For the record, I am no longer deployed (this is where you all pause and wonder what I just said). I have come to the realization that I am simply on Temporary Duty status (and now is where you realize that I was being very cynical). I came to this realization this morning as I entered the new chow hall on Salerno. The minute I stepped in, I realized that this really wasn't a deployment, but 17 months at an American Army base that just happens to be in a country where a war is going on. The chow hall used to be a series of tents with a crowded line and folding chairs and hastily constructed tables. Now, it is a brick and mortar building with tile floors, high ceilings, and well constructed tables and chairs. Its the best dining facility I have eaten in since I have been in the Army (well, I didn't sit down and eat. I go a to go plate, but you get the picture).
Not that my family is complaining, but I am pretty spoiled for being deployed. There is a huge gym here, an MWR facility that shows movies that just got out of theaters, a computer lab, a barber shop, a fairly well stocked PX, and now a hard shell dining facility. It used to be (and this happened to me once) that if you started to take rockets, you drop your chow and beat feet to the nearest bunker or rally point. Now, if that happens, you just stay where you are and go back for seconds. Hell, the chow hall would be the best place to be in if we got attacked.
Its just a little surreal to be in Afghanistan and I still have most of the comforts of home. Granted, I don't have a social life or a weekend, but I still have a working TV and an XBOX 360 in my tent, which I share with only two other soldiers. I have a wall locker and shelf where I can put everything. If this where the states, this would be considered a mediocre, but still nice base. In Afghanistan, Salerno is at the top for comfort level. I feel slightly ashamed to be wearing a combat patch when I haven't seen combat. Granted, you are allowed to wear it after you have been in country for 30 days, but in reality what have I really done? I'm not roughing it by any means. I don't mind the comfort, but needless to say, this is not what I expected.
All the Way.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Random thoughts and musings..
This is how it works. I don't write for almost three weeks and then I put two blogs up in two days. Anyways, hats off to New York Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini. Stars and Stripes (the Armed Forces Newspaper over here) ran a quick blurb about the Jets hosting some soldiers from Ft. Bragg (my one time home for 6 weeks. I spent more time in Basic Training than I did at my permanent duty station. Sad.) Mangini welcomed the players, had them address the teams, and then put them in on some 7-on-7 drills. Afterwards, he was stated that it was the team's pleasure and honor to host these soldiers and that they were the reason that they were able to continue to play football and live freely. Now, I know the definition of living freely has been used to excess in the NFL, but Coach Mangini still hit the nail on the head. For those of you that know me really well, I'm not all God and country and patriotic. I just want to do some cool Army stuff and blow up somethings in the process, but it is still nice to have someone of Eric Mangini's stature and notierity recognize those who are making huge sacrifices. I've never been a Jets fan, but I have a great deal of respect for their organization now.
On the other hand, a roundhouse kick to the face for the staff of Walter Reed. Stars and Stripes ran another article about how over 4,000 pieces of mail were found undelivered to patients of the hospital. The Army has outlined five factors that affect morale. They are Mail, Justice, Meals, Supplies, and Billets. Now, Walter Reed has already dropped the ball on the billets, but now mail. I am deployed and my day certainly starts off right if I get a package or letter. It makes the days go faster and just gives me a boost. Now, imagine being thousands of miles away from your unit and family and being injured and going through rehab. Maybe you have limited access to the Internet or phone. In that situation, the more support you get the faster you will heal. It could be a small note or care package, who knows, but some sort of thing that lets you know that people still care always helps. Now it comes out that the soldiers who need the most support aren't getting their mail?! C'mon. We owe it to these soldiers to perform a simple task as delivering them their mail. Instead of bickering about immigration and party politics, lets start fixing things on the homefront. Leaders are wondering why enlistment numbers are falling. Take a look at how soldiers are being treated. We make a lot of sacrifices and ask for a little support from the decision makers in return. I invite any politician to do a 15-18 month deployment and then get ready to do another less then a year after they return.
I'm starting to get a hang of this management thing. I realized why I didn't start off as an officer in the Army. You are immediately in charge of a platoon. Thats 30-40 guys. Too much to start off for me. I am good right now with 5 guys. I'll start small and work my way up. Right now its still trial and error. Sometimes yelling and getting all sorts of excited (too the point where the battle Captain sends someone outside to find out what all the commotion is about) is effective. Other times, its just talking calmly to the troopers and the point gets across. Of course, this is while they are in the front leaning rest. On a sidenote, my bed is almost too comfortable. It is tough to get out of bed at night (everyone else's time)/morning (my time). I just sink into it when I go to sleep. Somedays I just want to lock all the doors and not come out for awhile. Of course, all they would have to do is shut off the A/C and I'll be out in a heartbeat. By the way, when I come home on leave, first meal I want is a Happy Joes Chicago style pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage and breadsticks. That request kind of goes without writing, but I figured I would throw it in there just so nobody would forget.
All the Way.
On the other hand, a roundhouse kick to the face for the staff of Walter Reed. Stars and Stripes ran another article about how over 4,000 pieces of mail were found undelivered to patients of the hospital. The Army has outlined five factors that affect morale. They are Mail, Justice, Meals, Supplies, and Billets. Now, Walter Reed has already dropped the ball on the billets, but now mail. I am deployed and my day certainly starts off right if I get a package or letter. It makes the days go faster and just gives me a boost. Now, imagine being thousands of miles away from your unit and family and being injured and going through rehab. Maybe you have limited access to the Internet or phone. In that situation, the more support you get the faster you will heal. It could be a small note or care package, who knows, but some sort of thing that lets you know that people still care always helps. Now it comes out that the soldiers who need the most support aren't getting their mail?! C'mon. We owe it to these soldiers to perform a simple task as delivering them their mail. Instead of bickering about immigration and party politics, lets start fixing things on the homefront. Leaders are wondering why enlistment numbers are falling. Take a look at how soldiers are being treated. We make a lot of sacrifices and ask for a little support from the decision makers in return. I invite any politician to do a 15-18 month deployment and then get ready to do another less then a year after they return.
