There’s no peace in my office this week. From a work perspective it’s a good thing. Now for my love of quiet around my workspace it’s very disruptive. We don’t have any missions this week so my entire team (minus two on R&R) is present in LSAA. Add to that three personnel visiting for technical support on their redeployment software and we’ve got a noisy full house. Just as I settled in this morning we were paid a visit by the new executive officer (XO). When I say that I mean the XO of the unit my team is attached to. She was hoping I’d give her a briefing of my team’s operations. So being the good team player that I am I stopped work on everything I was doing and pulled up the command briefing I’d put together for the abortive command visit. There were lots of questions (the annoying kind that come before I cover the related subject matter in the briefing. The kind of questions I have to say, “if you hold that question I think you’ll find the answer later in the overview.” In other words – shut the fuck up and listen to the briefing!). I personally believe that fewer words are better if they provide the same description. Much to my chagrin, the briefing took over an hour.
At the same time I was very proud watching my team assist our visitors. Their competence level is very high. I’ve done a good job surrounding myself with soldiers who are highly motivated, have excellent initiative, and are extremely confident in their assigned areas of responsibility. My job is to run interference for them so they can do their jobs. We work very well together and are developing a great reputation with the brigades in Iraq. They see us as problem solvers to their redeployment challenges. Our approach is always solution oriented. There is a solution to every problem and an answer to every question. We’re here to provide both and more. I’ve got the best job in my entire unit.
Someone asked me a few days ago what music I’d been listening to lately. Being as I haven’t added any music to my iTunes since I deployed I have my entire library memorized at this point. That’s over six gigs of music. It sounds like a lot of tunes until you have a few months to listen to them all. Anyway, what am I listening to these days? I’d say that lately my music reflects the attitude I’m trying to mold as we gear up for the heavy mission load upcoming. That means it’s time for my hard core game face. I haven’t necessarily been keeping track but I know Mule, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Melvins, Dead Kennedys, Primus, and Tool have all been getting a lot of play. I’ve also found myself on an NWA and Public Enemy kick as well. I’m listening to The Ramones as I type this entry. I’ve also developed a well-earned reputation as the guy that always breaks up the sappy lovefest shit karaoke barrage. Every time I go to Green Beans I always revive the crowd from their catatonic state that was induced by a steady stream of country crap and slow songs. Problem is that with all our missions I’m increasingly away from Anaconda. I’m afraid that if I’m gone for an extended stretch I’ll come back to find a bunch of skeletons covered in cobwebs surrounding the stage. I guess it’s just a risk everyone will have to take because I’ve got work to do.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I guess it’s just in my blood” when talking about a profession? I don’t think that’s necessarily true in every case. However, I have to admit that it must apply to my family. Every single generation of my family on my father’s side has served in the U.S. military. Many of them have made it a career. I can trace someone in my direct lineage to every war in our nation’s history. My Uncle Bill paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. A lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, he died piloting a B-29 bomber in the China-Burma-India theater. My father served twenty-three years in the Marines, earned two Bronze Stars for Valor in Vietnam, and retired a Lieutenant Colonel. My brother Tom was in the midst of a stellar career as an officer in the Army when his life was sadly cut short just as he was promoted to Major. His oldest son, my nephew, Patrick is presently three weeks short of graduating Army basic training in Fort Knox, KY. He is also a junior at University of Tennessee and will be training to be a combat medic in the Army Reserve. I’m extremely proud of him for what he’s doing. He’s there on his own decision. Patrick I love you and I’m very sorry I can’t be at your graduation. I’ll be there in spirit. You will make an outstanding soldier. I don’t even have to stop and ponder that.
At the same time I was very proud watching my team assist our visitors. Their competence level is very high. I’ve done a good job surrounding myself with soldiers who are highly motivated, have excellent initiative, and are extremely confident in their assigned areas of responsibility. My job is to run interference for them so they can do their jobs. We work very well together and are developing a great reputation with the brigades in Iraq. They see us as problem solvers to their redeployment challenges. Our approach is always solution oriented. There is a solution to every problem and an answer to every question. We’re here to provide both and more. I’ve got the best job in my entire unit.
Someone asked me a few days ago what music I’d been listening to lately. Being as I haven’t added any music to my iTunes since I deployed I have my entire library memorized at this point. That’s over six gigs of music. It sounds like a lot of tunes until you have a few months to listen to them all. Anyway, what am I listening to these days? I’d say that lately my music reflects the attitude I’m trying to mold as we gear up for the heavy mission load upcoming. That means it’s time for my hard core game face. I haven’t necessarily been keeping track but I know Mule, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Melvins, Dead Kennedys, Primus, and Tool have all been getting a lot of play. I’ve also found myself on an NWA and Public Enemy kick as well. I’m listening to The Ramones as I type this entry. I’ve also developed a well-earned reputation as the guy that always breaks up the sappy lovefest shit karaoke barrage. Every time I go to Green Beans I always revive the crowd from their catatonic state that was induced by a steady stream of country crap and slow songs. Problem is that with all our missions I’m increasingly away from Anaconda. I’m afraid that if I’m gone for an extended stretch I’ll come back to find a bunch of skeletons covered in cobwebs surrounding the stage. I guess it’s just a risk everyone will have to take because I’ve got work to do.
Have you ever heard someone say, “I guess it’s just in my blood” when talking about a profession? I don’t think that’s necessarily true in every case. However, I have to admit that it must apply to my family. Every single generation of my family on my father’s side has served in the U.S. military. Many of them have made it a career. I can trace someone in my direct lineage to every war in our nation’s history. My Uncle Bill paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. A lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, he died piloting a B-29 bomber in the China-Burma-India theater. My father served twenty-three years in the Marines, earned two Bronze Stars for Valor in Vietnam, and retired a Lieutenant Colonel. My brother Tom was in the midst of a stellar career as an officer in the Army when his life was sadly cut short just as he was promoted to Major. His oldest son, my nephew, Patrick is presently three weeks short of graduating Army basic training in Fort Knox, KY. He is also a junior at University of Tennessee and will be training to be a combat medic in the Army Reserve. I’m extremely proud of him for what he’s doing. He’s there on his own decision. Patrick I love you and I’m very sorry I can’t be at your graduation. I’ll be there in spirit. You will make an outstanding soldier. I don’t even have to stop and ponder that.
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