Just one of my blogs from my myspace, an oldie, but you guys and gals might like!!
So today i was getting ready to head out once again. Usually these excursions last on ly 4 or 5 hours, but some times they can last from before the sun comes up and last well after the sun has set.
Today was one of those long days we dread. It started after breakfast. Kowing that we were going to miss lunch we pack up on fruits, bread, sandwich meats, as well as drinks, gatorade, cola, and 7 up. Yeah we have a cooler, with ice. What a great invention, ice i mean.
We get our trucks ready to roll, and head out at 0800. We drive around and pick up the I.P.'s (Iraqi Police) and start our patrols. This last for about 2 hours. We stop and set up a TCP (tactile control point) to stop and search vehicles, and people. We are teaching the IP to look for contraband, bombs, things like that.
It turns out to be a fairly decent day. No real big problems, no explosions, no gunshots, a great day in my book.
Now driving on our patrols kids like to run out and wave, give thanks, bego for food and money, the standard stuff.
Sometimes we have extra candy that some hometowns send, you know, stuff that just comes in great commodities, hard candies, pens, pencils, paper, playing cards, stuff like that. Stuff that we enjoy, stuff from home that is hard to come by here in country at times. So at times we may find ourselves sharing with the local kids. You know, winning hears and minds.
Today was no different. On the way back to the FOB we pass this brick wall with children sitting on top of it, begging. Well i had swapped seats with the gunner after we had dropped the IP. The day had turned out to be shoter than we expected so we had all this fruit left over.
I start "tossing" those apples, oranges, and pears to the kids. Well there is little guy, at least it looked like a guy, standing on the wall with his arms open begging for chocolate, so i "tossed" him an orange. Well, i guess i "tossed" it a little too hard. It hit him in the chest and just blows him off the wall!!!
I myself found a lot of humor in this and was trying hard to stiffle my laughter. The truck behind us was also privvy to this veiwing. I see the driver and the shotgun laughing their asses off!!
So all in all, i felt bad for about 30 sec., maybe a minute at the most. I cannot help but find it hililarious. You just had to be there. I then get to thinking that i prolly just created another terrorist who is going to hate Americans, and their supporters.
I figure i am just doing my part.
