Tag: BENEFITS

It looks awesome, now to reassemble it. Tested the engine this weekend and it sounds strong and nothing broke so all in all I am back on track. I attached some pictures of the paint job, and of the engine. Oh and a before and after of the roll cage - SAFETY FIRST!! I am trying to get it completed for some local car shows and to get on the trail by the end of this month.

The wife and I went to sea world this weekend, its free for soldiers one time per year from Anheuser-busch and I had never been there (even after living in San Antonio all these years), - free admission is part of the company Hero Salute - check out the link http://www.herosalute.com we had a good time and we didn't even take the kids, it was "our date day" and we were able to take our time and go to the shows with the killer whales, dolphins and some of the "4D" theater stuff they had. I think that all of the parks owned by Anheuser-busch do the free one time per year deal so you should all check it out. The only thing I did not get to see that I wanted to was the Clydesdale Team pulling the big wagon, oh well maybe next year. Rode the roller coaters and the log rides too, in my opinion the "Great White" coaster was better than the "Steel Eel", but both are fun.

Other than tat a nice quite labor day watching some TV, doing some little jobs around the house and relaxing.

Thanks for reading!

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Hello everyone, I want to tell you about my experience with the Army for the last 15 years. Believe me I will condense it since that is a lot of years to talk about. Well it all started in 1993, I was married with two children and I was working a regular job barely making it check to check. I enlisted into the Army so I would have benefits like insurance to pay for hospital visits and so on. I enlisted into the Army was sent to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for basic training, I then went to Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana for Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Upon graduation from there I was assigned to Ft. Bliss, Texas with the 3ACR. After two years there the whole regiment moved to Ft. Carson, Co. My wife and I divorced in 1998 and I was then assigned to Bamberg, Germany after 3 years there I was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas in the 1st Cavalry Division. I met my current wife while she was on recruiting duty and we married in Oct 2002. While at Ft. Hood, I first deployed to Iraq in 2004 for 12 months and then again in 2006 for 15 months. We had our youngest son in April 2007. In May 2008 I was assigned to the Adjutant General School to work in the Proponent/Leader Development Division and that is where I am now. 

After spending my entire career in the Operating Force (MTOE), it was hard to get adjusted to working on the Generating Force (TDA) side. Learning to work with Civilians has been a challenge, but it has been rewarding. I love what I am doing, as I help develop Human Resource Professionals and show them how to get promoted. I also work with the AG structure as in the slots and duty positions that we have. In addition living in Columbia, South Carolina has been a challenge not only for me but my family as well. Columbia is a big city and it does not revolve around Ft. Jackson. People of post do not know how the military works and you do not see many cars with military stickers. I mentioned in my introduction that I am promotable. I was selected for promotion to E8 (MSG) last October and am now waiting for my sequence number to come up so I can get promoted. To this point the Army has been challenging, but rewarding. When I first thought about enlisting into the Army I did not think that I would enjoy it, but as time went on I found it to be quite enjoyable and I love working with Soldiers. I plan on retiring in about eight more years. Until the next blog, take care!

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I will explain the format of the ROTC program the best I can so that you can understand what I am talking about in my articles. ROTC is a 4-year training program held at most 4-year universities across the nation. The purpose of ROTC is to produce quality officers for the United States Army, it is not the only route to take to become an officer, but in my opinion it is one of the best. I think this because if you plan on getting a degree, you can get it completely paid for while you go to school, get extra money while you are at school, and then have a guaranteed full-time career after school if you so chose that pays better than 60 percent of civilian jobs starting out. As a contracted cadet, you will receive a “stipend” twice a month. It ranges from $400-500 a month, depending on what year you are. 

The officer training program is split up into 3 phases called “BOLC” phases (Basic Officer Leaders Course). BOLC 1, is your pre-commission time, ROTC is BOLC 1. BOLC II, is a course every new lieutenant goes through. It is basically a 6-week FTX. It is a gentleman’s course, so you will get weekends and nights off. BOLC III, is your skill specialization school. If you are an infantry officer, you will go to OIBC (Infantry Officer Basic Course) but there are many other schools that you can go to depending on what kind of officer you are. I will be an AG officer, so I will go to the Adjutant General Basic Course.

