Yes, it's that time again

The time where I load up blogger.com and cringe as I look at the dashboard--has it really been 20 days since I last posted? Yikes! I meant for this blog to be fun to read--frequently updated, interesting topics. Turns out building SWA Huts (SouthWest Asia, basically what we call the ubiquitous 16'x32' [or some multiple of those dimension] wood huts out here) is not all that interesting to write about. Actually, my platoon is almost finished building a 32'x96' SWA Hut, and they've knocked it out of the park.

Other than that, I did another reconnaissance. This one turned out to be more a circus than a reconnaissance--both the Navy's SeaBees and a Sergeant from the Army's Multi-Role Bridge Company came out on the recon, in addition to my Battalion Commander, Battalion Sergeant Major, and Company Commander. Let me just say--when they tell you you're the mission commander, and you're the lowest-ranking officer on the trip (we had an O-5, O-4, O-3, two O-2s, and myself, an O-1 for a few more months)...yeah, it gets a little frustrating.

We did get to hang out with the grunts for a couple of days. We had a squad attached to us that had been patrolling the area for the prior five weeks, and they knew the area quite well. They did an outstanding job holding security for us while we did our reconnaissance, as well as escorting us back and forth to our vehicles. At the third site, I was sitting on top of the ridge, when the Squad Leader excused himself to go bathe. I thought he was joking until I looked over the side of the ridge a few minutes later and saw his squad jumping into the river from the closest rock while a Major and a Navy Lieutenant (an O-3, the equivalent of a Captain in the Marine Corps) held security.

Coming up, I get to send another squad out to do another COP (Combat Outpost) build. These ones are fun--the Marines get off base for a little while, and they get to make life a lot nicer for some Marines that are living in run-down buildings. I wish I could take the whole platoon on this one, but we only get to send a squad.

We're halfway done! It's difficult to believe we're already at this point. Time flies, of course, except when it grinds to a halt. I look back at what I was doing a week and a half ago and am boggled that it's already been a week and a half. And then there are days that don't seem to end regardless of what you do. I'm finally starting to feel like a not-boot Lieutenant, with a tiny little bit of experience under my belt. Not a whole lot, but enough that I don't feel fresh out of school any more. As frustrating as the last recon was, I did learn quite a bit.

I apologize that I don't have a terribly interesting topic tonight. Those SWA Huts, I tell you...fascinating.