So, here we are. It has been quite a while since last I posted, but I have a good reason. I kind of forgot I had this blog. I know, I know...it isn't that good a reason. Well...too bad, that's all I've got.
I was at Ft. Eustis, again, for three months. AND, I was taking a full load of college classes online. I found out a lot about myself in those three months. First, I enjoy active duty life a lot less than I thought I would, especially when I live in barracks that should be condemned. Second, I am actually much better at online college classes than I thought. And third, I have very little patience for slow cell phone internet.
Being back at Eustis was a little depressing. Well, for the first few days it was actually a lot depressing. Call me a wiener, but I hate being away from my family. I don't care to miss my kids growing up, even if it is only for three months. I don't care to be away from my wife, who is the only person I have ever met that I can stand to be around every single day (well, her and my kids, but I don't share a room with my kids).
Depressing or not, and sucky or not though, we got through it. Classes were fine and I got to talk to my wife and kids every day. I at least had access to a vehicle that I could drive once in a while to get away. Altogether not a bad three month "vacation."
One nice thing about being gone was I got home two weeks before Christmas. We finally had a really nice Christmas this year, too. And, for the first time since we got married, we celebrated Christmas in our own house, which we had just moved into. Yeah, we moved to Nampa, but the neighborhood is great and our house is amazing, even if it is a rental.
January was cold. It was made a little warmer because we always file our taxes as early as we can, and we got a decent refund. Enough to get Britt her front loading washer and dryer. However, it was made just a little bit colder by the fact that I enrolled in all on-campus classes this semester. That was a horrible idea. Why did I do this?
This month has been pretty darn good. Still cold, but the boys have been able to go outside and play in our nice back yard. They love to go out there and play with the puppies. I want to get going on setting up the trampoline we got the boys for Christmas, but the weather can't make up its mind.
Valentine's Day was really good this year, too. I finally gave Britt one that she deserved, and she gave me one that I will always remember. Plus, we took a trip to Seattle last weekend as a part of our V-day festivities. Which brings me to the title of this post.
Michele, my sister-in-law, had some stuff in an apartment up in Seattle that she needed to get out, so I offered to drive up there, have my brother and her just get a U-haul trailer, and tow it behind our van back home. I didn't know, however, that my van didn't have a wiring harness for trailer lights.
Fortunately, there is a U-haul near my home and they had all of the parts I needed. UNfortunately, I also needed to purchase a "stinger" and ball, AND a tool simply known as a "test light." That was a fun one.
I got all the stuff I needed from U-haul. I also got plenty of instructions from the guy that worked there, which was nice. Then, all I had to do was acquire a "12V test light," figure out which wires did what on my tail light, and hook up the wiring harness. I though, with all of my electrical experience in the Army, how hard could it be? Ha.
I am actually making this sound harder than it actually was, but it didn't feel easy at all at the time. I went to Walmart to find the elusive "12V test light." No dice. The guy in the automotive department didn't even know what I was talking about...unfortunately, I didn't really either.
My adventure then led me to O'Reilly, where there is an extreme overabundance of such "test lights." Naturally, being the savvy mechanical genius that I am, I figured that the more money I spent on the tool, the greater success I would have. Wow...and wrong. I am that a lot, wrong I mean.
After making a poor purchase decision in the "better" test light, I tried to get the wiring harness attached. The test light worked...kind of. It especially worked when I touched my hand against something metal, giving me a horribly erroneous reading of voltage being present, when actually there was only continuity between the test light, my hand, and the metal object. Boo.
After quite a bit of frustration, some cursing, and blowing the fuse for my tail lights, I gave up. Yeah, giving up is the pits, but sometimes you must admit defeat to live until another day.
To be continued...
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Am I a real soldier yet?
It's funny that at every stage of your military career you have people telling you that you're not a real soldier yet because you haven't done something or other. It just makes me wonder if some soldiers sit there and ask, "Am I a real soldier now? No. How about now? No. Okay, I've been through one deployment, how about now?"
My buddies from my class and I have decided to take it upon ourselves to reinvent the "Love Me" book. For those of you who don't know, your Love Me book is all of your important military documents all in one folder or portfolio. Kind of like a photographers portfolio. It contains all your awards and decorations, all of your training paperwork saying that you have indeed completed basic training and AIT (and yes, you are indeed a soldier). But we decided to put a little X-ray tradition into it and made them a little more entertaining. Well, a whole lot of gay is what they are. Extremely gay in my case.
