Zak Giguere
Warehouse Worker at a Non-Profit Food Bank
From Tucson, Arizona
Air Force, Staff Sergeant
Carpenter
Balad, Iraq 03/06-07/06
Sharana, Afghanistan 7/06-11/06
Al Asad, Iraq 2/08-10/08
Words Provided 2012
Excerpt From a Journal Entry
From Tucson, Arizona
Air Force, Staff Sergeant
Carpenter
Balad, Iraq 03/06-07/06
Sharana, Afghanistan 7/06-11/06
Al Asad, Iraq 2/08-10/08
Words Provided 2012
Excerpt From a Journal Entry
13 July 2008
…“I’m done with this.” Last night there were fiery explosions near the flightline. It wasn’t an attack, just some controlled detonations. It doesn’t really feel like war here. The rifle doesn’t make me feel military nor does it make me feel safe. It is becoming a test of wills to NOT clean it. Can I go six months? It’s just a joke. It’s a hindrance. Not to say that I want to have to use it as protection, I don’t. Rather, it is pointless, especially here, especially now.
I don’t look forward to work. I am just counting down to the next Sunday off. I am sore, I am tired. Just when I begin to tolerate work and dig some motivation up, someone above me, either in rank or believed position, questions some small thing or says something ignorant. It’s always petty. Even in my position, where I tested for rank, the rank seems meaningless. I am not much of an NCO going by the enlisted force structure, but these people pick and choose how it applies to them. I have realized that my desire to not be looked at as a hypocrite, means that I can barely enforce Air Force rules, because I barely follow them. The obvious course of action is for me to get out. The question is, did this attitude come from wanting to get out, or did wanting to get out come from this attitude?
…“I’m done with this.” Last night there were fiery explosions near the flightline. It wasn’t an attack, just some controlled detonations. It doesn’t really feel like war here. The rifle doesn’t make me feel military nor does it make me feel safe. It is becoming a test of wills to NOT clean it. Can I go six months? It’s just a joke. It’s a hindrance. Not to say that I want to have to use it as protection, I don’t. Rather, it is pointless, especially here, especially now.
I don’t look forward to work. I am just counting down to the next Sunday off. I am sore, I am tired. Just when I begin to tolerate work and dig some motivation up, someone above me, either in rank or believed position, questions some small thing or says something ignorant. It’s always petty. Even in my position, where I tested for rank, the rank seems meaningless. I am not much of an NCO going by the enlisted force structure, but these people pick and choose how it applies to them. I have realized that my desire to not be looked at as a hypocrite, means that I can barely enforce Air Force rules, because I barely follow them. The obvious course of action is for me to get out. The question is, did this attitude come from wanting to get out, or did wanting to get out come from this attitude?