The team is looking toward the finish line, closing cases, and getting ready to hand off responsibility for investigating "Bad Things in Baghdad" to a fresh crew. With our replacements due to arrive in a couple of weeks, everyone, and I do mean everyone, has their G.A.S. gauge pegged on "Empty". We do have a couple of moderately interesting cases going on, but for the most part our focus is elsewhere. There are post-deployment leaves to plan, new duty assignments on the near horizon, and for us reservists, a return to the comfortable and familiar routines we left behind a year ago.
Close as we are to doing the "Beat it outta Baghdad Boogie", loud explosions have some folks looking a bit twitchy...even if it's something as routine as the daily pre-announced controlled detonations or test firing of our 20mm Gatling Gun Guardians, otherwise known as the Phalanx System. Conversely, goofy decisions from various levels of bureaucracy are now met with a resigned shrug and sad shake of the head. When it is time to get on the aircraft and head for home, even the most outspoken among us will likely be as docile as a sheep...albeit an armed and armored sheep. There is life after deployment, and right now, that is what really matters.
Close as we are to doing the "Beat it outta Baghdad Boogie", loud explosions have some folks looking a bit twitchy...even if it's something as routine as the daily pre-announced controlled detonations or test firing of our 20mm Gatling Gun Guardians, otherwise known as the Phalanx System. Conversely, goofy decisions from various levels of bureaucracy are now met with a resigned shrug and sad shake of the head. When it is time to get on the aircraft and head for home, even the most outspoken among us will likely be as docile as a sheep...albeit an armed and armored sheep. There is life after deployment, and right now, that is what really matters.
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Lep,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to OUR bureaucracy. I got an email today and according to our records you have not taken Sexual Harassment Training and I want to know what you're going to do about it? :)
Dr. E
Hang in there Lep!
ReplyDeleteTed
Terry, you can reassure the bureaucrats that I am FULLY TRAINED in Sexual Harrassment as a result of being deployed for a year...I've probably seen every form of sexual harrassment ever contemplated...but I definitely promise to forget all that when I return to a much more PC world at EMD!
ReplyDeleteLep:
ReplyDeleteThe decorated sheep is a great thing to leave behind to guard Bagdad....too bad they didn't think about it earlier before deploying our reservists.
We'll be glad to hear of your return state-side and as the saying goes "Be careful and safe out there" (Hill Street Blues).