Thank you for your service. I remember reading the Civil War correspondence from a Union officer who was at the Siege of Charleston. He wrote that whenever the shelling stopped, they’d wake up because it was so quiet. I can’t imagine being able to sleep while shells are exploding in the distance, but then again, I never experienced it first-hand. I’m sure you can get used to just about any noise in order to sleep.
I was at a forward operating base the whole year there. I told my wife it was boring and when she found out about all the rockets and mortars she questioned my “boring” description. I told her that when it happens so often it becomes boring to an extent. It was only not boring if someone of something (vehicle/building) got hit.
The worst part was two weeks before leaving. That would be the worst time to get hit. Instead of flying out I ended up in a convoy which was even worse (you’re now a rolling target). We didn’t have a runway so the only other way out was by helicopter.