Now, we are doing this all for fun, and of course certain people just can't seem to see fun and humor for what it is. A bunch of H Company guys were behind us in the DFAC line (H Company are prior service guys or guys that are reclassing into a new MOS) and one of them asked me what was with the pink folders. Now, I understand that they have probably been deployed sometime in the last year or two, but I told him that the reason was because they were super gay. He proceeds to tell his buddies, "Oh yeah, it's the new Army, hugs and high fives." Hardy har har moron.
If you can't see humor in toting around out processing paperwork in a pink polka-dotted portfolio with Hello Kitty and Pokemon stickers all over it, while in uniform...you should probably get a new job because you are going to end up freaking out in combat and shooting yourself in the face. I'm just saying.
I'll just say that it will be nice once I'm out of TRADOC, I'll be qualified in and MOS, and whatever I decide to do I'm sure I'll be deployed sometime in the near future. Too bad I'll probably never see that assclown ever again.
The main thing is that it is July 31 and we graduate on August 12. Only one more week of school and a week of out processing and grad practice. Then it is homeward bound for the X-rays.
My buddies from my class and I have decided to take it upon ourselves to reinvent the "Love Me" book. For those of you who don't know, your Love Me book is all of your important military documents all in one folder or portfolio. Kind of like a photographers portfolio. It contains all your awards and decorations, all of your training paperwork saying that you have indeed completed basic training and AIT (and yes, you are indeed a soldier). But we decided to put a little X-ray tradition into it and made them a little more entertaining. Well, a whole lot of gay is what they are. Extremely gay in my case.
Now, we are doing this all for fun, and of course certain people just can't seem to see fun and humor for what it is. A bunch of H Company guys were behind us in the DFAC line (H Company are prior service guys or guys that are reclassing into a new MOS) and one of them asked me what was with the pink folders. Now, I understand that they have probably been deployed sometime in the last year or two, but I told him that the reason was because they were super gay. He proceeds to tell his buddies, "Oh yeah, it's the new Army, hugs and high fives." Hardy har har moron.
If you can't see humor in toting around out processing paperwork in a pink polka-dotted portfolio with Hello Kitty and Pokemon stickers all over it, while in uniform...you should probably get a new job because you are going to end up freaking out in combat and shooting yourself in the face. I'm just saying.
I'll just say that it will be nice once I'm out of TRADOC, I'll be qualified in and MOS, and whatever I decide to do I'm sure I'll be deployed sometime in the near future. Too bad I'll probably never see that assclown ever again.
The main thing is that it is July 31 and we graduate on August 12. Only one more week of school and a week of out processing and grad practice. Then it is homeward bound for the X-rays.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Wandering
The Song of Wandering Aengus
I WENT out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
--William Butler Yeats
It is amazing how are can have so much of an effect on people. I am, of course, no exception. Literature, music, and the cinema are probably my weaknesses. A poem like the Song of Wandering Aengus brings up memories of both happy and sad occasions. The marriage of a relative. The loss of a great friend. The ongoing struggle to hold on to all of the things you love in such a crazy world. I am certainly blessed to have such a firm grip on the things I love and such a strong foundation against the quaking a stormy weather of the world.
I've only got 18 days left of my sojourn at Ft. Eustis. The ending of one journey is the beginning of yet another. Now the real adventure begins. The adventure of finally being able to start building a real life for my family.
It truly is amazing what we will do for the ones that we love. I am not the only one that has made sacrifices in this equation. I am not the only one that has gone through trials. Once this trial is over, others are bound to surface at some point, but that is just life.
I suppose the best way I know how to overcome the struggles of real life is to stack the odds in my favor. Some people are born into a good hand. They are dealt good genes so they are smart, or very good looking. They are dealt a wealthy family so they are able to get a worry-free education, or even inherit a family business. Then there are those that have to live in the real world.
I was dealt good genes, but I wouldn't say I am extremely attractive, and I am smart, but I am no prodigy. There are times even now that I wonder if this is what the Lord would have me do. There are times when I wonder if I shouldn't be doing something simpler or less stressful.
Then there are times when I am in the heat of an issue, utilizing the training and skills the Army has taught me. So many I work with have no heart, no determination, no pride in the what they stand for, what being in the Army really means. Many of them are there just for the money or for the college tuition. Many are there because they have no direction, no discipline. Many just expect the Army to hand them everything they need to create a persona, something tangible and real, something with direction and conviction.
I guess being a little older than many of them is an advantage. I have lived a little more. Being married and having children has taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Being in the Army at this point in my life has shown me that motivation and a little pride in what you stand for can go a long way, especially with those that are in charge of you.
