Tag: FAMILY

So I think I have been here something like 28 days now. Since my last post US ARMY SOUTH (my home unit has moved in). You might say lucky me right. Well not exactly, what that means is that I can not leave with the groups of soldiers that are currently departing. I get to stay with ARMY SOUTH.

Also, since my last post I have moved again. I am now closer to the US Embassy, the conditions are better but it is still a mosquito infested tent and the latrines are farther away (but at least these are clean and working, unlike the last place). I have less mice here, last week in the middle of the night this little field mouse decided that going across my legs was the shortest route from one side of the tent to the other. Almost screamed like a teenage girl (almost) but I was just too dang tired.

The lizard that has taken up residence on my bug net is no big deal he is just getting fat from all the mosquitoes that are getting fat on me.

I got my first Haiti haircut last week, a pretty good deal for $3 American.

The conditions for the Haitians are getting better all the time, more and more rubble cleared, more streets open and more power and water. The IOs, NGOs and PVOs along with the UN forces (MINUSTAH) are finally getting enough capacity in country to allow the JTF to start scaling back and sending US troops back. Al large portion of the units here, not just Army troops, have missions in Iraq and Afghanistan within the next 6 months so they need, family time, training time and some refit of equipment.

The main issues currently are shelter and sanitation; the seasonal rains will be starting soon so the main effort is toward getting the gaps in those areas filled and getting all of ARMY SOUTH integrated into the JTF (Joint Task Force) before it happens.

Right now my main task is a contract that I am managing that is a national assessment of the priority categories of food, water, shelter and security. In addition to that I have been “promoted” in position to Deputy J9 JTF – Haiti. So between those two things, time for blogging is running short.

Disaster tourism is way down, I think people are finally starting to realize that you just can’t do things down here on a whim, and by the way, if your clothes and purse cost more than what a Haitian makes in a year, or, the paparazzi comes with you, stay home YOU ARE A DISASTER TOURIST. Please refer to my post on 28 FEB 10 for a more detailed list of signs).

My son got a new bike for his birthday and my wife and daughter went to “Morgan's Wonderland” an new park in San Antonio designed specifically for the disabled, my wife even thinks she may have found a replacement for me! Well, I she likes the swashbuckling type; I guess that’s her man. I wish I could have been there for all of those things, but as a soldier, you can't be home all the time. But what I can do is make the most of it when I am home. Fortunately for me I have a great spouse that understands and supports my career. That is the best thing any soldier could have when he (or she) goes overseas.

We were out at another smaller “Camp” this week, pretty typical, many are nothing more than sheets and plastic tarps over sticks, the lucky ones have tin or maybe some pallets to sleep on. But, USAID, UNICEF, WFP and others are starting to target these smaller camps and get them rolled into larger camps or moved to areas closer to support and infrastructure.

I went to the port this week too, what a mad house (picture of the guys and the USNS Comfort is in the background). I think that it is one of the most dangerous areas I have seen, not because of the quake damage but because of the amount of equipment, containers and moving vehicles, NOTHING is even close to a reasonable safety standard nor is it efficient. That place will take years to get sorted out and modernized let alone the repairs needed.

That’s enough for one night.

Thanks for reading.

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For about the 9,000th time in my young, robust, military life, I woke up this sub-freezing morning in the total darkness and noiselessly, deftly, slipped into my standard Army black running shorts, Army gray shirt, Army jacket and Army wool watch cap. Gliding out the door I broke into my ritual pace, watching anew the world wake up to that big ball of glorious fire breaking free of the distant eastern horizon and climb upward to fill the heavens with light. On and on I ran, breathing deeply the crisp, frozen, morning air of the heartland of America, counting every stride as a blessing from above for all the wonderful gifts that fill my life.

One more day of a marvelous adventure rolled into one lifetime; 25 years from the rank of private thru lieutenant colonel, of being a protector of my beloved Family, my cherished Freedom, the US Constitution, the Great State of Texas, and my God-given United States of America.

What an honor for me, to be a Soldier and to stand and defend those things I value above life itself, especially in a day when it is encouraged by some to degrade America for what they liberally call our "self-inflicted wounds" which they blithely claim we caused by our supposed invitations to be hated and attacked in the modern world.
 

