As 2010 year came to a close I was extended on my orders to serve with another OWT group for the 2010- 2011 year. I was accepted as a 42 A - Human Resource. It required a lot of time. We had structured physical Training as a Battalion every day. Then the day began at the office. My role was really to manage the needs of the battalion so the companies could train.
This unit was responsible for IED Defeat, Live Fire Convoy, as well as driver's training for MRAPs. They worked tirelessly, 14- 16 hours a day training the deploying soldiers. During 2010 they trained over 2,000 soldiers. It was a very rewarding time for all of us.
I had to make a lot of adjustments for my disabilities, I removed my chair and used a ball for sitting at my desk. Sitting in a chair sent muscle spasms up my spine, sending me to an emergency room. I struggled to find a way to balance my work, my injuries and my off time.
The work kept me busy. I never felt bored, restless or under appreciated. I had an excellent XO. One of the smartest men I know. I was extremely lucky to have the best S-3 I've ever had the privilege to work with. My staff was dedicated, professional and amazingly talented. We worked like a family. I felt honored to serve with all of them.
I pushed myself to do my absolute best at everything I was assigned. I wanted to provide the best quality service to the men in my BN. These guys are amazing. The knowledge they bring to the table is phenomenal. I haveonly had the pleasure of working with such a group of soldiers one other time in my career.
(143rd FA).
I was so focused on my work that I never really noticed my pain. I maintained my medication and continued to work hard. Unfortunately, my medication made me feel better than I was. This caused me to feel like I was able to do everything I used to do. That's how I started to deteriorate.
I was in and out of the hospital's ER 5-6 times for back spasms. I was getting worse. I was only able to continue my work through a new round of stronger medication. I was not willing to give in to the possibility that I wasn't able to do my PT. But at the end of the year I was given a permanent profile.
I was unable to wear my IBA, Kevlar, or ride in military vehicles, and no more PT. This set in motion my med board. So that's were I am. My med board is underway and I am uncertain what the results will be. I have gone through the ups and downs associated with this disability and I am ready for a decision to be made.
I should have an answer to my disability by next month. I am looking forward to it.
Showing posts with label army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label army. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Classroom Training
I loved the classes I taught - I created lessons for Casevac- Personnel Recovery- Hand Gernades- Claymores- Convoy- Field Sanitation. It was a time filled with research, study, practice, revision and pride. As I developed my classes, I discovered that I was really good at the areas I taught.
The tough part was the standing. Some of these classes needed to be presented in a lecture style. That meant class room set up, classroom clean up and an all day standing. It was difficult to get through it. The standing took a toll on me. I had to also deal with the physicality of my mission.
There was no way I was going to show weakness in front of these deploying soldiers. My team would always ask how I was doing and I would smile and say just great. Then I would take my medications and rest until the next days classes. This was repeated over and over until we eventually trained over 2,000 deploying soldiers.
It was a time of great pride and fulfillment. I was doing what I loved. Teaching, training and being part of a team. The damage to my back, knees, neck, arms and shoulders could wait. My medication gave me the ability to function. That was all I cared about.
The tough part was the standing. Some of these classes needed to be presented in a lecture style. That meant class room set up, classroom clean up and an all day standing. It was difficult to get through it. The standing took a toll on me. I had to also deal with the physicality of my mission.
There was no way I was going to show weakness in front of these deploying soldiers. My team would always ask how I was doing and I would smile and say just great. Then I would take my medications and rest until the next days classes. This was repeated over and over until we eventually trained over 2,000 deploying soldiers.
It was a time of great pride and fulfillment. I was doing what I loved. Teaching, training and being part of a team. The damage to my back, knees, neck, arms and shoulders could wait. My medication gave me the ability to function. That was all I cared about.
Monday, May 2, 2011
NO women in Combat?
'No Women in Combat'? Tell It to the Kids
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Although everyone knows women face what amount to combat situations every day in Iraq, President George Bush says his policy is "no women in combat."
"There's no change of policy as far as I'm concerned," Bush told The Washington Times in an Oval Office interview Tuesday. "No women in combat. Having said that, let me explain, we've got to make sure we define combat properly: We've got women flying choppers and women flying fighters, which I'm perfectly content with."
Women are best known for serving in military police (MP) units. In Iraq, policing often equals combat. Tagging the Pentagon for the shift of women into battle, newsmax.com gave examples of women already in those situations.
Among them was Marine Lance Corporal Kay Barnes, a crew chief on a UH-1N Iroquois "Huey" gunship in Afghanistan. She is 30 and originally hails from Richmond Hill, Georgia. She talked about her experience in a recent Defense Department press release.
"They told me when I checked into my squadron they didn’t care if I were male or female, as long as I could carry a 50-caliber," she said. "I didn’t expect a vacation out here. I expect to perform as part of a team and accomplish missions as they arrive. I didn’t see sitting around while my country was going to war without me."
Probably the most publicized example of women in combat involved Army private first class Jessica Lynch, who was caught in an ambush of an Ordnance Maintenance Company supporting the Third Infantry. That unit included three women: Lynch, Army private first class Lori Ann Piestewa, and Army specialist Shoshana Johnson. Piestewa died from injuries she got when her vehicle crashed during the ambush. Piestewa was the first Native American woman ever killed in combat and the first woman killed in Iraq. Shoshana Johnson was shot twice and filmed by her captors on Iraqi television.
