The Bus - Hard Stand
'Hard Stand' was a term the peacekeepers used to refer to paved areas like roads or courtyards and the like. Mines were a constant, and lethal presence. You were much less likely to get blown up if you stayed on pavement.
"My trusty Mitsubishi Pajero and I drove hundreds of miles all over Bosnia. My boss was the head of all communications meaning site visits were a regular occurance and as I was his driver, he was my Miss Daisy! With the Colonel, all routes were strictly adhered to as we had schedules and business to tend to. Sundays were our only day "off" – but you were still there so you were never really "off" - I would often take friends for drives around Sarajevo because they didn't have the freedom that I had as a driver.
On one such occasion I drove a few of my friends, including Master Warrant Officer Don Jessome (who was also our contingent Sergeant Major) up into the hills above Sarajevo. We stopped a few times to see the positions where the Serbs had lobbed daily mortar rounds into the vulnerable city below for over three years during the war. But this time I stopped because I saw some sweet puppy faces off in the long grass on the side of the road. With all that had happened to this beleaguered city, getting pets spayed and neutered hadn't yet reached the top of the recovery list. Many times before I'd seen these little faces and couldn't stop but this time I could. And so I did. The others didn't understand at first until I was road side with them. I crouched down, talking to them gently as I did my own dog Tilly who I missed so much. Sure enough, out they tumbled and we all had play cuddles and giggles for a few cherished moments. So good for everyone's soul and it was hard to let the puppies wander off again.
A few days later Don called and asked if I could meet him later that afternoon. When I saw him he wasn't my friend Don, he was Sgt Major Jessome. All he said was, "take a seat". I knew it wasn't good but I had no idea. He presented me with photos of our recent drive in the mountains. I went through them and knew right away. My guts sank. It was estimated that there were over a million mines in Bosnia and no one knew exactly where they all were, not even the Bosnians. The cardinal rule was "stick to the hard stand". Always. Complacency was literally a killer and had done so many times before. I had become so focused on those sweet faces I took my eye off the ball and left the road. Point made, Sgt Major".
