Wow that is bad news man. Screw the guy who did this - I know the economy sucks & all all around but for him to do it while you're off risking yourlife? FTMFL...
Take a moment to ask yourself & rule out the following:
- were you drunk one night or high & blabbed/bragged about your collection to your fellow soldiers or people in the neighbourhood? Loose lips & sharpears could have been your downfall.
- Any "casual acquaintances" roll through your crib before you left for duty? I do NOT show anyone my collection that I don't trust or know wherethey live just for that reason. That's the problem with larger collections - gets people jealous & opportunistic
- did you mention the size of your collection or its rarity to anybody before you shipped out?
-160+ pairs is some decent volume to move, in small frequent amounts or through a moving van... It would help as soon as you rotate back to the USA to askaround the neighbourhood if anyone saw anyone, ahem, moving "stuff" from your house.
- in hindsight you should have had some trusted (I emphasize TRUSTED) family looking after or house-sitting your stuff.
- I wish you the best & hope you get home safely. Insurance is there for a reason but first & foremost stay alive & get back. After all, inthe bigpicture, they're just shoes.
- Keep an eye out for sz 13s popping up on ebay or craigslist... flea markets, local swap meets, etc.
- If you ever find out who it is leave him an IED as a thank you note
(j/k)