And now to stand between the radical Islamic America-haters and my family....my soul rumbles for the fight that a few misguided souls dare to perpetrate upon my family, my freedoms and my Homeland, even after 9 years of global warfare against these “kill-everyone-in-our-path” purported “holy warriors” who defiantly call me and my America “the Great Satan” while in their holy crusade they murder and butcher hundreds of thousands of innocent street-walking women, children and elderly of their own Muslim family, and justify it all in a feeble attempt to place the suicide psycho-kamikaze bomber in paradise via a misapplication of the Holy Koran (The Cave 18:31, “These it is for whom are gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, ornaments shall be given to them therein of bracelets of gold, and they shall wear green robes of fine silk and thick silk brocade interwoven with gold, reclining therein on raised couches.”) .

No, these shall have the other reward promised them in the Koran, where Muhammad taught in the sura called The Dinner Table, 5:33, “The punishment of those who …strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should …[have] their hands and their feet cut off… as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement”.

There are many good principles taught by Muhammad in the Koran (which I have read slowly in entirety and studied and cross-referenced to my Holy Bible), and I am 100% with him when he lays out the true end of those who massacre and slaughter their own people in the name of God….the God of Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq and Yaqoub.

I too easily see America's failings, but her strengths so completely engulf the global landscape of recorded human existence on this planet, that I perceive only a timorous, paltry soul that cannot see the vastness of her great goodness, the genius of her governance (200 years from the lowly status of global rejects and outcasts to sole super-power and a stunning $14.3 trillion economy...exceeding the top three other national economies combined, and with only 300 million people compared to 1.2 and 1.3 billion citizens in India and China!) and the magnificence of her generous people (think of over $774 million in voluntary, freely-given relief donations to Haiti from American families in Jan-Feb) . This is no accident. America and our freedom-centric, self-sufficient way of life, combined with a deep spiritual awareness and gratitude for just what a sacred treasure of freedom we have been given, has produced the American Miracle. I am grateful today to be a Soldier, to protect Her and keep Her safe with my life.

And so it is with all Soldiers, who knowingly risk their lives, for myriads of additional great reasons, to wake up and run with me each morning, all across this Land and wherever they are currently serving far across the globe.

Good morning America! Run with me again tomorrow, and let's keep watching that sunshine do her magic every new dawning (although a little less solar irradiance would help my anthropomorphic, carbon-fixated peers to ease on the hysteria and fear-mongering and run with a lot less stress in their lives when they no longer fear to exhale that dreaded CO2 which forms approximately 0.04% of the nominal 5,000,000 gigatonnes of gas and aerosols that comprise the earth’s atmosphere and is so vitally essential for our symbiotic plant life photosynthesis).

Whew, how was that for a military-allowed “yard sign and bumper sticker” voice on a non-political blog?

God Bless You America. I am so grateful to be one who stands as a sentinel each day the sun rises on your majestic shores. Let’s run toward the East just as the sun breaks forth tomorrow.  I'll see you first light.
 

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My parents have been attending the Olympics (Summer and Winter) since 1976. I’ve been fortunate to accompany them 3 times now. This was my husband’s first Olympic experience. Now he’s ready for London and Russia and Rio!!

Vancouver is doing a particularly impressive job! The people are amazing! The public transportation is faultless! The streets are clean enough to eat off of! And the scenery is breathtaking! Kudos to Canada!!

Storybook Whistler Village…GREAT place to hang out, meet super folks from other countries, meet and greet some athletes… No, my mittens don’t match my outfit…but they are the hottest commodity in Vancouver right now. The shops cannot keep them in stock. One girl bought 40 pairs for friends looking for them. My mother bought 10 pairs for grandchildren, gifts, etc. And you just can’t help but love the Canadians – so I sported them, too!

I might be cold…who am I kidding – I am always cold!?! But I love my mittens :)

Dave, me, Mom. We’re here at the luge to see American Erin Hamlin. She is from Remsen, NY, near my hometown and my parents are friends with hers. The Hamlin family is really fun to hang out with. They are camped out here with us and the Sweeney fans and a lot of other fun people. The Utica Club Brewery is near our hometowns and sent their good wishes as well as some Utica Club beer to Vancouver! How’s that for Hometown support!!

Here we’re at the ski jump portion of the Nordic Combined. American Johnny Spillane delivered a spectacular performance and earned the Silver! We really enjoyed his race.

Dave and Dad. Apolo Ohno was the highlight of this evening of Short Track Speed Skating.

Vancouver is a gorgeous city. Here we walked downtown and through Stanley Park.

I’m really happy now because I’m toasty warm in the sun. The wine helps, too :)

Our lodging arrangements were also very interesting. We had our event tickets and our airline tickets a LONG time ago (my mother starts working on event tickets years before the events.) We had a really hard time finding lodging, though. My father even wanted to consider cancelling the trip. So I got creative (and brave!?!) and arranged a Home Exchange with someone in Vancouver. My husband was nervous and reluctant but was a great sport and went along with it. We were soooo fortunate to trade for a great apartment in North Vancouver! It couldn’t have been nicer or in a better location. And our exchange family enjoyed our place and couldn’t have taken better care of it. Thank you SJ!!

