just a lil som'thin som'thin...

It's Monday- a federal holiday...I supose to celebrate the life of a man who wanted social equality for everyone. That's cool. I've never had too much problem with treating people like they should be treated. Alot of that has to do with how I was raised I guess...unless you think that man's (and when I say man I mean HU-man....geeze....give me a break...) fate is pre-ordained.

Got a couple of questions from a few of you, so I thought since I am sitting at home in my underwear I'd type a bit.

One reader asks what winding path have you taked in the twenty years of military service, (and oh, BTW- he says I don't look forty...of course now I am nervous 'cause he's looking at me that way....not that there is anything wrong with that....)

I enlisted when I was seventeen as an 11B. I signed up for Airborne and Ranger School which I completed right after AIT at Ft. Benning, Georgia. I spent the next six years as a light infantryman moving from third spear carrier from the right to senior company squad leader...(ooooooooooo....tough gig)

At that point I transfered into the AGR to go to school full time. Went to Ft. Sill to complete my training as a 13E, Fire Direction Specialist and was the Chief FDC for a 155mm Self Propelled Howetzer Battery in the Nebraska National Guard. It was at college I met my wife and realized that in college you learn more outside the classroom that in.

In 1990 I was re-called for GW1 and served in 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division as a HMMWV Driver for the Brigade S3. The CSM told me not to worry- there would be a Platoon Sergeant's job opening up soon...100 hours later, or course...

Finished school with a teaching degree only to find out I hate children. Worked a bit over the fall to figure out what I was going to do. Ended up re-enlisting in the Active Army and volunteering to go to OCS.

Graduated OCS in the fall of 1993. Somehow I ended up being selected as a Armor Officer. Did my Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Knox, and went back to Ft. Riley, Kansas as a Platoon Leader. Completed my advanced officer training and commanded a tank company at Ft. Hood, TX. Had a second command at Ft. Knox in the Armor School.

Was transfered to Ft. Riley (love it there) to work as a Division Gunnery Officer. I was selected for and completed the Information Operations course the summer of 2002. Shortly after I completed the course came down on orders for the upcoming OEF operation.

Spent seven months attached to JSOTF-180 in Afghanistan before heading to Kosovo for four months to serve as MNB-E Information Operations Officer.

Upon return to Ft. Riley I PCS'd to Ft. Hood to serve as an Observer Controller/Trainer in the 75th Training Support Division.

For the last two years I have been training National Guard and Reserve units that are going to Iraq, Afghanistan or the Balkans.

In Novemeber while I was training the Texas National Guard at Ft. Polk, LA, I recieved a phone call from my Battalion Commander telling me I had been selected to go to Iraq to train their Army.

This mission has changed from Training to Advising.

And that, my friends, is the winding story of how I got to where I am. As far as I know, I may be to only officer in the US Army who has graduated from all three combat arms schools, Infantry at Ft. Benning, Armor at Ft. Knox, and Artillery at Ft. Sill, and has a functional area that is completely different, Information Operations.

go figure...

What day is this anyway?

Ugh....another day almost wasted...

Our ongoing training continues. The rest of the unit is still here (they were supposed to leave last Thursday) and now they are scheduled to depart next Tuesday. Our weapons issues have not been solved and we had to go zero and qualify with M16A2s and qualify will M9s. OK, the M16A2 is a good weapon, don't get me wrong, but there is a reason we keep saying send everyone to Iraq with M4s (or at least M16A3s).

Tuesday, 11 Jan 2005-The weapon I got zeroed ok, but I couldn't hit anything past 50 meters with it. When I brought it back to the arms room and told the armorer the problem he looked the serial number up and told me it was deadlined because the barrel was coded out...have discussion with armorer.

[Some backstory is needed here- but because I am tired I will shorten it to basic facts. Basic fact No. 1: I have graduated several Command Directed Anger Management Classes...]

[ok, I know some of you may not know the dif b'twix a A2, A3, and an M4...google it]

Right...so I get a different rifle and off I go to shoot again. No problem. The M9 shoots well and only looks like it's 15 or so years old. I qualify with both and am home before midnight.

Wed. 12 Jan 2005 to Thur 13 Jan 2005- This morning is Combat Lifesaver Training. Very good stuff because we may really need this. Unfortunately we are stuffing 40 hours of training into two days. Ooooooo....moi moi painful.
The up-side is at the end we get to stick each other with an 18 gauge needle and do an I.V.

Hey, a Four-Day Weekend is coming up! Not for us for we are going back out to the weapons ranges and shooting again Friday and Saturday. NOW...WE DON'T HAVE THE RANGES LAYED ON, BUT WE'LL TRY TO GO OUT AND SEE IF THEY LET US SHOOT.

(you military types will understand the caps...for the rest of you...imagine walking into a nice place on Friday night with forty guys and no reservation and see the reactions)

The time-line went something like this:

Fri 14 Jan 2005-

0600- draw weapons
0630- load busses.
0700- arrive range.
1200- still sitting waiting to get on range, order pizza.
1245- call pizza place and ask where the %^%$# the pizza is.
1315- pizza arrives- we eat.
1317- 1st Sergeant yells at us to get into formation.
1330- still waiting for more word.
1345- TENN Titan cheerleaders drive by. Driver stops because he knows me. Get to meet the girls.
1450- First firing order up to shoot.
1530- Second firing order.
1550- last firing order expends all remaining rounds.
1600- range police call.
1700- waiting for busses.
1800- waiting for busses, seriously thinking about ordering pizza again.
1850- busses arrive.
1900- return to arms room.
1930 clean M9s.
2130-turn in M9s.
2200- 1st Sergeant says we'll meet tomorrow at 0600 to draw weapons for M16 range.

There was an old TV ad that said 'We do more before 9 o'clock than some people do all day'. The funny thing is it's true. We just do stupid things, however.

(update)
Sat. 15 Jan 2005- M16 range ran very smooth today. Not sure I am really awake. Hoping that Titan's cheerleaders will pinch me to make sure.

This is Dutch508, out.

1st post- 9 JAN 2005

Some 20 years ago I joined the Army thinking that I wanted to get away from home. I thought I would retire this summer but things don't aways go the way you think. It's no big deal, however, this is what I am good at- and the only thing I ever wanted to do.

I recieved word from my commander via my cell phone I would be going to Iraq on 17 Dec, 2004. We would be part of a small team of advisers going in to help train the Iraqi Army. I still don't know anything other than this.

The mission makes sense to me. Our (the US, that is) best exit plan is to train up the Iraqis and let them run their country. Our team is part of this plan. My ten-man team is part of a larger effort, of course. There are ways I would complete this plan that is , I am sure, different than those that will be told to me. After 20 years in the Army I acknowledge this simple reality.

I am fortunate that the five people from my unit who are going are all good guys. We have two others from brigade- both of which are not up to my standard, but they are a personnel guy and a supply guy. What did Rumsfeld say? Something about the Army you want vs. the Army you have? Oh well.

We started our train-up last week (3 Jan 2005) and so far nothing has gone according to plan. We are hurting on equipment---well...let me re-phrase that; We are hurting on equipment I would take into country. We have plenty of TA-50 and the like. No complaints about body armor or any of that nonsense.

Weapons seem to be an issue that my commander would rather not discuss. But he is a rather bookish-type, more concerned with if his lap-top works and not if he has a rifle or not. It may be a long year.

I will try to keep this blog updated as we continue to prep for movement- and as we continue our mission in Iraq. But for now...it is late and I am headed home to the wife and kids.