The 27th of December was a blur; I don't even know when it came or went. I left the United States around 6:20pm and flew to Bangor, Maine. From there we flew to somewhere in Germany, and then, finally, ended up in Kuwait. Cold, exhausted, and hungry pretty much described my status upon arrival.
I hadn't been in Kuwait for more than 10 hours when our little base was attacked by mortars. It was very strange, almost movie like. The sound was enormous, enough to blast you right out of bed.
I don't know when I will be moving on to Afghanistan; a part of me wants to go and get it all started. But for now I eat all the McDonald's I can (yeah, I found one) and watch movies and use the Internet, because I don't know if we will have any of this where I'm going.
My head is spinning, the jet lag is nuts.
I am anxious to move on. But that's it for now. There is nothing else to report.
By the way, I want to know who all is reading this. So, if you could, please click "comments" (it's at the bottom of every post) and say something. It can be "Hey, I READ THIS!!!" for all I care. I want to hear from people.
Alright, take care. I will write again when I can.
Cheers,
J
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Final Thoughts
This is my last post on American soil; and it is also the last post until....I don't know when. I will be departing the states within the next 48 hours. My bags are packed, my mind is set. I am as ready as I can be to head off God knows where. I still don't know when I am leaving exactly, and I guess it's better that way.
I don't really have much to say. Thank you to those who read my posts. I hope you get something out of them because I get a lot from adding to the blog. My goal is to continue once I hit ground in Afghanistan, but the availability of internet is unknown at this point, just like everything else.
It still doesn't seem real. I hope it will soon.
Love yous guys.
-J
I don't really have much to say. Thank you to those who read my posts. I hope you get something out of them because I get a lot from adding to the blog. My goal is to continue once I hit ground in Afghanistan, but the availability of internet is unknown at this point, just like everything else.
It still doesn't seem real. I hope it will soon.
Love yous guys.
-J
Friday, December 21, 2007
Life Changes
Well, someone was praying out there because my pass got approved and I made it home to Ohio. So if you prayed, it is much appreciated. If you didn't, shame on you.
Only kidding.
I'm sitting in a Holiday Inn Express right now. Today was a long day. We had everything moved out of our apartment yesterday, and last night we slept on the cold, hard floor. This morning we were to wake up and clean the hell out of the place so that we could get our security deposit back. Instead we had to go to work to get all of our gear inspected; we have to look good when we wave goodbye to Uncle Sam. Needless to say we still made deadline. It was funny though because some lady came by to inspect our apartment before we turned it back over to the Realtors. I'm surprised she didn't have a little suitcase with several pairs of white gloves because she was running her fingers over every damned thing. I guess even the civilians are a little military around here. Needless to say, we might get some money back!
My last trip home was an important one. Not only was it my last time to Ohio for God knows how long, but it was also my shining moment in proposing to my girlfriend. A lot of the guys around here call that taking the plunge, or giving away my balls. I assure you that I still have my testes. It's funny because the younger guys think it is a bad thing to do, while the ones in my age group or older think it's a great idea. Regardless, I did it, and I am happy. You should be, too.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I wish birthdays still felt special, like when I was a kid. My memories take me back to being so excited all day because people were coming over at night for a birthday blowout. Obviously my birthday is right before Christmas, so it was snowy a lot of the times and the beautiful Christmas tree was always there.
Now it's like any other day, I suppose. Getting older isn't fun once you pass somewhere around 22 or 23. Twenty-six is definitely a letdown because it's one year closer to 30. I have some weird preoccupation with age because in the army there isn't really any separation by age; what I mean is, there can be an 18 year old private in the army, which feels normal. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, there can be some down and out 40 year old private, which just doesn't seem right to me. I find it strange to see a 40 year old man taking orders from a snotty twenty-something sergeant. My preoccupation with age in the army has earned me the nick name "grandpa Gratsch." I even received a Christmas stocking with the nickname on it this year to prove it. Real swell.
I'm glad all of my army stuff is packed for Afghanistan; each bag only weighs about 300 lbs., or so it seems. I have to put these things on my back and I feel like my vertebrae are going to be permanently smashed into each other, like a collapsed accordion or something. As it turns out I am leaving early for Afghanistan on the 26th of December. Everyone else is leaving some days later. At first my buddies and I volunteered for what we were told was an advanced party to Madrid, Spain, to receive the aircraft. I thought, "Spain? I've never been there. I'm in." So we all volunteered. The next day we find out there was some miscommunication between my squad leader and platoon leader. We aren't going to Spain, we are just going to Afghanistan EARLY. Due to the non reversible status of this volunteering, it will be the last time I volunteer for anything in the army.
I guess that is all I have for now. The feeling of uncertainty has definitely found it's place in my heart, soul, mind, bosom (ha ha), whatever you want to call it. It has set in and I don't like it. It's weird to think how some people will be comfortable in their warm homes celebrating the holidays with their families, while others are very far away from home, alone and cold. Maybe they are hungry, tired, scared? I wish the world wasn't like that. I wish everyone could be with their families or doing what they want to do during this and every holiday season. I feel proud to do my part, but it is very hard. My fiance and my family is coming down to see me tomorrow, so that helps very much. I am excited to see them.
I may not be able to celebrate the holiday like I want, but I AM staying in a Holiday Inn Express.
And I will be doing so for the next 5 days.
Put me in a commercial.
I'm going to McDonald's, because it is delicious and comforting.
Happy Holidays.
-J
Only kidding.
I'm sitting in a Holiday Inn Express right now. Today was a long day. We had everything moved out of our apartment yesterday, and last night we slept on the cold, hard floor. This morning we were to wake up and clean the hell out of the place so that we could get our security deposit back. Instead we had to go to work to get all of our gear inspected; we have to look good when we wave goodbye to Uncle Sam. Needless to say we still made deadline. It was funny though because some lady came by to inspect our apartment before we turned it back over to the Realtors. I'm surprised she didn't have a little suitcase with several pairs of white gloves because she was running her fingers over every damned thing. I guess even the civilians are a little military around here. Needless to say, we might get some money back!
My last trip home was an important one. Not only was it my last time to Ohio for God knows how long, but it was also my shining moment in proposing to my girlfriend. A lot of the guys around here call that taking the plunge, or giving away my balls. I assure you that I still have my testes. It's funny because the younger guys think it is a bad thing to do, while the ones in my age group or older think it's a great idea. Regardless, I did it, and I am happy. You should be, too.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I wish birthdays still felt special, like when I was a kid. My memories take me back to being so excited all day because people were coming over at night for a birthday blowout. Obviously my birthday is right before Christmas, so it was snowy a lot of the times and the beautiful Christmas tree was always there.
