Intel 35 Day 10 (Final) - (Germany) Day 269

This morning was a little different than previous mornings, since it is our last day here in the hotel, I had to gather up all my crap and load the car. We ate breakfast and thanked the owners for their great service and wonderful food. We headed off to pick up our classmates on the way to class. The car was pretty full with four people and all our luggage.

We headed into class and were given the instructions for the final exam. There will be no talking or taking breaks at the same time. We then started at 0830 with a time limit of 6 hours to finish, we also were told that there was a mandatory lunch at noon until 1300 if we were still there. The test was actually easier than the master scenario that we did the previous two days leading up to the test. We basically setup more accounts and did some more with various accounting procedures. We did work with others in the class as other accounts, so at times we had to send stuff via floppy disk and wait for stuff from them. This was only an issue once because one of the students in class was very slow, double checking and triple checking every single mouse click. I ended up taking a small nap during the test while waiting on some material from her.

We all finished the test before lunch time and the instructors graded each of ours one at a time. We needed a 75% to pass the test and I received a 91%. I made a couple of typos and also made a stupid mistake while on autopilot at the end of the test. No worries though, I passed and made it through both courses now. Because of this, I was awarded "The Creed of the ComSec Custodian". A funny take on the various army creeds, but applied to the ComSec world.

We headed out and ate lunch at the food court before heading home. Unfortunately the way home was full of frustration. The autobahn we were traveling was closed, so we were rerouted along a detour. The traffic was horrible and we decided to have the GPS calculate an alternative route. We took the alternative route, but ended up hitting quite a bit of traffic off and on. Traffic backups on the autobahn are called a "Stau" and this term is used by both Germans and Americans here. The autobahn is awesome when you can drive at whatever speed you want, but when you run into a stau, it can suck big time. We found plenty of staus along our way home and instead of getting home at our original ETA of 1605, we arrived at 1930. It sucked, but it was nice finally getting home and seeing my wife again. Hopefully I won't have any training, or any more TDY assignments that take me away again for a while.

Intel 35 Day 9 - (Germany) Day 268

Another normal morning at the hotel and then off to class after picking up our classmates along the way. This morning we all headed into class and continued working on our "master scenario" exercise. Unlike previous classes where we chit chat about the news, today we just sat down and got to business. The process isn't that hard as long as you follow the workbook and do each step in order.

We were forced to take a break at 0900 for a "Suicide Stand Down". I guess soldiers at least all over Europe are required to attend more suicide training because of all the suicides that keep happening in the army. Now don't get me wrong, it sucks that soldiers are committing suicide at abnormally high rates, but we have been having this training shoved down our throats it seems every other month at least. Obviously this forced training is not helping, in fact maybe it makes people think about suicide more than they usually would. I'm not sure what the answer is, but the army's solution to everything is forcing more training. As you should already know, army training drives me nuts. Not much I can do though because it's required, so I sat through the class like a good soldier and signed the attendance form, so they could "check the box" and say more training was done.

We headed back and continued with the master scenario exercise until lunch. I was almost finished, but lunch was mandatory. We all left to the DFAC and then did some wandering around the PX for a bit before heading back to class. I then finished up in a few minutes and had to wait in the break room until everything was graded. I did make a couple small mistakes that I had to fix, but nothing major. Really just a couple typos, but they still would have been a few points deducted if this were the final. I'll have to double check my work tomorrow to make sure I don't make any silly mistakes like that again.

By 1500 everyone was done and we could leave. We headed to the hotel where I read and took a nap. Dinner was amazing as usual and we were also each given a large dessert menu and told to pick one since it's our last night here. I chose one that consisted of hot raspberries over vanilla ice cream….mmmm. The owners here are awesome! We ended up doing our pre-check out, so tomorrow morning we can eat breakfast and then just leave.

I'm going to miss this place, but it will be nice to get home to my wife once again. We already have plans for this weekend and next weekend as well.

Intel 35 Day 8 - (Germany) Day 267

A photo I snapped of Grafenwoehr's iconic water tower landmark,

it features a large water tank, as well as a conference and training room. 

This morning was pretty much the same routine as yesterday, eating breakfast at the hotel and picking up the other two that are in our class. We went through the last of the actual material today (blocks of instruction along with our hands on exercise). We then went through the process of initializing our systems back to the starting point. All that work we have done with each practical exercise building on the system, all wiped out in a couple of keystrokes! We then were briefed on our master exercise. This exercise is huge, we will be given a total of 8 hours to finish it. It basically has us start up the system from scratch once again and do everything we've done in the last week and a half all at once. We can ask for help during the exercise and we have to make sure everything is done correctly because the final exam is done based on all the groundwork that the exercise lays out.

