flâneur

lessons from 2 years as a conscripted soldier

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Taken during my last ever outfield training.Thanks for reading observe & report!

Taken during my last ever outfield training. It was around midnight. My first troop lift mission: 15 soldiers for an overnight operation. Pitch black except for my 5-ton truck’s low beam cutting through the darkness. The terrain was brutal, jagged rocks, deep craters, and uneven ground that made every meter feel like a battle. No street lights, no markers, just pure darkness and the occasional sound of artillery fire echoing through the night like distant thunder. I was sweating, nervous, as I lowered the tailboard to help lift the troops, my hands shaking as I navigated through what felt…

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