"Remember everything is personality driven, but don’t take everything personally"

Since my mastery of the English language is a bit challenged today, I thought I would post a journal entry from one of my days during the 1st Gulf War. Some of my entries are very random just like me, and my posts here. Glad to see some things never change.

There was a saying we had when new officers (not ALL but most) would come in and want to change the WHOLE system of doing things, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” I am not sure where the saying comes from but, by the time they “changed” it to “their” way and it went through many painstaking “no do it this way”, we were back to the way we started. So there may be an undercurrent of frustration that has nothing to do with Desert Shield/Desert Storm but the personalities that surrounded me. I had a E-7 who used to tell me all the time “Remember, everything is personality driven, but don’t take everything personally.” At the age of 20 I had no idea what the heck he was talking about but after we got back from the 1st Gulf War it made sense.

Amber’s Journal August ’90
“I flew over with 2 RATT Rigs and 3 teams. We made a stop in Spain for a few hours. The country side (of Spain) – what I saw of it was very colorful. The first night in country (Saudi Arabia) was so different – I got off the plane (c141) and the heat about took your breath away. Then we had to get onto a bus. While walking to the bus the Arab’s who were there stared at us the entire time it was truly a unique experience. One wonders had they ever seen that many American Soldier’s before. Oh well. Everyone looked frightened and anxious all at the same time. I wondered what was going to happen once the bus stopped?”

I was so naive about so many things at this point. I had no idea what was ahead and I thought I had all the answers. Little did I know life was about to smack me around a bit. Those lessons we all learn at one time or another. I carry the things I learned those precious 9 months with me even to this day. I do not pretend or even for one moment think I know what the Soldiers today are facing. The conflict is different, the battlefield is different, even the enemy is different. I am only sharing a little of what I said and felt and observed during my short (and I stress short) time there in the sands of the desert. Maybe next time I will tell you about some of the personalities.

Enjoy!