Training exercise

Written on 14 November 2018

“What you got there?” D'arcy asked me in his chipper Irish accent, a mocking grin on his face.

“A picture of my daughter.”

“Jesus Christ.” He chuckled. “One. Get a phone. They have these amazing things called cameras on them. Two. We're just going for a training exercise, we're hardly being helicoptered into Helmand. Three. Stop being so bloody sentimental. Get your fucking head screwed on.”

“That'll do.” Sarge said from the front of the van. I folded my photo of Julie up and slipped it in my pack. Three weeks away with these dicks, pretending to shoot some platoon from Ayrshire or wherever the fuck.

Meanwhile, I miss Julie's play, Sally’s directorial debut, and what will I have to show for it? 

“I'm sorry lad.” D'arcy said. “Just a bit pumped up you know.”

“That's fine mate.”

Here we were in the Scottish highlands and I can't even enjoy the view in this armoured fucking car. As soon as I'm out in the field, I'm volunteering for a scouting mission and finding the nearest pub.