Lots of PT today. I'm sure they've seen how jumpy we all were, how every break and bit of free time found people on the phone or watching the news channels. The vibe in the base has changed completely and instead of big, cheerful groups there are small, tight huddles of people.

I know what this immediately reminded me of, but that's something I really don't want to remember. So I did what everybody else did: got on the phone to make sure the important people hadn't vanished.

It can't be easy to repair the damage done by something like this, but laps, weight circuits and timed assault course challenges didn't leave time to brood. All done as team exercises, too, however uncomfortable it made us in the beginning. By the time we were piled in a heap, gasping for breath like stranded fish, thing started to look up.

Not in the laughing and teasing way yet, but in the not-looking-over-your-shoulder-all-the-time way. And, I suppose, that's all we can ask for right now.