Transition

Day 3
The rest of the unit arrived last night. I ended up working until about 0100 helping them get their bags off the truck and into the tents where we’ll be living for the next three weeks. There were lots of people so there were lots of bags. We spent about an hour just getting the bags off the truck.
We had a muster at 1330. The command gave us the rest of the day to get situated, settled and rested. Tomorrow it sounds like we will be put to death by PowerPoint starting with a “Welcome Presentation” at 0830. Lots of coffee is in order I’m sure.

Small Pox vaccinations suck! You get this really big, ugly pimple/welt at the site of the injection. And the virus causes the lymph nodes in your arm pit to swell up significantly. This causes a lot of pain. Not fun. Doc and others who have already gone through it say I have another two weeks of itchiness and pain. I’m hoping my body’s immune system is real strong and cuts that short.

Did a lot of hanging out and talking with other members of the unit today. Catching up on the news and what not. I guess by the end of the week we should be doing some real work.

I talked with some of the guys coming out of the north and some others who are heading up. We talked mostly about equipment and gear. Not a whole lot about what’s going on up there.

Things are good, I am well, I miss my family but the job that I – and my family indirectly – am doing here is important.

Aloha