Learning to Survive at MeS

In the ten or so days that I’ve been at MeS, these are the things that I’ve learned:


1: Don’t go rucking (a form of speed walking where you load as much gear onto your person as you can before starting) in new boots that aren’t broken in. If you do decide to go rucking in such inappropriate footwear and start to feel blisters forming at a half mile, don’t wait until 3.5 miles to shuck your boots and finish the last mile barefoot. If after you create lovely new heels for yourself that are gooey and bloody, don’t wait three days to see the medic to get your note exempting you from having to wear shoes to the DFAC (dining hall). Doing such will only increases your pain levels as you have to put shoes on for each meal and then listen to your co-workers gibes of “Why you walking so slow?” “You look like you’re in pain. I don’t know why that could be” and others of that ilk. Once your heels have started to heal (no open sores anymore), do go around and gross said co-workers out by showing them how gross they still look.

2. If it’s the middle of the night and you start feeling drops of water fall on your head and notice your pillow is damp: (1) check that there’s no a monster that crawled out from under the bed standing over you, (2) listen for the sounds of rain lashing against the side of the tent, (3) get your brain to focus on the fact that it is raining and that means there’s a leak, (4) find your trusty Duct Tape and fix problem, (5) go back to sleep. It’s the middle of the night for crying out loud.

3. Test each and every vehicle that you attempt to drive as they all have their own personalities and issues and you might get along with one more than another.

Polaris 1 had a dying battery and may or may not start. Once it does start, it may or may not turn itself off while you’re driving it.

Polaris 2: Helps you gain upper body strength as it had no automatic steering.

The John Deers work but require a helmet and a heavy jacket (they’re open air vehicles) and guess work as to the speed that you’re going as there’s no odometer.

The Toyota is a stick shift so that means I can’t drive it.

Big green the giant Chevy truck drives well, but you can’t park it anywhere and you have to figure out what gear you’re in by guesswork.

4. Rules of the road constantly change. Since this is an international base and there is an actual wall that divides the “American” side from the “German” side the rules change depending upon what side of the wall you’re on and who’s driving. The Germans understand the rules, the Americans get confused, the Mongolian ignore the rules and try to run everyone off the road, and the other nationalities are a toss up. The good thing is that the speed limit is a steady crawl of 12 miles (20 Km) an hour so collisions most likely won’t result in serious injury. Also with that speed limit you can watch the walkers and runners beat you almost everywhere on base.

5. Food. There are two main dining halls: the German DFAC and the Coalition DFAC. The Coalition DFAC offers much more choice than the German DFAC, but most of it is fried or swimming in oil. Also you have to wait in line outside (rain or shine) for 15 mins to 1.5 hrs (holidays) to get in. The German dining hall had no line, about three options and a guy that makes coffee to order in the center. Also, apparently the cleanest restrooms on base (haven’t seen them so I’ll take the word of others on this) are located here. Still, the Coalition DFAC is my first choice.

Other things I’ve learned about the DFACs are that if you can’t see 100% what something is, don’t eat it. The signs aren’t always accurate and vegetarian has a different definition apparently than what the dictionary says. At the German DFAC you have to fight for the truly vegetarian items sometimes because the servers will tell you that the non-pork items are for Muslims only. This requires a supervisor to rectify.

6. Even if you’ve made it all the way out here, it doesn’t mean that everyone has you marked as being here. Regardless of me standing in person in front of someone, they will respond with, “Well you’re not on the list…etc…etc…” Gotta love red tape.

7. Co-ed bathrooms tend to freak some people out, even if they know that’s what they are. There are so many times that a guy has walked in while I’m brushing my teeth and does a half-second stutter step while trying to remember where they are, although I will give them credit that this is mostly an occurrence that happens earlier in the morning when they aren’t awake yet. I did have one guy though turn around and say that he was going to go back to his compound to use the restroom and then return. Guess he was less comfortable with the situation than me.

8. Nothing here is like it was during training. Hmmm…never saw that one coming (eye roll). We make do with what we have. At the same time though, we enjoy our little compound that we have all to ourselves.

Hope this entry provided people with some laughs.