The Bullpen

I’ve been back in Saint Louis for a little more than a week now. Like a good corporate citizen I’ve been coming in to the office to help out wherever I can. Thus far I’ve spent the majority of the days getting poked and prodded by physicians and nurses though. I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty invincible right now with all the vaccinations I’ve gotten in the past few days.

There are various others in the office and we spend the mornings fighting for open desks so we can set up camp for the day. The others are in town from various places and for various reasons. Some are waiting for medical clearance to return, while others are in between deployments. One of the best parts of having these guys around is hearing the stories they bring back from the field.

Most of the stories are about good times. Even the bad stories come across lighthearted when thought about in hindsight, although at the time it was far from it. Occasionally the seemingly random mortar fire would come a little too close for comfort and bring the reality of war back to the forefront of one’s mind. Other times it was far enough away to be heard but not felt. Despite what the media shows, it seems that these types of attacks on a base are rare and furthermore rarely accurate.

I’m very excited to get out and experience it first hand. I might be naïve but even hearing the bad stories aren’t a deterrent. I’m going out there to do something important for a lot of people and from my perspective it’s something that’s going to be a lot of fun no matter where I end up. It’s a good thing I’ve heard plenty of negative comments about my destination to lessen my expectations.

Multiple times my friends have advised me to try to go somewhere else. The danger level is high, the facilities are terrible and the people are subpar. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s better to start with the worst and work my way up to the best. My only hope is that the people aren’t as subpar as I’ve been told. I don’t mind the danger; it’s what I’m here for. I don’t mind the facilities; I can eat anything and sleep anywhere.

Now the wait continues. My scheduled deployment date is the week of May 11, but things change daily around here. I could leave tomorrow or I could leave in a month. My final destination has probably changed a dozen times and will probably change a dozen more.