Howdy, y'all (that's how you say, "Hi," in Texas-speak).
Very, very fortunately, time has begun to move along at its normal pace for all of us here at BOLC. After several days of making sure all 300 students had their respective "housekeeping" issues in order, we have finally gotten into some sort of discernable routine. This helps the days move along more smoothly, although waking up at 0345 each morning tends to draw down the energy level throughout our daily classes! No matter...the extra PT is beginning to pay off, but not always in a good way. Allow me to explain myself. The good news: since arriving here on 13 July, I have lost 14lbs and dropped my blood pressure to 121/77 (although this has a tendency to fluctuate depending upon the amount of paperwork I have to complete...more on that shortly). The bad news: I have been put on a 10-day profile (which limits physical activity) because I tore one of my lower abdominal muscles. Let me tell you, friends: trying to do sit-ups and push-ups with a torn abdomen is, in a word, ouchy. And, unfortunately, this puts me 10 more days behind the 8-ball for passing my record PT test. It's a set-back, to be sure, but we will keep moving forward as much as possible. Keep your fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.
With regard to the paperwork, on Thursday this past week, I was volun-told to become the S1 of 6th platoon. In regular jargon, that means I am the head of all personne issues for the 50 people in my platoon. It's a relatively monumental task, but one I expect to do throughout my career; it's best to get the learning curve portion of the job out of the way while I'm in school, right?
It's about time for me to wrap up this particular edition of the Daily Bugle. I have several S1 issues to resolve, have to study for tomorrow morning's midterm exam, exercise, talk to my pretty ladies, and try to find full-time employment for after I graduate...anyone heard of any job opportunities for a well-dressed bald man?
Keep in touch, my dear friends. Call Kate and the girls from time to time, and let me know how your world is going...I love to hear from you. Talk at you again soon.
Peace.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tha grind...
Hello everyone.
The ups and downs of Army training have a way of keeping one away from his blog for extended periods of time...it's simply the nature of the beast. It has been a rather busy few days since we last blogged together, so allow me to recap.
1) The aforementioned PT test has come and gone, but there is still work for ol' Suds to do. I'm not completely off the radar screen, but training for something like this is in and of itself a full-time task. Don't worry; I have several "battle buddies" who are watching out for me and helping my along the path of de-gut-ification.
2) On Saturday, I met up with a fellow officer from my unit, the 848th Forward Surgical Team (imagine...out of a 20-person unit, two of us are here at the same time). We spent the evening on the Riverwalk enjoying some seafood at Joe's and some exceptional jazz at Cullum's Landing. The, do you know what happened? Well...do youu?!?! The fiend goes and gradduates from his class and flys home to Ohio...what a selfish booger! (Not really...I'm just envious he's enjoying hot and humid Ohio and I'm stuck in hot and hot Texas!)
3) On Monday, our platoon ("6th Platoon: Six-Pack!") was assigned our Platoon Advisor, CPT Quinn. At first glance, he is a man to be feared, not to be challenged, and to obey at first command. On second glance, he is a man we will all be thenkful to have on our side, instructing us how to be the best possible AMEDD officers. Good man; great officer.
4) Not only did I book travel for my pretty ladies to join mom, dad, and me here in SATX, but I am working on securing a pass to come home for a short visit over Labor Day! It'll be nice to have something to look forward to other than PT at 0430...ugh.
Speaking of which, considering the time (and the fact that my laundry is almost dry), I bid you all a fond adieu and I look forward to hearing back from my beloved blog-followers when you have the chance.
Peace.
The ups and downs of Army training have a way of keeping one away from his blog for extended periods of time...it's simply the nature of the beast. It has been a rather busy few days since we last blogged together, so allow me to recap.
1) The aforementioned PT test has come and gone, but there is still work for ol' Suds to do. I'm not completely off the radar screen, but training for something like this is in and of itself a full-time task. Don't worry; I have several "battle buddies" who are watching out for me and helping my along the path of de-gut-ification.
2) On Saturday, I met up with a fellow officer from my unit, the 848th Forward Surgical Team (imagine...out of a 20-person unit, two of us are here at the same time). We spent the evening on the Riverwalk enjoying some seafood at Joe's and some exceptional jazz at Cullum's Landing. The, do you know what happened? Well...do youu?!?! The fiend goes and gradduates from his class and flys home to Ohio...what a selfish booger! (Not really...I'm just envious he's enjoying hot and humid Ohio and I'm stuck in hot and hot Texas!)
3) On Monday, our platoon ("6th Platoon: Six-Pack!") was assigned our Platoon Advisor, CPT Quinn. At first glance, he is a man to be feared, not to be challenged, and to obey at first command. On second glance, he is a man we will all be thenkful to have on our side, instructing us how to be the best possible AMEDD officers. Good man; great officer.
4) Not only did I book travel for my pretty ladies to join mom, dad, and me here in SATX, but I am working on securing a pass to come home for a short visit over Labor Day! It'll be nice to have something to look forward to other than PT at 0430...ugh.
Speaking of which, considering the time (and the fact that my laundry is almost dry), I bid you all a fond adieu and I look forward to hearing back from my beloved blog-followers when you have the chance.
