Shared some tips

Me:  Shared some tips from my experience that they hadn't thought of... though they are exceeding well prepared from training opportunities. A couple of weeks here and there at NTC.

Friend on Skype: uh huh

Me: Which is an opfor mission area in the Mojave Desert.

Friend on Skype: so you gave them your perspective

Me: Yeah... they were ready to pack sweaters or field jackets. I told them pack BOTH.
From their time in California... they experienced 110 degrees dropping to 70. Their jaws dropped when I told them what they might really get.

125 degrees dropping to 50.

Friend on Skype: hopefully they will listen and pass it on

Me: But the other technique that I shared really got them nodding.

"Whenever you get thirsty before you drink some water ask your buddy when was the last time he drank?" I got ??? until I explained the solution.

Friend on Skype: right so everyone stays hydrated

Me: Yup, but everyone stays connected and in touch with each other. That's the core of good teamwork.

Friend on Skype: very true. brothers keeper, marco polo

Me: I.e. A casualty doesn't just put the team 1 man down. He's down and those taking care of him are down. It's one of them counter intuitive things. That's why a smart enemy doesn't want you dead... yet. He just wants you to help distract or divert your buddies.

They nodded in understanding... then I told them about their #1 enemy that will start attacking them once they get in country.

Heat.

Heat casualties are really preventable and can be really troublesome. The brain starts going... on a person with a gun. Not nice imho.

So at the end of that "class"... I was given their unit patch and they all asked my name adopting me I think. The added facet... of all the VFW guys there I was Young uncle age to these kids. So I could talk their cultural language allowing for the connecting.

Oh, and at some point thier medical guys (emt's) found out from the other vfw guys about my TBI. Another aspect they could not really believe until they pointedly asked me if I had one. Yeah... oh and the fact that I was airborne made them laugh as well. Proof that I was crazy before my TBI in their joking.

I couldn't disagree with them.

Life long adrenalin junkie I am.

How low can confidence go?

It looked like I screwed the pooch, been spending the past few hours in panic mode over it.... and then it got proven that I didn't screw up. Just made a choice that added a slight complication to our day but not a bad choice nor wrong one.

What complicated things was that I did not remember the specifics of the choice I made so when decisions needed to be made... details seemed like I screwed up. And this is where the real problem lies for me.

I make a simple human mistake or is it? Is it because of my brain injury? Or the onset of age to this not young guy? Where do I place my confidence? In myself? This is a real dilemma though it may not sound like it to you. But for me?

I used to jump from airplanes, whenever needed I deployed my reserve chute. I used to be armed with an M-203 attached underneath an M-16. Quite accurate in use and excellently talented in knowing when to use them. I've got 15K combat miles and only one vehicle damaged (from a mine). All before I was 23 yrs old.

Now, I don't trust myself to talk because of Aphasia. I can't always feel confident even in what I feel as the pain never ends and sensation hasn't fully returned to my arms/hands or my face. My memory is shoddy as hell. A geek joke I make: My primary HD now has bad clusters.