My first real dose of “these people fucking lie” was when we were sent to New Orleans after Katrina. We had just gotten off a deployment, almost no equipment except our weapons, and we took a tour bus there because I was told “get there however possible”.

It turned from a humanitarian mission to a full on disaster en route, and our mission changed. While down there, we were shot at multiple times, received almost no aid until big army showed up, and protected what remained of the city. Three cops stayed, that was it. I know, ACAB, but these guys were there to genuinely help the people while the rest of their department hid. They were so happy to see us grunts.

People took pot shots at us, we ended up commandeering a NG “Base” (no idea what their building was called) and using their vehicles. We returned fire a few times, but didn’t treat it like OIF/OEF. Usually a couple shots back made whomever was feeling froggy leave.

Then we hear the general talk about it upon getting home. “No one fired a bullet, not one service member took fire. It was a great help!” Mother fucker, no. We had hillbillies driving to our checkpoints wanting to come into the city to shoot black people (their words, although they used slurs that I had never heard) Mexican standoff style when we told them to leave, and then shooting over our heads when they got down the road. It was a ridiculous sequence of events.

Generals: “Nothing happened and we all gave hugs!”