Caffeine Emergency
Somehow this week I was the lucky recipient of day on day off Staff Duty. My first day was Sunday, and the duty lasts 24 hours. This 24 hours is a theoretical number since the duty desk is not located on the camp I am assigned to. This means getting up and dressed in time to catch the bus, in order to arrive on time to assume duty.
So basically, up at 0600, get ready, catch the 0720 bus, arrive at the Camp where the duty desk is located at 0740, walk to the Group HQ, arriving at about 0800, and assume duty at 0830.
At the completion of the tour of duty (0830 to 0830, or 0830 to 0900 if you are lucky to have it Sunday to Monday as I was) You inspect all the areas of responsibility, and then once relieved, drag ass to the bus stop, in order to catch the bus back to YOUR installation.
The problem being that on THIS camp the bus only leaves on the hour, and on YOUR camp the bus arrives/leaves every 20 minutes after the hour. Basically this means you aren't leaving until 1000 hrs. You arrive "home" at 1020, however now you've already missed breakfast, and the dining facility doesn't open again until 1130, so that means you're eating by noon.
Lets recap... That's roughly 30 hours without a fucking cup of coffee. Is that even legal? Oh, did I mention sleep? No coffee, and no sleep.
Once you have acquired food, (being forced to skip the coffee if you'd like to sleep) it is possible that you may get in the rack at about 1330, however after showering, shaving, and taking phone calls from all the people who would otherwise not ever call you, and in fact don't on any other day, its now 1530...
33 hours... No sleep, no peace, and no fucking coffee. This is a Nazi labor camp, I'm half expecting the genetic experiments to begin.
1830 -Someone is pounding on my door. Now I am in a near rage. It's my First Sergeant, there's barracks maintenance from 1830 to 2130 tonight and I need to get out of my room. "Top I'm off for duty" he doesn't care... Roger that. Sleep is a crutch, besides I had 3 hours, I'm good for another week right?
MUST HAVE COFFEE. Put on a pot to brew, assessed my life. Retrieved cup of coffee. Began to supervise clean up. Its now 2240 and the First Sergeant has decided to come and inspect, 3 cups of coffee and a case of the ass later.
Oh we can go now? Great, you're a fantastic American... What's that -0530 PT? Yeah Top got it, no problem. Oh you think we should paint the interior? It would make it easier to clean? Roger... Oh our budget is limited, so paint is hard to come by, but we could easily buy a "few gallons" ourselves? HooAh. We can go now? For real this time? What's that Top? Same time same place next Monday? Roger, out fucking standing. Goodnight.
2300.... I'm going to bed, because I have staff duty again tomorrow. On weekdays it starts at 1600 hours, after your normal duty day. No problem.
0200 3 fucking cups of Coffee and the old Mark I eyeballs stuck in the open position.
0530 Woo fucking hoo, PT and the start of my day! 11 hours till Staff Duty! 1600 to 0900!
0650 Tuesday morning... Fuck this... Fuck you... Oh and definitely fuck you! Yeah you.
Do I seem bitter and cranky? hmmm
So basically, up at 0600, get ready, catch the 0720 bus, arrive at the Camp where the duty desk is located at 0740, walk to the Group HQ, arriving at about 0800, and assume duty at 0830.
At the completion of the tour of duty (0830 to 0830, or 0830 to 0900 if you are lucky to have it Sunday to Monday as I was) You inspect all the areas of responsibility, and then once relieved, drag ass to the bus stop, in order to catch the bus back to YOUR installation.
The problem being that on THIS camp the bus only leaves on the hour, and on YOUR camp the bus arrives/leaves every 20 minutes after the hour. Basically this means you aren't leaving until 1000 hrs. You arrive "home" at 1020, however now you've already missed breakfast, and the dining facility doesn't open again until 1130, so that means you're eating by noon.
Lets recap... That's roughly 30 hours without a fucking cup of coffee. Is that even legal? Oh, did I mention sleep? No coffee, and no sleep.
Once you have acquired food, (being forced to skip the coffee if you'd like to sleep) it is possible that you may get in the rack at about 1330, however after showering, shaving, and taking phone calls from all the people who would otherwise not ever call you, and in fact don't on any other day, its now 1530...
33 hours... No sleep, no peace, and no fucking coffee. This is a Nazi labor camp, I'm half expecting the genetic experiments to begin.
1830 -Someone is pounding on my door. Now I am in a near rage. It's my First Sergeant, there's barracks maintenance from 1830 to 2130 tonight and I need to get out of my room. "Top I'm off for duty" he doesn't care... Roger that. Sleep is a crutch, besides I had 3 hours, I'm good for another week right?
MUST HAVE COFFEE. Put on a pot to brew, assessed my life. Retrieved cup of coffee. Began to supervise clean up. Its now 2240 and the First Sergeant has decided to come and inspect, 3 cups of coffee and a case of the ass later.
Oh we can go now? Great, you're a fantastic American... What's that -0530 PT? Yeah Top got it, no problem. Oh you think we should paint the interior? It would make it easier to clean? Roger... Oh our budget is limited, so paint is hard to come by, but we could easily buy a "few gallons" ourselves? HooAh. We can go now? For real this time? What's that Top? Same time same place next Monday? Roger, out fucking standing. Goodnight.
2300.... I'm going to bed, because I have staff duty again tomorrow. On weekdays it starts at 1600 hours, after your normal duty day. No problem.
0200 3 fucking cups of Coffee and the old Mark I eyeballs stuck in the open position.
0530 Woo fucking hoo, PT and the start of my day! 11 hours till Staff Duty! 1600 to 0900!
0650 Tuesday morning... Fuck this... Fuck you... Oh and definitely fuck you! Yeah you.
Do I seem bitter and cranky? hmmm
posted by Josh at 1:52 PM
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