The class curriculum falls under the designation of “Military Science”. Ever ROTC cadet will participate in PT (Physical Training) 3-5 times a week, depending on what your school’s policy is. You will attend a college course that you register for, and they will be taught by the cadre of ROTC. The cadre members are full-time Active Duty senior enlisted members and officers. They work as a team to train cadets throughout the program and prepare them to become a quality officer. In addition to classroom time and PT, you will conduct what is called Leadership Lab. These Lead Labs, are generally outdoor tactical exercises. The MSIIIs will lead you as an MSI or MS II through tactical missions. It is different per school when and where you conduct these lead labs, but every school does them.

There are also two FTXs (Field Training Exercises) a year, one per semester. The FTX in the Fall semester, is ran by your school and you do things like learn how to throw grenades, sleep tactically outside, and go through fun obstacle courses, you may also get to shoot an M16. The FTX in the Spring, is more about getting the MSIIIs ready for LDAC. You will do similar things at this FTX, but it will be a high-tempo environment, this means you will be on the move constantly, and be training hard from Thursday-Sunday. It is a long tough training weekend, but they it’s also a lot of fun. There is more to ROTC then what I talked about, such as intramural sports and community volunteering and other fun activities, but those are the basics of what you will be doing.

Your first year in the program, you are considered an MSI, Military Science, year one. You will learn basic Army skills such as rank structure, customs and courtesies and how to wear your uniform. Your MSII year, you get into more advance tasks such as Land Navigation techniques, and giving operational orders. These are orders that you will give your platoon before you conduct missions in the real world. An OPORD (operations order) is basically a “Who, What, Where, When, Why and How” of your mission, but in a highly structured format. After your MSII year you will have a solid grasp of how the Army operates and have some basic core skills to work with for your MSIII year.

Your MSIII year is the phase when you begin to take on concrete leadership tasks. You will be in charge of a squad, a platoon, or your battalion, at least once in your MSIII year. You will approach these positions both from the enlisted and officer side. For example, for one leadership rotation you will be a Platoon Leader which is an officer designation, and the next rotation you will be a Platoon Sergeant. Both of these people in the Army, are in charge of the platoon, but their responsibilities are different. You will learn what the difference is during your classroom time, and execute those differences during the Leadership Labs.

The main focus of the MSIII year is to prepare you for the Leadership Development and Assessment Course. Also known as LDAC. This course will test the skills and knowledge you have acquired. It is an evaluated course condensed into 30 days. It is the final difficult step you need to take before you commission as a lieutenant, arguably your MSIII year is your most critical year. It is hard to fail out of the next year, your MSIV year unless you quit or do something illegal. So if you pass your MSIII year and LDAC, you are pretty much done. You will lead missions in the field, march platoons, and do some things that will make you scared and stressed out, to see if you can handle it. Examples are going through a gas chamber (which really sucks by the way) and climbing a 40 foot ladder above a lake, walking across a beam over the water, and then jumping off of a rope from higher than you have probably ever been over water. I had to do it twice because the first time they didn’t write down that I completed it! It was terrifying to me both times, but I still did it.

I’m not going to lie, LDAC can suck sometimes. It is fun to meet people from all over the country, and you will make some good friends, but it does go by fast, and you feel proud for passing the course and finally putting your training to use, and proving that you are worthy of a commission in the Army.

When you get back from LDAC, you will then be in your MSIV year. This year is mainly focused on planning and executing the Leadership Labs and training events for the younger cadets. You will be placed in a “Staff” position. I was the “XO”, this stands for executive officer. I was the second-in-command, and was overall in charge of making sure the other MSIV’s in our class were doing their jobs. My “boss” was my fellow classmate, but he was the commander. You will learn what the difference between all of these, but the main thing I am trying to get at is, your MSIV year you will learn a lot about organization and managing, much of what you will be doing as an officer. Your MSIII year was more about tactical skills, and direct leadership in an operational environment, your MSIV year is more “behind the scenes” leadership. It is crucial to know how to do both of these as both leadership capacities are essential to accomplishing a mission. You will also teach classes and train the cadets with the skills and knowledge you learned as a MSI II III and your LDAC experience.

So now you have been through 4 years of hands on training and classroom type training. You have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to become a lieutenant. You have challenged yourself physically and mentally, and were surprised at the things you did not think you could do. You passed the last hurdle which was LDAC. The program has its ups and downs, sometimes you will be stressed out pissed off, but then you will have a blast hanging out with all of your friends in the program and doing fun training. That is very similar to the real Army and overall I have had a great experience in ROTC, and I can’t wait to get to Fort Stewart and lead a platoon for real. “Cadet Land” has its perks, but it is time for me to move onto bigger and better things, and you will be too.

