About an hour after I finished writing my first post today, I was officially pinned Corporal. My NCOIC said that he felt I was ready to be a junior NCO and they expect good things from me. So you can address those letters and packages to CPL Kyle Dykstra now. Biff America, if you are reading this, I got your columns and they are awesome. I appreciate your style, political leanings, and yearly prayer for the Red Sox (Mine is for the Cubs). Dr. Heather, thank your package. I made sure to share it with the rest of my office. Aunt Kim, the beef jerky was a hit and so were the DVD's. Aunt Lynne, I love reading the magazines. Grandma Judy, the pictures of Blake and JoJo were a very welcome addition to my room. Dad and Louisa, thanx for keeping me updated with the Newsweeks. I know I forgot some people. I look forward to mail everyday and its a huge boost when I get some.
Rock Steady.
All the Way.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
You remember that one time...
Sorry it has been awhile. I haven't had much to write about. So, we took 4 rockets within 12 hours the other day. The first attack occurred on Thursday night and the jokers are getting better now. They are starting to get the rounds to land inside the wire. Nobody was hurt but they had me thinking for awhile. I didn't have much to worry about though. The attack on Friday morning (two minutes before my alarm went off) hit nowhere close to inside the FOB .
The standard operating procedure for when a rocket attack occurs is to drop what you are doing, don your body armor, and head to the designated bunker in order to gain accountability. All told, it take about 3-5 minutes for all this to happen. depending on where you are at on the FOB. Now, what goes on inside the bunker is a whole different story. For once, there is no standard Army protocol on what to do during a rocket attack. Some bring their Ipods, PSP's, a book, something to stay entertained. I don't usually think to grab any of these things during the initial moments so while we are in the bunker we resort to telling stories of our time at Bragg.
Now, I was only at Ft. Bragg for two months before I deployed. All of the joes in my unit graduated from AIT and Airborne school within 6 weeks of each other. All told, nobody had been at Ft. Bragg for more than 3-4 months tops. Let us also consider that there was a 3 week period in which we had off for Christmas. Yet, somehow during this time, we managed to rack up an impressive amount of material to keep us entertained. Now, depending on the who is in the bunker with us, the stories are edited for content or expanded for content. One of the favorites is the time we decided to go to Fat Daddy's Bar and Grill in Fayetteville. We just wanted to watch some football, play some pool, and get to know the new specialist who had just come to the unit 3 days before (that would be me). We'll one of our buddies had just gotten his bonus and had a small penchant for drinking (small being a slight understatement). Spottedhorse (yes, that is his real last name) decided to buy everyone drinks. Tally by the end of the night, 4 Jager Bombs, 1 shot of Crown Royale, 3 Malibu rum and pineapples for all of us. There were 8 of us that went to the bar (only 6 were drinking, 2 were DD'ing). This on top of the beers we had ordered ourselves. That story and the hijinks that ensued are always crowd pleasers.
You then have the time where we were kicked out of a bar on Thanksgiving night for reasons still unknown to this day and how we didn't know the whereabouts of our NCO who had gone out with us because he left the bar after us (Turns out, he just decided to walk home, thinking he would be able to catch a cab. 12 miles and 3 hours later we walked in his front door and his cellphone was dead for the next day and a half). And the time where two of my buddies supposedly saw wolves during our night land navigation (the validity of this story is still questioned to an extent). Any story of a jump gone awry is always a winner. You then have PFC Charles Lee who is from way down in Tennessee but I'll be damned if he isn't the smartest one out of all of us. He is also the oldest so he takes a lot of grief for that. His story of a trip to DisneyWorld with his fiance's family a few years ago entertained the bunker the other night. The short version topped out at 28 minutes and needless to say, ended with the breaking off of the engagement.
The eerie part of the other night was the lull in the stories and hearing the call to prayer. If you have ever seen "Black Hawk Down" it was very similar to the scene about halfway through the film where the soldiers are hunkered down as night fell. The next time I watch it, I'm sure it will send shivers up my spine. All told, things are going well here. I am taking some NCO classes and learning a lot. I am just observing how my NCO's work and learning some valuable lessons there. Let me just say that our Command Sergeant Major is a helluva guy. I also got my first commander's coin yesterday. A one-star Air Force came into our compound, on which I was Entrance Control Point guard. Apparently I impressed him and as he left, he shook my hand and slipped a coin in there. It was a pretty neat experience. Thanx for all the goodies.
