Rude People

Unlike Bagram where I have my own private little corder of BHut, the billeting arrangements on the road vary. In the case of Kandahar – the DV women’s quarters are back in one of the MODS which means an interior room with two bunk beds against the left and right hand walls and four shranks back to back in the middle.

I attempt to be a good neighbor when I am on the road. I set my bunk up ahead of time, I am quiet and have this wonderful flashlight with which to navigate so that I have no need to flip on overhead lights when others are sleeping. This avoids stumbling, smashing around and otherwise disturbing others in a dark room.

Not so for 2/4 of of the other room occupants. (BTW – the two good occupants are the Navy CDR with whom I am traveling and a bright, extremely capable Marine MAJ who is also from Bagram but I see more here than there).

But the other two? Argh!

One was here when we arrived. From the appearance of her meticulously neat bunk in the far right corner and gear – she is permanent party awaiting a permanent room assignment.

The final member arrived sometime between midnight and 0300 this morning with a crash, flash and bang. Turning on the light, she stomped into the room and started hauling in what turned out to be a dozen various boxes, gear, and containers; topping the whole mess with a number of puzzles and games. The “stuff” all landed at the foot of my bunk on the left side.

Perhaps she noted my top or jacket with rank lying there, maybe not. But in any case, she chose then to take the top bunk in the far back right on the other side of the middle lockers from my location. In fliggin gear around, she managed to thourogly disturb the woman in tbe bottom bunk by tossing things on the bunk, opening and closing the wardrobe and then taking everything back off the bunk in order to make it up.

Now, obviously, if you arrive in the middle of the night, you arrive in the middle of the night. Mil Air is mil air and no one has control over when they arrive – just how you act.

The woman in the bottom bunk got a might bit upset. Pulling out her cell phone, she proceeded to have a fit with billeting -effectively demanding to know why she should have to share her space. (yes that top bunk was empty and the other three bottom bunks were full).

By this time both Navy and Marine were wide awake and contemplating who was worse, the late arrival or the one on the phone. I probably would have found the whole episode completely Rude, had I not been so exhausted that I slept through the whole thing!

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5 Responses to Rude People

  1. Cheryl says:

    I would have to vote for the late arrival being worse. If she had come in quietly, the one on the phone would not have woken up. 🙂 Maybe those two are both permanent party and will be roommates-God is just, merciful and has a sense of humor!

  2. Bruce says:

    Has your new arrival figured out that you rank her (unless they dropped a GO in by mistake)?

  3. Valerie says:

    An excellent summary of events! 🙂

  4. Mark says:

    A great many rude people are also oxygen thieves. That person could have been accidentally shot by the folks in the room thinking they were under attack.

  5. Bob says:

    I too have the uncanny ability to return to sleep – or never be disturbed to wakefulness initially – by non-emergency disturbances. This has led to some interesting conversations with my wife, who is fully awake if our cat walks across the carpeted floor near the bed . . . and claims she can’t get back to sleep. I am ever thankful for some of the adaptation a military career gave me.

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