There are differing accounts of the number of women who have died in Iraq so far, but reports suggest it could be as many as 30, with perhaps two dozen dying in combat situations. According to a January Associated Press report, among the women who have been injured or killed are: Army private Teresa Broadwell, 20, who won a Bronze Star for valor for returning fire when her MP unit was attacked in Karbala in October; and Army private first class Rachel Bosveld, 19, who was killed in a mortar attack on the police station in Abu Ghraib that same month.
And back in October, cbsnews.com recounted the death of Pamela Osborne, a mother of three, who'd been killed in a rocket attack that month.
The nonpartisan Women's Research and Educational Institute (WREI) estimates that 10 percent of all the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are female. Overall, 15 percent of active-duty troops and 17 percent of National Guard and reserve forces are women. And more than 33 percent of active-duty enlisted women are African American.
The Clinton administration changed the rules to let them serve on combat aircraft and on ships. But they were banned from serving in land combat units.
In a letter to House Armed Services chairman Duncan Hunter obtained by The Washington Times, Elaine Donnelly, head of the Center for Military Readiness, said, "Female soldiers, including young mothers, should not have to pay the price for Pentagon bureaucratic blunders and gender-based recruiting quotas."
That they're out there taking fire should surprise no one, least of all the president. "Women MPs in Iraq and Afghanistan are as much on the front line as they can be," retired Navy captain Lory Manning, who heads WREI's Women in the Military project, recently told the AP. "I'd say if they have the mental and physical toughness to do that, they have the physical strength to be in the infantry." In April 2003, she told iraqcrisisbulletin.com, "Unless we want to draft men, we have to take women. We have to have an all-volunteer service or go back to the draft. That's the trade-off."
In an interview with the Voice on Wednesday, Manning explained her position more fully. "No one is trying to put women in combat. That's not what's happening," she said. "Women will not become members of infantry or combat units. They will continue to serve in whatever support capacities they are presently serving."
The old notion that women should be kept from combat may simply not be practical anymore. "When that policy was made up, there was a different threat," Lieutenant Colonel Chris Rodney, an Army spokesperson at the Pentagon, told The Washington Times in October. "We imagined a more linear combat environment. Now, with the nature of asymmetrical threats, we have to relook at that policy." Rodney cited the fighting in Iraq as typifying the new threat, with all soldiers, support or combat, facing attack by rockets, mortars, roadside bombs, and ambushes. "Everybody faces a similar threat," he said. "There is no frontline threat right now."
"There's no change of policy as far as I'm concerned," Bush told The Washington Times in an Oval Office interview Tuesday. "No women in combat. Having said that, let me explain, we've got to make sure we define combat properly: We've got women flying choppers and women flying fighters, which I'm perfectly content with."
Women are best known for serving in military police (MP) units. In Iraq, policing often equals combat. Tagging the Pentagon for the shift of women into battle, newsmax.com gave examples of women already in those situations.
Among them was Marine Lance Corporal Kay Barnes, a crew chief on a UH-1N Iroquois "Huey" gunship in Afghanistan. She is 30 and originally hails from Richmond Hill, Georgia. She talked about her experience in a recent Defense Department press release.
"They told me when I checked into my squadron they didn’t care if I were male or female, as long as I could carry a 50-caliber," she said. "I didn’t expect a vacation out here. I expect to perform as part of a team and accomplish missions as they arrive. I didn’t see sitting around while my country was going to war without me."
Probably the most publicized example of women in combat involved Army private first class Jessica Lynch, who was caught in an ambush of an Ordnance Maintenance Company supporting the Third Infantry. That unit included three women: Lynch, Army private first class Lori Ann Piestewa, and Army specialist Shoshana Johnson. Piestewa died from injuries she got when her vehicle crashed during the ambush. Piestewa was the first Native American woman ever killed in combat and the first woman killed in Iraq. Shoshana Johnson was shot twice and filmed by her captors on Iraqi television.
There are differing accounts of the number of women who have died in Iraq so far, but reports suggest it could be as many as 30, with perhaps two dozen dying in combat situations. According to a January Associated Press report, among the women who have been injured or killed are: Army private Teresa Broadwell, 20, who won a Bronze Star for valor for returning fire when her MP unit was attacked in Karbala in October; and Army private first class Rachel Bosveld, 19, who was killed in a mortar attack on the police station in Abu Ghraib that same month.
And back in October, cbsnews.com recounted the death of Pamela Osborne, a mother of three, who'd been killed in a rocket attack that month.
The nonpartisan Women's Research and Educational Institute (WREI) estimates that 10 percent of all the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are female. Overall, 15 percent of active-duty troops and 17 percent of National Guard and reserve forces are women. And more than 33 percent of active-duty enlisted women are African American.
The Clinton administration changed the rules to let them serve on combat aircraft and on ships. But they were banned from serving in land combat units.
In a letter to House Armed Services chairman Duncan Hunter obtained by The Washington Times, Elaine Donnelly, head of the Center for Military Readiness, said, "Female soldiers, including young mothers, should not have to pay the price for Pentagon bureaucratic blunders and gender-based recruiting quotas."
That they're out there taking fire should surprise no one, least of all the president. "Women MPs in Iraq and Afghanistan are as much on the front line as they can be," retired Navy captain Lory Manning, who heads WREI's Women in the Military project, recently told the AP. "I'd say if they have the mental and physical toughness to do that, they have the physical strength to be in the infantry." In April 2003, she told iraqcrisisbulletin.com, "Unless we want to draft men, we have to take women. We have to have an all-volunteer service or go back to the draft. That's the trade-off."
