Rest and Relaxation

Sometimes the pace of operations keeps us very busy.  Other times, we are bored for much of the time.  Most often, it is somewhere in between.  A yearlong deployment is a long time, and I am only serving a six month tour, so I don't have quite the same experience most of my Soldiers have had.  Getting time in to relax and refocus is one of the most important tasks facing us on a daily basis.

Some of my Soldiers after an all-day mission and sandstorm.

I'm sure some of you have heard me mention it, I really never actually know what day it is unless I look at my watch.  The days run into one another and lead to a droning monotony that stretches from memory and into the dim conceptualization of the future.  One day is much the same as another, droning, timeless, and dreary.  We feel this in spite of the typical baby blue sky and plentiful sunlight.  The infrequent contact with the enemy only heightens the very real boredom we experience on a daily basis.  Another way to think of a deployment is to think of the longest, straightest road you know.  Now picture it without any trees, hills, buildings, or markers except for those in the distance in front and behind you.  Haze covers the buildings and objects, dulling all the shapes and making indistinct what was crystal clear moments before.  You have an idea of what is coming up in the future, but with all of the haze, you tend to focus on the here and now so it is difficult to see problems that might be on the chosen route ahead.  Of course there are moments that stand out with sharp definition: the pit of nervousness before landing in Afghanistan; nearly sitting on an IED; the sound of bullets snapping around your head; the sight of wounded children.  With this in mind, you can get a better idea of why it is extremely important to take the time to relax.

All of us are different and recuperate in various ways.  The one commonality is that we all have to do something to unwind.  Our COP has a basketball court, and even though I really don't like basketball to watch on TV, it is extremely relaxing to go shoot some baskets (or at least try in my case) for ten minutes.  Other people play hardcore games that can last for up to an hour, and involve bloody noses and hurt knees and ankles.  Of course, there is the gym as well.  I like to get in there and workout, but I haven't been as diligent as I should be.  However, there are people lifting in the gym from about seven in the morning until midnight, depending on mission requirements and time available. 

Karaoke!

My platoon lives pretty well here on COP Rath.  We have some great barbeques courtesy of my SLs, and break out the karaoke machine on occasion.  There is a lot of singing involved, not all of it good, but definitely fun.  I personally like to read a lot, but there are many others who do not read at all.  Music is a huge part of my relaxation, and I like to sit back and enjoy music whenever I can.  Other Soldiers love video games.  I do too, but I choose not to play them over here.  I'll probably get back into them when I return to Germany.  Of course, there are always movies.  I've watched a lot of movies in my time here, and watch TV shows and mini-series, depending on what I have available and what I want to watch. 

Probably my favorite way of relaxing is to simply talk to my Soldiers.  They are all so interesting to learn about and hear their life stories, dreams, and hopes for the future.  Sitting around the fire and joking about everything we experience helps us to pass the time and forget what we do everyday.  One of the most important things that we must do as deployed warriors is to take the time we have available and maximize its use for work, and increase the time we have to relax.  Otherwise, we wouldn't be any good for each other out on patrols, when our main goal is to complete the mission we set out for many months ago here in Afghanistan, and to bring everyone home.