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Today is Saturday, and it is my last drill in the National Guard. It is a good feeling after 6 years of going to drill, deploying, and finishing up my National Guard time in the Recruit Sustainment program. I was lucky to get a position as a cadet, where I was placed in a real leadership role. I was a platoon leader for the RSP program. Developing training schedules, working with the platoon sergeants, and “moving the pieces” throughout drill, to make sure that the students are getting the best training possible during the drill weekend.

Now it is time for me to commission and go downrange as a 2nd LT on Active Duty. Most of my friends in the MSIV class (Senior ROTC class) are commissioning in May, and I will follow suit in August upon returning from my internship in Australia. I will be stationed in Ft. Stewart Georgia as an Adjutant General officer. I don’t know exactly what I am going to be doing, but that is part of the fun. That is why I decided to go Active Duty in the first place. To know I have job security, but not finding out what I am doing until I get there. It is nice to have a plan and a paycheck doing something you love, and I am excited to put the skills I have learned over the last 6 years to work.

Many of my friends are just out of college and have a huge amount of debt from student loans, and can’t find a job because of the economy. Or, they find a job, but it’s not what they went to school for, or are not doing something they enjoy. They are working paycheck to paycheck because it is a tough job climate, and everyone is feeling it. A college degree is not necessarily your ticket out of working a job you don’t enjoy. Many have to “put in their time” at low-paying, uninteresting positions. And it is the same in the military, but for the last 6 years, I put in my time as an infantry guy, and now I am moving onto the managerial side, I didn’t want to step backwards and start that process over in the civilian world. I will be entering into middle management, making a salary well beyond what I could achieve with my journalism major right out of school ($50,000 or so). On top of that, I’ll have government benefits like full medical, and have enough money per month to get a retirement going. When I do retire, I will have a full government-backed pension for the rest of my life. And that money I can’t lose in the stock market, as many people are have suffered with their retirement in the stock market.

But although the money and benefit part of the job is great, there are many other reasons I chose the route that I did. The Army, unlike many segregated civilian areas, is a community. Everyone around a post has a similar lifestyle to your own and they understand what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves. When you go home at night in the civilian world, most people don’t walk across the street and hang out with your neighbor, but in a Military Community it’s different. You work with the same people that you go out and have a beer with later. You deploy and become a family.

That is something you do not find in an office cubicle, and as difficult as Army life can be sometimes, you have your fellow soldiers with you sucking it just as much and laughing with you at the same time to make it better. As a leader, I will get the least sleep, the least free time, and probably suck the most. But that is the point. That is why I “earn the big bucks”, to take care of my men and women and to put them before myself. If you are considering becoming an officer, you have to put that at the forefront of your mind. It is no longer about you, it is about that kid who just enlisted and is scared and looking for your guidance. You have to bring him home safe from combat, and provide him the best training and or operational environment possible. I sort of went off on tangents, but be prepared for my blogs being in this format, stay tuned :).

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Hello and welcome to my second entry! Keep in mind, my thoughts don’t occur in a vacuum, once I start writing, I might go off on tangents, but I’ll try to keep it organized! I would like to talk about my ROTC experiences and a little bit about my time in the National Guard. I have been in the Guard for 6 years and I have one combat deployment under my belt. The badge that you see on my uniform in my last entry is the CIB. That is the Combat Infantry Badge. It used to be that the badge was awarded to infantry soldiers under direct fire, and returning fire, but the requirements have loosened a bit. Those that serve in a “Combat Zone” such as Iraq or Afghanistan may receive a CIB after their deployment. I actually was under fire during my deployment, which you will hear about in future blogs.

I returned from my deployment in June of 2005. It was probably one of the best summers I can remember. I had plenty of money saved up from the deployment, around $30,000, tax free :), so I didn’t have to find a summer job. It was great to see my family again. We exchanged hugs and wiped off a tear or two. It felt great to be home and with the people that care about me. I could not have done what I did without their constant support. They sent me boxes of goodies, and letters of inspiration. I knew that they had me in their thoughts while I was away, and that helped me get through the tough days.

