Head Quarters

Just a Glimpse

    During the past few weeks, November Company HQ has been quite busy. With the endless patrol reports, intsums, and LO reports that come in, the paperwork seems to pile up and the shredder is running non-stop.

   At this point in the tour where routine has settled in, getting out of camp for a couple of hours is a must. Jobs that seem mundane for Company Quartermaster (CQ) staff or transport come as a welcome relief to the rest of November Company HQ. Drives to Velika Kladusa or anywhere in the Area of Responsibility for that matter are most welcome. The drive to Mt.Gola, although lengthy, lets you see the countryside not only from the perspective of the road but also from the eyes of the birds above. The view from Gola on a clear day is stunning and well worth the drive, the land that stretches out before you is green, pleasant and from those heights the scars of the past war are not as obvious. This is not a site seeing tour; it's just a bonus. The trip to Gola is a weekly support run, providing supplies and parts to the crew who maintain a constant vigil atop the mountain.

     Mt. Gola  is the second trip of the week for the CQ staff; the first being the supply run to Zgon, where the CQ staff acquires needed supplies. Like CQ, the Zgon run is old hat for the drivers in transport. The Officer Commanding and the Company Sergeant Major are there weekly for O-groups and important meetings. The first stop en route to Zgon is generally the Bihac platoon house. Although a "stone throw" away from main camp, the personnel of five platoon still need to see the clerk. Bringing the platoon to camp on a weekly basis is not feasible; instead the Company Clerk and the Administration Officer make a weekly trip to them. Beyond this excursion, the clerk and the AO will very rarely leave camp for nothing else other then PT. Running routes in the local foothills, cardiovascular equipment and a weight room provide the Headquarters staff and the rest of camp with the needed tools for burning off stress.

    Finally, radio watch. Not necessarily the most stressful job but certainly the most tedious. Long hours are spent in the command post where the duty operator and the duty officer will monitor radios as well as fax and receive messages. During the day shift, time seems to speed past due to the number of messages pouring into the command post from a variety of sources. In the evening and into the night, when all gets quiet, the command post is silent but for the occasional radio check. These are the long and tedious hours that the duty operator fills with movies, reading and the occasional DVD. This is but a taste of what Headquarters life is like. It may not be the most romantic or ideal but it will occupy your time and challenge you.

PRO PATRIA