Verg Avesta 100 Days Countdown!

[hero]

You are my greatest hero.

(lolparadox)

[DB-L]

Welcome back to the civvie world, Verg.


'Hope you were all "I'm taking it home with me!" with C13L.

[Mellon]

Gratz, Verg. If Finland is anything like back home, be prepared for a lot of "You are now a true Man" speeches. =)

[Optimus]

That won't happen since Verg was a true Man from the very beginning... More like "Now you are manlier than Kamina" or something like that.

[Verg Avesta]

And the thought of the day #0 is...

So. That was it.

That was army.

I must say, I experienced a lot of things in there that I think I will never experience again. Aside from the obvious things, like shooting with different weapons, blowing up bridges, facing tanks charging at me or struggling waist-deep in a swamp , there were more subtle things: The community there is so removed from the “normal” civilian-life that’s it’s almost scary. But I’m not saying it like it’s a bad thing. Because, you see, in its own way…..the community there was like one, huge family. Maybe it stems from the fact that guys of the same age-range are forced to endure all those things that makes the bonds developed in the army so deep.

Yeah, that’s one thing I’m going to miss. Bonds that I created there. And especially, all the guys in my squad. Forgive me, if I’m not going to use the “real” names when talking about them.

First, there was Sergeant Terva, our squad-leader. I could see easily why he was chosen to the job of leading us, even though we were all just a bunch of young men, still not even adults. He expected us to do our job, but even so, he knew how to be fair. If we had our act together, and did our duties well, then there was no need to yell or to be a dick. Along with the assistant-squad-leader, Sergeant Silver, they formed a great pair. The latter was a bit more thoughtful, a little more quiet, fellow, but nevertheless, had the charisma necessary to inspire us to do our job till the end.

And then there was our squad. Sawriver, who became Corporal, was the best of us, yet he was also the humblest one. Ringer, who, despite us having our differences, and him trying to avoid all extra work, never dragged us down when it came to the very important jobs. Cougar, our first APC-driver, was a bit twisted individual, but knew how to lighten the mood, always. Pipe, a former boxer, always drunk and always merry. Scoundrel, the only one who lives in the same city as me, small and witty. Middlehill, three years older than us, a serious individual with a temper, yet at the same time, the one who usually kept us from slacking off. Filth, our second APC-driver. Although his driving was reckless, he himself was a quiet and calm guy, who never did any harm to anyone. Cavepond, always cursing and muttering to himself, and losing his stuff. Pampa, with his very…….strange attitude towards the army, and who caused more gray hairs to our squad-leaders than anyone else.

And then, Field. My best friend there. Like a Finnish comedy-character brought alive, he was the one whom I was with from the beginning, and whom I knew for the longest time there. Hell of a guy. He actually quit drinking during the army, and now he and his girlfriend are finally moving together. Most likely, I’ll visit the guy this summer, to enjoy some coffee, and talk about the “Old times”.

Yeah, the guys I met, good and bad, handsome and ugly, nice and annoying, were the best part.

But there was a lot of shit in there too.

I’m not going to start talking about the army itself, and judge its worth. Greater writers than me have tried and done it before, and thus, I shall refrain. I shall just say that although I understand why it is “necessary”, I still don’t like it. And that’s my personal opinion. Nobody should be dissatisfied with that. I saw a lot of things in there that I disagreed with, and met a lot of officers there who were, either through their personal experience in places like Afganistan or because of god-knows-what, more than a little twisted in the head. There were people with charisma, and people who never had that. I experienced what could very well be described as a “A rank Charisma”, and understood how some speeches could incite men to die for them. And, on the other hand, there wasn’t a time that there was not some thing or method in the army that I did not agree with. Army is a……..place that demands everything you have. And in exchange, it gives you a life where you do not have to think.

Yes, I think that’s one of the main reasons some people wish to remain in the army.

It was a life where you did not have to worry about anything. Food was brought in front of you, you were given all the clothing you needed for free, and you could get medical attention 24/7, no matter too big or small. It was kind of “automated life”, where you did not have to input anything by yourself. You were just a part of the wheel in one, big, automated system called “life”. That was, maybe, why sometimes I got a little scared there. I started noticing that my consciousness started having these “missing parts”. Basically, moments where I had just stopped thinking at all, and just worked until I was finished. It was kind of a hibernation of a mind, or something. Now that I’m thinking about it, it was freakier than I realized back then.

