One day at FOB Ridgway a group of us were standing together bullshitting as happens often in the army. Overhead, casting shade, was the canvas remains of a maintenance tent strung precariously between pegs anchored poorly in two berms about twelve feet high.

One of our party had decided it was the end of times for the remains of canvas and detached it from it’s anchorage. I was tackled by approximately 200 pounds of canvas and a twelve foot tent pole. I definitely hit my head on my way to the ground.

At the TMC a medic diagnosed my injury as “bruised rotator cuff,” whatever that means. It hurt to move my shoulder. The medic asked if I blacked out to which I answered in the uncertain. I don’t think the TMC documented anything. This was about January of 2004, give or take two weeks.

To this day my right arm doesn’t swing when I walk.