The routine

Editor’s note: As a special service for our readers, WND is running a series of dispatches from Allan Wall chronicling his transition from civilian life as he prepares to fight with his National Guard unit in Iraq. Allan will write for us as often as he is able in order to let our readers vicariously experience what people in his position are going through. We hope you will check regularly for Allan’s dispatches and encourage your friends and family to do likewise.

Human beings are able to adapt to new situations and very rapidly make them routine. What is initially novel becomes habit very quickly.

I remember when our first son David was a little baby, the little guy had the habit of sleeping with his noggin in the same part of the crib, every night. Already he was a creature of habit.

I was called up for Iraq duty by the National Guard, and reported to my armory with others in my unit. From there we were taken to a training camp and mixed with guardsmen from other units. We were taken to Fort XYZ and mixed with still others. Within 8 days later, we were housed in our regular barracks, where we are scheduled to be for the next several months, training for Iraq duty.

Soon, life settled into a routine of sorts. Not that every day is the same. There are surprises all the time. But we do have a general daily schedule that we conform to. It differs as to whether we go out to a training area or stay in the vicinity of the barracks. But it is a recognizable routine of sorts.

We have our new unit, with a new organization and leadership. We have new colleagues and new roommates. We have a regular place for formations, a cafeteria in which we eat when we’re not in the field, areas where we do our PT (physical training), an arms room where we store our rifles, etc.

People have settled into barracks life and some have quite a few things in their room that make them quite homey. There’s an open space at the top of the staircase, in front of our barracks door, that’s already become a meeting place of sorts.

So yes, we’ve become creatures of habit. Of course, the habits and routines are always subject to change, but there is enough continuity to fall back on.

We’ve even had some time off. Our recent three-day vacation, for example, and a few other days off.

Our upcoming mission in Iraq is on our minds, of course, and a topic of conversation. We have received information concerning our mission in Iraq and hear anecdotes from soldiers who have already been there. Our training combines skills we have trained on before, and new tasks directly related to our Iraq mission.

The training, and daily life, continue at Fort XYZ …