Now it's like any other day, I suppose. Getting older isn't fun once you pass somewhere around 22 or 23. Twenty-six is definitely a letdown because it's one year closer to 30. I have some weird preoccupation with age because in the army there isn't really any separation by age; what I mean is, there can be an 18 year old private in the army, which feels normal. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, there can be some down and out 40 year old private, which just doesn't seem right to me. I find it strange to see a 40 year old man taking orders from a snotty twenty-something sergeant. My preoccupation with age in the army has earned me the nick name "grandpa Gratsch." I even received a Christmas stocking with the nickname on it this year to prove it. Real swell.
I'm glad all of my army stuff is packed for Afghanistan; each bag only weighs about 300 lbs., or so it seems. I have to put these things on my back and I feel like my vertebrae are going to be permanently smashed into each other, like a collapsed accordion or something. As it turns out I am leaving early for Afghanistan on the 26th of December. Everyone else is leaving some days later. At first my buddies and I volunteered for what we were told was an advanced party to Madrid, Spain, to receive the aircraft. I thought, "Spain? I've never been there. I'm in." So we all volunteered. The next day we find out there was some miscommunication between my squad leader and platoon leader. We aren't going to Spain, we are just going to Afghanistan EARLY. Due to the non reversible status of this volunteering, it will be the last time I volunteer for anything in the army.
I guess that is all I have for now. The feeling of uncertainty has definitely found it's place in my heart, soul, mind, bosom (ha ha), whatever you want to call it. It has set in and I don't like it. It's weird to think how some people will be comfortable in their warm homes celebrating the holidays with their families, while others are very far away from home, alone and cold. Maybe they are hungry, tired, scared? I wish the world wasn't like that. I wish everyone could be with their families or doing what they want to do during this and every holiday season. I feel proud to do my part, but it is very hard. My fiance and my family is coming down to see me tomorrow, so that helps very much. I am excited to see them.
I may not be able to celebrate the holiday like I want, but I AM staying in a Holiday Inn Express.
And I will be doing so for the next 5 days.
Put me in a commercial.
I'm going to McDonald's, because it is delicious and comforting.
Happy Holidays.
-J
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Breed it, and Bear it, and Make it Your Narcotic..
Begging face down on the floor. You sold your soul, now they want more.
These are lyrics to a song that's been stuck in my head all day long. The title of this post, I decided, will be my anthem for this deployment. Breed it, and Bear it; I know I'm going to war in Afghanistan. You know I'm going to war in Afghanistan. So I've created some sort of positive vibe about the whole situation that I can embrace during the preparation stage. When the preparation stage is over, then I can bear the suck and fight the good fight. Afghanistan will become my narcotic of choice, because, well, I don't really have a choice. Embrace the suck.
I would check out this song if I were you; it's called simply, "Narcotic," by DEAD POETIC. I like this band because it is made up of guys I went to high school with. They sort of made it big, too, until one of the members decided he didn't want to be in a band any more. It kind of ended after that, but they do have one album left on their contract, so it's not totally over.
I do not have a whole lot to talk about today. I am hoping and praying that my pass will get approved so that I can go home one last time this weekend. I really need it, in a bad way. I just want to get out of the military scene one last moment. After that it's going to be balls to the wall hardcore army every day for 15 months. I heard rumors today that there is no Internet access whatsoever in the area we will be operating in. I hope this isn't true..for one, how will I continue this blog? And two, it's a great way to communicate back home.
I can hear shots being fired right now. Must be a late night out on the firing range. I really didn't think I lived close enough to base to hear gunfire, but I guess I am. You can't mistake the the rat-tat-tat of an M249 or a .50 caliber machine gun.
Anxiety is starting to take it's place in my mind. We have to get everything squared away with getting rid of our apartment and making sure all of our belongings are properly stored. What am I gonna do with the bills that will arrive in my mailbox at an apartment that I don't live in anymore? I won't even be in the US when they come; I guess I'll have them forwarded to my parents. We also have to make sure we have all of our personal military gear..We are each responsible for too much gear in my opinion. If I could possibly hand carry all of the stuff I've been issued I'd be buried by it. Asphyxiation by equipment, what a way to go!
Well, I guess I will sign off for now. Pray for the pass, pray for the pass. I want to go to Ohio.
Cheers
-J
These are lyrics to a song that's been stuck in my head all day long. The title of this post, I decided, will be my anthem for this deployment. Breed it, and Bear it; I know I'm going to war in Afghanistan. You know I'm going to war in Afghanistan. So I've created some sort of positive vibe about the whole situation that I can embrace during the preparation stage. When the preparation stage is over, then I can bear the suck and fight the good fight. Afghanistan will become my narcotic of choice, because, well, I don't really have a choice. Embrace the suck.
I would check out this song if I were you; it's called simply, "Narcotic," by DEAD POETIC. I like this band because it is made up of guys I went to high school with. They sort of made it big, too, until one of the members decided he didn't want to be in a band any more. It kind of ended after that, but they do have one album left on their contract, so it's not totally over.
I do not have a whole lot to talk about today. I am hoping and praying that my pass will get approved so that I can go home one last time this weekend. I really need it, in a bad way. I just want to get out of the military scene one last moment. After that it's going to be balls to the wall hardcore army every day for 15 months. I heard rumors today that there is no Internet access whatsoever in the area we will be operating in. I hope this isn't true..for one, how will I continue this blog? And two, it's a great way to communicate back home.
I can hear shots being fired right now. Must be a late night out on the firing range. I really didn't think I lived close enough to base to hear gunfire, but I guess I am. You can't mistake the the rat-tat-tat of an M249 or a .50 caliber machine gun.
Anxiety is starting to take it's place in my mind. We have to get everything squared away with getting rid of our apartment and making sure all of our belongings are properly stored. What am I gonna do with the bills that will arrive in my mailbox at an apartment that I don't live in anymore? I won't even be in the US when they come; I guess I'll have them forwarded to my parents. We also have to make sure we have all of our personal military gear..We are each responsible for too much gear in my opinion. If I could possibly hand carry all of the stuff I've been issued I'd be buried by it. Asphyxiation by equipment, what a way to go!
Well, I guess I will sign off for now. Pray for the pass, pray for the pass. I want to go to Ohio.
Cheers
-J
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Bye Bye Birdies, among other things..
So we went to work at 2am on Friday morning to see the aircraft off. Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie company each own eight aircraft. Our armament shop cares for all 24, so we need to be present when the aircraft depart in case they have problems on initial runup, etc. The companies' aircraft left about 2 hours apart, and I was there until about 10am. We split up the entire day into shifts because people needed to be at the shop while the aircraft were en route to port in Florida. One of my buddies was in a trailing blackhawk as part of a DART (downed aircraft recovery team) mission to make sure all the aircraft made it safely to port.