We obviously had a fabulous experience. Can’t wait to do it again!!

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So the Army Strong Story continues with yet another solider's story, but this time it seems to be my turn. My name is PFC Sara Small, and I am with the 443rd MP Co. I am not just a Military Police Officer though, my primary MOS is 68W, or Combat Medic. This basically means that every battle assembly I pull double duty, sometimes going out on training missions as a medic, and other times as an MP. It is exhausting yet exhilirating, stressful, yet so much fun that it is all worth it. My unit is one of the best around, with real-life scenarios encompassing every drill weekend, and something to learn from every event we partake in. We are like family, as many units and the Army as a whole are, we may not be blood but we are still a family all the same. We are there for each other through thick and thin, know almost everything about each other, and have faced some of the craziest and extraordinary events in our time together that it is a family like no other. i did see one that came awfully close today though.Today was a sad day for my hometown of Littlestown, PA, for today we layed to rest one of the most prominent men in the history of our local volunteer fire company. Micheal Sneeringer was a member of Alpha Fire Company for almost 50 years, and was Fire Chief for 24 of those years. Mike was on countless commitees not only in the company, but in the community and in the county that made leaps and bounds over the years in the advancement of the emergency services and in the restructuring of codes, bylaws, and rules that made the entire county a better place to live and work. Mike was a burough employee and had just arrived at work on Wednesday February 17 when he slipped on ice and hit his head. Mike passed away later that day. Mike was a firefighter, a father, a grandfather, an uncle, a husband, a brother, a friend to many people. But even moreso he was a cornerstone of our town. As i sat in the church during the funeral, I couldn't help but notice all the firefighters form all over Southern PA and even Northern Maryland who had gathered at the church on a Monday morning to say good-bye to their friend and brother-in-arms. It was then I realized that there was another family just as tight-knit as the one we call our second family, and they were there to show their support. We walked from the church to the cemetery and the whole street was lined with firetrucks and firefighters at attention paying their respects, and as we got to the cemetery and saw the ladder trucks with the American flag hung between ladders as you entered, it brought comfort to know that as we celebrated the life and death of our small town hero, that this had happened elsewhere in our country so many times. And as I read articles of our successes and setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan it brings personal comfort to know that in each of these instances that involved losing one of our comrades-in-arms, back home their communities and families are mourning their passing and celebrating the life of one of our brothers or sisters much as my communtiy and local fire department did today.

The above pictures include pictures of Micheal J Sneeringer, who passed away February 17, 2010 as well as the doors into the firehouse, his locker, and his gear covered in black to symbolize such a significant loss to our community and fire department.

Above is the fire company badge covered to show the mourning of the entire firefighting community at the loss of one of our brothers. Below, the flag hung from two ladder trucks as we made our way into the cemetery.

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So lets start with the basics this time, weather is hot, but not unbearable, unless your one of the tens of thousands of Haitians that has lost a home. Its kind of strange, I live in a tent, at the end of a very active runway, next to a very smelly ditch, that has a main road next to it and a trash burning pit down from that (talk about stink), sleep under a bug net and there are only 2 showers that I know of within 500 yards for about 2 or 3 thousand people. In spite of all that I am still doing better than most Haitians, so no complaints on my part, I have clean water, I have a bucket to do laundry in and a good supply of baby wipes and MREs.

I love American soldier ingenuity, they guys in my tent (by the way there are only about 20 US military where we are at we live in and around all of the relief organizations away from the main JTF) not only have procured a projector screen, we now have a small "deck" a projector, speakers and last night they watched the movie 2012 (maybe not the best choice all things considered) with full sound and in big screen movie theatre fashion.

My cot is home and I have a nice pillow my wife sent with me and family photos, I try to think of it as a camping trip gone off track rather than work.

SKYPE works great (except out where my tent is) so that is an option for when I am at the Embassy. I think last time I said it was 10Km away from where I have my tent, it is actually about 3 miles, but it may as well be 300 miles because of traffic and road conditions.

Have a bunch of meeting trying to coordinate humanitarian relief and trying to find where the need is and get it solved. So I spend a great deal of my time with civilian from organizations from all over the world, in this picture alone there are people from 6 countries and 7 different relief organizations. We are trying to develop the baseline data for future relief operations when the JTF turns over responsibility for post disaster operations to another agency such as USAID or OCHA.

