Many have died……
A good day for me
Outside of the fact that I am single and very dissapointed in that fact, today was a good day.
I was promoted to the rank of First Sergeant. It’s a great day to serve our nation.
situation normal
This week, although short, has been just as much of a pain in the butt as weeks past. This job officially sucks. Today I finally got some details though. They are intentionally making this painful to make my future boss grow a pair… ARGH!!!! My job isn’t to babysit people who own me!
On a much better note, my third grade crush has decided to come visit me this weekend. I am very, very pleased with her decision!
Job update
So I have decided to maintain my job here in Savannah. Today was my day to quit if there ever was a day. However, with new news of business picking up here at my current post, I have decided to remain here. I will be this brand new company’s first 1SG (First Sergeant). I guess I have found myself excited about the possibilities, but I think I would’ve prefer a little change of scenary, but ohh well. Plus one of my biggest supporters is coming to run my Battalion soon and will open up some other avenues from me to move down.
I do wish I had a spouse to share these moments with… I will likely be finished with all of the fun stuff the Army has to offer before I have anyone to share it with. Again I am not going to cry over something I have no real control over..
On another different, yet related note, my date tonight was rescheduled to an undetermined day. Hopefully it will be soon!
OMG, what a week
Well, my fate has been decided by those who command me. I am to remain here and start up a new company inside my Battalion. I was very dissapointed with there decision. I wanted change so terribly bad. I needed it. So, with the lack of change placed in my life back work, I have decided to make change inside my own life. More to follow on this. The assignment has the potential to make me very happy or very unhappy. Which one has yet to be decided.
“Ms. Slow” and I hung out on Thursday. I have to say it was one of the best dates of my life. We didn’t even do anything spectacular. Dinner and a movie at my place. We are going to see each other once again tonight… We have a chance once again, but I want to remain the theme of our fledgling relationship.
Last night was the formal. The event went well, but I found myself board with the same ol’ “formal.” Our unit needs some serious overhaul when it comes to events like this. My date was the “Super Cougar,” as she has been crowned by my peers. We had a good night, but there is a connection missing. Strange…. I am not sure what it is.
Another random steak and lobster day
Every Friday here in the wonderful world I visit is always the same, “the man” seems to think that some nasty steak and lobster will raise moral and keep us going. Now I must admit that early on in this conflict it was something to look forward to. However, year seven, same steak, same lobster, same taste, nasty. However, I eat it down everytime with no complaints like a good little Soldier boy!
Meanwhile I did see the official list showing my selection for promotion. Rumors are flying everywhere about who will be posted where and in what positions. I am excited about the possibility of great change. I want to be a First Sergeant!
Off to change and hit the gym, gotta get these calories off of my bottom side. I did 8.3 miles on the bike the other day in 25 minutes. I was sore from it yesterday and didn’t feel great so I skipped. Today I will double my efforts.
Around the world in a day
So… from my posting on the far side of the planet I write..
I am bored…. I’m thinking I am going to go get myself a Latte, then change and hit the gym. Yesterday I surprised myself with 4.2 miles in 25 minutes on the eliptical. At the altitude I am working at, going hard, fast at first is usually a challenge. I think I am going to ride the bike today. I don’t do much outside of cardio. You know, gotta keep those calories burning off.
I don’t suspect I will be here much longer then 15-20 more days, but I haven’t found myself a ride home yet. I will begin working on it in another week or so.
I had some weird dreams last night. I struggle now to recall them, but they disturbed my sleep. I have found through years of deployments that my body doesn’t work on a 24 hour clock. It’s closer to 32 hours, 24 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep. Sleep is a precious commodity that I treasure and good sleep doesn’t come often for me. I have already slept during the day, night and inbetween during my short stay here. Coffee time! Have a wonderful Wednesday, mine is almost over…. ~~K
The summary of the week
This past week proved to be a very demanding week. I was telling the young lady I am talking to (the same one I mentioned a few weeks ago) that it wasn’t physically exhausting, it was mentally exhausting. I watched the creation of the case against one of my best buds, well I thought best buds. Now I am beginning to have my doubts. I guess I’ll go on to side note really quick. I am one of those people that will stand up and sheild my men with all my might when it comes to just about anything. But you must come clean with me. Now I have watched the evidence stack up against my co-worker, the man I have spent the last three and a half years growing to take my place. And yet still he doesn’t seem to be telling me the truth. I know that the evidence will never match up from both sides, but it does not look good.
