Not me, I hate snakes

Ever think you have a bad job....this guy has you beat.

I really, really don't like snakes. Something about having to sleep on the ground in Georgia, Texas, and Kansas (don't forget the Mohave, the Arabian Desert and the Coronado National Forest in Arizona). Before setting up camp, we used to drive around the site and bang on the door and make as much noise as we could get away with. One of the Sergeant's Major jobs is to make sure we don't break light and noise discipline, so it was great when the new smaj started helping us. All it took was him seeing us do it and watching the wiggles in the grass. You are focused on the strangest things when you know that you have to sleep on the ground. Odd.

It was several years after I left the Army before I started camping again. Even now, it's hard to break old habits. Though, it is completely different when you can sit around a fire, eat cooked food, and don't have to keep all of your supplies with you at all times. And no one shoots at you, very important that.