But now that it’s over, I have to start thinking for myself. If I want to survive in this “real” world, I have to think, there is no way around that. And that’s for the best. Because in my opinion, that kind of “automated life” where you don’t even have to think, is almost like a drug. It will not end well.

Maybe it’s the struggles in life, the ones that force his consciousness to stay alive, that make human a human?

Oh god that sounded pretentious.

But in the end………that’s over now. I doubt I’ll return to that life. Life of a soldier is not the one for me, I guess. Not because say that wars are bad. Even if I were a soldier, I would still say wars are a bad thing. Of course they are. From what I heard, the saying “O.K”, actually originated from soldier lingo, you know? And it was not “O” and “K”. No, it was “0, Zero” and “K”. Zero and a K. In other words, Zero Kills. The “legend” says that the whole message used to read: “Great day – Zero Kills”.

Yeah, soldier or not, that’s gotta be a great day.

The reason why I don’t start a life as a soldiers is simply because…..well, because I aspire more from the life? Because I want something else from my future? Who knows?

But even if I sound very pessimistic and very negative towards the idea of army, that does not mean I do not respect it. Far from it. The people who actually work there, do the actual job, I respect them. Not the officers who prance around in their fancy suits, giving out orders and speeches, never having to actually do a thing by themselves. No, the people, the soldiers, who I respect, are the lowest of the low, the ones who have to walk and crawl and lie in the mud, in the trenches, cursing the nature that is against them and the situation they are in. Without those people, all the ridiculous tales of heroism and tragedies would not have even been born in the first place. Those men, even though war is the most ridiculous thing on earth, still went to battle for something they believed in. Country, religion, whatever. I hate war, that’s for sure. But I won’t deny I respect any man who is willing to take a part in one if it’s for some thing he actually believes in. Not everyone are like that, no, of course not. Life is not so rosy. But be it ideals, greed, whatever…………if a man or a woman is willing to risk his or her life because of that, their only, already fleeting life……then that’s something I raise my hat to.

History will never know what they did, nor will anyone else but themselves. Even I cannot imagine all the shit that soldiers who are in the actual war have to go through. Yet, for whatever reason, they are there, enduring all that, just so that they can win, and make their wish come into reality. That is what I respect. Respect so much, that if I ever found a reason like that, then, maybe then, I too would join that group of cursing, spitting, crying and moaning form of filth that is known as soldiers. If there is one thing I learned from my time in the army, then it was respect. Respect for those who fought and fight. And especially, respect to those who fought for ideals and their own country. Like those who fought for the freedom of Finland a long, long time ago. I’m not sure if I were cut out for that. And hopefully, I will never have to find out if I could actually do that. And thus…….

Thus, the only thing I can do is to give them a salute. To all those who fought and fight.

[TypeWannabe]

tl;dr.

[ringlhach]

Cheers, dude. Have one for the thousands of us that're still in one of the Services.

[Ivan The Mouse]

tl;dr.

It's his tribute to every army grunts out there, saying that even though war is shit, there those people who will go through that shit because of their ideals, just for it to be materialized.

[Neir]

Welcome back, Verg. That was beautiful.

[Alulim]

Indeed it was.

[Tobias]

hey I am just glad you made it though in one piece eh? if you learned a thing or two about what the "army" means to the people in it, maybe thats a bonus eh?

[hero]

And you sure have charisma too.

At least in writing. Seriously.

[DB-L]

*hard applause*

[Verg Avesta]

Oh yeah, I promised you guy something special, right......?

How 'bout this?

[Alulim]

Indeed. It is good.

[RacingeR]

Man, that was beautiful and..

Oh yeah, I promised you guy something special, right......?

How 'bout this?

Hell yes I remember that one from when I used to lurk here.

[Chaos Greyblood]

Always remember this when you've kick some schmuck's ass, Verg:

'In the Finnish Army, be all you can be, scumbag. >:3'

It's my way of welcoming you back.

[Optimus]

Man, that was... Well I don't know how to express it with words and I don't think I should be giving my opinion anyways since I have not been in that situations but... Good job.