All the aircraft were gone before I finished my shift that morning. When the sun was just beginning to creep above the trees I went out to the flight line to have a look. The normally busy, bustling flight line lay completely empty; a huge vacant tarmac. Usually the Apaches sit in neat rows of eight with maintainers swarming around, tool boxes in hand. Now, there was just a soft, quiet breeze and the remnants of what looked like an abandoned airfield. It was really kind of sad and eerie at the same time.
With all of the aircraft gone there is little work for us to do until we leave at the end of the month. This is a commander's worst nightmare because the soldiers become restless and bored. A restless and bored soldier can become a liability as we all know, so the commanders release an atrocious list of rules and regulations to keep everyone in their place. While some seem rediculous, I can understand why the rules are set. It just adds to the whole "long december" theory.
A lot of people are starting to ask me questions. The one I get the most is, "are you scared?"
I'm not scared, because I don't know what it's going to be like. What makes me most nervous I guess is the whole traveling part once we get into country. We won't be flying straight in to where our operations are, so we'll have to get there somehow. Some say we'll fly on helicopters everywhere we go, but who knows for sure? We might end up on some damn convoy ground pounding all the way to the forward operating base. I will be slightly nervous if we end up on convoys. I'll just have to keep my eyes open much, much wider.
That's all I have to talk about right now. I love the holiday season but I feel as if I am too worried about getting everything ready for deployment to enjoy any of it. I hope everyone else is, though. It's a time to be with family and appreciate all the good things in life, especially christmas ham. I'll have my own little holiday somehow. Take care everyone.
-J
All the aircraft were gone before I finished my shift that morning. When the sun was just beginning to creep above the trees I went out to the flight line to have a look. The normally busy, bustling flight line lay completely empty; a huge vacant tarmac. Usually the Apaches sit in neat rows of eight with maintainers swarming around, tool boxes in hand. Now, there was just a soft, quiet breeze and the remnants of what looked like an abandoned airfield. It was really kind of sad and eerie at the same time.
With all of the aircraft gone there is little work for us to do until we leave at the end of the month. This is a commander's worst nightmare because the soldiers become restless and bored. A restless and bored soldier can become a liability as we all know, so the commanders release an atrocious list of rules and regulations to keep everyone in their place. While some seem rediculous, I can understand why the rules are set. It just adds to the whole "long december" theory.
A lot of people are starting to ask me questions. The one I get the most is, "are you scared?"
I'm not scared, because I don't know what it's going to be like. What makes me most nervous I guess is the whole traveling part once we get into country. We won't be flying straight in to where our operations are, so we'll have to get there somehow. Some say we'll fly on helicopters everywhere we go, but who knows for sure? We might end up on some damn convoy ground pounding all the way to the forward operating base. I will be slightly nervous if we end up on convoys. I'll just have to keep my eyes open much, much wider.
That's all I have to talk about right now. I love the holiday season but I feel as if I am too worried about getting everything ready for deployment to enjoy any of it. I hope everyone else is, though. It's a time to be with family and appreciate all the good things in life, especially christmas ham. I'll have my own little holiday somehow. Take care everyone.
-J
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Long December
I don't ever really want to put negative posts on here, but right now I am feeling very negative. I'll try to be positive while writing negative things.
There's a lot of things going on that are testing my nerves and my morale.
We are leaving this month for Afghanistan. We don't know what day. How can we possibly not? I don't know what to tell friends or family. Maybe that's the idea.
Yesterday we found out it might be Christmas.
I was granted a 4 day pass for all the work I did with modifying the aircraft. The aircraft are leaving to go to Jacksonville on Friday. There, they will be disassembled (to a certain extent) and loaded onto ships bound for the middle east. Twenty-four on the way to war.
Today I found out everyone who does not have a military driver's license will have to take a drivers' course next week. This, of course, applies to me, and interferes with that four day pass I mentioned. Therefore, the pass is cancelled so that I can get a military driver's license. I was going to go to Ohio one last time to see my girlfriend (whom I want to make my fiance) and my family, who is having a beautiful little Christmas party. Everyone is excited.
Tonight I have to call them and let them know that someone waited until the last minute to have a driver's course. I have to get a military driver's license. I've been here all !@#$%ing year.
I went to the inspector general to file a formal complaint because I am tired of not getting certain monies that I should be entitled to on my paycheck.
This afternoon I called the transportation division to see when a moving company would be coming to move my furniture out of the apartment so that I can terminate my lease. They have no file of me on record, and therefore no date to move my goods.
Why did I go to a mandatory transportation division meeting back in October to set all of this up?
Why do I put myself through all of this?
Sometimes I don't know, and I want to quit.
I see my family and friends living their lives in Ohio, safely and happily. I want that back.
But then again it all comes back to me. They can do what they do because of where they live. Whether people realize or care or not, it is because of soldiers.
And that is why I press on. Someday I will earn my spot back in society. I guess all the bullshit makes that day so much sweeter.
And so the saga continues.
PS. The Buckeyes are making an appearance in the national championship. Also, excuse my language. I think it gets my point across.
There's a lot of things going on that are testing my nerves and my morale.
We are leaving this month for Afghanistan. We don't know what day. How can we possibly not? I don't know what to tell friends or family. Maybe that's the idea.
Yesterday we found out it might be Christmas.
I was granted a 4 day pass for all the work I did with modifying the aircraft. The aircraft are leaving to go to Jacksonville on Friday. There, they will be disassembled (to a certain extent) and loaded onto ships bound for the middle east. Twenty-four on the way to war.
Today I found out everyone who does not have a military driver's license will have to take a drivers' course next week. This, of course, applies to me, and interferes with that four day pass I mentioned. Therefore, the pass is cancelled so that I can get a military driver's license. I was going to go to Ohio one last time to see my girlfriend (whom I want to make my fiance) and my family, who is having a beautiful little Christmas party. Everyone is excited.
Tonight I have to call them and let them know that someone waited until the last minute to have a driver's course. I have to get a military driver's license. I've been here all !@#$%ing year.
I went to the inspector general to file a formal complaint because I am tired of not getting certain monies that I should be entitled to on my paycheck.
This afternoon I called the transportation division to see when a moving company would be coming to move my furniture out of the apartment so that I can terminate my lease. They have no file of me on record, and therefore no date to move my goods.
Why did I go to a mandatory transportation division meeting back in October to set all of this up?
Why do I put myself through all of this?
Sometimes I don't know, and I want to quit.
I see my family and friends living their lives in Ohio, safely and happily. I want that back.
