Links
Archives
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Welding & Pings
We recently got an upgrade to our guard shack, replacing the 60 or so Army cots with Iraqi-made bunk beds, complete with 4-5" pink foam mattresses. But the welds holding the metal bunks together were few and far between. Each bed swayed back and forth whenever someone just rolled over or got on or off. And then they started to break. Luckily none broke while guys were sleeping on them, but as people would sometimes sit down, the bottom bunk would just go ‘ping!’ and give way. Soon we had about a dozen beds broken, several more reinforced with ‘zip ties’ (plastic handcuffs usually used for detainees), and a whole lot of mattresses lying on the floor as guys decided not to chance the top bunk at all.
Fortunately though, we’re the National Guard. As guardsmen, we are an older group of soldiers with a diversity of real-world job experiences. While the First ID’s full-time, active duty welder was swamped with his regular welding work, we had a couple of guys who weld as their full-time job back home. They took a few days off of their guard duty to weld all the bunks, reassembling the broken ones and shoring up the others. Now we sleep more peacefully… when we do actually get to sleep… and I can write this with a little more confidence that I won’t suddenly hear ‘ping!’ and then find myself and my much-loved laptop on the floor.
Fortunately though, we’re the National Guard. As guardsmen, we are an older group of soldiers with a diversity of real-world job experiences. While the First ID’s full-time, active duty welder was swamped with his regular welding work, we had a couple of guys who weld as their full-time job back home. They took a few days off of their guard duty to weld all the bunks, reassembling the broken ones and shoring up the others. Now we sleep more peacefully… when we do actually get to sleep… and I can write this with a little more confidence that I won’t suddenly hear ‘ping!’ and then find myself and my much-loved laptop on the floor.
Posted by: Unknown / 2:16 PM 