So, the upcoming week looks to be one were I could find myself alone in an office slotted for 12 men… Four of which should be of the rank of Sergeant First Class such as myself and the rest should be Staff Sergeants. We are spread a little thin these days. I am already hard at work on my plan to refill my Platoon’s leaders. Time will tell. Meanwhile I should know in about 10 days or so whether or not I have been selected for promotion. I have my fingers crossed. I wasn’t nervous about it at all until everyone started asking me about it nearly every 5 minutes. I had myself all calm, after all if I get overlooked and selected next year I will still be a few years ahead of my peers…
So as previously mentioned I am still talking to the same girl. She is very sweet and seems to care. I haven’t seen her in two and a half weeks though. She went out of town to see her parents for 9 days, then came home to work 12 hour days for 6 straight. She works a lot. I work a lot. I am not so sure how I will ever meet and be able to maintain with anyone…… I will continue to talk with her, we have some wonderful conversations. We can easily find ourselves on the phone for hours… We soothe one another. Did I mention she lives about an hour drive away? It makes it even harder. This week I needed someone to sit and talk with, but the position went unfilled. Her and I talked over the phone almost everyday, but I can’t talk about work over the phone. I guess we will have to work something out. I will keep you posted~~~~K
Sucking up Tax Dollars
So here I am sitting in my office writing on my blog. Which is very strange because everything you would ever want to visit on the internet is usually blocked from our view by the cyber police. Ofcourse I am doing this on your dime, but when am I not, I get paid 24/7.
This morning i ran about 4 miles, nothing too fancy. I recieved three brand new Privates yesterday. They all failed to make the time this morning. This has become a trend as of late. I will help them become stronger through a lot of exercise today. It is a tactic used by Non-Commisioned Officers Army wide. It is not that the guy is actually going to get stronger. However, the thought of going through another day like today will drive him to push through the pain on the next test. Which by the way, will be tomorrow. Ofcourse they are new and know nothing. I am a very hard, very demanding leader. The only way is clean nosed perfection!
Today is loaded down with meeting after meeting. Yuck! My entire day will be spent either listening to people brief stuff I don’t want to hear or briefing a bunch of stuff that no-one else really wants to hear. I hope everyone else’s day is a lot more fun. I use my new Soldiers pain and suffering to bring a little sunshine into my life!
Work, Marraige and sex
I work in a unique environment. I work around some of the most dedicated, hard working, and smartest men in America’s armed forces. We take impossible problems and come up with practical solutions every single day. Most of them work hard and play hard. I just work hard, never really been the playing type. I have a lot more I want to say, but I think this isn’t the appropriate forum.
I took my current post about 3 and a half years ago. I took over, assessed and restructured the way my group of men handle business. I spend most of my time, even while deployed, training men. I have spent a lot of the last years or so training 2 guys to untimately fill my position. One of which was my primary choice and focus. I evaluated him, pushed him hard both in combat and at home. A few months ago he was selected for promotion to my rank and I allowed him to step into my position to feel his way around while I am still present. Long story short, he learns while I make sure the mission doesn’t fail. So yesterday he comes up and sits on my desk (which usually means he needs my help or advice) and what comes out of his mouth shocks me. He is being accused of sleeping with another Soldiers wife. Now I just recently testified on behalf of another Soldier friend of mine that was accused of the same thing initially. It ended up that they just sent some inappropriate text and email between each other and never really slept together. However an inappropriate relationship from the Army’s standpoint encompasses a lot more ground then just having sex. So, bottom line my friend is being punished and removed from our organization. Back to my current situation, my subordinate / peer has got us into some trouble. He is ultimately guilty of the same offense and will probably pay a simliar price. He was vital to the future of our group. Now a massive hole has formed in my formation with no-one even close to being trained up to fill the position. It generally takes about 2 years for a guy at my rank to come in from another organization, get trained start thinking on his own. Growing one fro scratch usually takes even longer. This will likely leave me laying awake for a few nights to come and apply some higher levels of stress to my days…… A few more weeks and hopefully I will be selected for promotion to the next grade. I will likely be reassigned, if I’m selected, and will leave this group to fight for itself. However this causes me considerable heartache. I have spent the last few years pushing this group of men into record setting condition that will likely go to hell without a trained and experienced leader…. oh hell………. The “F” word just comes to my mind over and over to describe this mess. I forgot to mention that he is also married…… What a F…ing mess he has created.
This next week will not be fun in the least. I am filling in for my boss. Which in all likelyhood will mean I will end up handling most of the above situation. Although he is one of my best friends I will not pull any punches. He will enjoy the full wrath of military law.
