Taking Chance

There is a movie called Taking Chance that I have to see. It is based on the true story of Michael R. Strobl (Marine Corps Liutenant Colonel) and his experiences escorting the body of Chance Phelps (Marine Corps Private First Class) home. I found the journal of the trip here, and I had a hard time not tearing up. Oh, what the hell, I cried. I felt the same uncontrollable emotions I feel when I visit the Vietnam War Memorial. I have always felt a kinship with those that have been in the military. Maybe being in the Army has been in my blood...
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At any rate, I am going to see this movie. Without seeing it, I recommend it to you. Think of it as a tribute to all those that have fallen in defense of what they hold most dear.

Get in the choppa'!

The Convoy Ops day of training can be a long day for both the warrior unit (the people we train) and the trainers (us). We go through everything from the planning, pre-combat checks and inspections, to the actual convoy operation. They deal with warring factions in the same village, searching hostile villages, IEDs, and even getting wounded soldiers onto a medevac chopper. The video is of the UH-60 coming in for a landing.

We don't always get the chopper, and I've never been out on the lane when it comes, so I figured I get some video of it. It was pretty cool, especially all the snow from the prop wash. Oh, wait. That was actually really cold. Anyway, I'm sure the kids will really enjoy it.

Home for the weekend (kind of)

So I had a couple days off to go home. I got Sunday and Monday rather than the actual weekend, but I'm not complaining. What I am complaining about is that due to weather, I had to cut my time at home short. Hooray for winter in the midwest. The roof outside my window has a good six inches or so of snow (that's with an inch from a prior snowfall), and the snow is still falling.

At any rate, this was the weekend that we set up the Christmas tree. It was fun, especially with how much the kids can help now. Even the little one helped. Much joy (and arguments) for everyone. Here's a few pics of the occasion:

Haircut

My dear, darling daughter got a haircut this weekend. She had been growing her hair out because she wanted to donate it to Locks of Love. Well, it was finally long enough, and we took her to the mall to get it cut. Her hair was down to her waist prior to being cut, and I had a hard time beleiving it was her at first. She really looks like a seven year old...

Happy Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to everyone, both military or not. For me it's a little thought provoking (as it has been for the past couple years). I saw a couple of comics that reminded me about why I have such a hard time with today (comic 1, comic 2). My definition of what a veteran is has had to change, partly because I am one.

See I don't see myself as a veteran. What have I contributed? I haven't even left the US. Then there are those that I've talked to that have gone over but where only in Kuwait (his words, not mine). He left the country, but seemed to have the same mentality that I did. I have also talked to some that have been to Iraq or Afghanistan (or both). Some of them had the same problem. "All I did was drive around and get shot at. What's the big deal?"

I wonder sometimes if all veterans have this problem. Who am I to get special benefits, why should people honor me of all people. Sometime today, I finally came to grips with it. It's not so much honoring the person, but what they have provided for the big picture. What they have sacrificed to do so. Some of us are trainers. Without our training, replacement troops would go in blind and probably not last long. Some of us are ammunition specialists. Without us, troops in the thick of it wouldn't be able to fire back. Some are drivers. How do those supplies get to where they are so badly needed.

All veterans have given something. Time; time away from their loved ones, and especially for kids, it is not time that can be regained. Livelihood; some of their families have to live paycheck to paycheck, as they earn nowhere near what they did before they were called up. Dreams; how many have had to leave college, or jobs, and everything has to placed on hold? Health; limbs lost, eyesight and hearing lost. Every single one has sacrificed something, and no matter how big or small, it has affected that veteran, or their family and friends somehow.

Happy Veteran's Day.

Rewarding

Despite being wrestled to the ground, pushed around, yelled at, having weapons pointed at me and being "shot at" (blanks), it has been a rewarding day.

I hear you asking, "how could you consider it rewarding being abused like that?" Well, we trained ~180 troops yesterday and the day before in Urban operations. How to enter and clear rooms. Taking on both compliant and non-compliant personnel. Detaining EPWs (enemy prisoners of war). It's all pretty involved stuff. Two days of training (a full day each for two separate groups) with a company that has, for the most part, never done this kind of thing before. It was rewarding to see how well they did with it when we threw them into a situation.

Or maybe I like getting beat up?

Um, no.

Knowledge and Usage

So we had a CLS (combat life saver) recertification yesterday. All drill sergeants are CLS certified these days. A regular class is a 4-5 day course, but the recert(ification) is only 8 hours. We get to go over combat casualty care (try to take out the threat FIRST, then go get the wounded soldier), methods of transport, bandaging and tourniquets (the CAT is a nifty device and generally applied first). We also are taught how to relieve a tension pneumothorax, and achieve a saline lock. The saline lock is basically putting in the catheter for an IV, but not attaching the fluids. It allows us to be able to set up the IV ahead of time, because they are really hard to put in once things start going south.

This is only my fifth time putting in an IV, and only once have I had to do so in an actual emergency situation. It's good to have these skills, but I am always afraid to actually apply them, as I use them so rarely. Well, here's hoping I never need to use the majority of what I've learned.