But then again it all comes back to me. They can do what they do because of where they live. Whether people realize or care or not, it is because of soldiers.
And that is why I press on. Someday I will earn my spot back in society. I guess all the bullshit makes that day so much sweeter.
And so the saga continues.
PS. The Buckeyes are making an appearance in the national championship. Also, excuse my language. I think it gets my point across.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Why We Fight
Yesterday I returned from a long Thanksgiving weekend at home in Ohio. It was rather nice to go home and see family and friends, and it is always hard to tell everyone goodbye and make the drive back to Ft. Campbell. We are almost a month out from leaving, and I am starting to develop many feelings about the deployment. When I was home my father suggested that many people do not understand why we fight, and he also expressed concern that I might not understand either. Sometimes I think I am too bitter about my ongoing army saga to care why we fight, but also it is understood that these feelings are crushed and swept away when I remember back to why I am doing this in the first place. Seeing my family and friends reinforces the fact that I will do anything to make sure they can live their lives in peace and without interruption. I'll be damned if I let some religious fanatic come into my country and try to hurt the people I love, or any other Americans for that matter. When I am finished being in the army I hope that there will be people looking out for my well being also.
We fight this war because it is a religious war. Terrorists are religious fanatics that disagree with Western culture, and wish to do nothing more than wipe us all off the map; they proved this on September 11, 2001. If we do not go abroad and contain these nuts then they will surely come to our soil and attack us again. This conflict will go on forever and ever because we can't get rid of all of them and they can't get rid of all of us. These jokers are intent on accelerating Armageddon, and we are intent on stopping them. Our collective efforts and continuation of suppression in the middle east will give some guarantee that we will be safe in the states.
Personally, I feel as if I have a personal vendetta against a sect of people that I've never come into contact with. I want to call them towel heads and curse them all to hell, but at the same time I try not to be stereotypical and biased. Everyone always says how they want to go to Afghanistan and shoot a terrorist in the face; I say it too. But the real question is, if I received that opportunity would I take it? I say yes. He wants to kill me. He wants to kill all Americans. So it's two in the chest, one in the head for this guy.
Who knows what would really happen, though. I've never been in the situation, and no one knows how they'd react until it happens. But as it stands, I think these people are evil, tyrannical, and deserve to die. How dare they say we are wrong and how dare they take Armageddon into their own hands, killing Americans, coalition forces from other nations, and even their own countrymen. Enough is enough.
I feel my posts are pretty dark sometimes, but I have a big job ahead of me; a big challenge, if you will. I make light of whatever I can. There is a point, however, in which feelings of the unknown take over and bring out the negative. That's partly what the whole blog process is for, kind of like a therapy session. I hope it doesn't scare anyone or make anyone think that I am some weirdo, that is furthest from my intention. War is not a pretty thing, and no matter what, all soldiers have a hand in what ultimately happens on the battlefield.
In other news, Christmas is on the way. It is still up in the air whether or not I will be able to go back to Ohio for the holidays, as it is supposedly days before we are to board a plane and leave the US of A. I'll keep my fingers crossed for sure. It makes me happy to see all the decorations going up, seeing the Christmassy commercials and hearing the christMASSY music. I watched A CHRISTMAS STORY the other night, a true classic. I really hope to get Christmas this year. I missed it last year, and will miss it next year. I just hope the army doesn't make Christmas "just another day" because I miss it so often.
I am also turning 26 soon. Is that old? Compared to a lot of the people I serve with, it is. The average age in my peer group right now is probably around 22 or 23...Not a huge difference, but it seems like some of the other guys are in a different stage of their life then I am. I had all my wild fun in college, and did all the things that I wanted to do. It makes me wonder if they know why we fight? Or why did they join the army at all? It's kind of scary because sometimes I feel that it isn't the same reason. I hope I'm wrong. I know a lot of people in the army joined because they had nothing else going for them; but I hope they are patriotic in what they do. Sometimes the stresses of military life make it hard to be a patriot...but I know that the fire in my heart will never totally burn out, and that is why I am OK with deploying. I do what I do, it is what it is. What doesn't kill me will only making me stronger. When I get back I will be rock solid, like petrified !@#$. Sorry, I think cursing gives writing character at times, but I try not do it. But if you don't it might not be as real as it should be. I just try to write like I'd speak. Anyways, the rambling process has begun, so I must be going. I hope December brings you peace and joy. Don't take these times for granted.
In one month we will set foot in strange lands, and delve into the unknown. Go big or go home, right? Balls deep.
-J
We fight this war because it is a religious war. Terrorists are religious fanatics that disagree with Western culture, and wish to do nothing more than wipe us all off the map; they proved this on September 11, 2001. If we do not go abroad and contain these nuts then they will surely come to our soil and attack us again. This conflict will go on forever and ever because we can't get rid of all of them and they can't get rid of all of us. These jokers are intent on accelerating Armageddon, and we are intent on stopping them. Our collective efforts and continuation of suppression in the middle east will give some guarantee that we will be safe in the states.
Personally, I feel as if I have a personal vendetta against a sect of people that I've never come into contact with. I want to call them towel heads and curse them all to hell, but at the same time I try not to be stereotypical and biased. Everyone always says how they want to go to Afghanistan and shoot a terrorist in the face; I say it too. But the real question is, if I received that opportunity would I take it? I say yes. He wants to kill me. He wants to kill all Americans. So it's two in the chest, one in the head for this guy.
Who knows what would really happen, though. I've never been in the situation, and no one knows how they'd react until it happens. But as it stands, I think these people are evil, tyrannical, and deserve to die. How dare they say we are wrong and how dare they take Armageddon into their own hands, killing Americans, coalition forces from other nations, and even their own countrymen. Enough is enough.
I feel my posts are pretty dark sometimes, but I have a big job ahead of me; a big challenge, if you will. I make light of whatever I can. There is a point, however, in which feelings of the unknown take over and bring out the negative. That's partly what the whole blog process is for, kind of like a therapy session. I hope it doesn't scare anyone or make anyone think that I am some weirdo, that is furthest from my intention. War is not a pretty thing, and no matter what, all soldiers have a hand in what ultimately happens on the battlefield.
In other news, Christmas is on the way. It is still up in the air whether or not I will be able to go back to Ohio for the holidays, as it is supposedly days before we are to board a plane and leave the US of A. I'll keep my fingers crossed for sure. It makes me happy to see all the decorations going up, seeing the Christmassy commercials and hearing the christMASSY music. I watched A CHRISTMAS STORY the other night, a true classic. I really hope to get Christmas this year. I missed it last year, and will miss it next year. I just hope the army doesn't make Christmas "just another day" because I miss it so often.