It is almost time for me to be home and I am so excited! I can't wait to be home with my sweet wife and my sweet little boys. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything because it has taught me so much. I do hope that I will be able to be home for a while before I have to go anywhere again. But I do feel that deployment is inevitable and I feel a sort of need to do it for myself and for all of my brothers and sisters, Army or otherwise.
I hope that I can take what I have learned and make a great life for my family. I hope that I can continue to learn even more every day. I hope that I can be the best husband, father, and soldier that I can.
I WENT out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
--William Butler Yeats
It is amazing how are can have so much of an effect on people. I am, of course, no exception. Literature, music, and the cinema are probably my weaknesses. A poem like the Song of Wandering Aengus brings up memories of both happy and sad occasions. The marriage of a relative. The loss of a great friend. The ongoing struggle to hold on to all of the things you love in such a crazy world. I am certainly blessed to have such a firm grip on the things I love and such a strong foundation against the quaking a stormy weather of the world.
I've only got 18 days left of my sojourn at Ft. Eustis. The ending of one journey is the beginning of yet another. Now the real adventure begins. The adventure of finally being able to start building a real life for my family.
It truly is amazing what we will do for the ones that we love. I am not the only one that has made sacrifices in this equation. I am not the only one that has gone through trials. Once this trial is over, others are bound to surface at some point, but that is just life.
I suppose the best way I know how to overcome the struggles of real life is to stack the odds in my favor. Some people are born into a good hand. They are dealt good genes so they are smart, or very good looking. They are dealt a wealthy family so they are able to get a worry-free education, or even inherit a family business. Then there are those that have to live in the real world.
I was dealt good genes, but I wouldn't say I am extremely attractive, and I am smart, but I am no prodigy. There are times even now that I wonder if this is what the Lord would have me do. There are times when I wonder if I shouldn't be doing something simpler or less stressful.
Then there are times when I am in the heat of an issue, utilizing the training and skills the Army has taught me. So many I work with have no heart, no determination, no pride in the what they stand for, what being in the Army really means. Many of them are there just for the money or for the college tuition. Many are there because they have no direction, no discipline. Many just expect the Army to hand them everything they need to create a persona, something tangible and real, something with direction and conviction.
I guess being a little older than many of them is an advantage. I have lived a little more. Being married and having children has taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Being in the Army at this point in my life has shown me that motivation and a little pride in what you stand for can go a long way, especially with those that are in charge of you.
It is almost time for me to be home and I am so excited! I can't wait to be home with my sweet wife and my sweet little boys. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything because it has taught me so much. I do hope that I will be able to be home for a while before I have to go anywhere again. But I do feel that deployment is inevitable and I feel a sort of need to do it for myself and for all of my brothers and sisters, Army or otherwise.
I hope that I can take what I have learned and make a great life for my family. I hope that I can continue to learn even more every day. I hope that I can be the best husband, father, and soldier that I can.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
"Hey guy, check you out lookin' like a soup sandwich! You're all jacked up like a football bat!"
It's really funny how the United States Army is what it is, a very professional organization, full of rich history and tradition, and we come up with stuff like "soup sandwich" and "jacked up like a football bat". Wow...
So, on this episode of "Peering into the uninteresting life of a Private First Class at Ft. Eustis" I'd just like to cover some of the things that have been going on here. Communication is key.
I don't remember if I said this and I'm far too lazy to do a whole bunch of clicking hyperlinks to check, but we are in the hangar (that's the place where they park the helicopters, and sometimes airplanes...sort of like a garage for aircraft...not something you store your clothes on in your wall locker) and we are finally working with Apaches! Those things are made to destroy! It really is amazing that we live in a world where a company can build a flying machine that is solely intended to deliver something called a "Hellfire Missile". In case you didn't know, yes, that was the entire reason the Apache was built.
They are mean looking machines too. Oddly, they are not the fastest aircraft in the Army inventory. That's the Chinook (we have a different name for them here, it has hook on the end...you put it together), which is crazy if you have ever seen a CH-47...they are massive.
It's really cool being around such high technology. Who knew that the stuff I learned at my technical high school would actually be worth something in my career.
There is a quite a rivalry between the different MOS groups in A Co. We have 15X (you say it "fifteen x-ray", the King of Aviation), which is what I am; 15Y ("fifteen yankee", sort of like x-rays, but we can be trained on their job, and they can't be trained on ours) that do basically the same job as an x-ray, but on the D model Apache; and of course, who can forget the 15R, the butt of pretty much all of the jokes around here.
