Deploying to Afghanistan

The following day we are woke up at 0500 and told to form up, thats when we learn of our mission in Afghanistan. Our commanding officer passes the information that we will be doing detainee operations in Afghanistan and we are to be in New Mexico for two months for Army training. Oh yeah I forgot that part, we are all wearing Army uniforms and told that we are now attached to a Army military police unit. I dont believe anyone was wearing the uniform correctly and everyone felt out of place. We went threw the days of marching and shooting, then maybe some sleep. We woke up every morning to the same breakfast and eat the same MRE’s for lunch and dinner. We did our training everyday with few breaks, maybe a smoke break here and there. Everyday seemed to mold with the next, each day seemed like a week.

As the training went on the sailors started to bond and friends were made. We were now a unit and ready for our final test to make sure we were ready to be sent to the desert. The test consist of a fake prison with fake prisoners. The fake prisoners yelled, kicked, screamed, and most importantly they simulated poop and pee and threw it on us at will. Most of the sailors were fine with the verbal abuse and the “shit cocktails”. The only problem anyone seemed to have was that we couldnt do anything in retaleation. As the test ended and everyone passed, moral started going up because everyone knew that it was time to go home for our two weeks to say our good byes to our familys and prepare for our mission in Afghanistan.

I now sit in my rack still at training awaiting to see my wife and daughter after a long two months. The thoughts in my head wondering if I’m even ready to leave them for the long deployment. I wonder to myself, is this the war I was so eager to fight?