Importance of Instincts

I have posted on how we can avoid violence if we listen to our instincts. Yesterday I was daydreaming on a past event during my time on Okinawa as a Marine. I was a Staff NCO who resided with the other Staff NCO's of Truck Company, Camp Hansen, Okinawa. The barracks was the older type and the rooms were actually partitioned spaces that had barroom style swinging doors.

Once night after a late nite out I returned to the barracks and headed toward my bunk area. I reached the door and started to enter when I felt a tiny bit of resistance. I froze in place, took about a moment to consider it, and then I eased off the doors. I then gently did a test of the door and found a wire. This led to other wires and finally I found the end where I disconnected a booby trap.

The booby trap was a type of trip flare that was set to illuminate but not cause a fire. The other Staff NCO's started to chuckle a bit when they realized I found it and disarmed it. It was there way of welcoming new Staff NCO's to the company and they would have gotten a bigger laugh if I had set it off. They still wondered about it a few days later as I was the first to actually catch it before it triggered.

That is our natural instincts in action. It is listening to those instincts and acting accordingly. When they tickle the hair of the back of your neck or cause you to pause and think, "whats wrong here," then listen and avoid. It does work ya know.

Thanks Gunny Ramos, SSgt Duff, SSgt Brooks and others I can't remember right now, very funny guys, very funnny, hardee har har :-)