written language, and even agriculture itself. Subsequently, Iraq is recognized as the birth place of the Neolithic revolution, which inspired some of the

The People

It is nearly impossible to describe the Iraqi people without delving into the religious separations of the Islamic community. Islam is divide into 2 main categories, Sunni and Shia, with Iraq being predominately Shia. (65%) The divide within the religion of Islam itself is over the disputed successor of the Prophet Mohammad. This difference in

Sand Troopers

As if being in the desert isn’t bad enough already, there’s nothing like a little sand storm to brighten you day! These massive movements of air and sand are actually quite common in Al Asad. This can be contributed to its large openness with little to no vegetation. As wind sweeps up sand and dust,

Combat Bikers

It should be noted that Camp Al Asad, the base in which I was stationed, was the second largest operating base in Iraq. It was considered a ‘Super-base’, and before American occupation, it served as Saddam’s largest air base. Known more commonly among the Marines in Iraq as Camp Cupcake, this base offered amenities that

Aim-Game

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