I ♥ Cleaning

Weapons cleaning has got to be one of the overall least-favorite things to do in the battalion. It seems like everyone hates it. It never fails: as soon as the scores are passed out at the range someone is already complaining about having to clean the rifle the next day. I think the issue is that when we turn in “clean” rifles to the Gunners Mates they inspect the weapons with an impressive eye for carbon and gladly send us away if they find what often seems like an imperceptible amount of what they’re looking for. And no one likes to be told the job they do isn’t good enough. And even though the GMs spend all day maintaining, fixing, inspecting, and coordinating the issue and collection of weapons, there is a perception in the battalion that they don’t do anything. So a lot of the guys feel like they’re being told they’re not good enough buy a bunch of jack-offs who sit around all day with their thumbs up their asses.

But I kind of look foreword to it. I zone out, listen to people talk about whatever crazy things they do and that I don’t, and meticulously remove carbon buildup from every surface I can find. Then again, I like just about anything that’s meticulous.