If you are willing to walk a bit down the airfield, the UN has a small cafe about a mile down from where the tent is, food is OK but it seems that the price has gone up pretty quickly, anyone want to bet it will drop a bunch once the US troops leave?? Well, it puts much needed money into a very desperate society, I have lunch there twice, luckily someone else was buying both times!!

The bottom line for a typical day goes like this, up about 0600, use some baby wipes and clean off the sweat from overnight in the tent, get dressed in the same uniform I had on the past 2 days (but change the t-shirt/socks) find a water bottle, brush my teeth, shave, and drink what's left in the bottle. Find a ride with someone (usually one of the other 8 guys in the tent) to the US Embassy, finally cool off, meet with my project manager, answer e-mails, find a car to go back to the airfield (where I was 2 hours before) go to several hours of meetings with relief organizations, take the terror ride through traffic back to the Embassy, meet the bosses again do more email, realize I didn't eat lunch find and MRE, eat half of it, then get back to e-mail, realize it is 7 pm try to find a ride back to the airfield. Get back about 8pm, e-mail my wife if the internet is working and fight with SKYPE there to make a call. Another round of baby wipes, talk to the guys (i.e. gripe about how bad the mosquitoes are) hit the bed about 1030 pm, repeat tomorrow. Every 3rd day or so try to get in a shower and a bucket of laundry (mostly socks and T-shirts)

So there is a short bit of where I am, how I live and what I do. Not too much detail, but I can give more details as time goes by.

Almost forgot, a quick story about one of my drivers taking me back and forth, a Haitian by the name of Lawrence. We were stuck sitting in traffic when all of the sudden he jumped out of the car and ran over the truck stuck in traffic going the opposite direction ( I am a bit paranoid because being alone in a vehicle not moving in Haiti can make you a target even as an American soldier) anyway, he shook hands with the driver, they gave each other quick hug and Lawrence was back and off we went. Turns out it was a friend of his whom her thought had died in the quake. They had not seen each other since the day before the quake but both knew that the others home was destroyed and each assumed the other was dead. Lawrence told me that this kind of thing was happening all over PaP and Haiti because of the mass graves that were dug and so many moving out of the city the first weeks after the quake.

Have a meeting.

Thanks for reading.

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My name is Genevieve Chase and I'm a proud member of the United States Army Reserve. I was born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky so I like to tell people that I did 18 years of involuntary service as a dependent to a service member, prior to my enlistment at the age of 25. In high school, Iwas a member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and competed in Rifle, Pistol and Color Guard competitions.

Having been born to a Korean mother and attending high school at Seoul American High School at Yongsan Garrison in South Korea, I knew all too well what many people take for granted, that "Freedom is not free." I always honored in my heart, the American strangers that went to Korea just over 50 years ago and fought for"... A country they never knew and a people they never met." I know that without their sacrifices, I would not be who and where I am today.

I didn't join the military after high school. I didn't think I'd need to because our country wasn't at war. I knew if I ever heard the call to serve, I could do so when the time came. I also wondered if my upbringing had too heavily influenced my goals. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I grew up. So I took a break from military life and ventured out into what we call civilian or "normal" life.

When 9/11 happened, I knew beyond all doubts, that our country was going to war but I didn't sign upright away. I had just started a career as a Realtor and was making a lucrative living for a single woman in her early 20's.

But I couldn't ignore the war for long. One by one, my childhood friends were joining and deploying. To add to all that was troubling me, I realized that making a lot of money really wasn't very fun. I worked such long hours that I rarely was able to spend time with friends and family and when I could manage some time, I was never really there... I was always at work in my head. Money and being a workaholic was not fulfilling and I felt like my life had no purpose and did nothing to better anyone's life.

After much thought, consideration and research on the two conflicts, I decided in February of 2003, to enlist into the Army Reserve and go to Afghanistan. I chose the Army Reserve because I knew all-too-well what Army life could be like. I knew the military bases I could be stationed at, the assignments I might be given and that I would have no say or input. I would be used with respect to the "needs of the Army."

I also made goals. I thought about where I wanted to be in 10 years and I considered what it would take to get there. For the career I wanted in the intelligence field, I needed 1) a foreign language, 2) a college degree and 3) a deployment/experience in the intelligence field. I also knew I wanted to move to Washington D.C. because not only was that where all of the intel jobs are, but for an Army brat, it was the home of the government of the United States. I thought it would be the one place where I could feel as if I was truly "home."