Rock Hard.
All the Way.
The standard operating procedure for when a rocket attack occurs is to drop what you are doing, don your body armor, and head to the designated bunker in order to gain accountability. All told, it take about 3-5 minutes for all this to happen. depending on where you are at on the FOB. Now, what goes on inside the bunker is a whole different story. For once, there is no standard Army protocol on what to do during a rocket attack. Some bring their Ipods, PSP's, a book, something to stay entertained. I don't usually think to grab any of these things during the initial moments so while we are in the bunker we resort to telling stories of our time at Bragg.
Now, I was only at Ft. Bragg for two months before I deployed. All of the joes in my unit graduated from AIT and Airborne school within 6 weeks of each other. All told, nobody had been at Ft. Bragg for more than 3-4 months tops. Let us also consider that there was a 3 week period in which we had off for Christmas. Yet, somehow during this time, we managed to rack up an impressive amount of material to keep us entertained. Now, depending on the who is in the bunker with us, the stories are edited for content or expanded for content. One of the favorites is the time we decided to go to Fat Daddy's Bar and Grill in Fayetteville. We just wanted to watch some football, play some pool, and get to know the new specialist who had just come to the unit 3 days before (that would be me). We'll one of our buddies had just gotten his bonus and had a small penchant for drinking (small being a slight understatement). Spottedhorse (yes, that is his real last name) decided to buy everyone drinks. Tally by the end of the night, 4 Jager Bombs, 1 shot of Crown Royale, 3 Malibu rum and pineapples for all of us. There were 8 of us that went to the bar (only 6 were drinking, 2 were DD'ing). This on top of the beers we had ordered ourselves. That story and the hijinks that ensued are always crowd pleasers.
You then have the time where we were kicked out of a bar on Thanksgiving night for reasons still unknown to this day and how we didn't know the whereabouts of our NCO who had gone out with us because he left the bar after us (Turns out, he just decided to walk home, thinking he would be able to catch a cab. 12 miles and 3 hours later we walked in his front door and his cellphone was dead for the next day and a half). And the time where two of my buddies supposedly saw wolves during our night land navigation (the validity of this story is still questioned to an extent). Any story of a jump gone awry is always a winner. You then have PFC Charles Lee who is from way down in Tennessee but I'll be damned if he isn't the smartest one out of all of us. He is also the oldest so he takes a lot of grief for that. His story of a trip to DisneyWorld with his fiance's family a few years ago entertained the bunker the other night. The short version topped out at 28 minutes and needless to say, ended with the breaking off of the engagement.
The eerie part of the other night was the lull in the stories and hearing the call to prayer. If you have ever seen "Black Hawk Down" it was very similar to the scene about halfway through the film where the soldiers are hunkered down as night fell. The next time I watch it, I'm sure it will send shivers up my spine. All told, things are going well here. I am taking some NCO classes and learning a lot. I am just observing how my NCO's work and learning some valuable lessons there. Let me just say that our Command Sergeant Major is a helluva guy. I also got my first commander's coin yesterday. A one-star Air Force came into our compound, on which I was Entrance Control Point guard. Apparently I impressed him and as he left, he shook my hand and slipped a coin in there. It was a pretty neat experience. Thanx for all the goodies.
Rock Hard.
All the Way.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
I will never leave a fallen comrade...
As a soldier, you hear that phrase all the time. It is one of the first things you learn when you join. It is plastered everywhere. It is part of our "Warrior Ethos" and soldiers creed. If fact, a few weeks ago, former Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey uttered those same words. Why did he do that? Because things have failed on his watch. If by now you haven't figured out what I am talking about, it is the situation at Walter Reed. I began to hear things trickle out here and there from the overseas newspaper that we get here. Then the firestorm hit national news and it was exposed. I can honestly say as a soldier, I'm infuriated. God willing, I will never have to use the facilities at Walter Reed or even deal with any combat related injuries (non-combat, its possible. I do jump out of airplanes and helicopters on occassion).
