Wednesday fun

The traffic going down there was all right. I had a mission to visit a few places.

The first location was closed and couldn't make it to the third, but #2 made me feel like a kid in a candy store.

I parked the rental car and walked onto the apron. It almost felt like I was visiting a normal firehouse until I looked down on the concrete next to the flagpole. In the right stall, the number was faded almost unreadable. The left's paint job was slightly better.

I was there. I had actually made the trip. I rang the doorbell and got no answer. I assume the crew had to be on a run, especially when I saw the ambulance turn the corner.

These 3 pics were not downloaded. They were taken with my cell phone camera.

Until next time…

Little White Crosses

I finally got out of LAX and flew in a puddle jumper to an airport that was small—and I do mean SMALL.

120 miles into my rental car journey to Ft. Irwin, I saw quite a few white crosses on the road going to post. Each had a date stenciled from a fatal accident involving a Soldier from Ft. Irwin. All the while I had the cruise control set at 55 watching traffic blast past me on the hilly road.

The sights were quite humbling. A reminder to pay attention to the road. No one wants another cross on that road with 21 NOV 11 stenciled on it.

Until next time…

Annual Training Adventures...the start

Even though I retire on New Year's Day, I still have one final annual training to do before I can switch my nice ID card for one of those fancy red ones that say RETIRED. Only one day in and it's one complete adventure already...

Leaving Peoria was ok, nothing major there.  Got to O'Hare and was real close to the small USO that was inside security. Actually, it was half of their employee lounge that was donated to the USO for Soldiers and their families. Watched some of the packers game and got on big plane going to LAX.

Got off the plane at LAX and was hit with my first WTF of my trip.  Why for they have VERY LARGE Christmas tree in concourse already decorated?  We happen to forget about a holiday there??  One involving a turkey and all the trimmings--one that cause a large nationwide triptophan OD??????

My connecting flight--on a completely different airline--was delayed. No problem, it's the nature of the beast sometimes.  Finally got on that little rubber band puddle jumper and started toward the final airport where my rental car was waiting for me.

SURPRISE

"This is your first officer, we're unable to land due to the weather and are turning around and heading back to LAX."

WTF

So we turned around and headed back to LAX. We hit the ground and I got a phone call from a pretty well understanding OIC wondering where the hell I was at. When I told him that my plane had just returned to LAX from ALMOST landing in Inyokern, he asked "why the hell were you flying into Inyokern instead of Ontario?"

Shit, I don't know.  I'm just going by the itinerary that the fine travel folks had set for me.  Again, reaffirming my absolute LOVE for DTS .

I got off the plane and got my boarding pass for the RESCHEDULED flight that I am on. I was also offered a hotel coupon for a discounted stay. With traffic snarled and the express  lane backed up all the way to ground beef, I decided to use the map app on my phone and plotted a course to my final bed down place for the night.

I walked my tired little Soldiering for the last time ass to the the Bob Hope USO at LAX. Although, it had me going about four blocks up one street TURNING AROUND (as in Rear MARCH) and coming RIGHT BACK DOWN THE SAME STREET before turning and going about two more blocks to my destination.  I could have (and did) avoided that step and went the two blocks after the left turn and walked through the door.

I have to give props to these folks.  This USO facility is nicely laid out, comfortable, and the coffee was free flowing.  It is DECIDEDLY one of the better USO facilities that I have been in! I crashed out on one of the couches and was out cold until my first alarm went off at 4 (PST). I killed it, went for a smoke and crashed again until about 6:30.

While I'm thinking about it, there's a nice little link in the corner of my blog page. I normally don't ask for people to go out of their way to donate money or time, but these are some fine folks and what they do for Soldiers and their families is nothing short of outstanding.

Now to get my jacket and laptop bag and start back toward the terminal.  I should be through security by the final boarding call.

Until next time...

The OPORD that I can actually write

This past week, along with the new background for the blog, I received what could be the nicest piece of digital paper ever.  ALMOST better than the orders I got for EMSWorld Expo.

I received orders transferring me to the RETIRED RESERVE starting New Years Day.

With my unit celebrating the holidays next month, I figured out that my retirement party is going to be the Saturday night of drill this month.  So I pulled out my old “Sergeant Major Eats Sugar Cookies” format cheat sheet and began typing out the OPORD.

I never thought that I’d actually be attending (much less planning) MY OWN retirement party. I finally figured out that after 21 years, it’s time to give the reins over to the younger folks so they can try to be better than I was and not make the mistakes I had made over my career.

Also, for the simple reason of “because I can”, I’ll be bringing out the kilt for one more time this year.  It’s getting a little too cold to wear it.

From one to the other…

Last month, the inaugural Kilted to Kick Cancer went off pretty well. I’m not sure how much was raised, but just the support of those of us that wore our kilts throughout the month was cool in itself. If you remember, I sported a homemade (as in made all by my little self) BDU kilt. Then I bought one in the Army tartan and will be buying myself an ACU kilt soon to wear for my retirement ceremony.

a picture to bring flashbacks

Last weekend, although KTKC was officially over, I decided to wear my kilt to my boss’ retirement party.  Where the picture drew a collective “WTF” expression when shown to my unit, my new kilt brought chuckles from one of the nurses in my unit as I was walking from the building to my truck. Of course, I walked up to my CO and told him (with her sitting right there) “Not only do I have the balls to pull this off & look good (wearing my kilt) and get checked, I can actually form a synapse and write something” when I showed him my two books.

Now, the kilts are put away for the time being. Quite a few of us in the blogosphere are getting used to wearing pants again. Being October, it’s time to switch to another area of the anatomy…an area that is more prominent on one gender than on the other.

We ALL know that October is Breast Cancer Month. The NFL is wearing pink uniform parts. Various blogs (including 1-U-801) are turning pink. The “I <3 boobies” bracelets are coming around again (oh…I COULD say something, but I’m blogging not playing on twitter).

Guys, now it’s OUR TURN to tell the women in our lives to check themselves and get checked. My neighbor’s daughter found something wrong with hers and got checked.  Thankfully, it was just fatty tissue (if memory serves me right) and not CA.

We gotta make sure they SAVE SECOND BASE.

Now, we’ve gone from one side of the species to the other. We went from (a direct quote from our friend the @epijunky ) “SAVE THE BALLS” to “FEEL YOUR #BOOBS “.

Wonder what next month will bring—other than hopefully a new ACU background (and kilt).

Until next time…

No $#|+, there I was…

I remember what I was doing on that morning, ten years ago. Back then, I wasn’t the blogger and twitterholic we all know now. I was just your average US Army Reserve Recruiter wondering how I was going to make my quota for the month (yes, we had them despite what was heard). I was even one rank lower than the SSG I hold now (was a SGT back then).

I was driving east on I-474 heading towards my station in Bloomington after stopping at the Bartonville McDonald’s for a cup of coffee. It was an uneventful start, the morning DJs on the radio were yakking it up like normal.

By the time I came off I-55 turning on to Veteran’s Parkway in Normal, one of them said that news reports were coming in of a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers. I wasn’t watching on television, so I thought it was a small plane…boy was I wrong.

I got into the station and was joking around with another recruiter about flying her remote control plane into a building when an applicant came in to get ready to go take the “written test”. He said that a second plane had crashed into the second tower of the WTC. The other recruiter that was in the office and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. The kid said it was something big.

The applicant and I got into my G-ride (Government car) and started toward Decatur so he could take his written exam. Needless to say it was a long hour drive while listening to the events unfold on the news station out of Bloomington. We had heard the the first tower fell, along with reports that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. When we got to the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Decatur (yes, we use all 4 services), we were told that the testing was cancelled and folks were moving any and all Government vehicles away from the building.

Yep, this was beginning to be something big.

The crash of Flight 93 and the confirmation of the plane hitting the Pentagon came over the news reports while we were on our way back to Bloomington. That and the almost crying reports of the WTC towers falling, one at a time. Neither one of us could believe it as I parked my G-ride close to the street instead of near the doors like I normally do.

It was time, so I walked over to the neighboring pool hall to have my lunch. I watched on their big screen TV the events as I slowly ate my burger and fries. The color left me as I was watching the sickening events being replayed. I had just lost 343 brothers in the WTC. I don’t remember how many of my comrades in arms I lost in the Pentagon, but the 343 brothers that I lost will be eternally burned into my mind.

