Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Sgt. Hector Delgado (right), 2nd Battalion,505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, receives...... read more read more
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By Spc. Amanda Morrissey
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
SAMARRA, Iraq – Everyone has that one special place where they can go visit with friends; a place where they feel welcome and at ease. For many of the Soldiers stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Brassfield-Mora, the Post Exchange (PX) is that place.
The PX here is small. Consisting of two rooms, roughly 12 feet by 12 feet, it has harsh fluorescent lighting and a slightly musty smell. The rough wooden shelves hold an array of personal hygiene items – toothpaste, mouth wash, but no toothbrushes – as well as chips, Cups-O-Noodles and 2-month-old magazines. A cooler with Starbucks Frappacinos and Rip It energy drinks hums quietly away in a corner, with a beat up Ford poster in the place of honor over it all.
"People come in to talk, as well as buy things," said Spc. Shawn Johnstone, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who runs the PX. "It's the closest thing they [Soldiers] have to a mall, and it's reminiscent of the civilian world."
Johnstone spends his day behind the counter of his small shop, with a portable DVD player and a Military Flight Aptitude Test study guide to keep him busy between customers. He listens for gravel crunching beneath the boots of Soldiers, his sign to pause the movie before they walk through the front door.
The Soldiers receive a greeting from Johnstone, who seems to know everyone on the FOB.
"Hey, man. How's it going?" says Johnstone. "Talk to the wife (or husband/girlfriend/boyfriend) lately?"
With that invitation, the Soldier who just walked through the door settles in for a bit of conversation, sharing the latest exploits of their children, the health of parents, or the fate of their favorite sports team.
Johnstone is a nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) specialist who was assigned to run the PX because his career field is not in high demand. He's not particularly bothered that his skills aren't put to use.
"I don't mind being here," Johnstone said. "If I'm doing my job, something's wrong. I'm NBC, so that means people are dying in horrible ways. So, I'm glad I'm not doing my job."
"When I found out I was in charge of the PX here, Johnstone was the first person I thought of to run it," said 1st Sgt. Ron Hill, HHC, 2/505th PIR, who provides oversight for the operation. "He's a smart guy, and capable of running it on his own."
Johnstone operates the PX from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. five days a week, with Sundays and Mondays set aside for inventory and re-stocking. He keeps a small notebook in the breast pocket of his uniform where he makes his "wish list," filled with items Soldiers have requested over the week. On Mondays, Johnstone joins in a convoy to Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, a larger military installation where he gets the stock for his PX every week.
"People come in asking for things, and I kind of take notes throughout the week before I go," Johnstone said. "If I can find it, I'll get it."
Popular items on the wish list are stereo speakers for iPods and computers, cereal, shaving cream and Febreeze. Valentine's Day cards are also in high demand, as Feb. 14 creeps closer.
Johnstone also has a penchant for picking up random merchandise just to make Soldiers laugh.
"He's gotten teddy bears, plastic kids' tea sets, even a baby stroller," said Hill. "Surprisingly enough, a lot of those things do sell.
"Once, he picked up the Paris Hilton CD," Hill continued. "I lost a case of Coke on that one. I bet that it would sell, and it never did."
Currently, the sixth season of the Golden Girls is still waiting to find a new home.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2007 12:56 |
| Story ID: | 9125 |
| Location: | SAMARRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 356 |
| Downloads: | 138 |
This work, PX gives Soldiers that special something, by SGT Amanda White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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