Battle Buddies

(written on/about June 30, 2007)

Friends and family often ask “how do you cope?” It is no picnic, believe me, though I know it could be a lot worse. It is not a lot of fun to leave a home and civilian job behind and re-enter the sometimes wacky world of active duty service. All of you out there are a big reason why I am getting through this without having lost my sanity, but here in the Army my “battle buddies” are my daily support system.

I’ve been very fortunate to have several battle buddies who have been with me since I came back on active duty in March 2007. I thought I would provide you a brief introduction to them, since they will inevitably resurface in future posts. (as you might expect, I’m not using their real names for reasons of privacy and operational security).

1. “Tommy” is an Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) officer, who was assigned to a unit in Europe prior to be transferred to my unit in January/February 2007. Tommy has the driest sense of humor I have ever encountered in my life. His humor is so dry that we were forced to develop a code word to let us know when he was being serious. When of our favorite sports is concocting outlandish rumors and seeing how long it takes for them to spread around the unit. Tommy’s deadpan delivery ensures that even the most outrageous story seems credible. I’m constantly amused and amazed by the number of officers and senior NCOs who accept his tales as reality.

In addition to his considerable talents as a rumor developer, Tommy has an uncanny knowledge of military transportation. He has been a great source of information and guidance and he’s the first person I go to when the question involves transportation. Best of all, he’s got plenty of experience to supplement the facts and doctrine.

2. “John” is another AGR, who came to the unit around the same time as Tommy and currently rooms with him. John is another transportation guru, though much of his experience has been in transportation units that are sometimes called “the Army’s navy.” (yes, the Army has ships…and some of them are quite large). John is a very steady guy and is probably the most stable of the four of us. I can’t imagine how he puts up with Tommy, Apollo (see below) and me on a daily basis.

Poor John’s patience was tested when we were organized into temporary training groups. John was stuck as the “leader” of one of these groups—a task that gives new meaning to the expression “herding cats.” He was getting tugged in different directions by our unit leadership, the soldiers in the training group and the unit providing our training. Somehow, he managed to stay cool and keep a sense of humor through it all. If I’d been in his position, I probably would have punched someone—reapeatedly.

3. Last but not least, “Apollo Creed” is my third battle buddy and roommate. He uses the name Apollo Creed when he puts his name on the waiting list at restaurants, etc – which invariably results in a curious look from the hostess, especially since he (unlike the movie character) is white.

Apollo has been my roommate down here since mid-April, which has been a real adjustment for me since I haven’t had a roommate in almost 20 years. We have managed to get along pretty well and have only occasionally gotten on each other’s nerves despite spending nearly 24 hours a day together for the last 3 months.

Apollo is from the southern United States, and uses his accent and charm to great effect. I could tell you that Apollo is a ladies’ man, but that would grossly understate his talents in the field of interpersonal relations. It is quite fascinating to watch Apollo as he works his magic.

But seriously…Apollo has been a good friend to me throughout this mobilization and I hope I’ve been able to return the favor. We listen to each other complain, drag each other out of the room to run or work out, laugh at each other’s stupid jokes or quirks and generally support each other through thick and thin. That’s the kind of support you need to make it through times like these.