Whether I would need the services is not the issue. The issue is that the U.S. has asked millions of servicemembers to go and fight in two countries thousands of miles away, for an undisclosed amount of time. The war we are fighting is not a traditional one in the sense that it is a uniformed enemy using conventional weapons. Our enemies are using subversive means to try and kill us. The manner in which they maim and kill is mind-boggling. If you would ask a medic, I'm sure that they would say that some of the injuries that soldiers have sustained in this war are unlike anything they have seen before. So why haven't we adapted our medical system to deal with it? Why are soldiers being forgotten when they come home? This isn't a black and white conflict. There are many, many gray areas here. The psychological impact of that alone can be damning to a soldier.
Why are soldiers not receiving the proper medical care? What about them living squalid conditions? Is this the reception that wounded soldiers are supposed to expect when they come home? Its time to do a serious reevalution of our priorities in this country. With the little news I catch over here, CNN and FoxNews are more worried about the latest Anna Nicole Smith news than they are about the soldiers. Who cares? Okay, she was a whore and she died. Get over it. There are more pressing issues at hand here. Why is there not a larger national outrage. This should be issue number one in the country. You are asking your sons and daughters to go and fight so you can sustain your freedoms but then you treat them as a burden when they returned maimed, disfigured, and unstable. Want to support the troops? Make some noise. Do not let this stand. Call whoever you have to say that this is unacceptable. You may not know anybody know who has been afflicted, but that could change with a rocket attack.
I'm not the only one to say that the country has failed our soldiers and it is not just in the sense of the wounded. Many soldiers are going to combat without proper equipment or with outdated equipment. I was lucky enough to get all my stuff, but I got that a week before deployment. And that was in a fully fledged Army Division. What about National Guard and Reserve units? Are they getting everything?
I apologize in the change of tones in this message. It is just that I read a Newsweek article concerning the issues of the Veterans and I got pissed. I haven't had enough time in to know anybody who has been affected, but that will change. One of my NCO's has already had a kid from his AIT class die in Iraq. He graduated 13Fox AIT in October. It is not too late to change things, but there are some monumental shifts that need to happen.
Any way, I've started to hear the Afghani calls to prayer at night and in the morning. It is really eery and beautiful to hear them. Not much else is going on. Remember a few weeks back when I wrote that there was a job opportunity that I was looking into and it would be a good boost to my career? Well, I had a good talk with an NCO in that unit and it is something I am going to explore further. What have I got to lose? Currently, there is somewhere around 40,000 pounds of mail sitting up in Bagram waiting to get shipped out. The weather here hasn't helped but they are getting it out as fast as possible. I am beginning to be able to tell the difference between a civilian plane that comes in and a C-130. If a civilian comes in, I know we are getting mail. Happy St. Patrick's Day (and Blake's b-day) one day early. Have a pint for me. I'll make up for it when I get back.
All the Way.
Whether I would need the services is not the issue. The issue is that the U.S. has asked millions of servicemembers to go and fight in two countries thousands of miles away, for an undisclosed amount of time. The war we are fighting is not a traditional one in the sense that it is a uniformed enemy using conventional weapons. Our enemies are using subversive means to try and kill us. The manner in which they maim and kill is mind-boggling. If you would ask a medic, I'm sure that they would say that some of the injuries that soldiers have sustained in this war are unlike anything they have seen before. So why haven't we adapted our medical system to deal with it? Why are soldiers being forgotten when they come home? This isn't a black and white conflict. There are many, many gray areas here. The psychological impact of that alone can be damning to a soldier.
Why are soldiers not receiving the proper medical care? What about them living squalid conditions? Is this the reception that wounded soldiers are supposed to expect when they come home? Its time to do a serious reevalution of our priorities in this country. With the little news I catch over here, CNN and FoxNews are more worried about the latest Anna Nicole Smith news than they are about the soldiers. Who cares? Okay, she was a whore and she died. Get over it. There are more pressing issues at hand here. Why is there not a larger national outrage. This should be issue number one in the country. You are asking your sons and daughters to go and fight so you can sustain your freedoms but then you treat them as a burden when they returned maimed, disfigured, and unstable. Want to support the troops? Make some noise. Do not let this stand. Call whoever you have to say that this is unacceptable. You may not know anybody know who has been afflicted, but that could change with a rocket attack.
I'm not the only one to say that the country has failed our soldiers and it is not just in the sense of the wounded. Many soldiers are going to combat without proper equipment or with outdated equipment. I was lucky enough to get all my stuff, but I got that a week before deployment. And that was in a fully fledged Army Division. What about National Guard and Reserve units? Are they getting everything?
