One annoying aspect of being a officer is that most senior leadership love to get together after hours and watch their subordinates get hazed and make complete fools of themselves. In particular, most units have a Dining-In ceremony upon returning from a deployment to "celebrate" their successes and the fact that they made it back alive. However, if you're like me and don't like to socialize with co-workers after hours, you look at this more as an obligation than a "celebration." For those of you who might think I'm being a little cynical, below are some of the festivities included in tonight's event.
We poor about 10 different alcoholic beverages together in a big bowl to be consumed by all the "drinkers" in attendance, perform skits to poke fun at each other, and sing songs to which we hardly know the words. Although we will be receiving our combat spurs, it's done in a hazing, condescending manner. It probably wouldn't be so bad if this were optional, but when you're FORCED to be there and to make matters worse, WE HAVE TO PAY TO GO!!!
I spent most of my college years in a fraternity, so I've experienced my fair share of hazing; however, I was 19 years old and didn't have a beautiful wife at home who I'd rather be spending time with. When you're closing in on the big 30, it's not as exciting and fun. Just hope I don't get my dress uniformed ruined tonight!
Please pray for me!
Take care.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Bargain Shoppers
For those of you who know Leslie and I, we're not the kind of people who have to go out and buy the newest versions of stuff. Frankly, we try to be very modest in our possessions and this is simply a result of the way we were raised. When it comes to household furniture and appliances, we are pretty meticulous about making a new purchase and are willing to wait for the right deal to come our way. Well, the week was the culmination of a few big purchase items and I'd like to share them with you.
About a year before we got married, Leslie's parents gave us a nice cherry wood four post bed frame for us to use when we tied the knot. However, Leslie already had a bed frame, so I was the lucky recipient of this family heirloom. Since I didn't have a mattress or box spring to go with the bed frame, I went out and bought the most expensive one I could afford, for about $250. If you know anything about mattresses, that amount of money is practically chump change for a queen size. Yet, my beautiful bride and I spent the first 4 1/2 years of our marriage on this old mattress...until last Tuesday. After much research, we came across a nice Simmons BeautyRest mattress for less than $600!
Our next big purchase was a new computer. To make a long story short, my grad school computer tanked right before I left Iraq and Leslie was using a computer her parents bought her in 2000! Once again, we did our research and got a great HP computer for less than $500. I have to credit my dad, the ultimate electronic bargain shopper, for his guidance and expertise in all things technological.
Lastly, I upgraded my favorite musical instrument, the acoustic guitar. My wonderful mother bought me a good, inexpensive guitar in college. After our union, Les brought to our household possessions a guitar she bought in college as well; however, mine had a lot more miles on it. So, I'd been switching back and forth between them for the past several years. I'm not saying that I plan on starting a band or anything of the sort, but should the need ever arise for me to have an acoustic/electric guitar, I wanted to be prepared. On Sunday, Les and I stopped by a Guitar Center store in Nashville, and it just so happened they had a SLIGHTLY damaged Yamaha acoustic/electric guitar for just $110! It was about a $150 markdown, so I ceased on this bargain and plan to sell the two I have to offset the cost.
I hope this post isn't seen as too "materialist" or even a holier than thou, thumbing of the nose at those of you who take pride in our possessions. My only intent is to show just how God has blessed our family during these times of economic unrest. None of this was put on credit (all cash baby), but it wouldn't have been done without patience and diligence. Thanks be to God for the provision!
Take care.
About a year before we got married, Leslie's parents gave us a nice cherry wood four post bed frame for us to use when we tied the knot. However, Leslie already had a bed frame, so I was the lucky recipient of this family heirloom. Since I didn't have a mattress or box spring to go with the bed frame, I went out and bought the most expensive one I could afford, for about $250. If you know anything about mattresses, that amount of money is practically chump change for a queen size. Yet, my beautiful bride and I spent the first 4 1/2 years of our marriage on this old mattress...until last Tuesday. After much research, we came across a nice Simmons BeautyRest mattress for less than $600!
Our next big purchase was a new computer. To make a long story short, my grad school computer tanked right before I left Iraq and Leslie was using a computer her parents bought her in 2000! Once again, we did our research and got a great HP computer for less than $500. I have to credit my dad, the ultimate electronic bargain shopper, for his guidance and expertise in all things technological.
Lastly, I upgraded my favorite musical instrument, the acoustic guitar. My wonderful mother bought me a good, inexpensive guitar in college. After our union, Les brought to our household possessions a guitar she bought in college as well; however, mine had a lot more miles on it. So, I'd been switching back and forth between them for the past several years. I'm not saying that I plan on starting a band or anything of the sort, but should the need ever arise for me to have an acoustic/electric guitar, I wanted to be prepared. On Sunday, Les and I stopped by a Guitar Center store in Nashville, and it just so happened they had a SLIGHTLY damaged Yamaha acoustic/electric guitar for just $110! It was about a $150 markdown, so I ceased on this bargain and plan to sell the two I have to offset the cost.
