Sentry Duty

The Troopers walk across the wet ground their boots get heavier from the mud with each step . Finally, they're there, almost out of breath. They grab the metal rail and bang their boots against the first step. Instantly, they're pounds lighter as globs of wet sticky mud fall from their worn desert boots.

With their M-4's slung over their shoulders and their canteens full of water for the long evening, they slowly begin the 30-foot climb to the summit. Finally, they are on top of the guard tower - about thirty feet above the base. Surrounded by steel, mortar and sandbags, the climbers meet familiar faces -- the guards who have spent the past several hours protecting this portion of base camp. Maybe a few grunts, an 'it's about time' and then they are gone.

The views from the towers are breath taking, overlooking the city stretching out into the distance. Each tower overlooks some of Iraq's most dangerous areas - the areas just outside a Forward Operating Base. For young soldiers barely out of their teens - (or still in them) - knowing they are protecting the lives of their fellow Soldiers below must bring a sense of satisfaction that goes beyond pulling what some would consider just a detail. It's a huge amount of responsibility protecting the FOB and the Soldiers inside the walls. They're doing something important whether they realize it or not. Protect the compound or the mission could fail, someone could get hurt or worse yet killed. They make it safer for the Soldiers resting inside the compound.As the sun slowly inches toward the horizon, they know it's only a few minutes before the rules changes. The rules change for the bad guys collecting intelligence about the operating base. The rules change for the Soldiers as they flip down and activate their night-vision goggles. From black and gray shadows to shades of light and dark green, they now are able to watch the large wall separating the busy city from the forward operating base. Watching for any unusually activity, watching for that fleeting figure with a rifle or RPG. During the day it's easier because they can see a lot more things than at night. At night they have to be more aware of their surroundings and the things around them.The night is silent except for maybe the occasional honking of a car horn or other sounds of the city. As the Soldiers scan the city, they hear the distinctive sounds of AK-47 assault rifle rounds being fired off in the distance. Over the building tops, red tracers cut through the black sky, disappearing into the night. The Soldiers don't flinch or even react - a sure sign of a veteran guard on the towers. They probably think to themselves 'how will I react if we were to get shot at, what will my first reaction be?', but they don't show it.Whether the Soldiers are in towers or stopping and searching vehicles entering the FOB, the guards make sure that Soldiers in their rooms can sleep comfortably knowing they're safer because of their comrades keeping watch.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."-Albert Einstein

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