I apologize in the change of tones in this message. It is just that I read a Newsweek article concerning the issues of the Veterans and I got pissed. I haven't had enough time in to know anybody who has been affected, but that will change. One of my NCO's has already had a kid from his AIT class die in Iraq. He graduated 13Fox AIT in October. It is not too late to change things, but there are some monumental shifts that need to happen.
Any way, I've started to hear the Afghani calls to prayer at night and in the morning. It is really eery and beautiful to hear them. Not much else is going on. Remember a few weeks back when I wrote that there was a job opportunity that I was looking into and it would be a good boost to my career? Well, I had a good talk with an NCO in that unit and it is something I am going to explore further. What have I got to lose? Currently, there is somewhere around 40,000 pounds of mail sitting up in Bagram waiting to get shipped out. The weather here hasn't helped but they are getting it out as fast as possible. I am beginning to be able to tell the difference between a civilian plane that comes in and a C-130. If a civilian comes in, I know we are getting mail. Happy St. Patrick's Day (and Blake's b-day) one day early. Have a pint for me. I'll make up for it when I get back.
All the Way.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Attention on the FOB.....
Those four little words command an audience. Most of the time it is just to let people know that the small and large arms ranges are going out. Imagine people's surprise if they didn't announce it and the Apaches starting doing their live fire. People would be in full battle rattle ready to fight. Imagine my surprise when I heard it this morning at 0100 Dublin Pub time and a few minutes later the concussion of the 2.75 rockets went through the tent. By the way, I live in a tent that is about 400 meters from the flightline and about 700 meters from the large arms range. Thats danger close for the flight line and damn near danger close for the large arms range. If it flies or flies and fires on Salerno, I hear it. I don't mind it though. Not at all. I would love to be woken up every morning by a 30mm cannon and 2.75 inch rockets. It is much morning entertaining than the alarm on my watch.
Pretty boring week so far. Some frustrating things here and there but that will happen when you haven't had a beer in two months. Still shaking my head that I have been gone for 2 months now. Some days it feels like yesterday I was at Bragg; others, last year. Only (fill-in-the-blank here, nobody knows) to go. Happy B-day to my little bro Blake. Sorry I can't be there buddy. I'll make it up to you when you are 21 (you are an older brothers dream for being born on St. Patrick's Day). As far as care packages go. Wow. Thank you to all. Nothing brightens up a day like getting a package in the mail (and burned copies of all your CD's because you were a moron and erased all the music on your Ipod. Sarah Reid, you are a lifesaver). Now, I don't necessarily need food or anything like that right now, but it is still nice to get a letter. Lets see. Salerno continues to do its best Seattle impression and rain for 3 days and be sunny for two. That can be slightly irritating. As long as it doesn't flood our tent, I'll live. Not much else to say. Things are pretty routine here. Hopefully the weather has decided it has been winter for long enough and it is nice and sunny in Iowa.
All the Way.
Pretty boring week so far. Some frustrating things here and there but that will happen when you haven't had a beer in two months. Still shaking my head that I have been gone for 2 months now. Some days it feels like yesterday I was at Bragg; others, last year. Only (fill-in-the-blank here, nobody knows) to go. Happy B-day to my little bro Blake. Sorry I can't be there buddy. I'll make it up to you when you are 21 (you are an older brothers dream for being born on St. Patrick's Day). As far as care packages go. Wow. Thank you to all. Nothing brightens up a day like getting a package in the mail (and burned copies of all your CD's because you were a moron and erased all the music on your Ipod. Sarah Reid, you are a lifesaver). Now, I don't necessarily need food or anything like that right now, but it is still nice to get a letter. Lets see. Salerno continues to do its best Seattle impression and rain for 3 days and be sunny for two. That can be slightly irritating. As long as it doesn't flood our tent, I'll live. Not much else to say. Things are pretty routine here. Hopefully the weather has decided it has been winter for long enough and it is nice and sunny in Iowa.