That summer I caught up with old high school friends and started to apply for college at Minnesota State University Mankato. I really liked the MSU campus. It was a friendly atmosphere, and the buildings had a modern look to them. Once I started going to class, I realized I had made the right decision because I loved my time at school. I was meeting new people and learning new things. It was a great time and I have had many good memories. I am convinced that everyone should be able to experience “college life”, and the National Guard, Army(after being active), or ROTC, is a great avenue of approach to do that. You meet people you never would have, you have a sense of pride for your school, and a sense of belonging to something great, much like the military. And at the same time, if you play your cards right, you should have to pay very little if anything for that great experience. Here is a bit of a breakdown with the following considerations:

11B(Infantry) Qualified

15-month Deployment

Enrolled Full-Time in a qualified College

Enrolled and Contracted in ROTC

Submit a FAFSA

Monthly G.I Bill: $1100 (Because of Veteran Status, the FAFSA is based on your income, not your parents)

Drill Pay: $269 a month (After taxes E-5 pay rate)

ROTC Stipends: ($400-500 a month, depending on what year you are in, I make $500 as a senior)

$1869 a total month

FTA- (Federal Tuition Assistance) $4500 a year (Can be used for all college expenses

STR- (State Tuition Reimbursement) this is from the Guard, and if FTA does not cover any costs, STR picks up the rest. They pay the rate up the to U of M’s tuition.

At the time I did not even think about ROTC. Because I really had no idea what it was. When you are in ROTC, you are considered a “Cadet”. You don’t deploy because technically you are not in the Army yet. You can be in the National Guard still, and a Cadet, but you still will not deploy, because the Army does not want to interrupt your training to become an officer. ROTC is a great path to become an officer, and SMP (Simultaneous Membership Program) is even better. While I obtain the skills and knowledge during my ROTC classes and training, I am able to apply those skills and that knowledge as a leader of a rifle platoon in the National Guard. On top of that, receive all of the fiscal benefits that go along with it.

I am in my senior year of ROTC. That means I have completed the one main requirement of every cadet which is LDAC, The Leadership Development and Assessment Course. I will talk about LDAC in further detail in my next blog. I feel I may be exceeding my word limit soon, so my next blog, I will start off right where I left and begin talking about ROTC in more detail. Hope you can read it!

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My name is Mark Lucero and for the past 8 ½ years I have served in the Army as a tuba player for the Army Band. I have been playing music since 6th grade and took an audition for the Army Band my senior year in high school. My brother, who is also in the Army Band, joined two years before I did and spoke so well about the program that I decided to take that leap into the military as a musician. I was interested in going to college but was not interested in sitting in a classroom for another 4 years. The Army seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to get some experience in music and make some money for college.

I attended basic training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina which was a major change of scenery coming from Los Angeles County. People always talked about humidity in the south, but nothing can prepare you for that feeling when you get off the bus in the peak of summer and you’re instantly drenched in sweat. Basic training was easy for me because I had the best support system anyone can have, my wife Aurora. Aurora always made sure I got a letter everyday and was my inspiration to do the best I can since the day we started dating our freshman year in high school till this day and everyday. I have always tried to be the best to make Aurora proud of me. Even in the early days of basic training I saw that the most visible recruit was the one holding the company guidon. So I made it my mission to hold that guidon for the graduation 8 weeks later so I would stand out so Aurora could see me. I accomplished this and every other task I set out to do in my military career.

After basic my first duty station was Ft. Bliss, Texas with the 62nd Army Band. I spent five years in El Paso and had great memories there and met the best NCOs in the band field to include my squad leader and life time mentor SFC Justin Ahrens. I stayed in El Paso most of my career until my move to Bamberg, Germany with the 1st Infantry Division. I loved my brief time in Europe and moved back to the states with the Division to Ft. Riley, KS. I am currently the Army Band Liaison for the First Recruiting Brigade, which carries the responsibility of auditioning musicians in the upper east coast for a position in the Army Band program. I feel like I have the best job in the Army because I get to talk about the career I love and have a hand in the future of the Army Band program. Life is good…

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My name is Ayan Mobley and I am a Specialist in the United States Army. If you can believe it I did four years in the Marine Corps. I will not say former Marine because once a Marine always a Marine. I joined the Army about a month after I graduated from college in June of 2006. Finishing school was one of my many accomplishment because of the fact that it took me longer to finish because of my deployment while on active duty with the United States Marine Corps( GI BILL is a wonderful thing).

I graduated with a B.S. in Social Science from Radford University located in South Western Virginia. Virginia happens to be the state in which I was born in and spent the majority of my child hood.

I had not idea what I wanted to do after college. I had done the Marine Corps for about four years and wanted to do something different with my life, so I decided to join the Army.