See, step into my office and I'll explain something about the Army to you. At least while you are in TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command, we say you are "in TRADOC" if you are in Basic or AIT) everything is a contest. Everybody thinks they are better than the next guy or the next platoon or the next Company and so on and so forth. The thing about 15R (romeos) is that they are pretty much the wrench turners. It isn't that x-rays or yankees don't turn a wrench here and there, but that is pretty much the entirety of the romeo job...you are a parts swapper.
Therefore, since the romeo job isn't very technical (I will watch at least ten romeo classes graduate before I leave Ft. Eustis), we have to make fun of them. We call them "window washers" and "tire kickers" because in a regular unit...they actually do that! That is about one of the funniest things I have ever heard.
Civilian Man: "So you're in the Army? What do you do exactly?
Romeo Soldier: "I'm an Apache Mechanic." NOTE: Most Romeos will tell you they are an Apache Crewchief...laugh heartily because that is a huge joke.
Civilian Man: "Oh yeah, that sounds exciting! I'll bet your job is really important. What exactly do you do on a normal day?"
Romeo Soldier: "Oh, I take parts out and put new parts in. (attempting to sound very technical) I maintain the aircraft's major mechanical components. But, a lot of my job is maintaining the exterior of the aircraft."
Civilian Man: "Really, do you have to apply a special product to help with radar deflection or something crazy like that (chuckles)?"
Romeo Soldier: "No sir, I wash windows and make sure the tires have adequate pressure."
Narrator: All the while an X-ray soldier sits in civilian attire listening to the conversation and laughing on the inside!
Commence laughter, if you haven't already. To some of you that may have been like Eddie Izzard speaking French in part of his stand up comedy routine, but I assure you it is all very funny.
On another note, I recently ended a tour as student leadership. We have a "chain of command" in the student ranks so that we can ease the Cadre's work load a little bit. Mostly student leadership just perform basic formation duties and find out who has appointments and things like that, but a lot of the time Privates have simple questions that they need answered and the Cadre really don't need to utilize their valuable time addressing. That's where student leadership comes in.
I like to lead soldiers, especially those soldiers that don't require a lot of attention. I have some soldiers that require constant care...like small children. I swear they need to wear bicycle helmets to school and ride their own bus so they can't hurt themselves or any of the other, more squared-away soldiers. It isn't that I'm not willing to step up and address issues as they come because I know that is a part of leading. You have to be ready for anything and you have to be able to deal with a lot of different personalities. I just feel much the same way that the Cadre and the Chain of Command do. I shouldn't have to put out the same piece of information five hundred times before you decide to shave every day so you don't look like soup cake.
In the Army we like to look good. In all seriousness, why do you think we march around singing all of the time. There is a reason for everything in the Army. We call that marching and singing Drill and Ceremony. Marching in cadence is just a small part of Drill and Ceremony, but D&C is one of the most important things we do in the military because, as SFC Murphy told me recently, "Drill and Ceremony is the cornerstone of discipline." Knowing him he was quoting some Field Manual or Army Regulation, but that is absolutely true.
To the untrained eye it may look silly, but Drill and Ceremony can be an incredibly powerful thing. I was once told by one of the recruiters at my RSP unit in Idaho (BOOM! BOMBSHELLS!!!) that there are few things in this world that are more stirring that seeing a column of soldiers all marching together, as a single element. If you ever do get a chance to see that (you can look stuff like that up on Youtube, but it doesn't compare to actually seeing it in person) you will see what I mean. When you can get 100 or so individuals doing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time, it is really a beautiful thing.
That said, we are professionals. We raised our hands in front of the Colors of the United States of America and made an oath to uphold and defend everything that those Colors represent. Against all enemies foreign and domestic.
Whenever you start a new class or are in a new place in the Army (at least in TRADOC) you will usually go around the room and tell something about yourself, and most often you will tell everyone the reason you joined the Army. A lot of people say that they joined for college money or for a steady paycheck, but there are those that will sound off with a loud and thunderous voice with, "I joined because I love my country and I want to defend it and everything it stands for in any way I can. With my life if necessary." The crazy thing is, when you stand in front of that flag and raise that hand, you say pretty much the same thing. Maybe not in those words, but the spirit is the same.
Being in the Army is a learning experience every moment of every day. You don't just learn how to fire and M16 or how to march or how to repair the electrical systems on the AH-64A Apache. You learn life lessons that you can choose to carry with you or ignore (we have a choice word for those guys). You are given a chance to grow up at sort of an accelerated rate. You are given leaders that are more responsible for you than you are for yourself a lot of the time, which you can only say about one other type of leader; a parent.
In the Army you learn to respect life, not just how to take it away.