In an interview with the Voice on Wednesday, Manning explained her position more fully. "No one is trying to put women in combat. That's not what's happening," she said. "Women will not become members of infantry or combat units. They will continue to serve in whatever support capacities they are presently serving."
The old notion that women should be kept from combat may simply not be practical anymore. "When that policy was made up, there was a different threat," Lieutenant Colonel Chris Rodney, an Army spokesperson at the Pentagon, told The Washington Times in October. "We imagined a more linear combat environment. Now, with the nature of asymmetrical threats, we have to relook at that policy." Rodney cited the fighting in Iraq as typifying the new threat, with all soldiers, support or combat, facing attack by rockets, mortars, roadside bombs, and ambushes. "Everybody faces a similar threat," he said. "There is no frontline threat right now."
MEDEVAC
There was a distinction between battle related injuries and non-battle related injury. The distinction lay with the soldiers themselves: an injury related to combat was heroic; an injury related to a non-battle injury was pathetic.
I had been unable to walk for two weeks, and I was not getting better. The decision was made to medevac me to Germany for further care. I left on March 17, 2009. After I left FOB Sykes, I was transferred to Tikrit for a quick helicopter change. The medical personnel took great care of me. It was so cold in the helicopter that I was shivering even under two wool blankets. I had been heavily medicated so I would sleep through the transport, but I was still in that half-asleep, half-awake state. They wrapped me up in these hot blankets and then wrapped me in a large metallic blanket—they called it a burrito wrap! It was the warmest I’d been all night. It was wonderful. They took my vitals and were so caring and warm that I didn’t want to leave!
Sometime the next day, my next helo arrived and in what seemed like a split second, the crew moved me quickly without any effort. Their entire team was awesome. I arrived in Ballad to be greeted by yet another medical team. They were ready for me and had me in-processed in about two seconds! I have never seen such efficiency.
After my assessment, they gave me quite a heavy dose of meds. I had a reaction to one of them and was nauseated, so they gave me the standard medication: Phenegran.
Who knew I was severely allergic to it? Oh my God. I spent the next eight hours trying to crawl out of my skin, interlaced with hallucinations. I lost my ability to talk, and I froze intermittently like a statue. The last thing I remember was the entire medical team surrounding me and telling me not to worry, they were with me, and I was going to be okay. I woke up the next day around 1400 with no further side effects. That was so scary. But it gave all of us a way to joke about it; it was pretty awful, but afterwards, when they were telling me I was asking for oatmeal and talking to people who were not there, it was humorous.
As I came out of the allergic reaction I was able to use a wheelchair to scoot around the medical area. Because of the allergic reaction, I missed the next flight to Germany, and I went instead on the following day.
They bundled me up and placed me in the huge medevac plane on a litter. This plane was so amazing—there were soldiers there with serious issues, freshly amputated limbs, head wounds, chest wounds—and everyone had personal medical teams. It was the most amazing staff I have ever seen. The medical folks were comforting; they kept talking, plumping pillows, giving meds, providing a hand to hold, and they never stopped—there was so much love and care in the air that you couldn’t help but smile and thank God that you were under their care.
The TRUE story of a HERO!
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Lone-Survivor/Marcus-Luttrell/e/9780316067591?r=1&cm_mmc=PriceGrabber-_-Category-_-Title-_-9780316067591&mr:referralid=567013ce-74c7-11e0-9770-001b2166becc
Synopsis
Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July, 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.
This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His teammates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.
A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience for which two of his squadmates were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.
Synopsis
Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July, 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.
This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His teammates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.
A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience for which two of his squadmates were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.
When I was first injured
When I was medevaced to Landsthul Germany, many things ran through my head. While I was in the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion I felt so depressed. At one point here is an excerpt from my journal:
The time has come to acknowledge my pain. I am ready to stop coping and start living. I have been coping since Feb 27, 2009. I am afraid to allow myself to feel. It is easier to stuff everything than it is to acknowledge it. I have lost myself.
I am angry, hostile and sad. I have no energy, no desires and am having a difficult time deciding what I am going to do next. I push myself to the edge. I cannot sleep, I cannot exercise, I cannot visit with friends. I am secluding myself behind closed doors.
I feel like I don’t know what is real. I am not ready for this. I do not have the time to deal with this.
This was a very dark time for me.
You never know what you'll Find
Follow this link to a video that shows what went on in the 40th MP quarters when soldiers were supposed to be resting for the next days missions...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDsh_g0JSc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Impressive?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDsh_g0JSc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Impressive?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
If you turn your eye to evil - who is to blame for the continuance of that evil ? YOU! FOOL!
How can I express this succinctly? YOU are a part of the problem if you know about it and don't do anything to change it! How's that? I am sick of hearing about - Well I knew it was happening but It wasn't my place to say anything. BULLSHIT. Sorry - I got a little carried away there.
IF we wait for the next person to say something t may be too late. Seriously. Why is it so difficult to make a report about the issue at hand? If we ignore it, and move on through our life as if something didn't happen - the problem does a geographic and continues.
Let's make this perfectly clear - if you ain't a part of the solution you are a part of the problem!
