Strangers #4

Strangers #4
Originally uploaded by Miss.Informed

Things must have been a bit slow at the recruitment office. They both waved as I walked past, peering into the window.

These two fine young men are Sammy and James. They agreed to be #4 for my
100 strangers project. They offered me a career in the army, which I had to decline. I made the mistake of telling them I was a teacher and they regaled me with stories of how they used to make their teachers' lives miserable. Holy terrors apparently. One of them removed the armrest on the teachers chair and glued thumbtacks along the base. Charming.

James is 18 and has been in the Army for eighteen months. He works in reconnaissance. He told me, "The army has been the making of me." He waiting to be deployed to Afghanistan. Sammy, in the infantry, has been on two tours of duty: Iraq and Afghanistan and is waiting to be redeployed in a couple of months.

They were a good laugh, the pair of them. I was brought back to the seriousness of their work at the end. Sammy, the guy on the left, referred to James as "just a baby"

I laughed and shot back, " At 22, you're a fine one to talk."

"Yeah, well at the end of the day I know I am doing a man's job."

Indeed. I may quibble with the politics that sends our troops over. But I have enormous respect for the folk that choose to serve their country. Stay safe boys.

Uploaded by Miss.Informed on 19 Oct 08, 5.34PM GMT.