Some people might say that that is the Army's job, to fight wars and to kill the enemy. While that is what we do, and we do it well mind you, I wouldn't say that is what the Army is all about. I would say that, to me, the Army's job is to preserve life. To preserve and defend the ideals and the principals that make Our Great Nation great. To protect the lives of those we love and those we may not know, but we are nevertheless connected to by that spirit of freedom and liberty that fills the hearts of all Americans. We truly are a family, however dysfunctional, however much we may disagree, however much we may fight, we are a family.
The Army is more than just a uniform. Our uniform is clad in the sword of justice and the shield of truth. Our uniform is held together by the threads of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; by the words and ideals of our Founding Fathers and all of the great leaders of our Great Nation. Or uniform is draped in the Colors of our Nation, reminding us never to back down, always to move forward...Always Forward. Our uniform is clad in the tradition and the customs of hundreds of years, bringing the words printed on the U.S. Army Seal into sharp relief. "THIS WE'LL DEFEND"
Never forget those that serve. Never forget to thank them for their service. Though they may be like me and feel a little strange, they will always return your sentiment. We all want the same thing. To defend our freedoms from all enemies foreign and domestic.
Let us pray it we can come together again as Americans and it doesn't take another 9/11 to do it.
Memorial Day is coming up. If you haven't taken the time to do so in the past, reflect on what the holiday really means. Memorial, memory, the memory off all of those who have come before and led the way to the Land of Promise. The Land of the Free, the Home of the Brave. And let us pray to God that it may remain forever.
Who knew this could come out of me. If you like this post, encourage others to subscribe to my blog. I can't promise all my posts will be this meaningful, but they will at the very least be entertaining. Be safe and remember what it is we are fighting for.
So, on this episode of "Peering into the uninteresting life of a Private First Class at Ft. Eustis" I'd just like to cover some of the things that have been going on here. Communication is key.
I don't remember if I said this and I'm far too lazy to do a whole bunch of clicking hyperlinks to check, but we are in the hangar (that's the place where they park the helicopters, and sometimes airplanes...sort of like a garage for aircraft...not something you store your clothes on in your wall locker) and we are finally working with Apaches! Those things are made to destroy! It really is amazing that we live in a world where a company can build a flying machine that is solely intended to deliver something called a "Hellfire Missile". In case you didn't know, yes, that was the entire reason the Apache was built.
They are mean looking machines too. Oddly, they are not the fastest aircraft in the Army inventory. That's the Chinook (we have a different name for them here, it has hook on the end...you put it together), which is crazy if you have ever seen a CH-47...they are massive.
It's really cool being around such high technology. Who knew that the stuff I learned at my technical high school would actually be worth something in my career.
There is a quite a rivalry between the different MOS groups in A Co. We have 15X (you say it "fifteen x-ray", the King of Aviation), which is what I am; 15Y ("fifteen yankee", sort of like x-rays, but we can be trained on their job, and they can't be trained on ours) that do basically the same job as an x-ray, but on the D model Apache; and of course, who can forget the 15R, the butt of pretty much all of the jokes around here.
See, step into my office and I'll explain something about the Army to you. At least while you are in TRADOC (Training and Doctrine Command, we say you are "in TRADOC" if you are in Basic or AIT) everything is a contest. Everybody thinks they are better than the next guy or the next platoon or the next Company and so on and so forth. The thing about 15R (romeos) is that they are pretty much the wrench turners. It isn't that x-rays or yankees don't turn a wrench here and there, but that is pretty much the entirety of the romeo job...you are a parts swapper.
Therefore, since the romeo job isn't very technical (I will watch at least ten romeo classes graduate before I leave Ft. Eustis), we have to make fun of them. We call them "window washers" and "tire kickers" because in a regular unit...they actually do that! That is about one of the funniest things I have ever heard.
Civilian Man: "So you're in the Army? What do you do exactly?
Romeo Soldier: "I'm an Apache Mechanic." NOTE: Most Romeos will tell you they are an Apache Crewchief...laugh heartily because that is a huge joke.
Civilian Man: "Oh yeah, that sounds exciting! I'll bet your job is really important. What exactly do you do on a normal day?"
Romeo Soldier: "Oh, I take parts out and put new parts in. (attempting to sound very technical) I maintain the aircraft's major mechanical components. But, a lot of my job is maintaining the exterior of the aircraft."
Civilian Man: "Really, do you have to apply a special product to help with radar deflection or something crazy like that (chuckles)?"
Romeo Soldier: "No sir, I wash windows and make sure the tires have adequate pressure."
Narrator: All the while an X-ray soldier sits in civilian attire listening to the conversation and laughing on the inside!