I hope this post isn't seen as too "materialist" or even a holier than thou, thumbing of the nose at those of you who take pride in our possessions. My only intent is to show just how God has blessed our family during these times of economic unrest. None of this was put on credit (all cash baby), but it wouldn't have been done without patience and diligence. Thanks be to God for the provision!
Take care.
Monday, January 19, 2009
DONSA
Every month, Fort Campbell has established a 4 day weekend, also known as Days Of No Scheduled Activity. Because of the federal discretionary holiday of MLK day, I have enjoyed a long weekend of no work. It started out with a 14 mile hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my best friend, Freight train (not his real name, just a term of endearment). Aside from the one other person we came across, I firmly believe we were the only two people in the whole Cades Cove area, mainly because the temperature was in the single digits! Train and I made it through the day with little to no trouble despite the cold, although the hose on my Camelbak was frozen for the first half of the trip!
Saturday was a day of rest and relaxation for the wife and I, while yesterday was consumed by a trip to Nashville to see a good friend get baptized in the morning and some window shopping the afternoon. Les and I were able to satisfy our slight crab addiction with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Good stuff!
Today is yet another day of R&R, with a few miscellaneous errands scheduled; however, I cannot help but be consumed with the media coverage of the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. While some view this holiday as just another day off from work, others honor this human catalyst for racial change in America. Furthermore, tomorrow we will bear witness to this man's legacy by the swearing in of our country's first black President. I pray we never stray from honoring, not on MLK's birthday, but also the dream he shared with this great nation.
By the way, please don't look upon our "luxurious" monthly 4 day weekends as an advantage to being the military, as we are almost guaranteed to work at least one weekend a month too!
Take care and may God continue to bless the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Saturday was a day of rest and relaxation for the wife and I, while yesterday was consumed by a trip to Nashville to see a good friend get baptized in the morning and some window shopping the afternoon. Les and I were able to satisfy our slight crab addiction with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Good stuff!
Today is yet another day of R&R, with a few miscellaneous errands scheduled; however, I cannot help but be consumed with the media coverage of the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. While some view this holiday as just another day off from work, others honor this human catalyst for racial change in America. Furthermore, tomorrow we will bear witness to this man's legacy by the swearing in of our country's first black President. I pray we never stray from honoring, not on MLK's birthday, but also the dream he shared with this great nation.
By the way, please don't look upon our "luxurious" monthly 4 day weekends as an advantage to being the military, as we are almost guaranteed to work at least one weekend a month too!
Take care and may God continue to bless the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Commuting Nightmare
Rather than delving into my daily schedule and giving a brief synopsis of what I'm doing, I feel it important to describe my daily commute. While one might think that living on post and being only about 5 miles from work means a very brief drive to work each day, you are SORELY mistaken and here's why:
For some crazy reason, the military decided long ago that it was "unproductive" and "too civilian" to workout in the afternoon, or at least begin work after the sun comes up. So, my mornings start around 0530 (or what I call 0 dark 30), with my first meeting of the day beginning at 0600. As previously stated, I only have to go about 5 miles, but that's on a two-lane road with the speed limit ranging from 25-35 mph. Moreover, I go through 5 traffic lights and one very...very...very congested 3 way stop. What is more, practically everybody from both the 1st and 2nd BCT (which are right next to each other) are on the road trying to get to work as well! As a result, the 20 minutes I allocate for my commute are at times insufficient.
After our first formation of the day at 0630, we conduct our daily PT routine until 0800. Although I'm not required to be back at work until 0930, roughly 30 minutes of the 90 minutes we get for personal hygiene and breakfast is spent trying to get back across the post to my house. Sure, I could take a shower in the gym (which we're not allowed to use during PT), but about 35% of the roughly 2,000 men in the brigade are also using it to get ready for work. So, it's a no-brainer that I come home and get ready for work!
While there are both advantages and disadvantages to living on post, one significant advantage is the ability to go home whenever the need arises. I spend my lunch break at home, as well as any down time I might have during the day. But regardless, I still have a nightmarish commute each morning!
Take care.
For some crazy reason, the military decided long ago that it was "unproductive" and "too civilian" to workout in the afternoon, or at least begin work after the sun comes up. So, my mornings start around 0530 (or what I call 0 dark 30), with my first meeting of the day beginning at 0600. As previously stated, I only have to go about 5 miles, but that's on a two-lane road with the speed limit ranging from 25-35 mph. Moreover, I go through 5 traffic lights and one very...very...very congested 3 way stop. What is more, practically everybody from both the 1st and 2nd BCT (which are right next to each other) are on the road trying to get to work as well! As a result, the 20 minutes I allocate for my commute are at times insufficient.
