I'm the village idiot, I don't have anything to do with this pathetic little opera, I just felt like passing through!
Smittie Training is complete. I, along with the rest of the unit, have put all the appropriate checks in the appropriate boxes so that someone, somewhere believes I am now qualified to go wander around in a “combat zone”. We were fortunate enough to get an opportunity to take six days leave so that we could … Read more
I passed Combat Life Saver (CLS)! That was the last of the things I feared in coming on deployment. I didn’t want to get the small pox vaccination again, I didn’t want to get a lot of other shots again and I was afraid of CLS. I have now passed CLS. CLS teaches one to … Read more
Today, my daughter’s childhood legally ended. Today, my daughter turned 18 years old. As I sit, some 2500 miles away, the memories of her childhood flood my mind like milk poured into a glass by a five year old. So many memories. So many sweet, sweet memories. With more time to write, I would wander … Read more
So, it’s been a week. I’ve gone through all the initial in processing stuff; finance, medical, dental, etc. I’ve been deemed suitable for sending to war, though I can only wonder at the criteria used. I got four shots. Fortunately, I didn’t have to repeat the smallpox experience for which I am very grateful. That … Read more
So, I finally got my official, from the President, pack your crap, you’re going to Iraq, involuntary mobilization orders. This past Thursday I showed up, as ordered. For the most part it was a non-event. Several of the other soldiers teased me about joining late but in large part, I simply fell in step with … Read more
I upgraded from 4.12 to 4.2. The upgrade from 3.5 to 4.12 went flawlessly. So, this should be a simple thing, right? All the templates for my blog are gone. I did exactly that same thing I did when I upgraded from 3.5 to 4.12. Copied the files to the MT4 directory on my server. … Read more
I graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in 1978. One of the many things I will miss as a result of the upcoming deployment is my 30 year reunion. I’m actually rather bummed about that. I was looking forward to going. I was looking forward to talking to old class mates and hearing what life … Read more
Obama, just returning from his trip to the Middle East and Europe, said recently that he was told by Iraqi leaders that nation does not want an open-ended presence of U.S. combat forces and that now is an appropriate time to start planning for a reorganization of troops in Iraq. He also noted that the … Read more
“That triggered then a concern that maybe our visit was going to be perceived as political,” Obama said. “The last thing that I want to do is have injured soldiers and the staff at these wonderful institutions having to sort through whether this is political or not or get caught in the crossfire between campaigns. … Read more
The Obama Campaign’s favorite magazine, The New Yorker, ran an article this month that carried what I think might become a very prophetic headline; OBAMA’S IRAQ PROBLEM (digg story). Now, the story talks about the controversy surrounding Mr. Obama’s 16 month withdrawal plan. However, I think that when we look at Mr. Obama’s rhetoric on … Read more