All the Way.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Same old, Same old
Nothing significant to report here. The weather is getting nicer here and we have gone 3 days without rain. Pretty sure thats a record so far since I have been here. With all the nice weather, its time for me to start getting my lazy ass outta bed in the morning and start running. At least I am hitting the gym on a consistent basis. Gotta start looking good for when I go on R&R to some exotic, foreign country (this is the fourth time my R&R has been changed since I got over here). I'm guessing for security reasons I shouldn't say when or where I am going, but when I was in Wales, I went to this country on spring break where I saw a soccer game and I was nearly arrested there for yelling at a bus driver because he wouldn't let us on the bus. There, that will leave you scrambling through e-mails to figure out my destination. I also have a good friend studying abroad there who I am going to kick it with for a few days.
Yeah, not too much going on here. Our tent has become a hotbed of hockey as the Xbox 360 (don't worry, I didn't buy it) is on all the time because we are constantly playing each other and keeping tally of the wins and losses on the door. I have yet to find a solid team that I can win with on a consistent basis. Its just little things you have to do to occupy the time. A couple of warrant officers brought a baseball glove and ball so when they go out to throw it around, I usually jump in. My arm strength is there, just not my accuracy, which anybody who has ever played catch with me can tell you that the accuracy has never been there.
To all my friends on facebook: I am having a difficult time posting on your walls, so I am not ignoring you, I am just experiencing technical difficulties.
Thats about all I got. I know it is not the novel you are expecting but hopefully this was just a little update to let you know I am doing fine.
All the Way.
Yeah, not too much going on here. Our tent has become a hotbed of hockey as the Xbox 360 (don't worry, I didn't buy it) is on all the time because we are constantly playing each other and keeping tally of the wins and losses on the door. I have yet to find a solid team that I can win with on a consistent basis. Its just little things you have to do to occupy the time. A couple of warrant officers brought a baseball glove and ball so when they go out to throw it around, I usually jump in. My arm strength is there, just not my accuracy, which anybody who has ever played catch with me can tell you that the accuracy has never been there.
To all my friends on facebook: I am having a difficult time posting on your walls, so I am not ignoring you, I am just experiencing technical difficulties.
Thats about all I got. I know it is not the novel you are expecting but hopefully this was just a little update to let you know I am doing fine.
All the Way.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Apparently, it LATHER, Rinse, Repeat...
Well, I have been guilt tripped into writing every day (I am being sarcastic, I enjoy writing these) seeing as it is now an integral part of everybody’s day (thanx for the ego boost Dad and Louisa). Don’t worry, if I don’t write for a few days, its more because I have nothing interesting to talk about. It’s not exactly like when I was in Wales, where something was happening everyday. Here, its just the same old same old.
Mail update: yes, I did get the external hard drive. Chuck, I also got your package, but it was kind of…..well….soaked. It probably was sitting out in the snow for a while, so the letter you sent. No go, but I did manage to dry out the gloves and the cards. The spices and seasoning is awesome. We don’t have a grill over here, but I will make do. The Cookies seasoning will be a welcome addition to my meals.
I guess I do have a valid point today. I’ve noticed that I came over here with WAY too much stuff. Honestly, who really needs 18 tan t-shirts when you do laundry every week? Actually, I don’t really do my own laundry; I just turn it in to Hajji…wait, the local nationals. I guess we can’t call them that anymore, at least the ones that work on the FOB. Fair enough. Back to the point. I brought something like 7 pairs of boots when in reality, I need 4. Extra helmet. Just taking up space. Socks, hell, you can never have too many of those. At least I will be covered in the ACU department, where I will have 12 pairs by the time I leave here. You can never have too many of those. However, with the right amount of planning and stuffing, I figure I can fit everything into two duffel bags and my MOLLE rucksack.
Now, this is coming from someone who doesn’t go too many places in a normal day. If I go out to the field for a few days/ weeks, things might be different, but for now, I am doing a serious inventory of my stuff and there might be a duffel bag being sent out of here in the direction of Des Moines, IA.
Promotion check: still working on some paperwork issues. I could get pinned right now, but if I went to another unit, they could just take it right off me if I don’t have the correct paperwork, so I am working on that.
I’ve decided to be proactive about my days and I am now going to be badgering my NCO’s with questions on whether there are professional Army classes available during the days here. Being Combat Life Saver certified or taking a Humvee driving class might be some interesting things to do. If anything, it just adds more promotion points to my tally. At least I can kill time wandering around the base looking for class. At least lifting weights at lunch seems to be working out. I think I am getting a little bit bigger. Now if I can get myself up in the morning to start running.
