Came across this while looking through the New York Times. He did a few pieces for them, and then I found out about his blog. Figured I'd share for anyone interested. He's got some very interesting stories/experiences. Some sad, some funny, some thought provoking. Found this "list" he made to be entertaining. Anywho, enjoy if you care to.
blog
Brought that I donâ??t need:
* Heavy black fleece (aka buffalo coat)
* Rifle cable lock
* Cold weather boots
* Thermal underwear
* Sleeveless civilian PT shirts (not culturally sound)
* Four sets of utilities (three would be more than enough)
* Bayonet (who am I kidding?)
* LBV (load bearing vest, we strap everything to our flak)
* Cold weather gloves (Nomex tactical gloves are more than enough)
* Canteens (all our water consumption is via bottled water)
Need that I didnâ??t bring:
* Enough sticky-back Velcro (This stuff is like gold for mounting things in a HMMWV)
* My 1000-count box of zip-ties (Once again, HMMWV mounting gear)
* Head lamp (light that straps around your head and frees up your hands)
* Quality cigars (I thought the supply would b plentiful. I was wrong. Supposedly Cuban cigars are sold near the PX. I am not convinced they are real. Regardless, they are $7-$8 a cigar. I think Iâ??d rather stick to my $3.50 Nicaraguans.)
* My pipe
* Coffee and non-refrigerated creamer (although I have enough now from family)
Am really glad I brought/bought here:
* Heavy duty riggerâ??s belt (a Beretta M9 will deform a normal belt and make your trousers sag in a heartbeat)
* Benchmade automatic knife (Canâ??t beat a knife that opens with a button. No fancy wrist flicking maneuvers necessary. I donâ??t think Iâ??ll ever go back to a non-auto)
* Single-point sling for my M4
* 6-magazine bandoleer for my flak (+1 mag in the rifle +1 mag on the buttstock equals 240 rounds).
* Small, Wal-Mart flashlight (issued Surefire is TOO bright for non-tactical use)
* Laptop
* Xbox
* iPod
* Concealed M9 holster (for wear â??inside the wireâ?)
* JB Weld (havenâ??t used it yet, but I know I will)
* High quality Thermos coffee mug
* Underarmor loose gear t-shirts
* Dental floss
Miss:
* My wife, family, and friends (goes without saying)
* Wrestling with my dog in the living room
* High-bandwidth unrestricted internet (1.5Mbps down, 507kbps up)
* Giving my dad technical support
* The Oâ??Reilly factor each evening
* Xbox Live
* Xbox Live Arcade (Geometry Wars, Zuma, Hexic HD)
* Chatting with friends on Xbox Live
* â??This Week in Techâ? Podcast (I donâ??t have a clue whatâ??s going on in the world of tech. Iâ??m going to return home to find a 1080p plasma screen in the door of my refrigerator and my wife will say â??Oh, that old thing?â?)
* Neighborhood Poker Night (And the inevitable argument that will resultâ?¦much like the â??big wreckâ? at Talladega)
* Neighborhood parties
* Normal vehicles (non-HMMWVs)
* Sushi (Oh, what Iâ??d do for a Soft Shell Crab Roll or a sliver of squid.)
* The Mikey Show (San Diego, CA, radio show)
* The Rick and Bubba Show (Birmingham, AL, radio show)
Donâ??t Miss:
* Laundry
* Training for deployment
* Traffic
* Taxes
Going to Miss:
* Xmen 3
Have a fever, and need a prescription for:
* Cowbell
EDIT: Ha, have to add this:
