Patrol was mostly about moving without ever really relaxing. Walking, stopping, scanning, doing it all again. The gear stays tight, the rifle close, your body locked into a kind of readiness you don’t even notice until later.
Around us, everyday life kept happening kids watching from the side, people passing through, routines continuing like we weren’t there at all. That’s what sticks with me now. Not the uniform or the weapons, but how close we were to people just living their lives, and how patrol meant being present without ever fully belonging to the place you were standing.