I attended my Military Occupational Specialty at FT. Jackson South Carolina to be awarded the MOS of 42A, which is Human Resources Specialist. I also attended to Postal Operations Course to receive the F5 additional designator.

I graduated number three in my class and was give Korea as my first duty station. I have to admit that I have been away from my parents for extended periods of time because of deployments but I never imagined being station overseas.

I came to Korea and was assigned to 2nd Infantry Division and was sent to Camp Humphrey’s to work in 2CAB S-1. I can tell you from my experience that Aviation units are really different. Korea grew on my so I decided to extend for a year. At the end of 2007. I was given to opportunity gain a job working at 2ID Headquarters a Camp Red Cloud, and that is where I have been every since.

African Art Museum in Korea

Me playing in the water park at Korean theme park

MWR sponsored trip to Korean amusement park

Italian food in Korea

I have the opportunity to be exposed to a lot of things professionally that the average E4 does not experience in a normal line unit. I have worked with various aspects of my MOS included working with the Command Sponsorship Program, and Personnel Readiness statistics that include the whole division. At this point and time I am now working the postal aspect of my MOS due to my identifier (I knew it was eventually going to happen). I am always getting career advice from Majors and Lt Colonels, and Senior NCO’s that I see on a daily basis, even if I only see them when they come to check their mail.

I can’t say that every day has been the greatest, but the Army has given me the opportunity to provide for myself and see Korea, which is absolutely beautiful. What other job actually pays you to travel around the world, and puts you in an atmosphere where you can shop till you drop, or take a hike on


Me and my truck

Me standing in N. Korea during DMZ tour

Taking a hike in Korea with my supervisor

While in Korea, technology has given me an opportunity to stay in touch with my love ones because family, as well as family tradition is very important to me. I am able to call my parents on a daily basis. I come from a religious family and the Sunday services here at Camp Red Cloud, give me the opportunity to look after my spiritual health.
I plan to take full advantage of what the Army has to offer me. For right now the Army is my life, and I plan to re-enlist, at least until the economy is fixed. The Army is not the easiest job in the world but from my opinion, there are more positives and negatives.

Me at church

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It’s that time of the year again for taxes and I thought I would mention one of the great benefits that I only recently discovered. Tax centers open up at military bases between January-April to assist beneficiaries with their taxes. The complexity of tax returns they may be able to submit might vary, but it’s a great service that we get for free.

As I was speaking with the Soldier that was helping me finalize my taxes, I learned something else new. He was speaking with me about how he and his wife had both lost their jobs in construction. He ended up joining the Army to provide for his family. Because they were no longer able to keep up with their house payments they were preparing to lose their home. However he found out that the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act prevented the bank from foreclosing on their home. Now he has been able to work out new terms with the bank, and his family is able to stay. It amazed me how many benefits are out their – it’s just a matter of becoming aware of them all.

More information on the act at:

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/sscra/l/blsscra.htm

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After four hours of staring at a computer I am done. It was time for my annual language test. The Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) is an annual test that Soldiers can take to earn bonus pay. The Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) is based upon your score on the test, and the language you speak. Some languages any Soldier can be paid for, while others you will only get paid for if it is directly related to your job.

More information at:
http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2373313.php

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It’s funny how different areas of the country react to weather. Yesterday the DC area got about 6 inches of snow, and everything shut down. Because so many people out here are involved with the federal government (either working for them directly or contractors working with them), what the government does affects everyone. In this area snow and ice can result in a snow day or a snow delay – regardless of how much actually falls. Yesterday all government facilities opened with a 2 hour delay.

Although 6 inches is nothing for me growing up in the Rocky Mountains, I do understand that when you mix inclement weather with the volume of traffic that moves through these roads – it can have some huge implications. I still think it’s funny to see adults wishing for snow days the same way my kids do.

With most people taking yesterday off, when I did come in on the delayed schedule, the roads were great. I was able to take advantage yesterday of the free tax service offered by the Army, and get my taxes dropped off to be processed at Ft. Meyer. I was also able to go over to the dental clinic at Ft. Meyer and participate in a lunch and learn continuing education that the Walter Reed Dentac does monthly. Since the clinic at Ft. Meyer had had most of their patients cancel, I was also able to bring back two of the dentists that work there and show them around OTSG and Tricare Management Activity (TMA). I think it was a great opportunity for them to get an idea, and to understand the process that is involved for change to occur. A lot of times we want things to happen right away, but there are so many different steps and organizations that things have to go through – that at times I’m amazed things happen at all.

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