War is not all heroic deeds and daring-do, even for the Special Forces the glory only occupies a very small part of any conflict. For commanders, much of the time is spent in detailed preparation and planning but for the men it is largely taken up in moving from A to B and then on to C or perhaps back to A again. "On the bus, off the bus," and every one spends a lot of time just sitting around waiting for someone somewhere to make a decision, any decision. There are brief moments of frenzied activity when it is realized ...
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War is not all heroic deeds and daring-do, even for the Special Forces the glory only occupies a very small part of any conflict. For commanders, much of the time is spent in detailed preparation and planning but for the men it is largely taken up in moving from A to B and then on to C or perhaps back to A again. "On the bus, off the bus," and every one spends a lot of time just sitting around waiting for someone somewhere to make a decision, any decision. There are brief moments of frenzied activity when it is realized that all the training was not a waste of time but they are relatively rare.The majority of books written about conflicts tend to concentrate on the moments of glory or the political machinations that wrought the conflict in the first place. This is history as the history books depict it. However, 'ordinary' life fills the gaps that surround these momentous events but is generally omitted from the record. Nevertheless, I believe a record of this 'social history' is just as important for, without it, future generations will have a poorer understanding of what life was really like.This is by no means an official history. It is a diary of the observations of one individual - me - and how the Gulf War of 1991 affected me at a personal level. I did not perform any great heroic deeds and my name will not be recorded in the annals of history as a brilliant commander. In fact my claim to fame is only an assumed glory because fate chose to deposit me into the select company of the British Special Forces; the SAS. My job as 'quartermaster' to the Chinook helicopter flight that supported these gallant soldiers was unusual and fascinating but not the stuff of which epic sagas are made. Nevertheless, it gave me the opportunity to observe, at close quarters, the daily life of these people; their hopes, fears and humorous interludes.Having originally recounted my adventures orally to friends and family, I have subsequently written this account as a narrative in an attempt to capture the original story telling atmosphere. It is, therefore, best read aloud but you must choose your audience carefully. Many of the words and expressions used, although common parlance in military circles, may be unfamiliar to the 'civilian' ear. They derive from the centuries of British military service in 'foreign' parts where they have become the lingua franca. Likewise, I have written much of the dialogue in 'English as she is spoke', but, where possible points of confusion or misunderstanding occur, have offered explanations which I hope make the matters clearer.I hope you will find this as absorbing to read as I have found it to write. By the way, names and places have been changed to protect the innocent (?).
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