Killing Time: A sanctuary of Spades

Dimly lit by the neon glow of chem lights in his tent, Lance Cpl. Jared Honeyman (left) escapes into a sanctuary of Spades with friends following a day of pre-deployment training on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 3. As a member of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment's Guard Force Platoon, the days leading up to his deployment to Afghanistan are long and often boring. He rotates through a tedious cycle of standing post, picking up trash and practicing infantry skills. Honeyman is an administrative specialist-turned-grunt, and since he's a POG — the grunts' affectionate name for "personnel other than grunts" — there's a gap he needs to bridge with Guard Force's infantrymen. By opening conversation over spades, he steps into their personalities and family lives. It's his escape from the grind of grunt life. Honeyman, 26, is from Tulsa, Okla.