Right before we went into the chamber
This is the DFAC
Our Frantic run to Target our first nightWow, where do i begin? I feel strangely at home. I'm sitting in a Pizza Hut at Ft Hood Tx, gladly using their free hot spot. The Lakers/Orlando game is loud in the background. Connecting to the internet seems to be an essential these days. Last time i came to Texas on assignment they put us up in a hotel. This is not the case this time.
With a hint of mildew in the hair, my new home (for the next three weeks) welcomed me into it's small room. The used twin bed was waiting - with no sheets of course. The first night, all 30 dentist migrated to Target to buy the essentials, including a shower curtain. Thanks army.
I thought of complaining but i've been in the army too long for that, i know better. It's so much easier to just deal with it. The mosquitoes here aren't as malignant as those in Tahiti, so i vent the room with the ceiling fan and nonscreened windows. I put a "work order" in for window screen but they said that might take up to a week. Leaving my time of screen bliss at 2 weeks.
I don't have pictures yet to post but i'll be working on that.
For the most part everyone here is excited to go, and all are very nice. I'm excited to be deploying with such capable and genuine people. Just over the past two days, we've been able to bond. It does help, of course, that i know half of them from Officer Training Camp from 2 yrs ago. It's pretty much a reunion of friends.
I received my assignment today. I'll be going to the Joint Base Balad, located in Balad, Iraq. This is really great news. It is a very well established base with many many people. Plus it has an indoor and outdoor pool. I'm glad that i have a base tan. A sunburned soldier is a bad one.
Today we pick up all of our gear. Most of the stuff we'll never use. We wait and waited in the bleachers and someone gave a half hearted brief on our gear - one rehearsed millions of times. For the most part, we all made it out ok. One guy forgot to pick up his helmet. He'll have to go back later.
Tomorrow we are all looking forward to the Gas Chamber. We did this 2 yrs ago at OBLC and i still don't understand the reason for doing this. If anything, it provides entertainment for those who watch us run out of the chamber, screaming, tearing, and coughing. It's pretty fun.
To my surprise there actually are people here that truly volunteered to deploy. One guy joined the army after 25 yrs of private practice. He came into the army not one year ago and volunteered right away. A very religious person, He said "this is why i joined the army in the first place"
Another of those who volunteered confessed to me that "i feel guilty having been in the army for 22 yrs and never deployed. Seeing all out patients go and come. I just started feeling guilty" he had been volunteering for a few years. He is very excited to go and is planning on extending his stay the whole year inspite of a worried wife and two kids.
Although i didn't volunteer, the balance of my feelings is weighing heavily on the side that is glad to be here. The army is really about serving the bigger purpose and i'm glad to be a part of it. We'll see how i feel about that tomorrow, running out of the gas chamber. =)
With a hint of mildew in the hair, my new home (for the next three weeks) welcomed me into it's small room. The used twin bed was waiting - with no sheets of course. The first night, all 30 dentist migrated to Target to buy the essentials, including a shower curtain. Thanks army.
I thought of complaining but i've been in the army too long for that, i know better. It's so much easier to just deal with it. The mosquitoes here aren't as malignant as those in Tahiti, so i vent the room with the ceiling fan and nonscreened windows. I put a "work order" in for window screen but they said that might take up to a week. Leaving my time of screen bliss at 2 weeks.
I don't have pictures yet to post but i'll be working on that.
For the most part everyone here is excited to go, and all are very nice. I'm excited to be deploying with such capable and genuine people. Just over the past two days, we've been able to bond. It does help, of course, that i know half of them from Officer Training Camp from 2 yrs ago. It's pretty much a reunion of friends.
I received my assignment today. I'll be going to the Joint Base Balad, located in Balad, Iraq. This is really great news. It is a very well established base with many many people. Plus it has an indoor and outdoor pool. I'm glad that i have a base tan. A sunburned soldier is a bad one.
Today we pick up all of our gear. Most of the stuff we'll never use. We wait and waited in the bleachers and someone gave a half hearted brief on our gear - one rehearsed millions of times. For the most part, we all made it out ok. One guy forgot to pick up his helmet. He'll have to go back later.
Tomorrow we are all looking forward to the Gas Chamber. We did this 2 yrs ago at OBLC and i still don't understand the reason for doing this. If anything, it provides entertainment for those who watch us run out of the chamber, screaming, tearing, and coughing. It's pretty fun.
To my surprise there actually are people here that truly volunteered to deploy. One guy joined the army after 25 yrs of private practice. He came into the army not one year ago and volunteered right away. A very religious person, He said "this is why i joined the army in the first place"
Another of those who volunteered confessed to me that "i feel guilty having been in the army for 22 yrs and never deployed. Seeing all out patients go and come. I just started feeling guilty" he had been volunteering for a few years. He is very excited to go and is planning on extending his stay the whole year inspite of a worried wife and two kids.
Although i didn't volunteer, the balance of my feelings is weighing heavily on the side that is glad to be here. The army is really about serving the bigger purpose and i'm glad to be a part of it. We'll see how i feel about that tomorrow, running out of the gas chamber. =)
This is what the "Chamber" looks like. They had us doing excersises to get our heart
bumping, ensuring that we sucked a lot of air. You can hear the gun rang in the background.
This LTC Dallman our XO. She's really funny.
4 comments:
I'm proud of you, Tim. We miss you! Good luck in the chamber!
tear free, soldier! reading your post gave me a nice warm feeling.
I'm glad that you get the warm fuzzies, nerve gas does that to me too. Especialy when it gets in your eyes hmmmmmm.... that good.
I finally figured out what the deal was with the mildew smell. It is my AC unit, so i'm just hangin with the windows open. It hasn't been too hot yet.
I still remember the gas chamber, and I am not sure that it qualifies as fun. I am glad that you are having a great time.
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