Getting up at 5 am to do a run with your army vest and crawl through sand dunes while not having changed your underwear for 3 days really puts your life into perspective. I just finished my week of army camping. As someone who has never camped before in their life - it came as a shock.
we get to our campsite - i was apprehensive and pensive. This is what the epitimy of army life is when it comes down to it , roughing it ; eating sand and being one with nature while you kick some ass, right?
The first thing we did was put up tents. Watching 90 eighteen year old girls put up tents is really a funny sight. It took us 2 hours and several bruises later. Soon after being the spoiled only child I am i looked around for a porta-potty, to my shock and dismay there wasn't one. What was to serve us for the next week as a toilet was the back of a sand dune . aka the dirtiest piece of earth. EW. So after pooping in front of 90 other girls I can say I conquered a fear. After we put up the tents , the flag (which if there was an enemy and he was confused as to where we were staying - he needn't be with this flag.) and settled in we were given a safety pep talk. The usual don't separate in night time, don't get eaten by coyotes, step on scorpions or let anyone into the camp sight .
Great.
After that horribly moving talk we had lessons about camouflaging- ourselves and our movements, how to attack in formations, how to scower the fields and grounds , about the history of attack and element of suprise. I was amazed at how much i connected to this information and wanted to learn more. Between learning the proper way to step to the different techniques the IDF takes in fooling its enemy it was amazing.
I am not proud to say that the first night I hit a little breakdown and cried. We had been running up and down rocks and gravel for an hour in formations. I couldn't see an inch infront of me and was supposed to keep up with my class and be sneaky and not fall all over myself. This was very doable during the day but at night it was horribly and I slipped and fell all over and down slopes. It was not my idea of a good time. I started crying and as the temperture dropped significantly from - oh its really freaking cold to I will never feel my nose again I broke down and told my commander I was going home. um no I wasn't she informed me. Right so this is what it means being in the Army. haha.
I decided to go to bed (well it really wasn't my decision you go to sleep when they tell you to). In this tent the size of Harry Potter's closet, fit 4 of us girls. You had your dirty army blanket under you, a sleeping bag over you (because they are small and fit pod people) and you slept in the same uniform you just finished crawling in the entire day. You spooned with your M-16 and you couldn't turn around since there wasn't enough room and your water canteen was attached to that side of the belt anyhow. It was such a wonderful nights sleep : (.
I just realized sarcasm doesn't really carry online . sorry.
Anyways, every night we were woken up for guard duty, and a different drill. Some times you have 3 mins to put your shoes on and run outside, get into laying down position and pretend you are shooting at the enemy. Ash ash ash (fire fire fire) and other times you need to get your shoes on in 3 mins and run away from an imaginary fire. After a really long day in field this is really not what I wanted to do .
Ok and this was the food situation. you get one box for 11 girls . Each box is for a different meal but has the same continents inside.
The meal for the week includes:
Loof
Tuna
a can of corn
a can of beans (bad choice and everyone is farty, as if we don't smell enough)
a can of vegetarian spread
a loaf of bread
pickles
being a vegetarian and eating corn, pickles and beans on bread for breakfast lunch and dinner made me lose a good 5 lbs.
When the second and third day came a whole new wave of enthusiasm and energy and a willingness to be there came over me. I decided I was going to love camping and living out in the field. I was going to love being tired all the time, sand where sand should never be and going from really hot to really cold in this desert. And I did.
The fourth day of us being there we were taken up to a rocky hill top. It overlooked a Bedouin camp sight and we could see all the way to Ber Sheva. It was the most peace of mind I have had all week. We learned we would be shooting an M24, Mag and Machach. I got really excited and never missed a target. Knowing that there is a history to these weapons and that they win and lose wars (more correctly that the people that use them win and lose wars with them made me feel empowered.)
It is a weird type of feeling you get.
I am not really sure how to describe it or why it suits me but it does. Right before you pull the trigger you are supposed to take a breath so that you are as stable as can be on the ground. You are supposed to close both eyes then open one and then aim again.
With that breath the world goes away. You don't hear the other guns firing, the girls talking or anything else. There is just you on this hill top, the wind, the cold winters sun and then you exhale and pull the trigger with the middle part of your finger.
I think i found out I want to be a shooting instructor in this way. Knowing the importance that weapons have in protecting our troops and soldiers I love. I want them to know everything about the weapon, just like I want to know everything about hte weapon and be amazed by its amazing power used for good and bad.
Coming back from the shooting range we had some bonding activities dry runs with our M-16. (earnie)
and went to bed. The final morning I woke up my friend who slept next to me was itching her head. She informed me she had lice. Then I saw one on her jacket.
MMmmmmmmmmm..... greaaaaaaaaaaaaat.
Just what I wanted. we informed our commander we had lice and within the hour they had a truck waiting to take us to base to shower and get our stuff ready to go to the army base dr and then out to get product to kill our new pets.
I can' t say I expected lice or wanted lice or even thought it would be an option of going into the field and getting lice but sometimes you have to go with the flow. Coming back home none of the girls were home. I was panicked but my Garin came to my rescue and two of my firends sat patiently and combed out my hair. Boys are very sweet sometiems.
It's nice knowing you can count on your family here and mine is my garin. I can't explain how much it means to me coming home to them, knowing that through everything we go through we have each other. I know that is kitchy and cliche' but hey I had lice so give me a break.
Yours,
Michali
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