IF we wait for the next person to say something t may be too late. Seriously. Why is it so difficult to make a report about the issue at hand? If we ignore it, and move on through our life as if something didn't happen - the problem does a geographic and continues.
Let's make this perfectly clear - if you ain't a part of the solution you are a part of the problem!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Success
I think behind every successful man is a woman who knows who she is. She loves her partner unconditionally and does not have a hidden agenda. She lifts her man up enabling him to reach his fullest potential because she is not threatened by his success. She measures her passion by his devotion to her. Her open honesty keeps him trusting her. She focuses her energy into making life as a couple complete. She is forging a life for them even through the hardest of days. She is steadfast and true. He can depend on her for unconditional love.
In this way they both have what they want. Someone who they can shower with love. So in love with each other that the honeymoon never ends. Planning surprises for each other that required personal time to make it happen.
Being enveloped in each others arms, aching to hear the words of endearment. Bringing strength, dedication and commitment into the relationship so that it stands the test of time. Being able to call anytime, night or day to say I love you.
Anything less is tragic. That is why I feel for those who are deployed, lonely and have extramarital affairs. It is shallow. It is without merit. It is a filler for intimacy. It cannot give you depth of relationship. It is a now not later agenda that is self serving and pathetic.
In this way they both have what they want. Someone who they can shower with love. So in love with each other that the honeymoon never ends. Planning surprises for each other that required personal time to make it happen.
Being enveloped in each others arms, aching to hear the words of endearment. Bringing strength, dedication and commitment into the relationship so that it stands the test of time. Being able to call anytime, night or day to say I love you.
Anything less is tragic. That is why I feel for those who are deployed, lonely and have extramarital affairs. It is shallow. It is without merit. It is a filler for intimacy. It cannot give you depth of relationship. It is a now not later agenda that is self serving and pathetic.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Today's NEW Army
Why would anyone even care? Why take the time to look at the research? Because at the end of a day it says something about who you are.
When the news of out first sergeant's affair broke, there were varying degrees of acceptance. Some said live and let live. Others said what a lousy way to manage a company. Yet when the news hit you would have thought that I had done the damage.
All I did was provide the information to the right chain of command. I am not the one who kept the love notes. I am not the one who sent email after email discussing why I can't leave my wife. I am not the one who spent endless hours crying over a man who had dumped me. I am not the one who spent every waking moment trying to lie my way out of a scandal.
All I did was file a report. So why take your anger out on me? If it had been your daughter, would you have turned a blind eye? Would you have wanted a cover up? If your daughter came home pregnant with a bastard child, how would you feel knowing that the man who did this was your daughter's first sergeant?
I suppose there are still those who perpetuate the underbelly of lies and deceit, but someone has to make an effort to stop the corruption. OK. So I told. Am I really the bad guy here?
When the news of out first sergeant's affair broke, there were varying degrees of acceptance. Some said live and let live. Others said what a lousy way to manage a company. Yet when the news hit you would have thought that I had done the damage.
All I did was provide the information to the right chain of command. I am not the one who kept the love notes. I am not the one who sent email after email discussing why I can't leave my wife. I am not the one who spent endless hours crying over a man who had dumped me. I am not the one who spent every waking moment trying to lie my way out of a scandal.
All I did was file a report. So why take your anger out on me? If it had been your daughter, would you have turned a blind eye? Would you have wanted a cover up? If your daughter came home pregnant with a bastard child, how would you feel knowing that the man who did this was your daughter's first sergeant?
I suppose there are still those who perpetuate the underbelly of lies and deceit, but someone has to make an effort to stop the corruption. OK. So I told. Am I really the bad guy here?
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Military Is a small world indeed.
I hate it when I meet someone or see a face that haunts me until I remember where I knew that or saw that. It happens to me ever so often, I just have to step away from it to remember it.
That's when that AHaaaa moment strikes - when you least expect it. So it was with this memory I keep seeing in my minds eye. What was it? who was it that said that? Then a moment of clarity strikes and I remember. It's not that the memory is that important it's really that I can't remember it that is impotant.
Why is it that our minds protect us like that. I wish I could recall it all in a moments inspiration - but I can't. So I have to wait - patiently - until my minds lets me remember it. I can be riding in a car, drinking at a bar, looking afar - alright I know corny, but the premise is : when I want to remember I can't. When I want to forget I remember.
Certain sights, sounds, noises make me remember - I don't have a choice. It just happens.
That's why when ever someone says; when did this happen, why did this happen, how old where you when this happened? i really choose NOT to remember.
I don't want to remember the pain, the hurt, the struggle, the issues surrounding "the who, what, when or where" it isn't easy for me. I hate the ugliness of life. I always have and I always will. And really no one cares. They really don't. And anyhow why would they? It is mind boggling to me. Just know that "XYZ" happened and let it go.
That's when that AHaaaa moment strikes - when you least expect it. So it was with this memory I keep seeing in my minds eye. What was it? who was it that said that? Then a moment of clarity strikes and I remember. It's not that the memory is that important it's really that I can't remember it that is impotant.
Why is it that our minds protect us like that. I wish I could recall it all in a moments inspiration - but I can't. So I have to wait - patiently - until my minds lets me remember it. I can be riding in a car, drinking at a bar, looking afar - alright I know corny, but the premise is : when I want to remember I can't. When I want to forget I remember.
Certain sights, sounds, noises make me remember - I don't have a choice. It just happens.
