IPP Inner Perimeter Patrol Revamped

Things have been rolling around here with the usual highs and lows. I’m sort of in a rhythm and routine now. However, I have decided that I need to get out more and interact with people. I tend to do my own thing and keep socializing to a minimum. I’m just not one to stand around and talk and go and sit around in people’s rooms and chill. I can always think of something else I’d rather be doing. I do pay a price for it though. The price of being relatively isolated, which I both relish and lament at the same time. But there are things around to do. There are activities at the gym, there are bible studies; there are concerts and similar events at the PX (Wayne Newton was just here). See in my mind when I start considering doing those things I can’t help but think that I’ll miss out on some sleep cause I’ll get to bed later. But it might be worth it.

I wrote an entry back on September 20th called, “Sunday/Day OFF…” Well today I had the same assignment but they completely revamped it. No longer do you report to your local neighborhood office at 9:00 am and check in every couple of hours and hang out in your room in between. Now we had to report to the Mayor Cell office at 6:00 am. And now our patrols are on foot walking miles through the neighborhoods. Then once you did a round you had to sit in the waiting room and wait for another assignment or for your next patrol. To say the least, this assignment has lost all it’s fun. All in all this was a pretty boring day. The only excitement came at around 10 am, right in the middle of our break. When we got a call of something found in a dumpster in one of the neighborhoods. So we huffed it over there and inspected the dumpster. Sure enough it was a 150 round for a Bradley tank. This sucker was huge. And looked like a bullet you would use on King Kong. So we took up positions around the dumpster to keep people at a safe distance. Pounded five poles in the ground and strung up safety tape to tape off the area. And detoured traffic around the area. We were out there for about and hour and a half till the proper authorities showed up and took care of the hazard. After that it was back to our mundane stuff.

It’s starting to cool off considerably around here over night. When we get up in the morning for PT we’re starting to notice that it’s a bit chilly outside. Now mind you that chilly is 68-72 F. As the day wears on it warms up for us. But it’s a sign that the season is changing. Another sign is a cold/mild flu that is popping up around camp. I’m just getting over my run with it. I till have a lingering cough or two. But the medics say that it’s something that people everywhere are coming down with around here.