Why I joined the Army

I had an experience yesterday that I haven't had in a long time. I went out with the logistics guys to go turn in munitions that we most likely wouldn't be using before we left like rocket launchers, mortars, Mk-19 grenades, hand grenades, smoke grenades, flash-bangs and other odd ball munitions. To move all of it we had to use the PLS since it was all in a conex, but we had to strap it down first with cargo nets and straps. Taking it over to the ASP we accounted for everything and turned it over to the personnel at the ASP. I started to have flash backs of Annual Training and moving ammo around from one range or another for all the line units doing weapons training. I started to remember why I joined the Army in the first place: to do something I can't do anywhere else and to do it while I'm still young. I know my family is grateful that I don't need to go outside the wire working in the human resources section, but I was never meant to work behind a desk, especially in the Army. It is very disheartning to see civilians doing the same job I am and they get to wear normal clothes and they don't have to haul around a weapon. It makes me wonder why I am even here. Some people might say 'you should be grateful you don't have to work to exhaustion everyday' or something like that, but what does it matter if you don't get any satisfaction out of your job. I have learned many things in the S-1 that will be useful in the future, but of all the things I've learned on this deployment the one skill that I would consider most valuable is learning how to operate a three ton forklift.

Whew

So, talk about a busy month.

Hopefully with Christmas done and past the mail will settle down. We were getting twice as much as we normally do every single day. We had to pump our mail process with steroids and bring in the big truck to help facilitate the process which SGT Kane has so pain stakingly published on his blog. It kept us very busy to say the least.

Christmas was a good day here on Camp Anaconda. We got the mail handed out early in the day because we had gone the night before at 2200 hours (10:00 PM for you civilians) to pick up mail in case we had another plane come in for Christmas day. Luckily the Santa run was the only mail that came in and we were able to go to lunch with our section and have free time the rest of the day. The sun was out and it got up to about 60 degrees I think. I took some time to clean out my room since I had some care packages still half full with goodies that I hadn't quite put away yet. Benes also did the same so there was a whole bunch of open floor space that we hadn't had for a while.

Things are actually pretty busy in the office as well. The big project right now is getting all the end of tour awards done and up to our higher eschelon so they can continue processing so all the soldiers in the brigade receive their awards before we go home.

It's hard to believe the new year is only six days away. I remember last year when we returned to Camp Shelby and I marked off January 3 on a new calendar. It felt like such a long time before the deployment would be over knowing that I would have to start a whole new calendar before I would be going home for good. Now that calendar is nearing the end and so is our deployment and just like anything else I wonder where the time has gone.

I hope everybody had a merry Christmas and wish you a happy new year.