That's why when ever someone says; when did this happen, why did this happen, how old where you when this happened? i really choose NOT to remember.
I don't want to remember the pain, the hurt, the struggle, the issues surrounding "the who, what, when or where" it isn't easy for me. I hate the ugliness of life. I always have and I always will. And really no one cares. They really don't. And anyhow why would they? It is mind boggling to me. Just know that "XYZ" happened and let it go.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Livin the Dream
...yeah, Livin the Dream is a common phase used to say a lot with minimal words. It is usually said to mean - in reality this shit sucks, but let's keep our attitude positive. That will carry you a long way towards the finish line.
You might see people overwhelmed with duties, such as going down range on training missions, going on missions outside the wire, as well as doing Physical training in the rain, working out in the gym, eating healthy and in moderstion. You could look at them and say - man I would hate to be them. But they are looking at you sayin the same thing!
In the Army when you say how's it going? The common answer might be "Living the Dream" Or "Doin the damn thang" all this means is this is a choice I made. I knew it would be hard, but here I am. I am not going to complain about it, but I will make light of it.
A lot of soldiers' get caught up in the anger, the depression, the pity parties. But this doesn't help you get thru the mission any easier. The best way to get through the mission is to stay focused on the mission, be busy after work, get plenty of rest, stay vigilant, look out for your fellow soldiers and above all stay in touch with your family.
Keep the Drama down. Don't get into other peoples' lives back home. Be honest to yourself and to other's around you. If you can do all of this you will get through it all. The best advice I can give you is no matter how bad it gets is to stay happy. Stay centered. The dream - makin money, seeing the world, meeting new people ( and killing them) (JK) is the dream. And when you return home hopefully you will have some money saved for a nice little vacation and when someone asks you what you are doing on the beach with a cold beer rockin some new threads, you can replyy" Livin the Dream baby, just living the dream"
You might see people overwhelmed with duties, such as going down range on training missions, going on missions outside the wire, as well as doing Physical training in the rain, working out in the gym, eating healthy and in moderstion. You could look at them and say - man I would hate to be them. But they are looking at you sayin the same thing!
In the Army when you say how's it going? The common answer might be "Living the Dream" Or "Doin the damn thang" all this means is this is a choice I made. I knew it would be hard, but here I am. I am not going to complain about it, but I will make light of it.
A lot of soldiers' get caught up in the anger, the depression, the pity parties. But this doesn't help you get thru the mission any easier. The best way to get through the mission is to stay focused on the mission, be busy after work, get plenty of rest, stay vigilant, look out for your fellow soldiers and above all stay in touch with your family.
Keep the Drama down. Don't get into other peoples' lives back home. Be honest to yourself and to other's around you. If you can do all of this you will get through it all. The best advice I can give you is no matter how bad it gets is to stay happy. Stay centered. The dream - makin money, seeing the world, meeting new people ( and killing them) (JK) is the dream. And when you return home hopefully you will have some money saved for a nice little vacation and when someone asks you what you are doing on the beach with a cold beer rockin some new threads, you can replyy" Livin the Dream baby, just living the dream"
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Living a Myth
For as long as I can remember I have never liked the grey areas. I have a serious issue when the rules say - you may not do this, if you do then this is the consequence AND THEN someone breaks this rule and the consequences don't apply. this goes against all the norms set forth.
Whenever norms on behavior are enforces episodically, even with situational adjustments the value or the impact of that norm is reduced. So let's take this situation for instance; the rules say the fraternization is not allowed. And if this does occur then the result will be any combination of consequences. But this really only applies to soldiers outside of your organization, not to you. Bullshit.
If the rules are broken it is either yes it is broken or no it is not. Of course there is the saying that you are innocent until proven guilty - but really you already know if you are guilty or not, it is just a game to make THEM PROVE you did it.
It has become the norm in some units to know the rules, but not to adhere to the rules. And when they are called to answer for their choices, they immediately look for ways to beat the system. This is a gray area. For not going with the status quo, for asking if this is the rule, why aren't we following it? means risking not being a team player. If being a team player means sticking my head in the sand and ignoring what is occurring and not reporting the inconsistency between what the rule is and what is actually being done, then I am not a team player.
If I am responsible for my team, and my team does something that breaks the norms, breaks the rules or challenges what is morally right I need to step up and say something. So if by looking out for the best interest of my team means I am not a team player, then I can live with that. I do not want to be a team player at the risk of living a myth.
Whenever norms on behavior are enforces episodically, even with situational adjustments the value or the impact of that norm is reduced. So let's take this situation for instance; the rules say the fraternization is not allowed. And if this does occur then the result will be any combination of consequences. But this really only applies to soldiers outside of your organization, not to you. Bullshit.
If the rules are broken it is either yes it is broken or no it is not. Of course there is the saying that you are innocent until proven guilty - but really you already know if you are guilty or not, it is just a game to make THEM PROVE you did it.
It has become the norm in some units to know the rules, but not to adhere to the rules. And when they are called to answer for their choices, they immediately look for ways to beat the system. This is a gray area. For not going with the status quo, for asking if this is the rule, why aren't we following it? means risking not being a team player. If being a team player means sticking my head in the sand and ignoring what is occurring and not reporting the inconsistency between what the rule is and what is actually being done, then I am not a team player.
