I'm the village idiot, I don't have anything to do with this pathetic little opera, I just felt like passing through!
I’m on the airplane, flying back to Fort Dix. Leave is over. It will be approximately a year before I see my family again. It is likely to be an exciting year, at least for me. I expect that my son will change dramatically over the next year. He’s in that time of transition from … Read more
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
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 am a member of the 445 Civil Affairs Battalion, US Army Reserves. We have known for some time now that we would be mobilizing. Over the past few months the command has been hammering out the details of exactly how that process would play out. At the end of June we recieved pre-mobilization active … Read more
This morning I took my daughter to breakfast. As a normal teen with a normal teen schedule, we don’t see each other as much anymore. She doesn’t hang out at home as much. Going to breakfast was her idea, relayed to me through Mom. Does it work that way at your house? After breakfast we … Read more
Top of the Hill Originally uploaded by smittie I took my son out four wheeling today. Neither one of us mentioned it and maybe he didn’t even think of it but it was part of my saying goodbye to my family. I didn’t even dare to think that out loud until now. We stopped on … Read more
Yesterday was my last day at work for a while. I’m on vacation for the next week. And, on 21 July, I will be on active duty for training (ADT) in preparation for deployment with the 445 Civil Affairs Battalion. The next couple of months will be spent in preparation for deployment. When I was … Read more
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., wants to make eligibility for the Combat Action Badge award retroactive to Dec. 7, 1941. The CAB was created in recognition of the dangers of fighting a new kind of war with a new kind of Army. Congress should leave the CAB alone. read more | digg story The Combat Action … Read more