“So there are a lot of Canadian troops here, huh?” Wally asked through a mouth-full of macerated food. Across the table, their welcoming party of one nodded. “Yup. But there are a lot of Army units here, too. The main ground guys are from the 10th Mountain like me. The Army aviation units attached to us are from all over. There’s a lot of reserve units on base, as well.” “I heard we’re to expect a lot of snow.” Unlike Wally, Pettit asked his question before he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth. The soldier let out a snort. “Snow? Yeah, there’s snow, and cold, but that’s nothing compared to what it’s like here in the summer.” Wally took one glance at Pettit’s concerned face and laughed saying, “I’m from Alabama. I can handle the heat.” The soldier shook his head. “The heat’s not the issue. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hot, but the humidity’s not like in the south. It’s more of a dry heat. The problem’s the sand. It’s baby powder fine and boy, does it blow.
