I'm back...again!

Well, it has been a very long time since I last posted and much has happened. It will take me a few posts to recap all that has happened these last two years but I will do my best and include pictures and videos along the way. Recently, I went to the gas chamber and got a video. I can't tell you how bad that stuff burns me! Hope you enjoy the pics. I'll try to get the video out tomorrow.

Pictures

Now that I have good internet again, I thought I would post some pictures from over here.

I'm back!

Wow, it has been a long time since I was last able to post. We got new internet yesterday and it is amazing! I can actually post again! It was good to see everyone a few weeks ago while I was on leave. It was good to see family and friends and to be back at church again. Nothing much has happened since then. Friday was the annual competition for the "Commander's Cup." All the artillery batteries compete in sporting tournaments. After a full day of sports, all the batteries then compete in pushups, situps, and a half mile sprint. All the events count for points and whoever wins the most points wins the cup. Alpha Battery (my battery) won just before deployment last year. I played 5 games of football. After a full day of football I was bloody, sore, and sunburned, but it was a great stress relief. Alpha, once again, proved itself the best battery in the battalion and we won the Commander's Cup for the second year in a row. One of our soldiers took the trophy and held it over his head. We all fell into formation behind him and clapped and called cadence all the way back to the Command Post. The trophy was placed in a prominent place so that we can gloat whenever someone from another unit comes in. It was a good weekend.

Peace

My mom recently sent me one of our church's old hymnals. I was perusing it the other day and found one of my all time favorite hymns "Be Still My Soul." I think that is one of my favorite songs because it asks what I find myself often asking for: peace. Maybe it is my uptight nature, or I just haven't reached the point of where I have found peace, or perhaps it is a state of mind. I find myself angrier and fighting more often than I find myself content and peaceful. One thing I have learned here: many people are looking for peace; you can protect people from all types of external forces but you cannot protect people from themselves. I think many times their problems are in direct correlation with their lack of peace.

Finally figured out how to convert back to English!

Ok, I finally figured out how to convert my blog back into English so I will be posting again now from time to time. I will add pictures as I get them also. We had a crazy night last night but everything is good. I love my job and work with some of the best people in the world. A friend of mine is a second grade school teacher and her kids are writing to me and sending me pictures of their class and drawings they did. They really make it feel like what we are doing here is worth while. I am so thankful for those kids.

Most Memorable Hour Ever

A few years ago mom bought me a book called "Heart of a Soldier." To this day it is one of the best books I have ever read. It tels the book aims to capture the enormity of the World Trade Center attack by retracing one of the lives lost in the disaster: that of Rick Rescorla, head of security for Morgan Stanley. From the late 1980s on, Rescorla tried to warn Port Authority officials that the World Trade Center was an easy target for terrorists. On September 11, after safely evacuating the Morgan Stanley offices in the south tower (he kept people calm by singing into his megaphone), Rescorla went back into the building minutes before it collapsed to search for stragglers. This wasn't his first selfless act of bravery: a Vietnam veteran, Rescorla won a Silver Star and other medals for his role in the Ia Drang valley an important American victory, but one whose devastating losses turned Rescorla against the war. Piecing together the recollections of, among others, Rescorla's widow, Susan, his best friend and fellow soldier, Daniel Hill, to narrate Rescorla's life story, the book also weaves in Susan's, and describes the Rescorlas' blissful mid-life relationship, a second marriage for both. His feats are portrayed in "We Were Soldiers." Today at the National Infantry Museum, a memorial for Rick Rescorla was dedicated. The NY Fire Department brought down a fire engine which is dedicated to those who lost their lives during 9/11. It had the names of all the fire men written on a plaque on the side of the fire engine. They also brought a twelve foot section of the steel from the south tower (where Rescorla worked) and gave it as part of the memorial. It was very moving. Firemen nationwide had helped relay the twelve foot steel piece across the U.S. There had been police escorts, parades, and flags lining the cars as they brought the beam down to Georgia. Rescorla's wife, Susan, also came and I was allowed the opportunity to meet her. She was a very gracious woman and appreciative of the military. The post two star general gave the speech and after unveiling the memorial, those in attendance went to sign the beam before being set up behind the museum. There were veterans there who had served with Rescorla in Vietnam and two walked up wearing their old cavalry uniforms, saluted me, and then told me some stories about Rescorla. It was a great day for me because I was in the presence of greatness. I will never forget this day.
The statue of Rick Rescorla in Vietnam


Ms. Susan Rescorla and Me

The twelve foot steel from the World Trade Centers south tower

Gunnery

We went out to a 50 cal range yesterday and man was it fun! Took a couple videos I thought ya'll might enjoy.

Deployment

It's been a while since I last posted. I will try to update more frequently when I am in Iraq. I got a call today and was told that I am now to deploy October 2.

Promotion!

Well my first 18 months is up and I am now promoted to 1st Lieutenant! I ordered a chicken platter from Chic-Fil-A for the promotion ceremony and spent $135! Oh well, that's why I get paid the big bucks :)

Garrett of the Mojave

Well, I'm back from the National Training Center (NTC as we Army people like to pointlessly abbreviate it). It was hot and sandy but not humid like Georgia so it wasn't that bad. The training was pretty cool. They spent $30 million on Hollywood special effects artists to come and make simulated towns, explosions, and rockets shooting. They even had live goats and chickens roaming around. The most impressive though were the simulated "RPG's". They would fly down a guide wire so fast you could barely see them other than the trail of smoke. They hit a building and would send dust and dirt flying all over you. It was AWESOME! Kinda scary too. Anyway, I included some pics of the desert for ya'll to see....or see that there is nothing to see.

Boarding flight leaving Fort Benning and bound for NTCHome sweet home!
Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Abrams tank in the desert

The post general flying over our position

Two of my bad boy Paladins!

View of the desert from the top of one of my Paladins

Sunset

Just thought I would throw in a couple pics of the art our soldiers did on our building to give us a more "Automatic Steel" feel

Nice picture

I came across this on the Fort Benning website. It was on our last field exercise. I love how they caught the round in flight. The caption beneath the photo reads: The artillerymen of Battery A, 1/10 FA, 3HBCT, send a round down range during a field training event at a range on Fort Benning, April 28. Reporters from every local television network were on hand to talk with Soldiers and ask them about Hammer Focus, the 3rd HBCT's largest field exercise at Fort Benning.

Rail loading=major headache

Well it has been a while since I last posted. We have been loading all our vehicles onto railcars to ship to Fort Irwin, CA. It's been about 16 hours a day Monday-Saturday. That really stinks because I am going to miss Father's Day and I could really use some relaxation time. Oh well, such is life. It was kinda cool to see literally miles worth of vehicles loading trains. The main hassle was that we were supposed to order certain vehicle tie-downs such as chains, links, and shackles. We bought the items we were told we needed, but as we went to load the vehicles, they told us we needed entirely different gear. I spent the next six hours running to different units trying to see if they had what we needed and if I could take them. They were very helpful and we managed to get everything accomplished. I took some pictures of the vehicles being loaded but you can only see the very front. There are many, many vehicles behind the ones I took pictures of.

More pics and vids of the field

Never a dull moment

So we are back from the field finally. I have been promoted to platoon leader and was replaced by another lieutenant. While we were out in the field one of my soldiers decided to put on about 30 chem lights and give us a show. It is posted here for all to see. It was alot of fun. These guys really keep you on your toes.

Shift work

Well I have been training in the field for the last two weeks and am ready for a shower and a break. The family, Mallory and I are going to Fripp Island next weekend so that will be a great change of pace. I love the Army but you really get tired of being with nothing but unshowered dudes pretty quickly. Its all good though. It cant be that bad. After all, I am sitting in a chair and posting to my blog via cell phone. Dont worry, I will be busy shooting vehicles in another hour or so.

Veterans

A few moments ago I went to the Commissary to buy some groceries. As I was walking in a veteran in a wheelchair was sitting in front of a table requesting monetary support for disabled veterans. I told him I would draw out some cash and come back when I had finished shopping. I purchased my items and came back to see the veteran. I placed the money in a jar and he thanked me for serving. I told him it was I who should be doing the thanking. He handed me a small blue cloth flower which said simply "Forget-Me-Not." As I shook his hand, thanked him for his service, and that America owed him its deepest respect. He tried to stand up from his wheelchair and hug me. He began to fall so I awkwardly and clumsily tried to help him sit back down. He tried to stand up again and clung to my arms for balance. I again had to help him sit and this time I leaned over and hugged him. I thanked him again, gathered up my groceries, and left for the parking lot. I was crying by the time I reached my truck. I am so blessed to be part of an organization that has such outstanding men. I felt so proud as I drove away to be so readily accepted by men who have done far more than I ever have. Even after becoming disabled, this man, and many other veterans across the country, still look after their own and continue to serve and help soldiers. I believe they encompass what is described in the book of John 15;13. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."