REFRAD - Release From Active Duty. Whenever a Reserve or National Guard soldier is mobilized they will have an eventual REFRAD day. It's the last day of their mobilization orders. Mine arrived on 9 June 2008. My mobilization began 12 January 2007. Over the next 515 days I trained at Camp Shelby, MS, journeyed to Iraq, spent over a year FOB-hopping all over the country assisting Brigade Combat Teams, returned to the U.S. via Kuwait, and then closed the loop by demobilizing in Camp Shelby. It seems like a lot but it's just one of several mobilizations I've been on over the past few years. Since January 2003 I've spent 44 out of 66 months mobilized. 31 of those months were spent deployed. Yeah, I've been busy. I'm not the only one. There are many more just like me. Never forget them.
Once again I've come to the end of a mobilization. Hopefully, it's the last one.
Friday, June 13, 2008
29 May 2008: My deployment car finally arrives
Back in February I opened a dialog with BMW Military Sales regarding purchasing a new car. This program offers incredible pricing for military personnel deployed for at least 120 days. At the time, I was still working at places like Camp Ramadi and FOB Warhorse. I placed an order before the end of the month and had a deposit wire transferred. Then the waiting game began. A production date had to be secured (first week of April for mine). Then came the long wait for delivery. It takes a lot of patience but it's worth the wait. In the meantime, I came home from Iraq and became acclimated to being back in the U.S. My hope was that the car would be delivered in time to take a road trip to North Carolina over Memorial Day Weekend. It arrived just days late. Oh well, it was still an incredible feeling to go pick it up. Now I'm riding in style. It is a very nice car. I intend to keep it for a very long time.
26-27 April 2008: The Welcome Home Party
What an event it was! The party was over a year in the making. Planning commenced the minute I touched back down in the United States. Over 100 people attended. They included friends, cadets from the Providence College AROTC battalion, and even a West Point classmate who flew in from Chicago. The party was advertised as an all-nighter. It was. The first guests arrived around 1900 on the 26th. Two cabs arrived at 0730 the next morning to pick up the last ten. Damn it was an awesome party. I believe everyone had their fill of food and drink. The party was expertly catered by Kaveman Roasting Company. The menu included pulled pork bbq, smoked chicken wings, and bbq beans. There was plenty to drink. The party consumed at least 12 cases of Yuengling, 4 cases of various other types of beer, three bottles of bourbon, a bottle of gin, half a bottle of scotch, half a large bottle of tequila, and multiple bottles of wine. Many cigars were smoked around a firepit out back. Many toasts were raised. I toasted my team - some of whom are still in Iraq.
It was a party for the ages. Before the night was over the cadets proved that college students continue to be creative on drinking games. They formed two teams and lined cups up along the driveway. Then they dropped their pants and clinched quarters between their butt cheeks. You can guess the rest.... Most of these guys commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Army a short month later. I think I'll stick to beer pong or flip cup.
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