The Army Reserve has been amazing and life-changing. I've managed my career, traveled the world, used tuition assistance, become a better leader, tested my strengths and pushed myself beyond all that I thought possible. More than anything, I've learned from, worked with and built friendships with people I would never have had the opportunity to.
There's so much more but the best part about all of this? ...At the end of the day,when training and missions are complete, I get to come back to MY home.

It's not an easy job and it's not meant for everyone, but it was and is the best decision I've made for myself. I'm proud of my service and I'm very much looking forward to sharing my experiences and this honor of service, with all of you.

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Leave time has been great. I can't say enough how great it is to spend time with family and friends. I think this is the first time I've been able to spend an entire 30 days at home between assignments. The only down side has been figuring out what to do with so much time. Everyone keeps telling me that doing nothing is the point... and I get that... but it WAS a bit challenging to go from running 100mph to idle overnight. But, as I said it has been fun. The trip to Disney World was terrific, aside from me coming down with a cold about the third day. Seeing the nephews' reaction to that place was, well... magical. I'm really glad we did that as a family. Christmas and New Years were also great. I had the rare opportunity to see my sister and brother-in-law out on a real date, something I'll always cherish.

Let's see what else... I've been able to catch up with two old friends. One gal I haven't seen in over 13 years named Jennifer and my old buddy Josh who I haven't seen in about five. Interestingly, Josh is a local morning talk show personality and as I write this I have just arrived back home from being on the morning show with him. It was a great experience to see how a morning radio show runs and I was even invited to talk a little bit about the Army and my experiences. Everyone seems intrigued at what I am doing, which is funny because I just consider it all to be very normal stuff. In reality I know that what I've done and what I will be doing are very much NOT usual things, and I am very lucky to be given such great opportunities. I just try to keep a very humble attitude about it.

Oh... I've FINALLY been approved to retake the DLPT, which I will do this week. I have been putting time into keeping up on my language skills, and I hope it has been enough. I really want to show up for ICT having met the standards of the previous course. I know my language skills are more than sufficient out on the street... it's just the satisfaction of having the paper to prove it that is eating at me.

Here's a couple of photos from the last few weeks:

Disney sure knows how to spruce things up for the holidays!

In full New Years party regalia... no further comment needed I think.

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We love NY :) We had a great time with family… Saw our parents, siblings, nieces/nephews and old friends. It was great to all be together. We actually try to get together a couple of times per year. It’s not enough but it’s pretty good considering we live all over the place – Hawaii, Florida, Montana... We had a lot of great parties and good food. Able to cross country ski a little but spent a lot of time just trying to keep warm!!

Nephews (Matt above, Cooper below) are ‘Cuse fans…and University of Hawaii Warrior fans, too :)


Our niece, Lucy, loves the snow!?!

We all love the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame! COL P, Matt, Lucy, Cooper, Pete (my brother :) ), Niko

New Year’s Eve…delighted we visited family at Christmas…and now so glad to be home :) Hitting golf balls and soaking up the sun for a few days before it’s back to work…

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OMG!!!!!!! IT’S FREEZING!!!!! I love my family but no more Christmases in NY!! You can definitely tell from the photo that Mom is acclimated and that I am not!! My husband is inside with a warm toddy by the fire – and I’m joining him! 7 more days until we return to Hawaii…

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Well, getting out of Monterey proved to be a logistical nightmare. Overseas assignment into a furnished apartment meant sending three different shipments (two to Jordan, one to storage), putting the truck on a boat to Jordan from a port north of San Fran, and shipping the bike via private hauler to my parents' house. Plus, packing the things I need to have with me for a month of leave and travel to Jordan. But, with a little help from my very cool neighbors, I was able to get it all done and leave Monterey less than a week after graduation.

It's good to be home, but I've found that I have a lot of nervous energy and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I've spent a good bit of time studying in the hopes that my request to retest the DLPT before departing will be approved. If so, I should test sometime in the first week of January. Other than that, I've been catching up on sleep and tomorrow I start heading to the gym. I'm still trying to work out a bum shoulder, and I seriously need to get my cardio back to where it was a year ago. In a way, I sort of feel like I'm putting myself back together again physically and mentally. It's crazy what a year and a half of grinding your brain will do to you. Now I understand the strange look of sympathy everyone who had been to DLI had on their faces when I first showed up there!

There is no substitute for spending time with family. Being home I've realized just how much time I've spent away from them over the last 11 years. I'm glad we are taking a trip to Disney World this coming weekend. Provided my quest to find the perfect point and shoot camera goes well, I should have some fun pictures for my next post.

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