NcoDutyToWorkAndHome

AHHH, we all love to hear that it is time for leave again. And what a leave it has been! This was a major much needed break from the Army life. Me and the wife took a week long tour of the gulf. Monteigo Bay, Grand Cayman and Cuzumel. Absolutely amazing. Even though at first I believe my wife and I had a little bit of "where's my baby" syndrom we quickly started having a good time as the cruise boat left dock. Seems great huh, well then maybe our surprise upon return was our payment. We got to come home to a 5 month old baby who has come down with the RSV virus and was weasing, coughing not eating and just all around not happy with the world. But that was a week ago, we are home in Georgia and luckily have a happy baby who is currently sitting in her activity center talking to anyone who will look her way. So I must say that I def. reccommend a cruise for anyone who is trying to find something to do on leave as a stress release. I am actually ready to get back to work, start college and go to my NCOES schools! Hopefully I wont be lazy and keep on this blog.

Ah the daily life of being a 9-5 working soldier. Seems like it should be the easy life. But really it feels like I have entered a twighlight zone. I think back to a year ago and it didnt seem so hard to transition top a hard charging ever viligent soldier yet now that I am home it feels hard to become a easy going soldier again. Even to the extent I have had to Iraqi flashes where things triggered a relfex. A loud boom at work and then a flare thrown on the road at a traffic accident.  The accident was funny because for a second I actually closed my eyes and ducked before it clicked that I was just fine and immediately I laughed at my silliness. But I know if I am having these kind of re-actions, what about those guys that were in a rougher spot than me?

 Even more I am finding that at times you know I dont even feel like I am adjusting to the home life again. That even as much as I prefer the "normal" routine of a person, a "combat" routine was easier to follow. I guess it will just take time for me to re-adjust to having freedom and independency to pick and choose my schedule again. What do some of yall returning vets think?

Be safe and have a great time, SSG P

Well here I am, sitting at my own personal computer enjoying a cup of home brewed coffee, relaxing in my office chair with the sand box well behind me now. This will be my first non Iraq post of many to come but wow things feel wierd. Its crazy how you want to be home so badly after a year but now that I am here I feel like a stranger in my own home. Of course it doesn't help that I moved to a new home 3 days before I deployed last year but still I open 2 drawers in the kitchen till I find the silverware, Open a couple different cabinets as I look for my coffee cup and just stare at my wife in amazement as she cooks dinner, makes baby formula and tends to a fussy baby who doesnt want to take a nap. All the while feeling helpless because she has it all under wraps and I am just a innocent by stander drinking a beer. But thats ok, Like I tell me wife daily its all those things that make me proud of her. Because she was able to handle all of those things like a champion. Hopefully soon I will learn to put my two cents in where needed. But Man it feels good to be home.

Ah, The journey home. It is the time we all look foward too here in the sand box. Finally I have transitioned to my first stop in a few on my trip to Ga and my wife. It has been quite the trip over here and let me say that in no way will I miss the middle of the night explosions that wake you up and make you think, was that incoming or out going? Or the minding your own business driving down the street and BAM IED going off. But now that we are heading home the job still isnt over. It makes me recall the other deployments I have been on and on those I was a soldier and remember how I thought the NCO's were being jerks with all the acoountability and recall formation to tell us they knew nothing new. I told myself no way would I do that and look here now I am that NCO and I see why. Hopefully they all understand and If not well hey we are going home so whats the big issue? At least they aint doing guard right? Take care yall

FOB Life.
 What is FOB life? Missions, patrols, guard same ole same you think. Ha well you guessed it, its the same ole same everyday. To me for a lack of better terms, I describe it as Monday after Monday after Monday. You all know wat I mean. Remember the movie Ground Hog day??? Exactly. But after a few months you settle into a cycle where you make your days go by. Then the replacemnts show up, and now everything you were used to doing off cycle is thrown for a loop. I mean for months now you knew wen te best time to call home, use the computers or even take a hot shower. Now its like a hit or miss concept. Yesterday 1800 was a perfect time for te computers and now today they are packed till 0200. And so with the end of the rotation coming you find yourself getting upset that te replacemnts are here like that. Ironic don't ya think? All year long you have been just waiting for these guys to show up just so you can say damn I wish they werent taking up all the luxeries of the FOB.
Ha Ha Ha, I said luxeries. What is a luxery? Ice cold beer? Play time with your kids? Big warm bed? A couch and big screen TV to watch the bowl games??? After this year in Iraq I can definetly say those are a luxery and not just a given. I know someone else who cant wait for those luxeries to and she herslef is a luxery. My wife, now that is a luxery that I am ready to be selfish on.

Ahhhh the depolyment is coming to an end, just think another few weeks and I will have my wife in arms and my little girl to hold. Sweet bliss huh. 2006 was shaping up to be my year at home, no worries, stress free oh but wait; I thought to myself yeah Drill Sergeant is the way to go. Volenteer, and move from Kelley Hill to sand hill thats a way to get a break and try for promotion but noooooo, the Army couldnt let it be that easy. Oh sure I get to be a Drill Sergeant but theres a twist. I get the luxery of going way over to Missouri for school and why yes of course another wonderful November PCS. Let me say, I hate PCSing and espically in the holiday season. I knew the Army could just never make things simple. But hey I guess it all goes back to 9 years ago when I said yeah I'll join the Army I'll get to see alot of new places, boy have I ever. I will now be going to my 5th duty station in 9 years of service, I guess that is really getting to see places. And on top of that I go from one extreme to the next. Go from growing up in Florida, living in germany, then to texas, then to the Mojave Desert, to georgia and now to the mid-west. But me and the family will be just fine but I know yall agree, moving in one large pain in the butt!

