Basra effects at home

[sparks will fly]

Got back from Basra at end of November and was wondering how many people have upon reflection some embarassing / funny instances when they got back home. Here is mine for starters.
Got back home for RnR was napping on the two seater beside the wife when I heard 3 bangs I wake up at the same time attempting to swan dive to my floor as my wife is pulling on my shoulder shouting its ok its only the washing maching. She was washing large towels that make our machine bang just before the spin cycle. I recline back into sleep mode and she is LHAO.
Another when on RnR went to see Doc and was sitting in waiting room nice and quiet when a WAF medic walks past me and slams the door behind her. I could have snapped her neck for that, but she wasn,t to know where I had just come from.DT_Xtremez_28:

 

[rugby then work]

When I last came back from the Falklands I couldn't walk past a pub without diving through the door and drinking until I fell over.

 

[tommo9999]

When I last came back from the Falklands I couldn't walk past a pub without diving through the door and drinking until I fell over.

That's what I'm doing now!! At least the german boozers are cleaner than the Globe!!DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[pueblos]

Ducked for cover in Witney high street when a car back fired…

 

[Yossarian]

I got a clip round the ear for carrying a jazz mag to the bogs once I was home.

DT_Xtremez_31:

 

[Rebel without A Clue]

Tried to haggle with the checkout girl in Sainsbury's and when she refused, I muttered 2thieving jingly git" and walked to the next till and tried it there.

 

[pie sandwich]

After 4 mths in basra doing drive/escort and going off camp with 2 shooters both with a round up the spout, I had a few days off when I came home and was on SGF when I went out for my first stint I was at the loading up point the guard commander was going through the load drills and as I finished I made ready with out even thinking about it. Well 4 mths doing it god knows how many times a day it becomes second nature.

The guard commander sh*t herself and all I did was calmly unload and re load.

 

[PD TC]

Dont think the wife was to chuffed after I wanted to set fire to the bog after having a sh1t some years ago. I worrying throw back to the old thunderboxes

 

[box-of-frogs]

Tried to haggle with the checkout girl in Sainsbury's and when she refused, I muttered 2thieving jingly git" and walked to the next till and tried it there.

LOL!!DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Inch High PI]

A bit more serious, but two people I worked with in Basra this year are suffering from nightmares due to IDF. The first three months of our tour we got hammered while we were at the COB and the Palace. Our last 3 months on the COB were reasonably quiet though.

 

[auchtermuchty]

Not a Det story but the theme is the same.

Was living in BB60 at Bruggen when, on the 24th April 1999 at 2300ish, it burnt down. There were several of us in the building at the time, rather unusually sober for a Saturday, as we were due in work @0100 to prep a wave to bomb Kosovo. It then took the best part of 4 years before I could do my fire training on CCS without turning into a jibbering wreck. Couldnt watch anything on TV that involved flames or explosions.

Right bundle of fun I wasDT_Xtremez_40:

 

[sparks will fly]

A bit more serious, but two people I worked with in Basra this year are suffering from nightmares due to IDF. The first three months of our tour we got hammered while we were at the COB and the Palace. Our last 3 months on the COB were reasonably quiet though.

I have to admit the IDF alarm sends a shiver down my back, my 1st month was hell and I am man enough to admit I thought that I was not going to get back alive that month. How many of us when laying on the floor were quietly saying to ourselves "Not Me Not Me Not Me". and how come the attacks seemed to get to you more once you were back from RnR.

 

[pie sandwich]

Thats nowt wait until your changing a tyre on the highway and some farmer tries to take pot shots at you.

F1 teams have got fook all on a liney who is being shot at when it comes to a wheel changeDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[box-of-frogs]

After my first tour of Telic in '03 we got home shortly before fireworks nights. Most of the fireworks got a shrug or a look in the direction, but some little fecker set off one of those old 'airbomb' thingys about 30 yards from me and some mates on the way home from the pub. I ducked down - got a bit of a slagging off the lads (all civvies), then some massive sympathy off the girls who all wanted to see if i was ok, followed by some severe jealousy off the lads!
DT_Xtremez_28:


I suppose it helps that i (hopefully) get to fire back at them when they do have a pop at us - preferably before they fire but you don't always have that choice!

