Afghanistan Through My Eyes

Waiting is not easy.
I think of the soldier waiting to go home. Calendaring the days on his or her helmet. The closer it is the harder it gets.

To hope for the best, I decide to check out some gear to see what I'm going to be wearing in Afghanistan. I cannot look military, but I still need a flak vest and a helmet.

The first thing I look at are the flak vests. There are so many to choose from. They are expensive, around $500 to $600. I wonder is these are good enough. I wonder if I should just get a cheaper one figuring that nothing is going to save me from a rocket launcher anyway. I am obsessed with rocket launchers.

Then I look at the weight. I remember in the book "Things That They Carry" stresses such importance on weight. I weigh about 110 lbs. The vest weighs about 5 lbs, my helmet will weigh about 2.5 lbs and I'm going to have to carry a pack that will proabably weigh 20 lbs.

I'm suddenly worried. Will I be able to carry all of this?