Ahhh the good ole sick call. Its probably every Infantryman's horror. But yes there I was sprinting down the court, wide open, eyes toward the hoop, I was set easy two points, raised a hand, the ball was flying in, got it, one step and push for the jump and WHAM!!!!!!!! Im on the ground. Yes I found the hole in the basketball court that we talk about every time we play for PT. And the hole WON!. Two minutes later i was in a chair with a foot the size of a grapefruit.It was a nast sick looking swelling. Even the doc was like um damn thats bad. So instead of getting to be the hard charger working the elections I get the wonderful job of answering radios hows that for justice. Can't even put a boot on! I hate being Hurt! but I am limited on time take it easy everyone and have a great week

 

            This is an expression that normally starts in a book. But this is definitely not a book. The day was like any other and we were on patrol in sector. After sitting in town for close to an hour the crazy that always occurs after sitting still happens. Someone decided to play hero and thought they would give some pop shots into town at our patrol. Well of course we all respond and push to the enemy with the Iraqi Army. Well of course the bad guys had run away. Well keeping our security we pushed through the palm groves and cleared them out. Deciding we were running a dry hole we remounted and started to leave the area. As we rounded a turn to allow all vehicles to exit I heard it happen. Bam Bam Bam. Small Arms fire! But where was it? I had a CVC on and had no clue, call came in Action Left! I look left but was just kids and a house. Then wham wham wham wham! The Bradley in front of me opened fire. Wham wham wham! The Bradley behind me started to fire. Whamwhamwham! The IA behind me started firing the other side and all I could say was Crap where are the bad guys. After a few minutes of gunfire it died down and after collecting ourselves we continued to leave. All in all I could only say to myself HA! What kind of crap was that? I was the only one who was lost and had no clear line of fire. Battlefield’s are crazy huh?

So I am here sitting wasting precious sleeping time because I got to speak to my bestfriend in the world; My wife. She has safely made it to Texas after I am sure a grueling 12 hour trip with a 8 week old infant. Although I am saddened that she is there and I am in a desert, I am as well happy she is now home with family for the holidays.Ahhhhh home for the holidays....

Wait home???? Holidays???? You know back in 2000 I am not sure i could say I knew what that meant, I was young, single and just trying to look for the next big party night. I was just freeeeeeeee!!!!! or perhaps not. Now upon reflection I wasn't free, I was held down by the restrictions of the single guy but now I have a wife and daughter and I have a new feeling on free. Free to give my all to a wife and daughter who want my all. Can you beat that???? I don't think so. Even way over here in the big sand box, I know that every night I go to sleep, I am home in Texas with all my family because in thier hearts is where Im felt. SO to all soldiers over here, in Afgan, Kosovo, Graf, Holefels, Yacamma, Korea, NTC or any place I missed that we are pulled to remember we are not forgotten therefor we are all home with them no mater where they stay in the states.

And on a lighter side GO BUCS!

Thank you and feel free to comment on this or any blog of mine.

SSG P 11M30 (yes 11M hahahahaha Death before Dismount)

Ok I know that might have been a catchy grabber but let me tell you the incident revolving the bang isnt worth no damn Buck. Well it has been about a week since it happened and man what a night. I recently was returning to my FOB and was oh so near when my world exploded, literally. It was over in an instance but the concussion took forever to hit me. All I know is I saw fire, heard boom, saw smoke and then BAM! right into my BC hatch, I tell ya if it was a rollercoaster I would have ridden it twice. If you havent guessed< i had to nice opportunity to run over a pressure switch IED. And it was exactly like that, I had time to actually think to myself, holy crap I just got hit by a mortar and yell out, OH SH!#. The next thing I know I am asking everyone in the Bradley if they are OK and the ride was over.

In the long run of thing Everyone was just fine and we just felt a little banged up. We took a 24 hour quarter rest and was right back into the mix of things but hey what makes me mad now????? I lost my BRADLEY!!!!!!! Poor Betsy!!!! She was a champ, couldn't go faster than 35mph but man she towed more vehicles to the FOB from sector than most people I have talked to, up armor and all so in closing let us all bow our heads and rememebr what a great bradley A13 aka Betsy was.

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AMEN

So here we are back into the swing of OIF  III, and right back into the thick of dust, 30 degree temp change and guard. But this here is a special note. While on leave there was a special report of soldiers being soldiers like all us NCO's know they can be. The report was about soldiers posting things on the internet like photos and mission information! WOW! It must take a special kind of dumb to find yourself doing things like this. SO I just want to say come on guys! Think about it, what would make them think mission information is a cool thing to post?????? This is the WORLD WIDE WEB! With a special meaning of WORLD WIDE! Dont you think that little Bobby Joe, Tom and Mary are reading this stuff in thier Iraqi hut???? Jeeze can we be any dumber???

So end state. Lets think about what we say and put out for general public knowledge, the Army doesnt say anyone could be listening for their health. Get your *** straight!

You know in the Army people come and people go. There is something I have definetly learned is that if you don't Agree with the chain of command wait a few months and it will change. The hardest thing I have come to have to deal with the Army is the fact that sometimes you get new people in that just seem to go against the grain. Now this isnt always bad but hey sometimes the "new guy"should see first how things work. I mean seriously if we have been doing it for 10 months in Iraq and have gotten the mission done, why do you change the color of what we do from black to white? Like I said we've done it for TEN!!!!!!! months, we have a method to our job and its not that we are flying by the seat of our pants, it is just that this is the easiest way for the outside interference for us to accomplish our mission. So if I have to summon this up for anyone I say heed this please, SLOW CHANGES work better. If you are put into the leadership position allow the soldiers to show you the ropes!

Thanks and lets all look for that light at the end of Iraq!!!!