I am also turning 26 soon. Is that old? Compared to a lot of the people I serve with, it is. The average age in my peer group right now is probably around 22 or 23...Not a huge difference, but it seems like some of the other guys are in a different stage of their life then I am. I had all my wild fun in college, and did all the things that I wanted to do. It makes me wonder if they know why we fight? Or why did they join the army at all? It's kind of scary because sometimes I feel that it isn't the same reason. I hope I'm wrong. I know a lot of people in the army joined because they had nothing else going for them; but I hope they are patriotic in what they do. Sometimes the stresses of military life make it hard to be a patriot...but I know that the fire in my heart will never totally burn out, and that is why I am OK with deploying. I do what I do, it is what it is. What doesn't kill me will only making me stronger. When I get back I will be rock solid, like petrified !@#$. Sorry, I think cursing gives writing character at times, but I try not do it. But if you don't it might not be as real as it should be. I just try to write like I'd speak. Anyways, the rambling process has begun, so I must be going. I hope December brings you peace and joy. Don't take these times for granted.
In one month we will set foot in strange lands, and delve into the unknown. Go big or go home, right? Balls deep.
-J
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Deadlines, Preparation..
The latter part of this year has probably been one of the most stressful times of my army adventure so far. I don't call it a career, or I try not to, because I am not going to be doing this for my entire life; it's a stepping stone in what I hope to be a lifetime of experiences.
Some months ago I was put on a team that was to install modifications on all aircraft in the battalion. Twenty-four aircraft to be exact. Initially, teams of civilians from contracting firms were supposed to take on this giant, but then the heads of our unit decided to put it on the shoulders of the little guys to save money, or to make money since they did not have the money to pay contractors. So instead of paying some guy a bazillion dollars to modify the Apaches, they could pay us our crap pay and get triple the man hours. Brilliant.
Don't call me bitter..I just don't understand why a civilian would be paid some atrocious amount of money to do the same thing that I am going to do for a third, or maybe even a quarter of the pay. The mindset of "doing my part" keeps me in line though, as these aircraft need these modifications for the combat zone, and I have skills.
So our team had to go talk to these contractors so that they could show us the process of modification. It was kind of odd because while they were showing us they tested their latest modification and it did not work; pretty encouraging. Some guy was saying how he'd been doing this for twenty years, which isn't really something to brag about when your shit doesn't work. Regardless, we had an idea of what was going on and set out to make it work.
Our first aircraft was somewhat of a nightmare. One of the modifications requires running a set of wires from the very tip top of the tail to a switch panel in the pilot station, which is, yes you guessed it, in the front of the aircraft. Getting the wires through the pre-determined path was hell on earth...Tools were thrown, thin air was beaten to a pulp, and profanity was rampant...The engineer that drew up the blueprints for this obviously didn't try the install himself on a real aircraft. It looks good on paper!!!! Anyways, our first aircraft took 5 days to do, when the mod was generally supposed to take around 16 hours. The production control office surely wasn't satisfied with our progress, so we had to get better. At least it worked the first time when we tested the system, unlike those highly paid civilian contractors.
From there, it only got easier. One tends to perfect a process after doing it over and over and over. Our team got it down to a day and a half for one aircraft...Mind you that is working hours, not hours in a day, so all in all we were finishing an aircraft every 12 work hours. Surely we will finish all 24..right?
Well, to make a long story short...through all the sweat, some blood, but no tears, we managed to fight the fight and win the day. As of yesterday, all of the aircraft have been completed, but even though it was over it still isn't over. We have yet one final deadline; all of the aircraft that haven't had their mods tested need to be completed by well, tomorrow. That's a difficult task when there is no coordination between flying the aircraft and other maintenance. Getting time on the aircraft for testing is like trying to take back that dollar you already gave the stripper. Rough. Tomorrow will either be a good or bad day.
Preparation for war is no easy business, either. There are so many facets that support this statement that I can't possibly discuss them all, so I will mention a few. We get issued so much crap that I don't have any more space to store it, and we aren't done yet. I'm glad the Army wants to make sure I am properly equipped, but damn. If I tried to carry all of this junk into a war zone I'd surely be gunned down immediately. The administrative part of it all is the worst. Between planning my funeral, right down to what music I want, and getting all of the necessary shots and finishing mountains of paperwork, I feel like I should be cross-eyed or something by now. Regardless, it is all essential so that when we go abroad everything is taken care of.
Pretty soon it will be time to do equipment layouts and inspections to make sure we have everything necessary to brave a 15 month tour in Afghanistan. No matter what anyone says, this process sucks. "Hold up your GAS MASK, hold up your UNDERWEAR ha ha, hold up your M4 RIFLE!!!!!!" Hope they don't ask me to hold up my soul, and make sure I have enough bullets please.
I haven't really developed any feelings toward the upcoming deployment. I don't know if I want to go or not. I guess I do because I signed up to do my part, and if this isn't doing my part then I don't know what is. I'm not scared of being hurt; they say when you get into a crazy situation that training just kicks in and you know what to do. We shall see.
I suppose that's all I have for now..There's a soft queen sized bed calling my name, and I am going to indulge myself while I still can. We leave in a month, and I'm pretty sure they don't have sertas in durka-durkastan. It's either a cot, or the ground. Hope you find this entry amusing, funny, entertaining, or something else positive. If not, check your pulse.
P.S. I WANT TO GET PROMOTED (another story all in itself. But SGT GRATSCH is coming, I promise you that)
peace, love, empathy
-J
Some months ago I was put on a team that was to install modifications on all aircraft in the battalion. Twenty-four aircraft to be exact. Initially, teams of civilians from contracting firms were supposed to take on this giant, but then the heads of our unit decided to put it on the shoulders of the little guys to save money, or to make money since they did not have the money to pay contractors. So instead of paying some guy a bazillion dollars to modify the Apaches, they could pay us our crap pay and get triple the man hours. Brilliant.
Don't call me bitter..I just don't understand why a civilian would be paid some atrocious amount of money to do the same thing that I am going to do for a third, or maybe even a quarter of the pay. The mindset of "doing my part" keeps me in line though, as these aircraft need these modifications for the combat zone, and I have skills.
So our team had to go talk to these contractors so that they could show us the process of modification. It was kind of odd because while they were showing us they tested their latest modification and it did not work; pretty encouraging. Some guy was saying how he'd been doing this for twenty years, which isn't really something to brag about when your shit doesn't work. Regardless, we had an idea of what was going on and set out to make it work.