Peace.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Continuity
Howdy gang...my apologies for the delay in posting a new message. It's been a fast-moving week (in retrospect), and time has just now allowed me to write. I must say, however, that I will be going to bed shortly because I'm waking up (as it were) at 3:00am for a PT Test...please wish me luck.
The majority of this week has been spent sitting through innumerable in-processing briefs. Some of them have been useful and informative, and some of them have been rather forgetable. Yesterday (Wednesday), the entire class was issued its TA-50 field gear: duffle bag, helmet and cover, pads, molle vest, etc. The prime downside to this particular event was, again, being at the end of the alphabet and having to wait for 250 other people to get their gear first!
Today, we had several class sessions on military writing, presentations, and...TA-DAH!...Power Point design! There is nothing quite like watching a powerpoint on how to make a powerpoint; what a beautiful thing! My favorite part of the day is that which applies to the title above, "Continuity." After our lunch break, we reassembled in an entirely different auditorium in an entirely different building (the reasons are still unknown to us) and were delivered the following lectures, in this order: Military Briefing Writing, Entemology and the Military Dangers of Pathological Vectors (i.e.: "bad insects to avoid"), Modern Army Combative Techniques, and a Field Training Exercise briefing. To this relatively random collection of presentations, all I can say is, "Wow." We are certainly receiving a diverse education!
The weekend is fast-approaching, and with it some much-needed sleep and exercise. I'm counting the days to when Kate and the girls can visit, and I wish the best for all of you always. See you again soon on the Daily Bugle!
Peach.
The majority of this week has been spent sitting through innumerable in-processing briefs. Some of them have been useful and informative, and some of them have been rather forgetable. Yesterday (Wednesday), the entire class was issued its TA-50 field gear: duffle bag, helmet and cover, pads, molle vest, etc. The prime downside to this particular event was, again, being at the end of the alphabet and having to wait for 250 other people to get their gear first!
Today, we had several class sessions on military writing, presentations, and...TA-DAH!...Power Point design! There is nothing quite like watching a powerpoint on how to make a powerpoint; what a beautiful thing! My favorite part of the day is that which applies to the title above, "Continuity." After our lunch break, we reassembled in an entirely different auditorium in an entirely different building (the reasons are still unknown to us) and were delivered the following lectures, in this order: Military Briefing Writing, Entemology and the Military Dangers of Pathological Vectors (i.e.: "bad insects to avoid"), Modern Army Combative Techniques, and a Field Training Exercise briefing. To this relatively random collection of presentations, all I can say is, "Wow." We are certainly receiving a diverse education!
The weekend is fast-approaching, and with it some much-needed sleep and exercise. I'm counting the days to when Kate and the girls can visit, and I wish the best for all of you always. See you again soon on the Daily Bugle!
Peach.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
PT in the Moonlight
Have any of you ever gotten the urge to wake up at 3:30am, put on some ill-fitting gym clothes, stand in the middle of a rocky field with 350 of your closest friends, and perform oddly-gymnastic-like exercises for 90 minutes? Me neither...but the Army seems to think this is a GREAT idea! In all honesty, it wasn't that bad. In fact, the morning session was somewhat enjoyable (except for the fact that I rolled my right ankle over a Texas-sized rock while hustling into formation...that felt AWESOME!). The rest of the day was filled with additional briefings and final administrative tasks; nothing exciting but nothing strenuous.
I'm making some exceptional friends down here, one of whom I feel I will owe my graduation to. He and I began additional physical training together, and spent another hour in the gym in the evening after class. Plus, every time we have a break inbetween classes, we challenge eachother to do pushups and situps on the classroom floor...quite a sight, I must say. Speaking of which, I'm off to meet him right now for our morning session. I hope everyone back home is doing well, and I look forward to writing more later. Keep those messages coming, as well...love to hear from you.
Peace.
I'm making some exceptional friends down here, one of whom I feel I will owe my graduation to. He and I began additional physical training together, and spent another hour in the gym in the evening after class. Plus, every time we have a break inbetween classes, we challenge eachother to do pushups and situps on the classroom floor...quite a sight, I must say. Speaking of which, I'm off to meet him right now for our morning session. I hope everyone back home is doing well, and I look forward to writing more later. Keep those messages coming, as well...love to hear from you.
Peace.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Day 0 and Day 1
Yes, that's right my friends, Day 0. Only in the Army could you be present somewhere, doing copious amounts of work, and it is not ever recognized as an actual day! Oh well...it is what it is.
Day 0, as it were, was filled with lines...loooooong lines, many if which were outside in the Texas sun. We waited in line to get our room assignment (which is actually currently in the Hilton Hotel because there are over 1,100 officers enrolled in various courses here at Ft. Sam...not complaining!); we waited in line to get our personnel paperwork; we waited in line to get height/weight measurements, we waited in line to get sized for our helmets; and we waited in line to confirm that everything was Kosher. Ironically, there was no line at the dining facility...
