Where was your "fortress of solitude" while deployed?

After LSA Anaconda was established, it was still kind of wild west land. At night another guy and I'd sit out side and watch the tracers flying at night accented by a few mortars once in a while for the bass section.

When I finally got to Victory Base, I'd go to the roof of the Palace and have a cigar after dark, while watching the fire works. Was pretty cool to watch the AF planes take off with all the flares flying out the back as they did combat takeoffs.

I spent my life with my helicopters. I was wound pretty tight and preferred to focus on work. But in 2003 (first trip), I had a "vicious" guard dog and he was a pretty good listener. In Iraq, I preferred the animal kingdom.

Iraq was with the guys playing Halo or Wii Boxing, Afghanistan was out on aircraft fixing some random broken line that someone over torqued. Put me at peace.

I was Battery Records Petty Officer on board my sub. As such, I could go into the battery well at any time we weren't drawing off the battery.

100% solitude
100% silence

I'd actually go back up to my office. After 1800 on most nights, no one was there. Could just sit there and read a book, and be left alone. Best part is no one could get mad at you, if they couldn't find you when you are actually sitting in your work space.

Every so (rarely) often, when there was a real lull in flight ops on the MIDWAY in 1971, while we were in the Tonkin Gulf, I would go to the round off at the forward-most leading edge of the flight deck, take a gander at the ocean some fifty odd feet below, sit down, drape my legs over the round off, lie back on the deck, and gaze into the darkening West Pacific sky and...ponder. Everything about life that entered my nineteen-year-old mind. I was a far way from Missouri, and so very much about my surroundings and all that came with being in the Navy was very foreign to me...places, events, people. The roll of the ship was cathartic in and of itself, but matched with an hour or so looking at the heavens, I was able to get a lot of thinking done. I miss that peaceful event very much.

Mine was either our parts room that was a complete mess when we got there, since it was just music and mindless sorting that no one wanted to do so I was left alone, or the gym super late at night. Nothing better than some kickass lifts and music with an empty gym.

Gym "the sound of iron"

My favorite as enlisted was the after EW tower compartment. Only two people had the key and we were on port/starboard watches in CIC/EW. We'd get hit up every now and then to let others chill but having sensitive equipment that required frequent calibrations won out over wandering hands.

When I was burning out down in Antarctica, I'd grab one of my tracked vehicles and just go out on the ice a few miles, park, and just veg. Had to keep the MAC Center net up though but nobody would be beating me up for something.

I usually found solitude in the battery locker or tool issue room on three different ships. Very much left alone when needed.