I am just sort of rambling right now, but its funny how things have changed in a year for me. I’ve mentioned it before, but a year ago I was balancing my time between classes, the bar, and my internship (Not necessarily in that order, however). Fast forward and I have spent 9 months living out of a bag at 4 different Army posts (Benning twice, Sill, Bragg, and Salerno), I have jumped out of an airplane 7 times and a helicopter once. I am now spending what will be a majority of my Army career deployed in a country that looks strangely like southeastern Wyoming. As much as my days do sort of suck, it sure as hell beats being in the “corporate” world, like many of my college colleagues are doing now. Instead of wearing a different suit and tie everyday, I can throw on the same uniform for a week (On the downside, my college colleagues can go to the bar on the weekend and kick back. A pint here and there would be nice). Plus, if I ever get out to do my job, I’ll get to blow some stuff up. And, I get hazard pay. Still working on trying to get my jump pay in order.
Oh yeah, I have a little sister now too. And my little brother can carry on full conversations with me. It feels like such a long time ago when I had to make faces at him to get him to interact with me. Mr. Eric Dekowski, I just wanted to let you know that I have your eagle pendent and I keep it on my body armor because I know it will keep me safe.
I suppose I should wrap this up. I’m trying to keep on the Cubs as best as possible. I am excited about this upcoming year. A surplus of pitching and some power in the lineup, mmm, a recipe for success. Plus, I see this as the year. A new manager in Sweet Lou. Look at the last time we had a new manager. 2003, anybody? Five outs from the World Series. Besides the fans have a precedent now that if we are that close to the Series and there is a foul ball hit near the stands at any point during a game, everybody clears out of the way. Bartman, I’ll forgive you when we win. Also, look at this logic. Ever since the Marlins won it in 2003, we have been intimately connected with the World Series winner since. 2003-Marlins-we put them there. 2004-The Red Sox; we both had the air of ineptitude for so long. 2005- The White Sox- cross-town rivals. 2006- the Cardinals- Division rivals. The cosmos are being aligned. It is going to happen. Now, if they could quietly remove the endorsements from the outfield, all will be well.
All the Way.
Mail update: yes, I did get the external hard drive. Chuck, I also got your package, but it was kind of…..well….soaked. It probably was sitting out in the snow for a while, so the letter you sent. No go, but I did manage to dry out the gloves and the cards. The spices and seasoning is awesome. We don’t have a grill over here, but I will make do. The Cookies seasoning will be a welcome addition to my meals.
I guess I do have a valid point today. I’ve noticed that I came over here with WAY too much stuff. Honestly, who really needs 18 tan t-shirts when you do laundry every week? Actually, I don’t really do my own laundry; I just turn it in to Hajji…wait, the local nationals. I guess we can’t call them that anymore, at least the ones that work on the FOB. Fair enough. Back to the point. I brought something like 7 pairs of boots when in reality, I need 4. Extra helmet. Just taking up space. Socks, hell, you can never have too many of those. At least I will be covered in the ACU department, where I will have 12 pairs by the time I leave here. You can never have too many of those. However, with the right amount of planning and stuffing, I figure I can fit everything into two duffel bags and my MOLLE rucksack.
Now, this is coming from someone who doesn’t go too many places in a normal day. If I go out to the field for a few days/ weeks, things might be different, but for now, I am doing a serious inventory of my stuff and there might be a duffel bag being sent out of here in the direction of Des Moines, IA.
Promotion check: still working on some paperwork issues. I could get pinned right now, but if I went to another unit, they could just take it right off me if I don’t have the correct paperwork, so I am working on that.
I’ve decided to be proactive about my days and I am now going to be badgering my NCO’s with questions on whether there are professional Army classes available during the days here. Being Combat Life Saver certified or taking a Humvee driving class might be some interesting things to do. If anything, it just adds more promotion points to my tally. At least I can kill time wandering around the base looking for class. At least lifting weights at lunch seems to be working out. I think I am getting a little bit bigger. Now if I can get myself up in the morning to start running.