If I am responsible for my team, and my team does something that breaks the norms, breaks the rules or challenges what is morally right I need to step up and say something. So if by looking out for the best interest of my team means I am not a team player, then I can live with that. I do not want to be a team player at the risk of living a myth.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Who Will Take Responsibility?
It is so important to me that I have to say it...
There were some soldiers who I deployed with who were amazing. What made them amazing was thier heart. They genuinely cared about the mission, other soldiers and they were not into playing games. Take this one soldier - she was a former marine. She was a squared away soldier. She knew her job and she did it. You didn't have to tell her or ask her. It was done.
There was a couple of male NCOs who were loyal to their wives loyal to their families and loyal to the soldiers. One in particular stood out to the point of being everyones friend. He looked after the soldiers even if he talked shit behind their back - don't we all do that to some degree. This talk wasn't out of disrespect it was out of disbelief. He dealt with a lot of idiotic issues. Some he put squarely on the commanders desk and a lot of others he mentored, (toutalidge) There were a couple of male NCOs who kept to themselves, they went to the gym, they went to work and they were doing their best to stay out of the fray.
The problem with all of this good stuff is that these soldiers witnessed what was going on and they didn't do anything to stop it. They were just as responsible for the debaucle as those directly involved in it.
It is the responsibility of every NCO to do the right thing even when no one is watching. It isn't always easy to be the responsible one. But if you are the one wearing the stripes - it is your primary responsibility to keep your troops in line. If you choose to ignore the behavior or turn a blind eye to the behavior then you are a piece of shit. Nothing that you do has any meaning and you cannot be trusted.
Being part of a team doesn't mean you area a patsy. a push over or blind. Being part of a team means you hold the moral compass for your actions as well as the actions of your team. It is NEVER OK to accept immoral behavior for the sake of friends. If not you then who? Who will step in and take responsibility?
There were some soldiers who I deployed with who were amazing. What made them amazing was thier heart. They genuinely cared about the mission, other soldiers and they were not into playing games. Take this one soldier - she was a former marine. She was a squared away soldier. She knew her job and she did it. You didn't have to tell her or ask her. It was done.
There was a couple of male NCOs who were loyal to their wives loyal to their families and loyal to the soldiers. One in particular stood out to the point of being everyones friend. He looked after the soldiers even if he talked shit behind their back - don't we all do that to some degree. This talk wasn't out of disrespect it was out of disbelief. He dealt with a lot of idiotic issues. Some he put squarely on the commanders desk and a lot of others he mentored, (toutalidge) There were a couple of male NCOs who kept to themselves, they went to the gym, they went to work and they were doing their best to stay out of the fray.
The problem with all of this good stuff is that these soldiers witnessed what was going on and they didn't do anything to stop it. They were just as responsible for the debaucle as those directly involved in it.
It is the responsibility of every NCO to do the right thing even when no one is watching. It isn't always easy to be the responsible one. But if you are the one wearing the stripes - it is your primary responsibility to keep your troops in line. If you choose to ignore the behavior or turn a blind eye to the behavior then you are a piece of shit. Nothing that you do has any meaning and you cannot be trusted.
Being part of a team doesn't mean you area a patsy. a push over or blind. Being part of a team means you hold the moral compass for your actions as well as the actions of your team. It is NEVER OK to accept immoral behavior for the sake of friends. If not you then who? Who will step in and take responsibility?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Now This is how serious the MP mission Is
This is the 16th MPs who were our higher.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEgfSqFPdE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEgfSqFPdE&feature=related
Sunday, January 2, 2011
40th Military Police National Guardsmen at thier best!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDsh_g0JSc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Idiotic behaviors?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
So Now What?
This issue now begs the question - So Now What?.
If the status quo is to simply go along as we always have because that is easier than dealing with the implication of military stalking and abuse within the Army National Guard, then this type of event will continue to occur and those that speak out against them will continue to be Black Listed.
In an effort to address the behavior of predatory stalking, often ignorantly referred to as "NCO chasing", "the cost of doing business", or "I can't help who I am attracted to"; it is time the leaders in today's military take an aggressive stand and place a zero tolerance on this behavior.
The odd thing is that soldiers on Active Duty take this issue very seriously. They receive annual and semi-annual classes and training on the sensitive subjects of stalking, date rape, excessive drinking, and fraternization. Where does the break down lie? Is the Army National Guard leadership and members left out of this requirement? Are they lacking the training?
Sadly the answer is no. Each component is required to have this training during MUTAs and before deployment. The difference is, the Army National Guard doesn't take it seriously. In the case in point, the females who became pregnant in a war zone were given birth control pills and condoms for no charge. They were briefed on becoming clearing barrels for the men who would use them and then leave them and go home to their spouses. They were told that the mission comes first.
Yet in 9 cases, within the same company females became pregnant in a war zone. These pregnancies resulted in a loss of personnel strength and a weakened battle force. The females were sent home by way of a REFRAD station where they continued to receive a military paycheck until they gave birth to their bastard children.
When an investigation was conducted and sworn statements were signed these girls lied, under oath and nothing was done. The something that could have been done involved a lot of paperwork and the Active Duty Army did not want to deal with it and the Army National Guard unit involved sure as hell didn't want anything to do with it.
The men from within the unit who fathered the children should have been brought up on chrages - conduct unbecoming and adultery. The women should have been charged with lying under oath and conduct unbecoming, but they weren't. No one wanted to go down that long paperwork trail.