I went back to my station and went over to the American flag that was between the row of desks. I picked it up along with its base and took them both outside. I proudly posted the Colors in between the Army and Navy recruiting stations and saluted before going back inside to my desk.

Later in the afternoon, I was instructed to go get some paperwork to a prior service applicant in El Paso, about 45 minutes away from the station. Thankfully, the G-ride had a full tank of gas because I saw the prices jump from the $1.75 (remember THAT?) a gallon up to $5.25 in one spot, $4.45 in others (almost what we’re paying NOW). A few choice words came out of my mouth as I saw that. The news on the radio was still giving play-by-play of the day’s goings.

I was en route back to the station when I happened to look up and saw the only three planes in the skies since the events started unfolding: Air Force One and her two fighter escorts.

I arrived back at the station and picked up one of the many binders of high school juniors and seniors and placed it on my desk. I opened it up and lifted the receiver on the phone. I looked at the phone and then at the lead list. I put the receiver back in its cradle and looked at my boss. “Today, it just wouldn’t be right.” I told my boss.

Thankfully, he agreed as we grabbed our coffee and looked at the crane at the grocery store across the street hoisting up a giant American flag. All of the recruiters in my station spent the last several hours in quiet reflection. It was the only time I didn’t get yelled at for not doing my job.

I made the trek back to Bartonville and went home to my (at the time) wife and (then) 3-year old daughter. It was hard not to cry as I watched everything on TV again as I was pressing my uniform shirt for the next day.

There’s my war story. One from when I was a newly minted EMT-B at the state level and just becoming a combat medic before I went to become an Army “salesman”.

Now, I’m single, with not only a @lilssgjbroyles, but a now 13-year old, mobilized twice, and close to retiring from the Army. Occasionally, I will pour out a little bit of coffee onto the ground while stating “One for the brothers”, so that I’ll never forget.

The Fourth Badge

On the wall in my bedroom, there is a nail between my desk and my closet. On that nail hang four items composed of paper, plastic, cloth, and a clip. Each with its own story to tell.

The first one is from a weekend in March that started with some real strange foursquare check ins. It built up to meeting a BEAUTIFUL blonde lady and culminated with one check in asking “Where’s the Party?”.

I walked into the exhibit hall and ended up meeting friends, old and young; Happy, and those that seemed to have a permanent scowl on their faces. Friends that live both under lights and under sea level. All kinds on medics under the same roof. Some social, some talking out of their garage, and even an ambulance driver or two.

I was even able to get myself a nice toy or two.

Of course, with every badge, there’s an adventure that goes with it.  Especially when you miss your flight home and have to spend the night in the airport USO

The second badge, encased in it’s black pouch comes from a much closer locale later in March. The aforementioned beauty told me that she was going to spend that weekend living “vicariously through me” while I was traveling on the expressway in my pick up.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when she came knocking on my room door with the TALL red that I had met just a couple of weeks before. I’m not sure if it was the fact that we were together again or that I had a face covered in shaving cream, but neither mattered.

The meet up that we went to had more friends. Some made of iron, some that ran to the curb a lot, some that were critical, almost daily, reaching out on the radio.

On that HUGE floor, I saw an old geezer that definitely kept the coffee going. I also ran into a medic that captured this…

All 21 seconds of hustle

It was a long drive back to Peoria.

The third badge, encased in its own cloth and plastic holder, is an anomaly. It’s one that shouldn’t be there really. I have no clue how lucky I was to be able to go to San Antonio for the US Army EMS Conference—if you really want to call it a conference. No one was allowed in the exhibit hall unless they were on break or at lunch time. A shocking thing, is that the booths weren’t all that big…especially ones with BIG NAMES.

The fourth badge, in it’s plastic holder with blue ribbon, reminds me of meeting more friends, young and old. Some rallying for a cause and some looking for the latest toys. Most all came to network, enjoying the fellowship of their fellow providers these birds of a feather. Generations of us, with many braving the elements to get there, all coming together for the same purpose.

I look at those four badges hanging on that nail and contemplate the spring and summer’s events. It also makes me wonder…

Where am I going to hang the 5th one?

Til next time…