I am just sort of rambling right now, but its funny how things have changed in a year for me. I’ve mentioned it before, but a year ago I was balancing my time between classes, the bar, and my internship (Not necessarily in that order, however). Fast forward and I have spent 9 months living out of a bag at 4 different Army posts (Benning twice, Sill, Bragg, and Salerno), I have jumped out of an airplane 7 times and a helicopter once. I am now spending what will be a majority of my Army career deployed in a country that looks strangely like southeastern Wyoming. As much as my days do sort of suck, it sure as hell beats being in the “corporate” world, like many of my college colleagues are doing now. Instead of wearing a different suit and tie everyday, I can throw on the same uniform for a week (On the downside, my college colleagues can go to the bar on the weekend and kick back. A pint here and there would be nice). Plus, if I ever get out to do my job, I’ll get to blow some stuff up. And, I get hazard pay. Still working on trying to get my jump pay in order.
Oh yeah, I have a little sister now too. And my little brother can carry on full conversations with me. It feels like such a long time ago when I had to make faces at him to get him to interact with me. Mr. Eric Dekowski, I just wanted to let you know that I have your eagle pendent and I keep it on my body armor because I know it will keep me safe.
I suppose I should wrap this up. I’m trying to keep on the Cubs as best as possible. I am excited about this upcoming year. A surplus of pitching and some power in the lineup, mmm, a recipe for success. Plus, I see this as the year. A new manager in Sweet Lou. Look at the last time we had a new manager. 2003, anybody? Five outs from the World Series. Besides the fans have a precedent now that if we are that close to the Series and there is a foul ball hit near the stands at any point during a game, everybody clears out of the way. Bartman, I’ll forgive you when we win. Also, look at this logic. Ever since the Marlins won it in 2003, we have been intimately connected with the World Series winner since. 2003-Marlins-we put them there. 2004-The Red Sox; we both had the air of ineptitude for so long. 2005- The White Sox- cross-town rivals. 2006- the Cardinals- Division rivals. The cosmos are being aligned. It is going to happen. Now, if they could quietly remove the endorsements from the outfield, all will be well.
All the Way.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Rinse, Lather, Repeat
I’m pretty sure everyone has seen the movie, “Groundhog Day”, with Bill Murray. You know the story. A reporter wakes up day after day, only to have the exact same experience every day. That was just a movie; I’m living it. I wake up at 0200 Dublin Pub time (so, 0630 local), grab my personal hygiene kit and head to the shower. I’ll usually get back to my tent at 0230 DPT, throw on my uniform and be at work around 0300 DPT, where I pretty wait for something to do. After that, I will get off around 1300 DPT, grab a bite to eat, go back to my tent, watch a movie, and go to bed. And repeat. Again and again. 7 days a week.
One of the things they tell you to adapt quickly to being deployed is to establish a routine. Oh yeah, I’ve got that covered. Its gotten to the point that I will see the same people outside when I am walking to the latrine or when I am shaving. I go to the exact same shower and sink. I could honestly tell you that without a watch, I wouldn’t be able to disseminate what day it is. When I go to the gym during lunch, I’ll see the same people doing the same lifts. Now, I don’t see the same people during meals, but I usually just grab a to go box and eat in my tent. I can watch a movie and forget about the monotony of my days. So, maybe the same people are in there when I go to grab something, but I just don’t stick around to notice.
You also begin to notice the little things more and more. I can tell you, with pretty good confidence, the difference in the helicopter motors around here. Just this morning, I walked outside and could hear a helicopter and I could tell you what type it was by just hearing it. I can tell you on what days we are and aren’t getting mail. Has it rained recently? Has a C-130 come in the past few days? What is the weather like in Bagram? Its funny. You can answer a question by just observing your surroundings. Hell, at this point, I want a rocket attack just to stir things up.
What sucks is that you really don’t have any privacy or time to yourself to just recharge your batteries and collect your thoughts. Everybody just needs that time alone. You also don’t really have any outlet. You are constantly surrounded by everything Army. Back at Ft. Bragg, if you had a bad day, you could just go out and get a few drinks and unwind. You could sleep in the next day. Here, no booze. I would kill and pillage for a bottle of Captain Morgan and some Diet Coke. (As a disclaimer, I would like to say that some of the finest plans of WWII were supposedly made over a bottle of wine; just food for thought).
