Army & Air Force, and rocket attacks

We are on an Air Force base, so the Air Force runs things. The AF just does things differently from the Army, and of course takes care of its pesonnel. Examples: We have a close drop off in CHUville for uniforms to be cleaned and pressed, and one on the other side of the base, requiring a buss ride. The close one; AF only.

We walk down a road to get to the chow hall. Across the street from the chow hall are the PX, laundry, Burger King, and recreation facility. Picture a "T". At the bottom of the T lives the Army. We walk along the road to the top of the T. On the right side, the show hall. On the left side, the PX, etc. Oh, and also the AF housing. Also, on the AF side, the road is paved and bordered by a sidewalk. The Army walks along the unpaved road to get to the facilities. When it's dry, we get dusted by every passing vehicle (2-3 times a minute). When it's not dry, we slog through the mud.

Our JAG officers with with the AF JAGs, and they all get along well. The AF JAGs invited our Army JAGS to their unit's Christmas party. The soldiers went, but were turned away at the door because it was AF only.

The other night in the rec facility, folks were just enjoying the evening. Rocketman lunched a rocket into the FOB, and the siren want off (telling us a rocket had landed). In the rec facility, the announcer said "All AF personnel report to bunkers." Didn't mention Army, which is just as well because usually on the AF and the civilians head for bunkers after a rocket attack. The soldiers usually just keep on doing what ever they were doing.

Which may sound stupid. However, the rockets come in only one at a time. Once you hear the "crump" of the explosion, and the alarm goes off, the attack is over. Kind of pointless to take shelter.

On that subject, we had had several rocket attacks. Usuallly they happen in the afternoon or early evening. To my knowledge, no one had been hurt by a rocket (definitely no one in my unit). A rocket did land on one of new up-armored HUMMVs and took it out, but it was parked in the motor pool at the time and no one was around it. I talked to a soldier who told me that his parking space was the point of impact, but a buddy of his had stolen it and parked his HUMMV there. My guy laughed about it and said that he told his buddy it would teach him not to steal parking spaces.