Commence laughter, if you haven't already. To some of you that may have been like Eddie Izzard speaking French in part of his stand up comedy routine, but I assure you it is all very funny.
On another note, I recently ended a tour as student leadership. We have a "chain of command" in the student ranks so that we can ease the Cadre's work load a little bit. Mostly student leadership just perform basic formation duties and find out who has appointments and things like that, but a lot of the time Privates have simple questions that they need answered and the Cadre really don't need to utilize their valuable time addressing. That's where student leadership comes in.
I like to lead soldiers, especially those soldiers that don't require a lot of attention. I have some soldiers that require constant care...like small children. I swear they need to wear bicycle helmets to school and ride their own bus so they can't hurt themselves or any of the other, more squared-away soldiers. It isn't that I'm not willing to step up and address issues as they come because I know that is a part of leading. You have to be ready for anything and you have to be able to deal with a lot of different personalities. I just feel much the same way that the Cadre and the Chain of Command do. I shouldn't have to put out the same piece of information five hundred times before you decide to shave every day so you don't look like soup cake.
In the Army we like to look good. In all seriousness, why do you think we march around singing all of the time. There is a reason for everything in the Army. We call that marching and singing Drill and Ceremony. Marching in cadence is just a small part of Drill and Ceremony, but D&C is one of the most important things we do in the military because, as SFC Murphy told me recently, "Drill and Ceremony is the cornerstone of discipline." Knowing him he was quoting some Field Manual or Army Regulation, but that is absolutely true.
To the untrained eye it may look silly, but Drill and Ceremony can be an incredibly powerful thing. I was once told by one of the recruiters at my RSP unit in Idaho (BOOM! BOMBSHELLS!!!) that there are few things in this world that are more stirring that seeing a column of soldiers all marching together, as a single element. If you ever do get a chance to see that (you can look stuff like that up on Youtube, but it doesn't compare to actually seeing it in person) you will see what I mean. When you can get 100 or so individuals doing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time, it is really a beautiful thing.
That said, we are professionals. We raised our hands in front of the Colors of the United States of America and made an oath to uphold and defend everything that those Colors represent. Against all enemies foreign and domestic.
Whenever you start a new class or are in a new place in the Army (at least in TRADOC) you will usually go around the room and tell something about yourself, and most often you will tell everyone the reason you joined the Army. A lot of people say that they joined for college money or for a steady paycheck, but there are those that will sound off with a loud and thunderous voice with, "I joined because I love my country and I want to defend it and everything it stands for in any way I can. With my life if necessary." The crazy thing is, when you stand in front of that flag and raise that hand, you say pretty much the same thing. Maybe not in those words, but the spirit is the same.
Being in the Army is a learning experience every moment of every day. You don't just learn how to fire and M16 or how to march or how to repair the electrical systems on the AH-64A Apache. You learn life lessons that you can choose to carry with you or ignore (we have a choice word for those guys). You are given a chance to grow up at sort of an accelerated rate. You are given leaders that are more responsible for you than you are for yourself a lot of the time, which you can only say about one other type of leader; a parent.
In the Army you learn to respect life, not just how to take it away.
Some people might say that that is the Army's job, to fight wars and to kill the enemy. While that is what we do, and we do it well mind you, I wouldn't say that is what the Army is all about. I would say that, to me, the Army's job is to preserve life. To preserve and defend the ideals and the principals that make Our Great Nation great. To protect the lives of those we love and those we may not know, but we are nevertheless connected to by that spirit of freedom and liberty that fills the hearts of all Americans. We truly are a family, however dysfunctional, however much we may disagree, however much we may fight, we are a family.
The Army is more than just a uniform. Our uniform is clad in the sword of justice and the shield of truth. Our uniform is held together by the threads of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence; by the words and ideals of our Founding Fathers and all of the great leaders of our Great Nation. Or uniform is draped in the Colors of our Nation, reminding us never to back down, always to move forward...Always Forward. Our uniform is clad in the tradition and the customs of hundreds of years, bringing the words printed on the U.S. Army Seal into sharp relief. "THIS WE'LL DEFEND"
Never forget those that serve. Never forget to thank them for their service. Though they may be like me and feel a little strange, they will always return your sentiment. We all want the same thing. To defend our freedoms from all enemies foreign and domestic.
Let us pray it we can come together again as Americans and it doesn't take another 9/11 to do it.
Memorial Day is coming up. If you haven't taken the time to do so in the past, reflect on what the holiday really means. Memorial, memory, the memory off all of those who have come before and led the way to the Land of Promise. The Land of the Free, the Home of the Brave. And let us pray to God that it may remain forever.