When these folks returned home, the men involved (in some cases) moved out of their spouses home and into the new home of the female they impregnated while at war.
My issue with all of this behavior is the implication that it is easier to go with the status quo than it is to do the right thing. The weight of the paperwork outweighed the choice to do nothing. Therefore this behavior continues to occur because history has proven time and time again that nothing will become of your adultery or your conduct unbecoming.
If the status quo is to simply go along as we always have because that is easier than dealing with the implication of military stalking and abuse within the Army National Guard, then this type of event will continue to occur and those that speak out against them will continue to be Black Listed.
In an effort to address the behavior of predatory stalking, often ignorantly referred to as "NCO chasing", "the cost of doing business", or "I can't help who I am attracted to"; it is time the leaders in today's military take an aggressive stand and place a zero tolerance on this behavior.
The odd thing is that soldiers on Active Duty take this issue very seriously. They receive annual and semi-annual classes and training on the sensitive subjects of stalking, date rape, excessive drinking, and fraternization. Where does the break down lie? Is the Army National Guard leadership and members left out of this requirement? Are they lacking the training?
Sadly the answer is no. Each component is required to have this training during MUTAs and before deployment. The difference is, the Army National Guard doesn't take it seriously. In the case in point, the females who became pregnant in a war zone were given birth control pills and condoms for no charge. They were briefed on becoming clearing barrels for the men who would use them and then leave them and go home to their spouses. They were told that the mission comes first.
Yet in 9 cases, within the same company females became pregnant in a war zone. These pregnancies resulted in a loss of personnel strength and a weakened battle force. The females were sent home by way of a REFRAD station where they continued to receive a military paycheck until they gave birth to their bastard children.
When an investigation was conducted and sworn statements were signed these girls lied, under oath and nothing was done. The something that could have been done involved a lot of paperwork and the Active Duty Army did not want to deal with it and the Army National Guard unit involved sure as hell didn't want anything to do with it.
The men from within the unit who fathered the children should have been brought up on chrages - conduct unbecoming and adultery. The women should have been charged with lying under oath and conduct unbecoming, but they weren't. No one wanted to go down that long paperwork trail.
When these folks returned home, the men involved (in some cases) moved out of their spouses home and into the new home of the female they impregnated while at war.
My issue with all of this behavior is the implication that it is easier to go with the status quo than it is to do the right thing. The weight of the paperwork outweighed the choice to do nothing. Therefore this behavior continues to occur because history has proven time and time again that nothing will become of your adultery or your conduct unbecoming.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
It was bound to happen
It should be noted that I baffled by the need to create so much drama over non-existent issues. Well, they would be non existent issues if they were not started in the first place.
In the Army, the average age of most soldiers serving in combat is approximately 19-27. Most have never traveled the world and many have never left their home state. In a lot of the cases, this is the first money they have ever made that is theirs and is substantial.
This is very interesting because it is these very soldiers who we train to lead, serve, and protect our nation. We provide training in leadership. We give them the skills to do their MOS, we provide training in leadership, then we give them upwards of $2.5 million dollars of equipment to watch over, take care of and they do it.
They do it because it makes them proud to be so young and to be seen as such a worthy professional. Yet, these kids, can not manage their own lives.
These young men and women, who learn about life from their friends and experience love from someone who needs a way out. (These soldier's have already found their way out - the potential new spouses they meet in the local area they grew up in, are looking for a kind heart, a kind word, a way out)
So they end up getting married. And they immediately begin having kids. Then they deploy. And for what it's worth, there are many experienced soldiers who have been around this environment for 15- 20 years. They can smell desperation a mile away.
This mixture of desperation, deployment and being separated from their new spouses sets in motion a series of events that will only end in crisis. There will come a time when values are laid to rest along side the wedding rings tossed on a table while the lust they have for affection, attention and recognition is fullfilled.
Once this action is complete. The guilt sets in, they rationalize the feelings of guilt by making excuses for thier behavior. All the while being wooed by a more experienced person. They say it will be No Strings Attached - but the heart becomes involved without reservation and then there is a double whammy. Heartbreak.
When they go home on leave to see the family, the excitement of the reunion with spouse and children dim the event into a far away memory. But they will always be haunted by the infidelity they choose.
In the Army, the average age of most soldiers serving in combat is approximately 19-27. Most have never traveled the world and many have never left their home state. In a lot of the cases, this is the first money they have ever made that is theirs and is substantial.
This is very interesting because it is these very soldiers who we train to lead, serve, and protect our nation. We provide training in leadership. We give them the skills to do their MOS, we provide training in leadership, then we give them upwards of $2.5 million dollars of equipment to watch over, take care of and they do it.
They do it because it makes them proud to be so young and to be seen as such a worthy professional. Yet, these kids, can not manage their own lives.
These young men and women, who learn about life from their friends and experience love from someone who needs a way out. (These soldier's have already found their way out - the potential new spouses they meet in the local area they grew up in, are looking for a kind heart, a kind word, a way out)
So they end up getting married. And they immediately begin having kids. Then they deploy. And for what it's worth, there are many experienced soldiers who have been around this environment for 15- 20 years. They can smell desperation a mile away.
This mixture of desperation, deployment and being separated from their new spouses sets in motion a series of events that will only end in crisis. There will come a time when values are laid to rest along side the wedding rings tossed on a table while the lust they have for affection, attention and recognition is fullfilled.