 

[Former Albert Sooty]

In Basrah with Albert in 2004 when the airport started to get mortared regularly. We were sat in the tent playing cards when the first Chinese rocket flew over on its way to the bondoo. We soon shat ourselves when we realised what it was and the mortar alarm was going off. It was even more sobering the next morning when we were told that the iso that around 40 - 50 of us squeezed into for shelter would have pretty much incinerated all of us in the event of a direct hit.
Also, the first bonfire night a few months after my return was a little unnerving. :S

 

[he_who_dares_rodney]

In Basrah with Albert in 2004 when the airport started to get mortared regularly. We were sat in the tent playing cards when the first Chinese rocket flew over on its way to the bondoo. We soon shat ourselves when we realised what it was and the mortar alarm was going off. It was even more sobering the next morning when we were told that the iso that around 40 - 50 of us squeezed into for shelter would have pretty much incinerated all of us in the event of a direct hit.
Also, the first bonfire night a few months after my return was a little unnerving. :S

I was at Allamarah in 2004 with the PWRR Battlegroup when it all went Pete Tong
After a month or so it was decided that on our 'days off' (i.e not down town getting in sh1t) we should fill sandbags about 1000 a day (oooh me hands)
We lived in ISO's could not use the cookhouse and were warned not to walk round in groups of 4 or more (less one mortar took out a brick from the same section)
The ISO's had wooden shelves in for us to lay on and nothing else all reading after about 17:00 was conducted by head torch
Our mortars fired illum all night and the noise (it's not that little pop from the films) banged off the Iso's so sleep was minimal and maybe 12 - 17 hours out and about next day
The Iso's had another Iso on top filled with matress's and earth these were supposed to prevent a mortar/ rocket hitting our accomodation below
One day we watched a rocket hit one end go in and come back out the other side and carry on away with not a few loud bangs and pops from the Iso

When I got back I was ok but for the first few months out and about I would have stuck the kids up on top cover through the sunroof if I could I never took my eyes of the rooftops and was wary about stopping at traffic lights

Funny enough the thing about the mortars was I missed them it was way to quiet at night and I found it hard to sleep without a bit of noise I'm in civ div now and it's hard to explain how much a door slamming can turn a head
I also watch the fire and manouver bit from Heat (after the bank robbery) on youtube when I'm on nights and have the office to myself just because the noise sounds right and reminds me of probably the best days of my service life

DT_Xtremez_43:

 

[sparks will fly]

I do remember lying there in my bunk at night and waiting for the incomming but when it was all quiet it used to put everyone on edge as you knew what was comming but you did not know how bad it was going to be. You would wonder what the little blighters where upto.

I also remember our boss giving us an Int brief and sayig how quiet this week has been. Half an hour later 13 rockets in one go, funny how if you mentioned how quiet it is there would shortly be an attack.

 

[riggrrrr]

the COB IDF alarm is now my morning mobile phone alarm call - certainly wakes me up! im a bit better with loud bangs now (7 months after returning home) but fireworks night got me going. imagine me stood on some staging with my civvy supervisor and then diving for cover when the local theme park let off their big one over the airfield. i sh*t it and he pi**ed himself! DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[Cooheed]

I do remember lying there in my bunk at night and waiting for the incomming but when it was all quiet it used to put everyone on edge as you knew what was comming but you did not know how bad it was going to be. You would wonder what the little blighters where upto.

I also remember our boss giving us an Int brief and sayig how quiet this week has been. Half an hour later 13 rockets in one go, funny how if you mentioned how quiet it is there would shortly be an attack.

'Be careful what you wish for' comes to mind...

 

[MeRlIn HaTeR]

I really hate the attack alarm! DT_Xtremez_42: It always goes off when im on the Trans deck, its a mad scramble to dive off the top and the wait inbtween the alarms and bangs was always eternal.

One night back at benson doing a servicing on the line one of the other lads got a msg on his phone, the tone was the attack alarm. DT_Xtremez_17:

Off course I just lept! Ive jumped loads of times and been fine in BAS but back home i nearly broke my leg!

Just as well I wasnt wearing a safty harness, I wouldve looked a right cnut hanging from the top of the cab! Plus no one said anything as I was allowed to work with out the correct safety gear it was covered up and preserved my dignity!DT_Xtremez_28:

Although the following day i had to go to Med centre and then a referal to the Mental Health nurse at Brize. They are very good IMO.

One of our lads was on guard when a 122mm rocket took out the guard corimecs, he suffered minor injuries. He was evac'd quick and said Selly Oak were good.