Who knew this could come out of me. If you like this post, encourage others to subscribe to my blog. I can't promise all my posts will be this meaningful, but they will at the very least be entertaining. Be safe and remember what it is we are fighting for.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Dur Ville Zer Machts
[Anything which] is a living and not a dying body... will have to be an incarnate will to power, it will strive to grow, spread, seize, become predominant - not from any morality or immorality but because it is living and because life simply is will to power... 'Exploitation'... belongs to the essence of what lives, as a basic organic function; it is a consequence of the will to power, which is after all the will to life.
from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, s.259, Walter Kaufmann transl.Hello to everyone on this Easter Sunday 2010!
I hope all is well at home, wherever home may be for you. Things here are going very well. The weeks have seemed to go by very quickly. Every time Monday comes it seems like the weekend is there the next day.
My class is in the hangar now. We haven't touched any Apaches yet, but we will soon hopefully. We have a bunch of stuff that we have to go through in the classroom before we can get on the helicopter and start taking stuff apart. I can't wait to crack open my toolbox and just go nuts though.
The Army has been full of new experiences and Felker Army Airfield is no different. I've been to the hangar at Gowen before, but not to work obviously. There are all kinds of safety protocols we have to follow and just being around that many extremely expensive and rockin-awesome aircraft is kind of a rush. The only lame thing is that none of them fly. Our birds (the 15X birds, they're old) are flyable, but they don't get flown because we need them to work on. All of the new D model birds aren't even complete helicopters.
We do see some helicopters in the air though. Lately there have been a couple of Navy Blackhawks (whatever they call them) and a CH-53 flying around out there. The 53 is a pretty amazing sight. It is amazing to see something that big connected to a glorified ceiling fan actually getting off the ground.
Aviation is going to be an interesting field I think. I've always thought it would be cool to be a pilot, but to have more of an understanding of how the helicopter works electrically and knowing the inner workings of the weapons systems is going to be interesting too.
That's all from me for now, continue on the paths you have chosen and should they lead you to a great place, make sure you weren't followed by some fool who is going to ruin it for you.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Rise Above This
Greetings again from Ft. Eustis, VA!
Today, as you might see on the date stamp of this post, is Sunday, March 21, 2010, 5 days before my 25th Birthday. Everything is going very well, classes continue to be easy, but engaging, mostly thanks to good instruction. Good instruction and decent company.
I like doing things like this because it gives me the opportunity to make new acquaintances and new friends. I may have mentioned it before, but several of the guys that I enlisted with and shipped to Basic Training with are here now and are nearly finished with training. That isn't really much of an issue though because I have a couple of new battle buddies that will help get me through my long days here.
Judge is one of them; he's from Boise also and we seem to share a lot of the same views on a lot of things. He is pretty blunt, which I like. He says what he means and means what he says. We have good times just b.s.-ing in the break room at school and during chow.
Jermaeye is another one of my battles. He is from KC and is wild as a marge hare. He comes from a pretty crazy lifestyle, so he's got funny stories coming out of his ears, too.
Chris, my good buddy Jake's little bro, is here now too. He's fresh out of Ft. Jackson so I'm doing everything I can to get him on the path to succeed and not go insane whilst here at Ft. Eustis.
We all went bowling last night and had a blast! We bowled like eight games between 2200 and 0100. Jermaeye and Judge got a little toasted, but I stuck with my strong Mt. Dew. It hurts so good! I bowled like crap most of the night, but I think we are going to make it a regular thing on the weekends. I hope to Heaven that I get my inspections this week so I can get pass on the weekends.
Not much else is going on. Brittany had her first wedding yesterday. She was glad to be done when it was over, and I can't blame her. The people she was working with were pretty difficult, but she did a great job in turning a pretty harsh venue into a nice little ceremony. She conducted the ceremony as well, which is kind of cool. I've never married a couple before, so that's something isn't it?
Oh, we had sports day here yesterday. A Co. didn't do so hot, but we got out there and left everything out on the field that we could spare!
Until the sun rises on another day, be safe and remember those that serve, in any capacity, and the sacrifices they have made, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Today, as you might see on the date stamp of this post, is Sunday, March 21, 2010, 5 days before my 25th Birthday. Everything is going very well, classes continue to be easy, but engaging, mostly thanks to good instruction. Good instruction and decent company.
I like doing things like this because it gives me the opportunity to make new acquaintances and new friends. I may have mentioned it before, but several of the guys that I enlisted with and shipped to Basic Training with are here now and are nearly finished with training. That isn't really much of an issue though because I have a couple of new battle buddies that will help get me through my long days here.
