King Talk: Cpl. Michael Perry inside an abandoned compound during a military operation near Doghaka village in Musa Qala district #Helmand Province #Afghanistan on November 6, 2010. I’m not the only one who can’t sleep. After five hours of walking on uneven terrain like a drunk person after an eventful Friday night, we are back inside the windowless room, about 16 by 10 feet. It’s one of three rooms we occupy in a small adobe house within a large compound. Although I immediately switched out the damp T-shirt for a dry one, and add an extra layer under the body armor, the cold is unbearable. It’s 1AM Eventually, I start to make out the contours of the room and the outlines of the six or so soldiers with me. We remain on high alert. I spend most of my time awake, only sleeping for an hour or so at a time. We spend the rest of the day between two of the rooms, using the third as a bathroom. I manage to sleep a bit more. No one is allowed to leave the area as we cannot risk being seen. Although it’s warm and sunny outside, the freezing temperature of the rooms barely changes. I clean up my corner a bit and try to find a comfortable position with no success. The cold ground prevents any rest. Photo by Balazs Gardi (@balazsgardi) for #basetrack #USMC #OEF #TIMEVets #VETSrising #VETSday2014 #VeteransDay2014 #everydayUSAvets by everydayusa