Boots On the Ground

I cannot emphasize enough just how easy it is for us to take our freedom for granted. I left the country several days ago. We drove through lush green meadows, over flowing brooks and ponds, through elm, oak, fir and spruce. Memories of baseball games, track meets, hiking trips, picnics, friends and family rushed over me. I'm a lucky man to have been blessed with so many wonderful memories and I cherish the fact that in our country we have the opportunity to pursue so much. Just before I stepped on that plane, I paused with one foot still on the ground. I wanted to savor the feel of my country under my boot.

Today my boots stand on a gray, brown landscape, foriegn and desolate. It will be some time before I get home again, but I am proud to join my fellow soldiers. Morale is high with 24 soldiers reenlisting just today. I know we are ready for our mission and will serve with honor, integrity and the utmost professionalism. Like it or not, we are on the world's stage. Not only our mission, but the way we conduct our mission will lead to success or failure. In 363 more days I'll return home, hopefully with a 100% successfull mission completed, and surely to a warm welcome and to that firm, comfortable step.

Humble Pie

So we got a chance to practice our hand-to-hand combat again today. As most of you know, I've never been much of a fighter, but this was supposed to be a controlled exercise, so I gave it my all. I was holding my own, practicing my drills with men about my size while we were learning new techniques. Then they divided us up for these three minute, full speed, full strength matches. Lucky me, I get a thick staff seargent who was a prior wrestler, grappling instructor and worked as a bouncer for the past several years. I think my enlisted guys live for days like these, when they finally get a chance to legally inflict some pain on their superior officers! Needless to say, I lasted about 90 seconds before being placed in a submissive choke hold. It really was great training and my partner was a great sport and felt that I had held on much longer than he had anticipated I would. My revenge will come. I think I'll put him through an hour long lecture on the coagulation pathways. A much slower and more agonizing submission.

God's Army

I experienced a new first today. About 20 fellow catholic worshipers and I slapped on our body armor and kevlar (helmets for you non-military folk), grabbed our weapons and marched, in formation, to easter mass today. Our commander was kind enough to provide cadance the whole way there.

On another note, training has been great over the past two days. The team is coming together very well and we are learning a great deal about how to accomplish our mission in a safe manner. We even saw a patient with simulated leishmaniasis today.

Patience is a Virtue

Be all that you can be! An Army of One!! We do more before 9am than most people do all day.

I think my unit didn't see these commercials. While medical units are not highly touted for the usual gungho bravado of the "regular army," my unit seems to be plodding its way through knee deep mud on a daily basis. For someone who is used to either running his team or his clinic this has been very frustrating. I've resolved this with a simple 30 to 3 rule. If I get 30min of training completed while only waiting around for 3hrs, I consider it a success and go about standing in the next line....

Predeployment

This publication is unofficial and unsanctioned. The material herein is solely the opinion of the editor and it's participants. It is intended for private use only and in no way represents the views of the US Army, the AMEDD or TF21. In an effort to maintain some operational security, names, dates, times and places may often be omitted.

Having said that, please feel free to comment away. I'll take you through my journey during this most historic time as I fulfill my obligation to my country and to my fellow soldiers. Seen above is our able and well respected commander, COL J, TF21 served the country during a brief deployment to New Orleans during the Katrina Relief Efforts. COL J and I are seen here in our portable Emergency Room in the New Orleans Convention Center.

Our mission during the hurricane relief really was essential in setting the tone for the unit. We were able to deploy, accomplish a mission with a great deal of success and very little error, and redeploy in <2 months time. Team cohesion began down in New Orleans, especially for those of us only recently assigned to the unit.

Initial Entry

Just trying to get this thing started. Mahalo to Bigguns for the blogger.com info.

Training in Wisconsin should be great preparation next week before my real adventures begin in the Kuwaiti desert in two weeks.