Once this action is complete. The guilt sets in, they rationalize the feelings of guilt by making excuses for thier behavior. All the while being wooed by a more experienced person. They say it will be No Strings Attached - but the heart becomes involved without reservation and then there is a double whammy. Heartbreak.
When they go home on leave to see the family, the excitement of the reunion with spouse and children dim the event into a far away memory. But they will always be haunted by the infidelity they choose.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
how do men rationalize the sentement
What happens in Iraq stays in Iraq.
Well not exactly.
There always comes a time when the stories start. You're sitting in a bar having a few drinks, laughing and telling stories. That's when someone lets their guard down. Someone forgets that, "THAT" story was not supposed to be retold.
All ears perk up, the laughter stops and everyone concentrates on the tale that is now unfolding. You listen, subliminally comparing the tale with what you knew. You compare the story with the rumors and that's when you realize, this story is true.
Then someone realizes that the story has not been told before. They listen to themselves telling the story, but they can't stop telling it because everyone is so into it. When the tale is told everyone goes back to drinking and laughing and pretty soon the mood returns to the group, but no one forgets the story.
The next day they are retelling the story with their friends. Everyone says,"I can't believe that" only to eagerly taking mental notes so they can retell the story - only they add a twist. The story they re-tell is mostly wrong, additionally it now has a few more flourishes and a little extra zip.
By this time the story makes it back to the person the story is about and they get pissed. "That's not what happened!" they proclaim. But it's too late. What happened in Iraq did not stay in Iraq.
The moral of this little tale?
If you don't want to hear about your own exploits through a third source, then check your integrity and make the moral decision that you can live with. If that means you can cheat on your husband, cheat on your wife, use women as clearing barrels, misuse your position for power and control, mistreat your soldiers, use your friends, make secret pacts, cover up for misguided acts, shoot defenseless animals, tell stories that are outright lies, steal money, or do what ever unethical immoral action you choose then by all means follow through.
Just know that everyone will eventually find out.
Well not exactly.
There always comes a time when the stories start. You're sitting in a bar having a few drinks, laughing and telling stories. That's when someone lets their guard down. Someone forgets that, "THAT" story was not supposed to be retold.
All ears perk up, the laughter stops and everyone concentrates on the tale that is now unfolding. You listen, subliminally comparing the tale with what you knew. You compare the story with the rumors and that's when you realize, this story is true.
Then someone realizes that the story has not been told before. They listen to themselves telling the story, but they can't stop telling it because everyone is so into it. When the tale is told everyone goes back to drinking and laughing and pretty soon the mood returns to the group, but no one forgets the story.
The next day they are retelling the story with their friends. Everyone says,"I can't believe that" only to eagerly taking mental notes so they can retell the story - only they add a twist. The story they re-tell is mostly wrong, additionally it now has a few more flourishes and a little extra zip.
By this time the story makes it back to the person the story is about and they get pissed. "That's not what happened!" they proclaim. But it's too late. What happened in Iraq did not stay in Iraq.
The moral of this little tale?
If you don't want to hear about your own exploits through a third source, then check your integrity and make the moral decision that you can live with. If that means you can cheat on your husband, cheat on your wife, use women as clearing barrels, misuse your position for power and control, mistreat your soldiers, use your friends, make secret pacts, cover up for misguided acts, shoot defenseless animals, tell stories that are outright lies, steal money, or do what ever unethical immoral action you choose then by all means follow through.
Just know that everyone will eventually find out.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The effects of isolation
When I was deployed, I felt the harsh reality of isolation from a friendly face. More than a friendly face, someone who had a sincere interest in my day, my worries my lonliness. The effects of this type of isolation creates a very isolated environment.
During the times of my deployent I kept busy. I worked hard, I went to the gym, I slept. I self medicated with tylenol PM. I was taking 4-6 tylenol PM every night in order to sleep. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. I looked forward to escaping this prison of isolation by sleep. When sleep refused to come I was miserable.
I had no one to talk to. Every one had a ulterior motive for being friendly. I was ordered not to talk to anyone in the Company. I did just that. I was so miserable that I would sit for hours late at night and write my feelings down on paper then carefully tear the paper up. I would tear it into little shreds of paper smaller and smaller until it looked like snow. Then I would do it again and again.
I went to work myself, I went to the gym by myself, I went to chow by myself, I was in a daze. I forgot what day it was, I rarely looked at the time as it clicked by. I would not count down the days, I didn't want to know how much time I had left I didn't want to think of it. I just did my time and hoped for it to end.
During the times of my deployent I kept busy. I worked hard, I went to the gym, I slept. I self medicated with tylenol PM. I was taking 4-6 tylenol PM every night in order to sleep. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. I looked forward to escaping this prison of isolation by sleep. When sleep refused to come I was miserable.
I had no one to talk to. Every one had a ulterior motive for being friendly. I was ordered not to talk to anyone in the Company. I did just that. I was so miserable that I would sit for hours late at night and write my feelings down on paper then carefully tear the paper up. I would tear it into little shreds of paper smaller and smaller until it looked like snow. Then I would do it again and again.
I went to work myself, I went to the gym by myself, I went to chow by myself, I was in a daze. I forgot what day it was, I rarely looked at the time as it clicked by. I would not count down the days, I didn't want to know how much time I had left I didn't want to think of it. I just did my time and hoped for it to end.
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