I'm starting to get a hang of this management thing. I realized why I didn't start off as an officer in the Army. You are immediately in charge of a platoon. Thats 30-40 guys. Too much to start off for me. I am good right now with 5 guys. I'll start small and work my way up. Right now its still trial and error. Sometimes yelling and getting all sorts of excited (too the point where the battle Captain sends someone outside to find out what all the commotion is about) is effective. Other times, its just talking calmly to the troopers and the point gets across. Of course, this is while they are in the front leaning rest. On a sidenote, my bed is almost too comfortable. It is tough to get out of bed at night (everyone else's time)/morning (my time). I just sink into it when I go to sleep. Somedays I just want to lock all the doors and not come out for awhile. Of course, all they would have to do is shut off the A/C and I'll be out in a heartbeat. By the way, when I come home on leave, first meal I want is a Happy Joes Chicago style pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and sausage and breadsticks. That request kind of goes without writing, but I figured I would throw it in there just so nobody would forget.
All the Way.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Corporal Mafia
I'll apologize for not writing for a few weeks. Nothing has happened to me. In fact, nothing has really happened at all. Aside from a pretty wicked thunderstorm, more than likely a system that found its way from the cyclone that hit Oman, I've just been plugging away. I've been learning over the past few weeks what being an NCO is like. Hence, the Corporal Mafia. See, it is an exclusive club that not too many troopers are in anymore. It has been described as the best rank in the Army because you are an NCO, and therefore accountable, but you are given a little bit more slack because you are an NCO in training. While you don't get paid anymore, you are able to learn and make small mistakes without minor consequences. The real major decisions are still made by the senior NCO's, but being a corporal allows you a chance to flex your muscles a little bit and gain some respect in the eyes of your superiors.
As a further testament to the significance to the rank is that you have to be selected and approved, you can't just have earned enough points and then pin it on. A senior NCO has to fill out the paperwork in order to promote you. So, obviously someone sees potential in you to put you in such a rank. I find it no coincidence that all of the NCO's that I have regarded as excellent leaders were once corporals. While you are still the same rank as an E-4 Specialist, the minute you put on the stripes, you have vastly more responsibility.
It is, however, a lonely rank. There aren't too many corporals in my unit. In fact, I think I am the only corporal 13F in the entire brigade. While before I was just a regular trooper, just one of the section. Now, granted, I was the senior one and was subject to any of the other troopers screwups. I was expected to be a role model, but not enforce the standards. Now, I am in the NCOIC in the absence of the other NCOs. And since the other NCOs are out and about, its just me. Now, that leaves me in an interesting situation. I am buddies with most of the guys in my section, yet now I have to make sure they are doing everything right. That means tearing into them if they fall out of line. Now, being a cocky 19 year old paratrooper being told what to do by a corporal who has less time in service than you can be a bit frustrating. However, I have NCO's expecting me to enforce the standards and I have to do it. Its also a rank that while you are an NCO, you still are only a junior NCO, meaning you still have to stand a parade rest for higher ranking NCO's. Needless to say, management at this level can be interesting.
Happy Father's Day to my dad. Don't worry. The only dangerous thing I will be doing all day is walking back to the hooch. Nice to see that the Cubs are winning again. Ironic that they have to fight each other (and opposing pitching staffs) to do it, but I will take it. I am certainly glad that I don't work during the day. Way too hot for me. Grandpa and Grandma, I got your package a week after you sent it so thank you. Sorry I don't have too much to say. Not too much deviance or excitement in my day to day routine.
All the Way.
As a further testament to the significance to the rank is that you have to be selected and approved, you can't just have earned enough points and then pin it on. A senior NCO has to fill out the paperwork in order to promote you. So, obviously someone sees potential in you to put you in such a rank. I find it no coincidence that all of the NCO's that I have regarded as excellent leaders were once corporals. While you are still the same rank as an E-4 Specialist, the minute you put on the stripes, you have vastly more responsibility.
It is, however, a lonely rank. There aren't too many corporals in my unit. In fact, I think I am the only corporal 13F in the entire brigade. While before I was just a regular trooper, just one of the section. Now, granted, I was the senior one and was subject to any of the other troopers screwups. I was expected to be a role model, but not enforce the standards. Now, I am in the NCOIC in the absence of the other NCOs. And since the other NCOs are out and about, its just me. Now, that leaves me in an interesting situation. I am buddies with most of the guys in my section, yet now I have to make sure they are doing everything right. That means tearing into them if they fall out of line. Now, being a cocky 19 year old paratrooper being told what to do by a corporal who has less time in service than you can be a bit frustrating. However, I have NCO's expecting me to enforce the standards and I have to do it. Its also a rank that while you are an NCO, you still are only a junior NCO, meaning you still have to stand a parade rest for higher ranking NCO's. Needless to say, management at this level can be interesting.
Happy Father's Day to my dad. Don't worry. The only dangerous thing I will be doing all day is walking back to the hooch. Nice to see that the Cubs are winning again. Ironic that they have to fight each other (and opposing pitching staffs) to do it, but I will take it. I am certainly glad that I don't work during the day. Way too hot for me. Grandpa and Grandma, I got your package a week after you sent it so thank you. Sorry I don't have too much to say. Not too much deviance or excitement in my day to day routine.
All the Way.
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