Our first aircraft was somewhat of a nightmare. One of the modifications requires running a set of wires from the very tip top of the tail to a switch panel in the pilot station, which is, yes you guessed it, in the front of the aircraft. Getting the wires through the pre-determined path was hell on earth...Tools were thrown, thin air was beaten to a pulp, and profanity was rampant...The engineer that drew up the blueprints for this obviously didn't try the install himself on a real aircraft. It looks good on paper!!!! Anyways, our first aircraft took 5 days to do, when the mod was generally supposed to take around 16 hours. The production control office surely wasn't satisfied with our progress, so we had to get better. At least it worked the first time when we tested the system, unlike those highly paid civilian contractors.
From there, it only got easier. One tends to perfect a process after doing it over and over and over. Our team got it down to a day and a half for one aircraft...Mind you that is working hours, not hours in a day, so all in all we were finishing an aircraft every 12 work hours. Surely we will finish all 24..right?
Well, to make a long story short...through all the sweat, some blood, but no tears, we managed to fight the fight and win the day. As of yesterday, all of the aircraft have been completed, but even though it was over it still isn't over. We have yet one final deadline; all of the aircraft that haven't had their mods tested need to be completed by well, tomorrow. That's a difficult task when there is no coordination between flying the aircraft and other maintenance. Getting time on the aircraft for testing is like trying to take back that dollar you already gave the stripper. Rough. Tomorrow will either be a good or bad day.
Preparation for war is no easy business, either. There are so many facets that support this statement that I can't possibly discuss them all, so I will mention a few. We get issued so much crap that I don't have any more space to store it, and we aren't done yet. I'm glad the Army wants to make sure I am properly equipped, but damn. If I tried to carry all of this junk into a war zone I'd surely be gunned down immediately. The administrative part of it all is the worst. Between planning my funeral, right down to what music I want, and getting all of the necessary shots and finishing mountains of paperwork, I feel like I should be cross-eyed or something by now. Regardless, it is all essential so that when we go abroad everything is taken care of.
Pretty soon it will be time to do equipment layouts and inspections to make sure we have everything necessary to brave a 15 month tour in Afghanistan. No matter what anyone says, this process sucks. "Hold up your GAS MASK, hold up your UNDERWEAR ha ha, hold up your M4 RIFLE!!!!!!" Hope they don't ask me to hold up my soul, and make sure I have enough bullets please.
I haven't really developed any feelings toward the upcoming deployment. I don't know if I want to go or not. I guess I do because I signed up to do my part, and if this isn't doing my part then I don't know what is. I'm not scared of being hurt; they say when you get into a crazy situation that training just kicks in and you know what to do. We shall see.
I suppose that's all I have for now..There's a soft queen sized bed calling my name, and I am going to indulge myself while I still can. We leave in a month, and I'm pretty sure they don't have sertas in durka-durkastan. It's either a cot, or the ground. Hope you find this entry amusing, funny, entertaining, or something else positive. If not, check your pulse.
P.S. I WANT TO GET PROMOTED (another story all in itself. But SGT GRATSCH is coming, I promise you that)
peace, love, empathy
-J
Friday, November 9, 2007
Intro, reasons, and "catching up."
I guess I will start by stating my purpose; I want others to know what soldiers do, and what soldiers go through. Not only in a war zone, but in garrison on U.S. Army installations as well. I don't know how much garrison talk there will be, though...as we are getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan for 15 months, and I feel like there is a lot that needs to be told before these boots leave U.S. soil.
Earlier this evening I watched a special on the history channel entitled "Band of Bloggers;" soldiers sharing experiences from Iraq, quite literally moments after they happened. It's a good idea for the world to know what is going on, as long as it isn't violating operational security. They say "loose lips sink ships," and I will abide by that saying when posting. I figured that since I have a journalism degree and posses a strong passion for writing, that I might as well put it to good use. And so it begins..
I graduated from Miami University (the one in Ohio) in May 2004. Most students there had great ambitions of joining big business firms and getting their piece of the "pie in the sky." Of course I want that too, but something had been bothering me for years. The tragedies of September 11, 2001 occurred during first semester of my sophomore year. I remember sitting in the dining hall eating breakfast when an announcement came over the loudspeaker that a plane had crashed into the world trade center. At this time there was no speculation of terrorist activity and it was assumed that this was an accident. I dropped the cold spoon into my oatmeal and left the tray where it was.
Back in my dorm room I flipped on the television. It didn't matter which channel I switched to, all networks were covering the unfolding events. After awhile reports were coming in that the plane which lay burning and destroyed inside the first tower was a possible hijacking. I remember black smoke billowing from the tower, and then surprised newscasters gasped as a second aircraft appeared on the screen and smashed into the second tower. We knew then that the speculations were most likely true; the US had been attacked on its own soil. I don't go to church that often, but I do believe in God. For some reason I went to my desk drawer and grabbed a tiny green bible that I received from a man handing them out on one of the street corners the week before. I held the bible tight and felt like crying. I don't know why. The world was entering a time of uncertainty, and just then, things went from being OK to all messed up.
Class was weird that day. Different quads produced distinct, emotional vibes, if you will. Some areas of campus were in complete hysteria, while others were quiet and somber. We didn't really have class. We still went, simply because that's what we were supposed to do. Mostly we watched the events on classroom TVs and discussed what was going on. Almost every class I went to had people crying because they knew someone that worked in one of those towers, or had relatives in the city police or fire departments. I felt for those students; I didn't know anyone in New York. After class I went to the Shriver Center, which is a place where a lot of students go to eat, hang out, and study. Every television in the place was surrounded by a large crowd. So many people just standing there in disbelief, not knowing what to say or do. I must say that it was an emotionally draining day. I figured that we would be going to war with someone, or that some sort of military retaliation would be underway in the near future. In all honesty I wanted to quit college that very day and head over to the nearest military recruiter to sign up. Anger consumed my thoughts, and I wanted to get back at whoever did this to my countrymen. It took a phone call from my mother to calm me down, and in the end, I decided to stay in school. But at what cost?
Fast forward to senior year. A lot of things had happened since that tragic day. I lost my older brother to a senseless motorcycle accident in the late summer after my sophomore year. He had served his time in the armed forces as a marine. And even though he never deployed anywhere and never saw combat, I respected him for being a devil dawg. It was getting close to graduation time, and even though the excitement of finishing that chapter of my life was upon me, something didn't feel right. I didn't have a job lined up like a lot of my peers, but it did not bother me either. September 11th was always in the back of my mind. Being a journalism major, the news was always a big part of my day; who, what, when, where, why and how was driven into my brain. We studied the news, and I wrote for the local paper. I saw what the media wanted me to see concerning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's hard to believe that we are coming upon 2008, and we are STILL in Afghanistan. We went there shortly after that dark day, and that was in my EARLY college years. As ironic as it is, I am now almost 26 years old and getting ready to go there myself. Weird. Getting back on track though, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do post graduation. I had always wanted to be a fighter pilot, the kind that wore the cool aviator sunglasses and wore the bomber jackets with pinup girls painted on the back. Maybe that's a little WWIIish, but it appealed to me.
I started speaking with a US NAVY officer recruiter to see about getting into OCS. I would, after all, have a college degree soon and be eligible. To make a long story short, I went through the entire painstaking process of putting together an officer application packet, which included but is not limited to the following: several thousand military documents (so it seemed), letters of recommendation, test scores that show I did exceptionally well on the AVIATION SELECTION TEST BATTERY for wannabe fighter pilots, and proof that I would soon be in possession of a true blue bachelors degree. The process took so long that it extended beyond my college graduation date, at which time I found myself working in the civilian world at a place that I will not mention. My packet was submitted twice, and rejected twice, for reasons I did not know at the time. Later on I would find out the most likely reason was because my college degree is in journalism and business. Candidates chosen had such degrees as aeronautics and engineering. So with my dreams dashed away just like that, I continued on in the civilian world, September 11th always whispering ever so softly from the back of my mind.
I worked on into 2005, and by that time it was almost certain that I was going to do my part one way or another. In late 2004 I attended a NASCAR race in Bristol, Tennessee with my family. While there I'd apparently visited a US Army recruiting booth because a couple of weeks later I started receiving phone calls from local recruiters wanting me to come on down and have a chat about an army career that I knew nothing about. Finally, one day I caved and visited a man by the name of Carrington Melton at the Springfield, Ohio recruiting station. After several meetings my ARMY career path had been laid; I would enlist, serve some time in the Aviation corps as an Apache armament electrician and system repairer (15Y), and then, after gaining enough experience on the Apache platform, drop a warrant officer packet in hopes of becoming an AH-64D Apache Longbow pilot. I signed a contract and gave the oath of enlistment at the MEPS in Columbus, Ohio in February 2005. After I raised my right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution of The United States of America, a sense of weariness came over me. I felt proud, but what did I get myself into?
Again, to make a long story short, I will briefly annotate my military career up until present times. Before I do so, though, I would like to say that I am proud to be an enlisted man. I get tired of people always asking me "why in the hell did I go enlisted when I could easily be an OFFICER!" Well, to set the record straight, the enlisted man is the backbone of the army. He gets the job done, and the officer gets the credit. The officer makes decisions that can ultimately get people killed. I am not that guy. The enlisted corps has plenty of opportunity for me to be a leader, and ever since I saw HBO's miniseries BAND OF BROTHERS, I have wanted to wear sergeant's stripes; there's just something about it. Let's get one thing straight right here and right now, though. I am not bad mouthing officers in any way; there's a lot of great ones out there, but a lot of dopey ones too. My father was a great enlisted man, serving in the Vietnam war. I wanted to follow in his footsteps as well.
Another question I get asked a lot is "if you have a journalism degree then why don't you do journalism in the ARMY!?!?" My response to that is because that would be lame. If I am going to put my civilian life on hold and be in the army I want to do "armyish" things. Journalism is not armyish. I also do not like how the civilian media portrays the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot of things are happening over there that the media never even covers (they like to focus on the negative). Being a trained journalist, I know how everything works and I do not not like the final product most of the time. That is why.
Back to the meat and potatoes. I left my family and everything I knew for the unknown. I arrived at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on 12 April, 2005. Action Jackson turned me into a fine tuned fighting machine, and by June 2005 I was ready to head to Ft. Eustis, VA for training in my MOS (military occupational specialty). By January 2006 I was fully trained and ready to be shipped off to my first unit. I was informed a while before my training ended that I would be going to South Korea to a heavy cavalry unit operating on the peninsula. Needless to say I was not excited. To keep this from becoming a total autobiography, I will just say that I served valiantly in Korea if I do say so myself, and arrived safely back in America in February 2007. Since then, I have been stationed at Ft. Campbell Kentucky and am a proud member of the famous 101st Airborne Division. The division was made famous by the action it saw in WWII. Watch BAND OF BROTHERS and you will see why I am so proud to wear the screaming eagle patch. I've been here for some 9 months now, working to maintain 3 companies of Apaches. I will get into more detail of what I've been up to in the upcoming posts, as this one is already pretty lengthy.
I want this blog to be interactive with anyone who reads it. I will always respond to questions and comments in a timely manner (well, as timely as an Army soldier can be!). Without giving away too much about our operations in Afghanistan, my goal is to have people grasp what we are going through on a daily basis. Hopefully there will be photos to support the blogs. This isn't a freak show or anything...I just want to cover what the news doesn't. Hope this entry finds everyone well. The holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone is looking forward to it.
Here is a link, well, hopefully it's a link, to my webshots page that contains many photos of my adventures thus far. If it's not a link, just copy and paste it into your browser and you will be good to go.
Here it is: http://community.webshots.com/user/jgratsch100?vhost=community
Cheers
Earlier this evening I watched a special on the history channel entitled "Band of Bloggers;" soldiers sharing experiences from Iraq, quite literally moments after they happened. It's a good idea for the world to know what is going on, as long as it isn't violating operational security. They say "loose lips sink ships," and I will abide by that saying when posting. I figured that since I have a journalism degree and posses a strong passion for writing, that I might as well put it to good use. And so it begins..
I graduated from Miami University (the one in Ohio) in May 2004. Most students there had great ambitions of joining big business firms and getting their piece of the "pie in the sky." Of course I want that too, but something had been bothering me for years. The tragedies of September 11, 2001 occurred during first semester of my sophomore year. I remember sitting in the dining hall eating breakfast when an announcement came over the loudspeaker that a plane had crashed into the world trade center. At this time there was no speculation of terrorist activity and it was assumed that this was an accident. I dropped the cold spoon into my oatmeal and left the tray where it was.
Back in my dorm room I flipped on the television. It didn't matter which channel I switched to, all networks were covering the unfolding events. After awhile reports were coming in that the plane which lay burning and destroyed inside the first tower was a possible hijacking. I remember black smoke billowing from the tower, and then surprised newscasters gasped as a second aircraft appeared on the screen and smashed into the second tower. We knew then that the speculations were most likely true; the US had been attacked on its own soil. I don't go to church that often, but I do believe in God. For some reason I went to my desk drawer and grabbed a tiny green bible that I received from a man handing them out on one of the street corners the week before. I held the bible tight and felt like crying. I don't know why. The world was entering a time of uncertainty, and just then, things went from being OK to all messed up.
Class was weird that day. Different quads produced distinct, emotional vibes, if you will. Some areas of campus were in complete hysteria, while others were quiet and somber. We didn't really have class. We still went, simply because that's what we were supposed to do. Mostly we watched the events on classroom TVs and discussed what was going on. Almost every class I went to had people crying because they knew someone that worked in one of those towers, or had relatives in the city police or fire departments. I felt for those students; I didn't know anyone in New York. After class I went to the Shriver Center, which is a place where a lot of students go to eat, hang out, and study. Every television in the place was surrounded by a large crowd. So many people just standing there in disbelief, not knowing what to say or do. I must say that it was an emotionally draining day. I figured that we would be going to war with someone, or that some sort of military retaliation would be underway in the near future. In all honesty I wanted to quit college that very day and head over to the nearest military recruiter to sign up. Anger consumed my thoughts, and I wanted to get back at whoever did this to my countrymen. It took a phone call from my mother to calm me down, and in the end, I decided to stay in school. But at what cost?
Fast forward to senior year. A lot of things had happened since that tragic day. I lost my older brother to a senseless motorcycle accident in the late summer after my sophomore year. He had served his time in the armed forces as a marine. And even though he never deployed anywhere and never saw combat, I respected him for being a devil dawg. It was getting close to graduation time, and even though the excitement of finishing that chapter of my life was upon me, something didn't feel right. I didn't have a job lined up like a lot of my peers, but it did not bother me either. September 11th was always in the back of my mind. Being a journalism major, the news was always a big part of my day; who, what, when, where, why and how was driven into my brain. We studied the news, and I wrote for the local paper. I saw what the media wanted me to see concerning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's hard to believe that we are coming upon 2008, and we are STILL in Afghanistan. We went there shortly after that dark day, and that was in my EARLY college years. As ironic as it is, I am now almost 26 years old and getting ready to go there myself. Weird. Getting back on track though, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do post graduation. I had always wanted to be a fighter pilot, the kind that wore the cool aviator sunglasses and wore the bomber jackets with pinup girls painted on the back. Maybe that's a little WWIIish, but it appealed to me.
I started speaking with a US NAVY officer recruiter to see about getting into OCS. I would, after all, have a college degree soon and be eligible. To make a long story short, I went through the entire painstaking process of putting together an officer application packet, which included but is not limited to the following: several thousand military documents (so it seemed), letters of recommendation, test scores that show I did exceptionally well on the AVIATION SELECTION TEST BATTERY for wannabe fighter pilots, and proof that I would soon be in possession of a true blue bachelors degree. The process took so long that it extended beyond my college graduation date, at which time I found myself working in the civilian world at a place that I will not mention. My packet was submitted twice, and rejected twice, for reasons I did not know at the time. Later on I would find out the most likely reason was because my college degree is in journalism and business. Candidates chosen had such degrees as aeronautics and engineering. So with my dreams dashed away just like that, I continued on in the civilian world, September 11th always whispering ever so softly from the back of my mind.
I worked on into 2005, and by that time it was almost certain that I was going to do my part one way or another. In late 2004 I attended a NASCAR race in Bristol, Tennessee with my family. While there I'd apparently visited a US Army recruiting booth because a couple of weeks later I started receiving phone calls from local recruiters wanting me to come on down and have a chat about an army career that I knew nothing about. Finally, one day I caved and visited a man by the name of Carrington Melton at the Springfield, Ohio recruiting station. After several meetings my ARMY career path had been laid; I would enlist, serve some time in the Aviation corps as an Apache armament electrician and system repairer (15Y), and then, after gaining enough experience on the Apache platform, drop a warrant officer packet in hopes of becoming an AH-64D Apache Longbow pilot. I signed a contract and gave the oath of enlistment at the MEPS in Columbus, Ohio in February 2005. After I raised my right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution of The United States of America, a sense of weariness came over me. I felt proud, but what did I get myself into?
Again, to make a long story short, I will briefly annotate my military career up until present times. Before I do so, though, I would like to say that I am proud to be an enlisted man. I get tired of people always asking me "why in the hell did I go enlisted when I could easily be an OFFICER!" Well, to set the record straight, the enlisted man is the backbone of the army. He gets the job done, and the officer gets the credit. The officer makes decisions that can ultimately get people killed. I am not that guy. The enlisted corps has plenty of opportunity for me to be a leader, and ever since I saw HBO's miniseries BAND OF BROTHERS, I have wanted to wear sergeant's stripes; there's just something about it. Let's get one thing straight right here and right now, though. I am not bad mouthing officers in any way; there's a lot of great ones out there, but a lot of dopey ones too. My father was a great enlisted man, serving in the Vietnam war. I wanted to follow in his footsteps as well.
Another question I get asked a lot is "if you have a journalism degree then why don't you do journalism in the ARMY!?!?" My response to that is because that would be lame. If I am going to put my civilian life on hold and be in the army I want to do "armyish" things. Journalism is not armyish. I also do not like how the civilian media portrays the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot of things are happening over there that the media never even covers (they like to focus on the negative). Being a trained journalist, I know how everything works and I do not not like the final product most of the time. That is why.
Back to the meat and potatoes. I left my family and everything I knew for the unknown. I arrived at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on 12 April, 2005. Action Jackson turned me into a fine tuned fighting machine, and by June 2005 I was ready to head to Ft. Eustis, VA for training in my MOS (military occupational specialty). By January 2006 I was fully trained and ready to be shipped off to my first unit. I was informed a while before my training ended that I would be going to South Korea to a heavy cavalry unit operating on the peninsula. Needless to say I was not excited. To keep this from becoming a total autobiography, I will just say that I served valiantly in Korea if I do say so myself, and arrived safely back in America in February 2007. Since then, I have been stationed at Ft. Campbell Kentucky and am a proud member of the famous 101st Airborne Division. The division was made famous by the action it saw in WWII. Watch BAND OF BROTHERS and you will see why I am so proud to wear the screaming eagle patch. I've been here for some 9 months now, working to maintain 3 companies of Apaches. I will get into more detail of what I've been up to in the upcoming posts, as this one is already pretty lengthy.
I want this blog to be interactive with anyone who reads it. I will always respond to questions and comments in a timely manner (well, as timely as an Army soldier can be!). Without giving away too much about our operations in Afghanistan, my goal is to have people grasp what we are going through on a daily basis. Hopefully there will be photos to support the blogs. This isn't a freak show or anything...I just want to cover what the news doesn't. Hope this entry finds everyone well. The holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone is looking forward to it.
Here is a link, well, hopefully it's a link, to my webshots page that contains many photos of my adventures thus far. If it's not a link, just copy and paste it into your browser and you will be good to go.
Here it is: http://community.webshots.com/user/jgratsch100?vhost=community
Cheers
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