posted @ 10:41...

Today begins a competition in our unit known as the "stache-a-thon." for those who have chosen to sign up, they have a week to grow the best mustache they can. All mustaches will be judged on the simple basis of fullness, since there's only so much you can do with a mustache in the Army. [Ref: AR 670-1]

Myself and others over the age of 30 have chosen not to participate. I prefer not to do things that instantly add 10 years to my perceived age. Yes, mustaches make guys look older. That's cool when you're 18 to 23. Not appealing for guys like me... who will turn 34 this weekend.

posted @ 21:17...

So, one of my favorite shows, Grey's Anatomy, featured a pair of gay Soldiers. One, a two-time veteran of Afghanistan, has a brain tumor. His "friend" comes up from Fort Lewis to visit. How do I presume he's based at Fort Lewis? That nice big 2nd Infantry Division patch on his left shoulder. (Sure, it could be a 2nd Infantry patch from Korea, but unlikely, seeing how the show is set in Seattle.)

Seems strange to me that the writers picked Soldiers to represent some of the only homosexuals to ever appear in the show.

And, like... they totally kissed.

posted @ 08:40...

That's this week's cover of Time.

I don't get offended too easily. You can cuss at me, tie my shoelaces together, call me a cracka, or even ignore me, and I won't take offense or hold a grudge. But I think I am offended now - as every military veteran should be. I'm all for environmental responsibility. But this image cheapens the sacrifices we're all making -- especially those of the Marines in Iwo Jima.

posted @ 07:44...

This morning, as General Petraeus was appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, some nut job in the gallery interrupted with shouts of "Bring them home! Bring them home!"

Do these people think that rudely interrupting a congressional hearing is going to make a difference? All it does is show that the anti-war movement doesn't know how to go about accomplishing anything, and doesn't really want to be taken seriously. People like this seem more emotionally reactionary than anything. And apparently it's fun to be an activist. Maybe it's out of nostalgia for the 60's and 70's. Whether or not they truly believe in their hearts that we should pull out of Iraq, it's a boost for their pathetic lives to feel like they're part of something important.

posted @ 23:11...

So, I'm down to an average of 9 unique visitors per day. To put it in perspective, when I was in Iraq (June '04 to June '05) I was getting roughly 70. I guess I should type something interesting here.

Got back from Japan last Tuesday. I was there for a huge bilateral training exercise called Yama Sakura. We pretended there was a war between Japan and a make-believe country, and then we pretended to win that pretend war. It was sorta like when I was eight years old, except it was with grown-ups. And computers.

Since I've been back, I haven't had a whole lot of time to breathe since I realized that it was almost Christmas. I guess I should starting thinking about getting my wife & kids some presents, huh.

Here are some pics and video from Sendai Japan.

posted @ 07:52...

posted @ 15:58...

I think I'm surprisingly aware of my surroundings after having had only about two hours of sleep in the past two days. I was staff duty NCO last night, which means staying up all night in the lobby of the barracks. This was after working a full duty day, including PT. Then today, which was supposed to be my post-staff duty recovery day, I received a phone call. They mentioned there was a mandatory PTSD brief that I had not received, and today was the last day they were giving it.

So I went in to work. After the brief, I had to meet with the acting First Sergeant about an issue with one of my Soldiers. But before that, another one of my guys told me he needed to "talk to someone" about some issues in his life. Okay, roger that. I found the number for the on-call chaplain and told him to call. Meanwhile, the bright spot in this insane week is that my third Soldier will be receiving a waiver for promotion to Specialist, which she very much deserves. Hooray.

Just had to get this all typed out. Now that it's out of my head and exists as text on a server somewhere, I can devote the last of my limited brain function to my family and then get some sleep. Being an NCO is hard sometimes.

posted @ 10:50...

Warning: I feel a Tricare rant comin' on...

Tricare. Yes, that word strikes frustration into the hearts of military families everywhere. It doesn't help that there are three Tricare "regions" around the country. And if you're not enrolled in the right one at the right time when you live in the right place, your medical billing could get very screwed up if you actually need medical care.

So anyway... I arrived home this morning after PT, to my wife repeatedly hitting redial. She had been trying to get ahold of someone at Tricare's appointment line. Our daughter needs to see a doctor, and the only thing my wife could hear was a recorded message saying to call back later. Finally, she was able to circumvent Tricare altogether by going through the Nurse's Hotline at the hospital. So they're up at the hospital right now, thank God.

The second issue that arose involves one of my Soldiers, who has a three-month-old son. Her son is sick today, and - surprise surprise - there are no appointments available. After calling Tricare's customer service line, we learned that the Primary Care Manager can make a referral to the urgent care clinic. So we called the PCM's office. "Umm, usually we don't give referrals until the patient actually sees the doctor," the nurse said.

"That's exactly why my Soldier needs a referral to the urgent care clinic," I said, "because YOU don't have any appointments available!"

Yeah, catch-22. Rock and a hard place. Ugh.

posted @ 20:40...

24th Quartermaster Co. Returns Home [STORY HERE]

Why is this mentioned on my blog, you ask? I'm not in that unit. Nobody I know is in the unit... But it turned out, I was there when it happened. In fact, the story the link goes to is one that I wrote.

Wait, I'm a Broadcaster (46R), not a Print Journalist (46Q)... What am I doing writing newspaper stories? This blog is proof I'm not the greatest writer in the world. But, one of my Soldiers could not get on post to cover the event. And since I was already escorting the civilian media that night, I decided to just go ahead and write the story too.

posted @ 10:27...

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.
I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."

- Abraham Lincoln

posted @ 22:38...

The time has finally come. After months of working my butt off trying to build up enough promotion points, my name has finally appeared on the E5 promotion list. As of 1 August, I will be a Sergeant.

I attended Warrior Leader Course and went to the promotion board last October. And then I waited... and waited. And waited some more. I'm anxious for the end of the month to come quickly, but I waited nine months; I can wait another two weeks.

posted @ 12:03...

Happy Birthday United States Army

Wow, 232 years old today. Seems like just yesterday we were bouncing you on our knee, telling you how you'd one day become the greatest military power in the history of the known universe... if only you could master potty training.

We're going to the Army Birthday Ball tonight. Maybe we'll get some pictures tonight of the wife & I all dressed up. I hear there will be cake... and wine... and door prizes.

posted @ 21:49...

The Combat Lifesaver course (CLS) was very intense. When I went through it the first time at Fort Drum, it was very informal, taught completely in a class room. It took only 2 days. We learned how to start IV's, but that was the most intense it got. This week, however, was insane. In fact, today has been one of the most mentally and physically demanding days I've had in the military since basic training. And I've been through Warrior Leader Course! Today we had to "rescue" 200+ lb. mannequins, determine what was wrong with them, return fire from "enemies," negotiate walls and obstacles with those mannequins, etc. Part of it was outside, and part inside. The mannequins inside are computerized, so they blink, breathe, and bleed. I still have fake blood stains on my hands. I'm so sore and tired, I can hardly stand up. So enough complaining outta me... I've got my certificate and I'm glad it's all over.