GUM!!!

So this will be a fun post.  One of the joys of being deployed is the abundance of certain little things that make life just a little easier, like girl scout cookies at nearly every office from May until August.  As many poptarts as you can stuff in your pockets at the dining facilities as well as packs of gatorade powder.  BUT above all these is the coveted packs of gum.  The particular packs at the Balad dining facility are the Icebreakers cubes.  They come 10 to a box and at each meal I would "collect" 2 to 4 packs.  I love gum, who doesn't and when it is hot and dry gum keeps your mouth from feeling dry.  I had been collecting gum for weeks and have to date amassed quite a collection.  They have three flavors, winterfrost (or something like that), mint and watermelon.  Well, one day our First Sergeant told us about the previous time he was deployed. He explained that the record for pieces of gum in a Soldiers mouth was 58.  We decided that since we have and ample supply, what would it hurt. 
So thus began an ordeal that to this day makes me cringe and get ill at the sight of watermelon gum!!!  The pictures will speak for themselves but as a little background......we were all sitting in the same office and would each put a box of gum in our mouthes at a time.  All 10 at once and then chew them so we could fit another box.  Well, let's just say that once you have 30 pieces of gum in your mouth and then go for 40 the amount of juice a saliva that is produced could fill......well let's just say we started spitting out our saliva as we were on the verge of heaving already and the idea of swallowing all that super sweet juice was enough to.....well.......I will just leave it at that.  Specialist Marbery was the winnerand set a new record with 59 pieces of gum.  After 40 pieces I was getting so sick.  Staff Sergeant Petersen and Staff Sergeant Hayward also put 40 into their mouthes.  Even now as I type this I am starting to feel funny.  We were all sick for a couple days after this but when I ask myself if it was worth it........sure......why not.  We had the gum and how many pieces can you put in your mouth at once???  Enjoy the pics: