“Ignorance is Bliss” is a series detailing conditions and developments from inside an isolation site at Fort Bliss, Texas, housing US Soldiers returning from overseas deployments.
March 20, 2020
As one might imagine, we’re more or less settling in to the routines of incarcerated quarantined life. Nobody’s got in any real trouble yet; just a few scuffles, and one clavicle fracture. Little things.
They changed the run route on us; we now have a 0.3 mile run route, instead of 1.4 miles. For the record, I hate running in circles almost exactly as much as I hate running on a treadmill; it’s a coin toss as to which is worse. I did it, though; a solid 16 minute two mile. (I ran sub-14 a couple weeks ago; further proof that either the altitude change is getting me, or I just suck.)
To augment the short track, we got some extra “workout equipment” delivered today. A few tires, a stack of empty sandbags, and some weighted ammo cans. I’m not sure where what the point of the sandbags is; where am I supposed to find sand in the desert?
Oh. Right.
Everyone is still getting after it in the various fitness pursuits, but I saw a lot more long sleeves, hats and sunscreen today. Today’s weather was more of the same; sunny, clear, warm, with a light breeze. When the temperature starts to taper off at sunset, though, it goes fast.
Some of the ne’er-d0-wells who spent yesterday running around nearly nude are suffering the consequences. Fort Bliss medics have been coming through to take and record our temperatures twice a day, and some of the sunburnt Soldiers here are reading fevers on the infrared thermometers; quite amusing.
The highlight of my day was spending an hour making AeroPress coffee for my building (shoutout to Lady Warlord for providing the beans!) I only brought enough back for me, so I ordered a five lb bag of Black Rifle Coffee (Silencer Smooth, since you asked), and paid way too much for overnight shipping. It should be here shortly, and I regret nothing.
We’ve been getting more of the same culinary paradise; DoD’s finest field rations. Breakfast was the same as yesterday, but with a waffle-and-egg sandwich instead of waffle-and-chicken. Dinner was baked chicken, reconstituted mashed potatoes, and collard greens. The chicken and potatoes were acceptable; I didn’t bother with the greens, as they too closely resembled something I remember seeing in a diaper once.
Lunch has been more canned tuna box lunches. Funny; I read in the newspaper we were getting three hot meals a day and donated snacks. I have yet to see either of those out here.
Fort Bliss has hired contractors to erect semi-permanent structures to augment what’s already here, and they’re going up in record time. The new kitchen tent is almost complete. Rumor on the street is that we’ll be getting contracted food starting tomorrow, but we got an MRE with dinner “just in case they’re not ready.” Encouraging.
Stay tuned; maybe I’ll stay caught up through the rest of this adventure, instead of chronicling three days at a time like a jackass.
Probably not.
Until tomorrow, feel free to leave questions and comments. Or just send coffee and snacks.
Another disclaimer: I don’t represent the Department of Defense, the United States Army, or any other government agency. I don’t represent anyone but myself. Opinions expressed here are mine, and mine alone, primarily because I don’t care what anyone else thinks.
Can we send coffee and snacks? If so, how? And once we know the how, what should we send (translation: what can we get away with)?
That’s a firm “maybe” right now; the mail situation is evolving. (Someone in the host unit command thinks delivering mail would expose us to potential COVID-19 contamination.)
HQ-PRIM mail situation, LOL. Hopefully those jackwagons un-f themselves soon. “Firm maybe” aka squishy like the Army actually issuing ACFT equipment? It’ll probably happen eventually, but we don’t know when, we don’t know where, and the timelines will be much too late to meet previously stated time hacks? (In your case, undoubtedly it means they will deliver mail on the last day right before you leave, after everyone is “out” of quarantine…)
Or they’ll try to deliver it after we leave, it’ll get forwarded to home station, and I’ll be gone for another deployment before it shows up there.
Army: “Perform a record ACFT NLT this date.
Army: Fails to execute contract for equipment in time for their own deadline.
Also Army: “Why didn’t you meet the suspense?”