Priorities

Soldiers that fought in the Ardennes in World War II have been known to remember the cold as much as they do the fighting. They weren’t equipped for the brutal winter weather; relying on socks for gloves, blankets in limited numbers, and layering as many clothes as they could to stay warm. It was something that impacted them as humans, let alone them as Soldiers. They were doing what they need to do to stay alive even between trading bullets with the other side. Priorities.

Since I came in the Army, I have been either blessed or cursed to spend summers in some pretty hot places. I went to basic training and Ranger school in Georgia in the summer. Kandahar in summer of 2002 was pretty damn hot. Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in summer of 2004 was the highest temperatures I’ve ever seen on a thermometer. Baghdad, more trips to Afghanistan, and even being stationed in Death Valley; I’ve done plenty of time sweating my ass off. A lot of people will argue about a preference of being hot versus being cold, I am definitely in the camp of being hot as the better option.

Like WWII, the war I participated in had its own challenges. Sure, winters were cold in Afghanistan, hell I even saw snow in Baghdad in 2008, but we were equipped and prepared for it. We didn’t have an experience like the Ardennes. The challenge we faced as people and as Soldiers, especially in the summer, was water. Technology made things a little easier; we swapped out old canteens for CamelBaks or issued water bladders, but water is bulky and heavy and you have to keep it with you. Without water, enough water, you will die. Priorities.

In my last blog, Put in the Work, I talked about a long foot movement in Afghanistan in 2002. I was carrying 25 pounds of just water that night. 400 ounces on my back. We had to. There was no other option. Water was a priority as much as ammo. If we had those two things, we could fight and survive. Priorities.

I don’t think much in terms of surviving on a daily basis. Sure, those tendencies are ingrained into who I am, but they are much less at the forefront of my brain than they used to be. That doesn’t mean I don’t have priorities. We all do. Providing for my family. Being there for my kids after missing so much of their childhoods. Doing things I like to do instead of doing things I have to do. Happiness, not ammo and water. That’s where I am now.

Priorities.