It's not pretty...but for those of you who are not acquainted with how it rolls in the Army, using the bathroom - latrine - is pretty critical business. And part of my personal awareness mission in life is to go through these crazy experiences and how we adjusted in the most trying circumstances. Have you ever wondered how - or where for that matter - 50,000 Soldiers (to include females) go to the latrine in one day in the middle of a desert? No buildings - no trees - just miles and miles of open desert. Or you're in a convoy crossing the border into Iraq at 0245 in the morning and hearing shots being fired all around and not sure who is shooting or where the shots are coming from; and you've been drinking water for 5 hours because you are told to keep 'hydrated.' And now your body is saying 'it's time.' Do we stop the convoy? When it does stop do you wander off into the desert to do your business? And then, do you dare take off your chemical suit? You can't wander off...the enemy's out there!
Or, when you do finally stop for a couple of days of stop and go movements, there are no 'job johnnies' around and someone gets this bright idea that he'll build a small latrine out of some wood he found in a house but builds it so poorly that in the first windstorm two of the sides blow off while you're sitting there. Orrrr, when you can stand it no more during the day that you decide to wander off to a 'seemingly' private spot over a small berm (hill), and think you're doing your business in private (#2) when around the corner comes a HUMMV with your buddies hanging out the doors laughing their heads off at you. Yeah! That's the bomb my friend.And what do you do with female Soldiers? You know it's tough on them - especially when they're in the same convoy on a mad march to Baghdad. We take care of them of course and turn our backs while they go out into the desert with another female escort - this is real desert now...no trees, palm trees, nothing but sand. Can you imagine how that was for them?
After awhile we are finally leaving Baghdad and heading to Mosul in Northern Iraq. There are some trees, grass and we are living at the airport in a hanger where I guess Saddam's family used to wait and fly out from (dangling participle). Anyway - we are sleeping outside and in the back of the building on our cots. I sleep in the back of the HUMMV and am quite comfortable. We have our chairs and finally have the opportunity to take off our chemical suits after I don't know how many days we've been wearing them (over a month for sure)...we did not smell well. So we get our PT uniforms on and heat some water on the hood of the HUMMV and take our first shower in Iraq. Outside of course, in a PT uniform, lots of people just hanging around while you're lathering up a t-shirt and shorts.
But I digress - SQUIRREL! I'm back. How does the latrine work up there? Now the game begins. Up early everyday for sure to clean up a little and shave, brush teeth. But you wait for the latrine. Why? You want it "unused." In other words, you want to use it when it's been cleaned out. What is it like? Four sides with a spring door and latch (this was our first real latrine 3 months). There's a "toilet" seat over a 55 gallon drum that's been cut in half. And that's where you do your business? Why wait? Every morning about 0600 the HQ people would come by to take out the old can and put in a new one that's been cleaned out by burning the waste the night before in diesel fuel. No gasoline because that will flare. Diesel is slow burning but for the unfortunate supply person or the Soldier in some sort of trouble; someone has to stand there and "stir" the waste in the can - as you can see from this picture. Are there smells that stay with you a lifetime? You betcha! But it's better smelling the diesel over the other stuff...can't wait for 0630 tomorrow...
But honestly - that's not the worst experience...more to follow...Getting better.