Day 1 was a real "HOOAH" kind of day. A few more lines were encountered, but nothing quite so drastic as before. We worked on our DnC (Drill and Ceremony...marching), made sure our finance and HR paperwork was good to go, and met our leadership team. While that was all well and good, there was a singular event that, for me, encapsulated why we are all here doing this:
As we were in formation ourside on the track/parade ground, we were standing at parade rest facing the outdoor running track. As we stood there, along came a wounded warrior (as injured combat veterans are heretofore referred), running on one good leg and one "running prosthesis." It was a moving moment, and an epic reminder of the privilege and responsibility that come along with this profession.
I hope all is well with everyone reading this, and please keep my beloved ladies in your prayers...don't forget to check up on them, too!
I'll write again soon.
Peace.
Day 0, as it were, was filled with lines...loooooong lines, many if which were outside in the Texas sun. We waited in line to get our room assignment (which is actually currently in the Hilton Hotel because there are over 1,100 officers enrolled in various courses here at Ft. Sam...not complaining!); we waited in line to get our personnel paperwork; we waited in line to get height/weight measurements, we waited in line to get sized for our helmets; and we waited in line to confirm that everything was Kosher. Ironically, there was no line at the dining facility...
Day 1 was a real "HOOAH" kind of day. A few more lines were encountered, but nothing quite so drastic as before. We worked on our DnC (Drill and Ceremony...marching), made sure our finance and HR paperwork was good to go, and met our leadership team. While that was all well and good, there was a singular event that, for me, encapsulated why we are all here doing this:
As we were in formation ourside on the track/parade ground, we were standing at parade rest facing the outdoor running track. As we stood there, along came a wounded warrior (as injured combat veterans are heretofore referred), running on one good leg and one "running prosthesis." It was a moving moment, and an epic reminder of the privilege and responsibility that come along with this profession.
I hope all is well with everyone reading this, and please keep my beloved ladies in your prayers...don't forget to check up on them, too!
I'll write again soon.
Peace.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
T-minus 24 Hours and Counting
When you have one of those mornings when you wke up at 4:30am and realize that, for the next 3 months, this is the time you will be required to wake up and begin functioning, it has a relatively sobering effect. I know I have yet to deal with many of the hardships faced by most members of the military, but a simple event like that makes one realize what is on the horizon.
I look forward to making the trip down south and beginning the training. I spoke yesterday with a fellow officer in the 848th Forward Surgical Team (the unit to which I am assigned here in Ohio) who happens to be at Ft. Sam right now completing similar training. He gave me a few good packing tips, but also gave me hope that whatever "beer belly" (which I prefer to call my leftover baby fat) I may have left will certainly be gone by the completion of my training. He has already lost nearly 4" around his midsection...and that is just in the three weeks he's been there! Hope springs eternal...
I plan on enjoying my last day here in Cincy for a while. I'm spending as much time as possible with my prettly ladies, finishing up some packing and paperwork, and having a big Cincinnati send-off dinner (probably a Big Boy covered in Skyline chili and Montgomery Inn sauce over Larosasa's spaghetti and meatballs...yum!). My next post will probably be made from Ft. Sam, so see you again when the madness begins.
Peace.
I look forward to making the trip down south and beginning the training. I spoke yesterday with a fellow officer in the 848th Forward Surgical Team (the unit to which I am assigned here in Ohio) who happens to be at Ft. Sam right now completing similar training. He gave me a few good packing tips, but also gave me hope that whatever "beer belly" (which I prefer to call my leftover baby fat) I may have left will certainly be gone by the completion of my training. He has already lost nearly 4" around his midsection...and that is just in the three weeks he's been there! Hope springs eternal...
I plan on enjoying my last day here in Cincy for a while. I'm spending as much time as possible with my prettly ladies, finishing up some packing and paperwork, and having a big Cincinnati send-off dinner (probably a Big Boy covered in Skyline chili and Montgomery Inn sauce over Larosasa's spaghetti and meatballs...yum!). My next post will probably be made from Ft. Sam, so see you again when the madness begins.
Peace.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
You're in the Army now...
In four short days, I will be heading to Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX, for a rather lengthy stint in OBLC. In an effort to keep in touch with my family and friends, and bolstered by the fact that I can keep up with modern technology (as shown by my recent purchase of an Android phone), I've created The Daily Bugle Blog. When time permits, I'll give you updates on how things are progressing in the dusty San Antonio heat. For those of you who have not served in the military, this will be a chance for you to "get your feet wet" along with me. For those of you who are veterans, perhaps this will remind you of some memories from your recent (or, for some of you, veeeeerrrrrry distant!) past.
While you read, please keep in mind my beautiful ladies at home. For those of you near the homefront, please drop a line to Kate, Mer, and Lauren to see how they're doing in the face of some new challenges as "Army Girls."
Thanks for following the blog, and I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone. I wish you all the best, and my immeasurable thanks to all who have supported me.
Peace.
While you read, please keep in mind my beautiful ladies at home. For those of you near the homefront, please drop a line to Kate, Mer, and Lauren to see how they're doing in the face of some new challenges as "Army Girls."
Thanks for following the blog, and I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone. I wish you all the best, and my immeasurable thanks to all who have supported me.
Peace.
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