After our first formation of the day at 0630, we conduct our daily PT routine until 0800. Although I'm not required to be back at work until 0930, roughly 30 minutes of the 90 minutes we get for personal hygiene and breakfast is spent trying to get back across the post to my house. Sure, I could take a shower in the gym (which we're not allowed to use during PT), but about 35% of the roughly 2,000 men in the brigade are also using it to get ready for work. So, it's a no-brainer that I come home and get ready for work!
While there are both advantages and disadvantages to living on post, one significant advantage is the ability to go home whenever the need arises. I spend my lunch break at home, as well as any down time I might have during the day. But regardless, I still have a nightmarish commute each morning!
Take care.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Back To Work
Ok, ok, I admit it. I've been a little TOO lazy over the past month and haven't taken the relatively short amount of time to update anyone on how things are going. Thankfully I've been able to see most of you who read my blog, and should thus be up-to-date on me and the wife. However, I feel it necessary to briefly recap my period of "Block Leave" that the Army gave me shortly after returning from theatre.
On 5 December, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team began its 30 day period of leave, in which I felt compelled to make ANOTHER trip across the Atlantic (although it was under much better circumstances). This time accompanied with the wife, we backpacked across portions of France and Italy for about 11 days. For a more in-depth synopsis of our journey, I'll once again refer you to her blog (www.tnarmywife.blogspot.com). I signed back into the unit on 17 Dec; yet, the only work-related requirement I had was to show up for morning formation at 0630, which only occurred about 5 times thanks to the 4 day holiday weekends we got!
A couple of trips to Knoxville and Bartow, FL (Leslie's hometown) rounded out the rest of our travels over the holiday season. My four favorite f-words (Family, Friends, Football and Food) consumed a large portion of this time and the good Lord blessed us with safe travels all throughout.
This past week, unfortunately, our Brigade was required to return to work. The consensus among all my soldiers and peers was that the break went by way too fast. Luckily, we are slowly transitioning back to Garrison life. This term simply means work at home station. For those of you interested in knowing what this time consists of, that will be the main focus of my blogs this year. With the war on terror going on 8 years now, it's much easier to see what life is like during a deployment; however, I feel that the daily operations of life in Garrison also warrant attention and discussion. For that reason, I hope to continue my pursuit of shedding light on life in the military, both at home and abroad. This might not be nearly as interesting and informative as my time spent in Iraq, but hopefully it will show you how much time and effort is put into recovering after a deployment and then preparing for the next one, whenever and wherever it might be.
Hope the following posts are worth reading and please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.
Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
On 5 December, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team began its 30 day period of leave, in which I felt compelled to make ANOTHER trip across the Atlantic (although it was under much better circumstances). This time accompanied with the wife, we backpacked across portions of France and Italy for about 11 days. For a more in-depth synopsis of our journey, I'll once again refer you to her blog (www.tnarmywife.blogspot.com). I signed back into the unit on 17 Dec; yet, the only work-related requirement I had was to show up for morning formation at 0630, which only occurred about 5 times thanks to the 4 day holiday weekends we got!
A couple of trips to Knoxville and Bartow, FL (Leslie's hometown) rounded out the rest of our travels over the holiday season. My four favorite f-words (Family, Friends, Football and Food) consumed a large portion of this time and the good Lord blessed us with safe travels all throughout.
This past week, unfortunately, our Brigade was required to return to work. The consensus among all my soldiers and peers was that the break went by way too fast. Luckily, we are slowly transitioning back to Garrison life. This term simply means work at home station. For those of you interested in knowing what this time consists of, that will be the main focus of my blogs this year. With the war on terror going on 8 years now, it's much easier to see what life is like during a deployment; however, I feel that the daily operations of life in Garrison also warrant attention and discussion. For that reason, I hope to continue my pursuit of shedding light on life in the military, both at home and abroad. This might not be nearly as interesting and informative as my time spent in Iraq, but hopefully it will show you how much time and effort is put into recovering after a deployment and then preparing for the next one, whenever and wherever it might be.
Hope the following posts are worth reading and please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.
Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Friday, December 26, 2008
'Tis The Season...To Be Lazy!!!
I know it's kind of unlike me to go over 20 days without posting, but the laziness of the holiday season has managed to dissipate, not only my desire to exercise, but also my desire to do something as easy as type a "public email update." My apologies to all three of you (if there's even that many) who have been checking my blog almost everyday this month, but I just decided to take it easy!
