On Duty

This week has been insane, to say the least. Since my last post, I have learned how to drive a HMMWV(Humvee), and an LMTV, and I drove a HMMWV from Austin, to Brenham, to Houston, to Liberty, and to Beaumont. The outpouring of public support for me and my fellow troops has been remarkable, and we are so grateful. A lot of people have heard the phrase “Hurry up and wait” as it pertains to the Army. I can attest that this is true. There is a certain amount of mundanity to our operations from time to time, but it’s all for the good of the people of Texas, especially those affected by Hurricane Harvey. I saw pictures of the aftermath. I heard the reports, and I understood the facts of the devastation. I learned, however, that nothing could prepare me to actually see the reality of the situation for myself. Whole roads closed off, covered in water at least a foot deep. It doesn’t sound like much, but it grips your heart when your orders are to drive through it, remembering every time you’ve been told to “turn around, don’t drown.” Speed limit signs reflecting themselves, seeming only a couple feet away from each other. The other half of the highway barricaded, unsurpassable due to the uprooted tree trunks and logs laying across it, appearing to float on the water, unmoving. A full scrap metal yard where you can only see a couple of cars, their windshields barely peeking over the surface. What hit the hardest were the yards where water had already receded, piles of furniture and clothing strewn across it, clearly all ruined. There were no signs of people by these homes. My guess is that they couldn’t bear to be there longer than it took to determine that their lives had completely been uprooted, and despair to set in their hearts. Keep in mind, many of these homes were not in a flood plane, therefore never saw the need for flood insurance. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to replace everything you own. My only hope is that they all still have each other. My only wish is that I could do something to help them. But I drive on in the belief that there are those I can help. I have to believe it. My only alternative is the despair taking my heart as well.