Birthday tracker: Happy Birthday Carrie Jo. I would just like to reminisce about this time last year. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that BKE pledging and your b-day fell on the same day. I may not remember much, but I know it was fun. I know I am going to forget people’s birthdays here and there. If I had daily accessibility to the Internet, I would be able to keep up better. I apologize and promise I will make it up when I get back.
Aunt Lynne, thank you for the huge box of Girl Scout cookies. I made it a point that everyone in the office take a box. I hoarded the thin mints; must have inherited that from my mother. Sarah, I still haven’t gotten my DVD’s yet. Like I said, the mail service to Salerno has been spotty the past few weeks. Supposedly, there is 3,000 lbs of mail sitting up in Bagram just waiting to be delivered. I imagine there are some letters and packages with my name on it in that pile. Grandpa and Grandma, I got your letter that was dated 2 February on March 1. Loved the article about 10th Mountain being extended.
Oh, I got moved again. Two tents down. Sometime, when I rule the world or when I am knee deep in Guinness, I will understand the logic of moving soldiers from one tent to one that is 10 yards away. It is a little bit nicer because we only have 6 guys as opposed to 13. You have a little bit more room to stretch out.
I nearly forgot that the some cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins came to Salerno this week. I guess that was a good break for an hour or so. That’s how boring my life is; I nearly forgot the Redskins cheerleaders were here. I need to blow something up.
All the Way.
One of the things they tell you to adapt quickly to being deployed is to establish a routine. Oh yeah, I’ve got that covered. Its gotten to the point that I will see the same people outside when I am walking to the latrine or when I am shaving. I go to the exact same shower and sink. I could honestly tell you that without a watch, I wouldn’t be able to disseminate what day it is. When I go to the gym during lunch, I’ll see the same people doing the same lifts. Now, I don’t see the same people during meals, but I usually just grab a to go box and eat in my tent. I can watch a movie and forget about the monotony of my days. So, maybe the same people are in there when I go to grab something, but I just don’t stick around to notice.
You also begin to notice the little things more and more. I can tell you, with pretty good confidence, the difference in the helicopter motors around here. Just this morning, I walked outside and could hear a helicopter and I could tell you what type it was by just hearing it. I can tell you on what days we are and aren’t getting mail. Has it rained recently? Has a C-130 come in the past few days? What is the weather like in Bagram? Its funny. You can answer a question by just observing your surroundings. Hell, at this point, I want a rocket attack just to stir things up.
What sucks is that you really don’t have any privacy or time to yourself to just recharge your batteries and collect your thoughts. Everybody just needs that time alone. You also don’t really have any outlet. You are constantly surrounded by everything Army. Back at Ft. Bragg, if you had a bad day, you could just go out and get a few drinks and unwind. You could sleep in the next day. Here, no booze. I would kill and pillage for a bottle of Captain Morgan and some Diet Coke. (As a disclaimer, I would like to say that some of the finest plans of WWII were supposedly made over a bottle of wine; just food for thought).
Birthday tracker: Happy Birthday Carrie Jo. I would just like to reminisce about this time last year. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that BKE pledging and your b-day fell on the same day. I may not remember much, but I know it was fun. I know I am going to forget people’s birthdays here and there. If I had daily accessibility to the Internet, I would be able to keep up better. I apologize and promise I will make it up when I get back.
Aunt Lynne, thank you for the huge box of Girl Scout cookies. I made it a point that everyone in the office take a box. I hoarded the thin mints; must have inherited that from my mother. Sarah, I still haven’t gotten my DVD’s yet. Like I said, the mail service to Salerno has been spotty the past few weeks. Supposedly, there is 3,000 lbs of mail sitting up in Bagram just waiting to be delivered. I imagine there are some letters and packages with my name on it in that pile. Grandpa and Grandma, I got your letter that was dated 2 February on March 1. Loved the article about 10th Mountain being extended.
Oh, I got moved again. Two tents down. Sometime, when I rule the world or when I am knee deep in Guinness, I will understand the logic of moving soldiers from one tent to one that is 10 yards away. It is a little bit nicer because we only have 6 guys as opposed to 13. You have a little bit more room to stretch out.
I nearly forgot that the some cheerleaders from the Washington Redskins came to Salerno this week. I guess that was a good break for an hour or so. That’s how boring my life is; I nearly forgot the Redskins cheerleaders were here. I need to blow something up.
All the Way.
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