Perspective

SPC Bailey Bullock
166th Engineer Company
2nd Platoon

I have to start by saying that we are all starting to feel it. We are starting to feel the time going by. We have now been here going on four months and things seem to be slowing down. This seems to be due to the routines that we have formed. We are spending the majority of our time in the same place, with little to no changes in scenery. We are doing the same jobs each day, with small exceptions, and we are doing the same things in our down time. It is a recipe for restlessness.

Given that this is my first deployment, I can't say if this is normal, but I believe it is. I'll dub it the “antsy stage.” It seems to me that it is unavoidable. Nerves begin to get a little frayed. People begin to get under each others' skin. The normal frustrations of the job seem to be a little more magnified. I don't tell you this to cause you to worry, because we are all doing just fine. I want to be honest with you and help you understand what we are experiencing.

It is times like these that a unit needs a boost. We need something to shake us up. Just like any group of people who live and/or work together day-in-and-day-out, the monotony of the day to day becomes grating and change is needed, even if only temporary and small. Even the slightest thing can re-energize the group. It can provide that stimulus that gets you to the next reboot.

I want you at home to understand, again, how important you are to us. As our soldiers come home on leave, you, most definitely, provide the boost that we need. When we get home and get to spend time with the people that we love and love us in return, that truly gives us the strength to come back and finish the job. I know it might sound hard to believe, but we need reminding of what we are over here fighting and working for: you. Even when we are faced each day with the experience of working and contributing to this effort, we can still lose sight of it. As the old saying goes “you can't see the forest for the trees.” You, our families and friends, give us our sight back. You give us our perspective, and that is no small thing. In fact, it is everything. Perspective breeds attitude, and the right attitude is key to a successful mission. Each member needs to have it for the unit to succeed. I thank you ahead of time for the service you provide in keeping our Company on the right path.