Hell Week

Faithful readers, I've been away at ranges for the past three days and haven't found time to sling ink at this sorrowful rag and the sordid details it is inspired by. Every night of this week we have been released past midnight at the earliest, 3 AM the latest. What is most puzzling is that the past two weeks were filled with idle time; we literally did nothing all day. But this whole month is plagued with ranges, day and night. It's not only draining physically but emotionally, and they chose to dump it all on us as we prepare to leave for Iraq in June. I lost the ability to be baffled, shocked, bewildered or surprised a long time ago by the reckless inefficiency that the Army holds as its highest dishonor. I feel bad for the guys that have a family here, kids or a wife, that will be seperated from them for a year come this June and they spend this week sleeping on my couch, because going home is too far and will take too long in the morning. Instead we spend the days and nights on bullshit needless ranges that serve no purpose except unabridged tension and stress. I will go into detail about one of the ranges on Friday or Saturday, as it surely qualifies as Stupid Shit of The Week™. I'd say it is the clear cut winner of the (prestigious?) weekly award, but it's only early Thursday morning. There's still two more ranges this week! But for a taste of something, anything, here's an SUV that plowed into a Stryker:

Seven hours from now, I begin the process over. A range from 9 AM to whenever. The only difference is that I moved one day closer to the light. 569 days until I get there.

AH