01 October — ish

I’ve learned some interesting life lessons from my time in the Army, things that come from who we are and what we do but that apply to normal every day life.  I should probably make some time later, to write a book about them — some are worth both sharing and explaining.  For example:

• When it’s pointed at you, assume it’s loaded;
• Being old doesn’t mean they don’t have ammunition for it;
• You may be in a free fall, but by definition, at some point, you will hit something and stop;
• Gunfights are not a good place for a knife fighter;
• In a tank engagement, Infantry should probably just get the h*ll out of the way;
• Close often counts.

I tell you this, as tomorrow is 01 October.  It’s the dreaded deadline, the day on which I asked you to try and get those last boxes into the mail.  That point in time when new things stop going into the mail, and the effort shifts to Iraq and the distribution of the bundles.

But really — no one is going to arrest you if the box goes in the mail on Monday.  I am not some powerful man, someone with a private Army or my own militia.  There’d be no visit from the secret police, no cease-and-desist letter in the mail, no wanted posted at the Post Office.  No, you’d just have a bundle or two getting into the mail a little bit after the goal date of 01 October.

Close often counts.

Now, if you email me on the 2nd, well, I’m probably going to tell you to hold on while I try to put together another iteration of IBOL for later this year.  But really, if I don’t know that you’re a day late, no one knows that you’re a day late.  01 October is a control measure to keep bundles from going into the mail long after IBOL II has closed up shop and ended.

So, do what you have to do. I’m going to go stand over here with the Infantry.

Oh, and did I mention that Nahed email to me some photos?  Yep, she sure did.  From the recent distribution with the Organization of Iraqi Family, in Salah ad Din.  More after the break.

Tags: IBOL, Iraq, iraqibundlesoflove, Press