13OCT2007: NIGHTWATCH

This week I've been on Night Dispatch, so all week I have sat listening to radios and answering calls from 1900 hours to 0700 hours the following morning. I've also been sleeping most of the day, trying to squeeze a trip to the pool or gym in whenever possible. I've also kept myself busy.....and awake....by answering emails, reading and surfing the net. For the most part it has been quiet, except for the attacks on the 10th, that certainly opened my eyes. I have heard mortar and rockets in the distance, but this really shook the house and it was obvious they hit only right down the street! The incident made the National news, there were many injuries and two deaths, scary to think that it happened at an intersection we drive through, walk through and go to everyday.
Today, while I was asleep getting ready for tonight, things around here got serious again. I guess there has been enough intel to close down most non-essential buildings and cause the DFAC to be "take-out only", when I went out to get dinner it was a ghost town. Everyone is ordered to wear their "battle-rattle" (body armor and helmet) when out, stay indoors as often as possible and even wear body armor indoors. So now I sit here monitoring the radios and phones waiting for something to happen. This has the makings of a long night, longer than usual anyway. So, it's 2135 hours, a fresh pot is brewing and I wait for the proverbial "shit" to hit the fan! Wish me luck!