Deployment Habits - Did you bring one home?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:46:05 -0400

What one habit from a deployment, did you bring home with you? What "thing" did you start to do while deployed that you continue out of habit since you've returned home.
For me, it's the habit right when the shower's over. I continue to habitually left one foot up and then the other, to drain the water out of my shower shoes. I'm not wearing shower shoes at home, but still catch myself doing this every day.
What habit did you bring home?

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Apr 29 at 2015 1:51 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:51:40 -0400

Boy, howdy do I.

On VBC, there were a lot of TCN contractors from a variety of nations. Given the fact that any of them could have not been what they appeared to be, I tended to keep my head on a swivel even inside the wire.

I still do that, because in a way, potential threat is less discernible stateside.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 1:51 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:51:45 -0400

A good habit, calling my extended family about once a week, just to say hi, and check in.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 1:54 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:54:30 -0400

It took me a while to stop swerving when going under overpasses lol

Response by SPC Larry Boutwell made Apr 29 at 2015 1:58 PM

SPC Larry Boutwell — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:58:49 -0400

Putting my cig butts in my pockets after field striping them...wife hate this because they end up in the laundry......

Response by SGT Justin Lamb made Apr 29 at 2015 2:06 PM

SGT Justin Lamb — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:06:33 -0400

SFC,
I still walk the house to make sure the windows and doors are locked before bed. The road crew I was on spent 4 day stints in Iraqi villages so we had people on guard 24/7. We great relations with the villagers but we still got attacked. It bugs me to lay in bed if I don't double check. I live in WI now and I shot the boogyman last week so it's not like I live in a bad area and have to worry about where I live or anything

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Apr 29 at 2015 2:16 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:16:54 -0400

I'm so high speed I brought home the entire war. Reminds me...time to take the meds....BRB.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Apr 29 at 2015 3:37 PM

SFC Stephen King — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:37:31 -0400

I have to sleep with a ceiling fan. It reminds me of the hum of generators.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 3:45 PM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 15:45:21 -0400

Yeah, we were building our house during my second deployment. At my deployment location we had shower/bathroom trailers and porta-potties. The porta-potties were closer to our tents so we used them instead of walking across base at night. Well, when I got home, our house was pretty much finished, but the construction crew left a porta-potty on our lawn. So guess what I did for old times sake?

Response by SSG Christopher Freeman made Apr 29 at 2015 4:18 PM

SSG Christopher Freeman — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:18:47 -0400

I still carry water everywhere I go. That, and anger. It's gotten better with time, but I am definitely a more angry person than before I deployed.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 29 at 2015 7:05 PM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:05:15 -0400

Overhydration. To this day, my basic rule is still "see water, drink water."

For several years, my fuel tank also never got below 3/4 full.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Apr 30 at 2015 12:36 AM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:36:56 -0400

My bad habit involves plastic bottles.

Response by SrA Kelly Richard made Apr 30 at 2015 12:43 AM

SrA Kelly Richard — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:43:02 -0400

My language... Being deployed with Marines... you pick up some colorful vocabulary. I've gotten a lot better about it, but when I first came home, I thought for sure my dad was going to wash my mouth out with soap with the way he looked at me!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 12:54 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 00:54:56 -0400

Checking overpasses and dodging trash on the highway...it's gotten better, but still something I do. The nearly constant state of alert came home too.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 1:08 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:08:05 -0400

Carrying a gun everywhere.....oh wait.....I did that before deploying.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 1:36 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:36:21 -0400

First deployment: I am now an avid lover of bagels and cream cheese. This last one: coffee!! Miss my morning coffee with my girls:( oh, an I will probably NEVER step on a Man hole cover again.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 6:44 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 06:44:39 -0400

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 7:04 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 07:04:35 -0400

I brought a few habits home.

For the first few weeks I remember waking up and borderline panicking when my rifle wasn't there.

I also developed less of an interest in my cell phone. I actually enjoyed not having one in country. It cut down on the "hey yous" and shiny object taskings dramatically. It meant that if someone wanted to communicate it was something important.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Apr 30 at 2015 9:10 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:10:50 -0400

Looking above and under overpasses. Still catch myself looking in culverts as I pass to. My wife says my driving has started to suck, i have noticed that I look right in front of my vehilce looking at the road and the sides of the road as well. Starting to change it as I catch it though.

Response by SGT Suraj Dave made May 1 at 2015 5:15 AM

SGT Suraj Dave — Fri, 01 May 2015 05:15:06 -0400

1) For a while, I would wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and would actually attempt to look around my room for a minute or two for my weapon until I realized where I was. This has faded off though.

2) Every once in a while I let an acronym or military term slip. Lol I have texted my father before asking for a sitrep on accident instead of "Where are you"