The Things I Carried

With apologies and acknowledgements to the bound-for-Walden-Pond Henry David Thoreau and the bound-for-Vietnam Tim O'Brien, here's a partial laundry list of my potential laundry downrange:

Things I Packed for the Trip:

• 3 pairs of antimicrobial underwear.

• 3 pairs of antimicrobial socks.

• 1 combat towel.

• 1 inflatable travel pillow.

• 3 long-sleeved shirts.

• 1 short-sleeved shirt.

• 2 pairs of desert-tan cargo pants.

• 1 pair of stone-colored convertible pants. (At least once during the trip, I plan to walk around Afghanistan wearing shorts, and loudly "I am not wearing pants!" We'll see how many sergeants major come running.)

• 1 pair combat sandals.

• 1 pair hiking boots.

• My satchel of tricks.

• My "go-to-war" laptop computer.

• My six-shooter coffee cup, with dry-powdered reloads.

*****

Things I Did NOT Pack:

• Anything made of cotton. I miss the feel of it already.

• My "deployment copy" of Henry V. While it's once more into the breach for me, this time I opted to replace my usual hip-pocket inspirational with some military-themed science fiction. I used to read a lot of David Drake ("Hammer's Slammers") and Orson Scott Card ("Ender's Game"). I figured that a couple of mass-market science-fiction paperbacks would: (a) fit into a cargo pocket; (b) provide easy distraction from half-day layovers in foreign airports; and (c) avoid barracks discussions about how much Shakespeare does or does not suck. Besides, I got suckered in by this John Scalzi title: "Old Man's War." Don't know why.

• My Kevlar helmet and vest. When I still worked at the Magazine Factory, my fellow workaday editors and I were appalled to hear about upper-crust editors-in-chief who sent their luggage via overnight delivery, rather than be hassled by carrying-on or checking-in. Schlepping a gym bag full of heavy-but-still-breakable bulletproof plates on my way to Fort Irwin, Calif. last fall, however, convinced me to send my gear on ahead, courtesy of U.S. Postal Service. As a bonus, now I don't have to worry about them being "confiscated" along the way.

*****

Things I will do while overseas:

• Embed as civilian media to cover the current deployment of the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division.

• Attempt to post occasional reports to the Red Bull Rising blog.

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Things I Promised Household-6 I would NOT do while overseas:

• Take any unnecessary chances.

• Grow a moustache.