However, if you are wondering how the trip to Europe with the wife was, please check her blog (www.tnarmywife.blogspot.com) as she has been more motivated to post about the many wonderful sights we saw and the food we ate. Don't ask me where she's getting the energy to do this, as we've both been sitting on the couch most of the holiday break; but it looks like she was on the laptop doing something productive while I was taking catnaps.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and already have your New Year's Resolution list taped to the fridge!
Happy Holidays and take care.
However, if you are wondering how the trip to Europe with the wife was, please check her blog (www.tnarmywife.blogspot.com) as she has been more motivated to post about the many wonderful sights we saw and the food we ate. Don't ask me where she's getting the energy to do this, as we've both been sitting on the couch most of the holiday break; but it looks like she was on the laptop doing something productive while I was taking catnaps.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and already have your New Year's Resolution list taped to the fridge!
Happy Holidays and take care.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Europa
After 7 days of reintegration (minus the 4 day weekend we got for Thanksgiving), Leslie and I are about to head out on our celebratory excursion to France and Italy!
For those of you wondering what my "re-integration" program consisted of, it was nothing more than annual check-ups on medical, dental, personnel, and finance related issues. When a unit deploys, soldiers are basically re-stationed from Ft. Campbell to Iraq during the deployment and the re-re-stationed (?) back to the post upon their return. In short, we had to change all of our files to show that we are no longer in theater. Luckily no day lasted longer than a few hours and I was back at home for lunch everyday. Other than getting up at about 0515 every morning, it wasn't that bad of a process. Now Leslie and I can enjoy the fruits of our labor for the past 5 months with a trip BACK across the Atlantic (at least for me).
A customary policy within the military is to grant a period of roughly one month of optional leave to personnel who have been deployed for any length of time. Known as Block Leave, soldiers can take up to 31 days of consecutive leave days before beginning the "Reset" phase of a deployment life cycle. So, for the entire month of December, we do not have to work...well, those of us that are taking time. The only catch is that we are not just given 31 days of FREE leave; instead, we are required to use our regular leave days, or as many as we have accumulated. Active duty military personnel are given 30 days of leave every year, so if you've been deployed for a year, you're are essentially using up all the leave days you received while deployed. HOWEVER, if you took the maximum 18 day R&R leave while deployed, you really only have about 12 days to use. As a result, if soldiers don't have at least 21 days of leave (you are allowed to go in the hole up to 10 days), you can't take the whole month off. Such is the case for me, since I took about 3 weeks off after graduation from Officer Basic Course in Maryland before arriving at Ft. Campbell. Therefore, Leslie and I are only going on a 12 day trip and will return just in time for the holidays.
I hope this update finds all of you doing well and looking forward to a wonderful holiday season with your families. I seriously doubt that I'll be able to post an update while on our trip, because we'll be in the midst of enjoying some AWESOMENESS!!!
So, until then, I bid you a farewell.... and take care!
After 7 days of reintegration (minus the 4 day weekend we got for Thanksgiving), Leslie and I are about to head out on our celebratory excursion to France and Italy!
For those of you wondering what my "re-integration" program consisted of, it was nothing more than annual check-ups on medical, dental, personnel, and finance related issues. When a unit deploys, soldiers are basically re-stationed from Ft. Campbell to Iraq during the deployment and the re-re-stationed (?) back to the post upon their return. In short, we had to change all of our files to show that we are no longer in theater. Luckily no day lasted longer than a few hours and I was back at home for lunch everyday. Other than getting up at about 0515 every morning, it wasn't that bad of a process. Now Leslie and I can enjoy the fruits of our labor for the past 5 months with a trip BACK across the Atlantic (at least for me).
A customary policy within the military is to grant a period of roughly one month of optional leave to personnel who have been deployed for any length of time. Known as Block Leave, soldiers can take up to 31 days of consecutive leave days before beginning the "Reset" phase of a deployment life cycle. So, for the entire month of December, we do not have to work...well, those of us that are taking time. The only catch is that we are not just given 31 days of FREE leave; instead, we are required to use our regular leave days, or as many as we have accumulated. Active duty military personnel are given 30 days of leave every year, so if you've been deployed for a year, you're are essentially using up all the leave days you received while deployed. HOWEVER, if you took the maximum 18 day R&R leave while deployed, you really only have about 12 days to use. As a result, if soldiers don't have at least 21 days of leave (you are allowed to go in the hole up to 10 days), you can't take the whole month off. Such is the case for me, since I took about 3 weeks off after graduation from Officer Basic Course in Maryland before arriving at Ft. Campbell. Therefore, Leslie and I are only going on a 12 day trip and will return just in time for the holidays.
I hope this update finds all of you doing well and looking forward to a wonderful holiday season with your families. I seriously doubt that I'll be able to post an update while on our trip, because we'll be in the midst of enjoying some AWESOMENESS!!!
So, until then, I bid you a farewell.... and take care!
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