Judge is one of them; he's from Boise also and we seem to share a lot of the same views on a lot of things. He is pretty blunt, which I like. He says what he means and means what he says. We have good times just b.s.-ing in the break room at school and during chow.
Jermaeye is another one of my battles. He is from KC and is wild as a marge hare. He comes from a pretty crazy lifestyle, so he's got funny stories coming out of his ears, too.
Chris, my good buddy Jake's little bro, is here now too. He's fresh out of Ft. Jackson so I'm doing everything I can to get him on the path to succeed and not go insane whilst here at Ft. Eustis.
We all went bowling last night and had a blast! We bowled like eight games between 2200 and 0100. Jermaeye and Judge got a little toasted, but I stuck with my strong Mt. Dew. It hurts so good! I bowled like crap most of the night, but I think we are going to make it a regular thing on the weekends. I hope to Heaven that I get my inspections this week so I can get pass on the weekends.
Not much else is going on. Brittany had her first wedding yesterday. She was glad to be done when it was over, and I can't blame her. The people she was working with were pretty difficult, but she did a great job in turning a pretty harsh venue into a nice little ceremony. She conducted the ceremony as well, which is kind of cool. I've never married a couple before, so that's something isn't it?
Oh, we had sports day here yesterday. A Co. didn't do so hot, but we got out there and left everything out on the field that we could spare!
Until the sun rises on another day, be safe and remember those that serve, in any capacity, and the sacrifices they have made, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Another New Frontier
How is it going everyone. Well, everyone reading this blog...which, right now, should be nobody, since I'm just starting it. Hopefully that will change eventually. Not with the quality of writing I'm doing right now it won't. Whew!
I'm Phil, by the way. Private First Class Phillip R. Walker, U.S. Army, at your service. Right now I'm sitting on the top bunk near a window in a room in the barracks of A Co. 1/222D AVN REGT, Ft. Eustis, VA. I'm here for my Advanced Individual Training or AIT. I'm basically learning how to do the job I signed up for when I enlisted.
Most people who read this blog probably know me, but maybe some of you have only met me a time or two, or maybe we were just acquaintances at Basic. However you know me or don't know me I invite you into my life, even if it be but a small glimpse into the vastly unfathomable depths of incredible intellect that lies behind this keyboard. Oh yes, marvel if you must, I completely understand.
Life in general is good. I don't like to be away from my sweet wife and my two amazing little boys, but I know what I'm doing is right and necessary. Besides that, I like the military lifestyle. I enjoy being the one on the inside of the uniform.
I remember before I enlisted that I always had tremendous respect and a small amount of envy for people who wore the uniform. I remember wishing I could be brave enough to wear that uniform. Now that I do a whole heap of new challenges have presented themselves. New challenges as well as new opportunities, but new opportunities also bring new questions and new variables into play.
I'm not really sure how everything is going to turn out in the end. Nobody ever does really, I suppose that's why life is life. You have to live it before you know how things will turn out. Being in the Army is good though. It gives me at least an idea of where I'll be for the next few years at least.
Hopefully all of you find yourselves with more answers than questions.
I'm Phil, by the way. Private First Class Phillip R. Walker, U.S. Army, at your service. Right now I'm sitting on the top bunk near a window in a room in the barracks of A Co. 1/222D AVN REGT, Ft. Eustis, VA. I'm here for my Advanced Individual Training or AIT. I'm basically learning how to do the job I signed up for when I enlisted.
Most people who read this blog probably know me, but maybe some of you have only met me a time or two, or maybe we were just acquaintances at Basic. However you know me or don't know me I invite you into my life, even if it be but a small glimpse into the vastly unfathomable depths of incredible intellect that lies behind this keyboard. Oh yes, marvel if you must, I completely understand.
Life in general is good. I don't like to be away from my sweet wife and my two amazing little boys, but I know what I'm doing is right and necessary. Besides that, I like the military lifestyle. I enjoy being the one on the inside of the uniform.
I remember before I enlisted that I always had tremendous respect and a small amount of envy for people who wore the uniform. I remember wishing I could be brave enough to wear that uniform. Now that I do a whole heap of new challenges have presented themselves. New challenges as well as new opportunities, but new opportunities also bring new questions and new variables into play.
I'm not really sure how everything is going to turn out in the end. Nobody ever does really, I suppose that's why life is life. You have to live it before you know how things will turn out. Being in the Army is good though. It gives me at least an idea of where I'll be for the next few years at least.
Hopefully all of you find yourselves with more answers than questions.
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