Garcia is my very best battle buddy. We met during a snow storm on the way to reception, which is like the in-processing to basic training. It was two weeks long, (thanks to the snow storm) it was freezing cold, and it was definitely no party.
We went on to basic training together, ending up in two different platoons and would try to cram all of our updates into 3 minute conversations every chance we had, which wasnt often. But no matter how bad it sucked over there, we always found a way to laugh about it all.
Ironically, we ended up at Fort Meade together for AIT, where we were roommates and student leadership. She was becoming a military designer and I was a civilian designer so we stayed up late working on many a projects together and relied heavily on coffee to transform ourselves from our zombie like state into normal human beings before class each morning.
Getting the news - The good and the bad
Just as I was settling in to my new unit at home and got the news of our Iraq deployment, Garcia was sent to Afghanistan. I used to send her silly care packages to make her laugh and remind her of fun times from the beginning of our military careers together.
Just as I was settling in to my new unit at home and got the news of our Iraq deployment, Garcia was sent to Afghanistan. I used to send her silly care packages to make her laugh and remind her of fun times from the beginning of our military careers together.
When my deployment was canceled without warning, I knew the reason why that day I got the news that I would be heading to Afghanistan too. After all, someone has to go check on her and my little bro.
Here's how our conversation went:
Here's how our conversation went:
Me: Im coming to
Afghanistan!
Garcia: What!? Girl, it sucks here, you have to come!
Me: I don't know where exactly yet. Hopefully we’re stationed in the same place but if not ill make it over there to see you so we can catch up over coffee.
Garcia: Yes! That would be great!
Me: I might have to low crawl all the way across the country so I can get there undetected, but I’ll do it... That would be a good workout anyway.
Garcia: (laughs) I can imagine you doing that. If you do, the coffee is on me.
Me: Not the free DFAC coffee either, I want the good stuff, flown in from Columbia, and made in a French press.
Garcia: (laughs) You are so silly! Done. Now hurry up and get here!
And off I went, on my journey to the desert, that started with a farewell from Smyrna Tennessee.
Garcia: What!? Girl, it sucks here, you have to come!
Me: I don't know where exactly yet. Hopefully we’re stationed in the same place but if not ill make it over there to see you so we can catch up over coffee.
Garcia: Yes! That would be great!
Me: I might have to low crawl all the way across the country so I can get there undetected, but I’ll do it... That would be a good workout anyway.
Garcia: (laughs) I can imagine you doing that. If you do, the coffee is on me.
Me: Not the free DFAC coffee either, I want the good stuff, flown in from Columbia, and made in a French press.
Garcia: (laughs) You are so silly! Done. Now hurry up and get here!
And off I went, on my journey to the desert, that started with a farewell from Smyrna Tennessee.
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