Sir,
I just wanted to take a moment to comment on the “Staying Warm In An LP/OP” article by M.E. As I read it, I was chuckling and nodding my head. He hit the nail on the head with several of his observations. The recommendations for staying warm are dead on, and the suggestion about using two personnel to man an OP/LP is tried and true. After 23 years in the Army, I know that staying warm is a two-edged sword. If you stay warm enough, the tendency is to drift off to sleep. If you are too cold, your concentration becomes focused on simply staying warm. There is a fine line for the sole sentry to walk in this regard. This is a situation we mitigate by mandating two sentries for the same post, or limiting the amount of time a single sentry stands watch to around two hours. Anyway, without running off down a rabbit hole, I just wanted to say, “good article.” – WB, LTC