Every one thinks that being deployed to a combat zone is the worst thing in the world. Normally it would be. Luckily, things here in Iraq have been cleaned up a bit since the invasion. On most big posts there are small gathering holes called Green Bean Coffee Shops. Much like the Starbuck’s that we have back home, Green Beans was started by a couple of guys who knew Joes (that military folk for those that don’t habla) would go grape ape for overpriced coffee house java.
Most soldiers are lucky in that they have access to a PX (shop) where they can get coffee and a coffee maker, but there is something about sitting down with a bunch of buddies and having a cup of coffee. I am a huge cappuccino junky and the thought of showing up to a Green Beans and sucking down an espresso filled delight gets me all stupid inside. The guys who run the shops here are mostly Pakistani, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, and from various places about the globe. Most of these places even brew their own blends of coffee that are out of this world, but at Green Beans, you can forget you are in Iraq for just a few minutes while sipping down a hot (or cold …They Have SMOOTHIES!) beverage.
I went down to the main side of the base I am staying in for the next few days (I am currently in Somewhere Iraq, rather than where I am usually stationed in Out There, Iraq) and had myself a cappuccino. It was the weirdest thing. I sat down outside to watch the varied Military Life (Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and even some civilians) pass me by and the strangest thing happened. I realized that I was completely alone.
This is pretty significant as most of the time…Soldiers are never alone. As part of the team I work in, I have been with someone with zero privacy since May of last year! Dear LAWD! But today I was totally alone to study for something I have to do here and as my platoon went back to Out There and I am still in Somewhere… I am absolutely alone.
Now aside from any masturbation jokes you could come up with, this is pretty significant. We pretty much do everything in groups and if you do get a spare minute to yourself… it is usually fleeting. Poof! There it’s gone. But I had a whole day where I got to eat, go to the bathroom, shower, and grab a coffee all by myself. Holy Crap I feel like a grown up!
Aside from getting a lot of studying done, I had an opportunity to download Heroic Moments from Highmoon Media and Purple Duck Games alongside of World Meta-human Factbook: Germany. I am hoping to give both a read while I am out here as well as a review for the boys who took the time to craft them together. 
Coffee… Light reading… and the possibility of getting blowed up… what else could a person want in life.
Best Regards,
Walt
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