Favorite Moment in a Deployment

SGT Joshua Young — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:43:35 -0400

When I was deployed in Shindand Afghanistan back in 2012 there was one moment that really stood out to me that I really enjoyed. It was the end of the tour and I was finishing closing up the S6 shop (which was inside of a conex. All of a sudden a buddy of mine opens up the metal door and talks me into hitting gold balls into the field outside the wire. He had somehow gotten his hands on a box full of golf balls and a handful of clubs. E4 mafia and the strange shit they dig up.
Anyways we climb on top of the conex and start driving the balls off into the field. The sun is just starting to set and it bathed the desert in this nice red and a cool breeze was whisping through the sand. It was gorgeous. I was on the 7th ball when all of a sudden I hear the cold voice of my SGM.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?!?!?" he shouted up at us as he charged out of the TOC and ran towards the shop. I thought I was sure to die. He pauses, looks at me, looks at the club, then looks back at me. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOLFING INTO THE FIELD RIGHT NOW?"
"Yes, SGM," I replied, frozen in my spot and not knowing what to do.
"Well damn," SGM said. "Then you might as well learn to do it correctly. Your holding that club completely wrong. Someone give me a hand so I can UNclusterfuck this specialists' technique."
We pulled the SGM on top of the conex with us and he showed us how to golf correctly and then he took a club and joined us. Shortly after, the chaplain and a bunch of other senior leaders joined us and before you know it we had quite the crowd taking turns hitting golf balls into the field. It was a great time and a great way to end the tour.
The picture provided is one taken of me while I was golfing.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Oct 30 at 2014 10:54 AM

SGT Richard H. — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:54:33 -0400

It seems obvious what you thought you were doing. "Hitting golf balls, Sergeant Major!"

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Oct 30 at 2014 12:04 PM

PO2 Jonathan Scharff — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:04:36 -0400

SGT Joshua Young I'm going to have to disagree with the ol' SGM and his golfing advice...your hands are completely backward for a right handed golf player. lol

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Oct 30 at 2014 1:07 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:07:31 -0400

My favorite moment in my deployment was watching a Chinook try to land in our T-barrier enclosed parking lot, then the occupants start offloading detainees that were not coming to us.

Apparently he had mistaken the large open area for his LZ, about a klik to the South. He had MAYbe 1 ft of clearance with those rotors.

Response by SGT William B. made Oct 30 at 2014 6:00 PM

SGT William B. — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:00:41 -0400

Man, that's a great story. What a cathartic way to end a deployment. For us, it was lighting cigars off of burning classified documents as we packed up. I think your story is better.

Response by CWO4 David Young made Oct 31 at 2014 11:50 AM

CWO4 David Young — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:50:21 -0400

Good story Sgt son-of-mine!!!! :D

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 12:58 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 May 2016 12:58:17 -0400

Toward the end of my last deployment, I spent over a week shredding years and years of old documents that had been accumulating in the 4 shop on Basrah. By the time I was done, I had around 20 huge plastic garbage bags full. The walls in our TOC did not go all the way to the ceiling, so one night a couple of us dumped every single one of those bags over the top of the wall into our BN CO's office. The next morning when he opened the door he was covered in an avalanche of shredded paper. He was not pleased and it took us all day to get it cleaned up, but it was definitely worth it.