The Making of the Twenty-First-Century Soldier, Part Three

Squad leader: "Buzzell, get over here!"
Me, standing at the position of parade rest: "Yes, Sergeant?"
Squad leader: "What the hell does that CBFTW shit stand for on your Web site?"
Me: "Sergeant, it stands for Colby Buzzell Fights the War."
Squad leader, analyzing my answer while nodding his head with this look that says, Good answer even though that's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard.
Sgt. Vance, who just happened to be walking by: "What does FTW stand for if somebody lower-ranking than you asks?"
Me: "Fuck the War."

FOB (Forward Operating Base) Marez, our new home away from home, was located in Mosul, which is the second- or third-largest city in Iraq. Mosul is conveniently located south of heaven and 350 kilometers north of Baghdad. If Baghdad is to Iraq what New York City is to the United States, then Mosul is probably the Detroit of the shithole. With its high crime and murder rates, it was an ideal location for any soldier who wanted to spend his combat deployment living in hell. A haven for noncompliant forces of every genre—insurgents from Syria and Iran who came ... // 97% Remaining