We left for lunch and headed to the Grafenwoehr PX. We ate at the food court and SGT Mex went looking for some shoes, but came out empty handed. He was hoping to find something here that our PX in Heidelberg doesn't have. We headed back to class and actually started the master exercise. We all were well ahead of schedule, so the instructor told us to stop when we reached a certain step. At this step we backed up the systems, then shutdown and left for the day. It turned out we ended up leaving at about 1430, which was pretty cool.

Back at the hotel I took a nap, read my book, and then ate way too much dinner. I have to start slowing down and eating less, but all the food they cook here is so good. In addition to the dinner, I've been having a pretty large beer with every meal. I figured hey, I'm staying out on the economy…I might as well live like a German. We only get one free drink per meal. Every drink is in a small glass, unless you order a beer. The beer is served in a large glass, so there is no need for a refill. (On a side note: the water in the mini bar in each room costs as much as the beer). The dinner conversation included some new words that I now have in my army vocabulary: "Dependopotamus" - This is the spouse of a soldier that sits home all day, eats and gets fat. Then there are "Dependabrats" - These are the screaming kids you see in the commissary of a soldier…funny stuff.

The rest of the night consisted of schoolwork, reading and video chatting with my wife. I have one more full night here at this lovely hotel…then it's back to reality :(

Intel 35 Day 7 - (Germany) Day 266

Had my normal routine in the morning with breakfast at the hotel and then heading into class. This morning we picked up the other two in our class at their hotel. They were renting a car for the last week, but had to return it after the weekend.

Class this morning went on as usual. We go over a block of instructions and then do a hands on practical exercise. It seems the more we get into this class without slowing down, the less I actually understand. I can still get through all the hands on portion because it's easy enough to find the keywords and also look through our slide book to find the step-by-step instructions. I will definitely need some time on our system back in the office in order to feel comfortable working on it and really understand what and why I'm doing what I'm doing. There is just a lot of information that we need to go through for the class, I'm sure in our account we only use a portion of it though…we'll see I guess when I get back.

Lunch today was going to be at the DFAC, but when we arrived, the lines were out the doors. Normally we would have stayed and just waited it out, but today I had to also head to the library. My boss sent me a message last night stating that I had to log onto a computer with a CAC reader and electronically sign some DTS paperwork for my last trip out here. I guess they are still trying to work on paying me for that one. So we ate lunch at Burger King and headed over to the library to get that taken care of.

We were released from class a little before 1600 and headed back to the hotel after dropping our classmates off. I read some and then just listened to music and relaxed on the bed for a while. I think I was in and out of consciousness for about an hour just listening to music and taking it easy.

I then headed out to the dining area and ate dinner with SGT Mex and the other soldier here. Dinner was great as always. I then finished watching a movie on my computer and video chatted with my wife for a bit.

Intel 35 Day 6 - (Germany) Day 265

Back in the routine today with breakfast in the morning and then off to class. The class has been moving along, I can't say that I understand everything though. In fact at times we'll go over a block of instruction and then do the practical exercise, I'll just follow through step by step in the book not exactly sure what is going on or why. I think a lot of this will make more sense when I get back to the office and see what exactly we do and why.

Lunch was at the DFAC as usual, except that SGT Mex didn't come. He had to run to the commissary, but I didn't want to spend any money…so it was just the DFAC for me. I ate my food and then just played games on my iPhone until it was time to head back to class. The evening portion of the class was similar to the morning, except we had a very long practical exercise. I like having the hands on, but I'm feeling lost at times wondering exactly what I'm doing. I'm hoping the final test is pretty straight forward.

We were released at about 1630 and headed back to the hotel. I read a little and then took a short nap before dinner. During dinner the other soldier staying here with us found out his house had been robbed. He's stationed up in Belgium and he got a call from his first sergeant telling him that everything is gone! Someone must have pulled up a moving truck. He was understandably pretty pissed off and there's not a whole lot he can do about any of it since he's down here until the end of the week. After dinner I did my schoolwork. Not a whole lot to report today…my stomach is full of good German food and I'm ready to relax for the rest of the night.

Overheard Quote: "My piss smells like bacon" (SGT Mex describing how he can tell he needs to start drinking more water.

Weekend Wrap-Up (Regensburg) - (Germany) Day 263 & 264

Me standing in front of the Walhalla Temple near Regensburg

Saturday: This morning we woke up and had breakfast a little later than usual since it is the weekend…everyone agreed on 0900. After that my wife and I got ready and then headed off to a city called Regensburg. The owner of the hotel suggested it as a place to see, so we took his word for it and headed off. The drive was about an hour and after a little bit of research on the web, we had some sites we wanted to check out and were on our way.

When we arrived, we ended up parking in a parking garage almost in the center of town. We came up and started walking around downtown to find a maze of small alleyways filled with various shops. One could spend days here just going from shop to shop checking out the various things to buy. We were not here for a shopping spree, we were here as tourists ready to see the sites…but there was a major situation arising…I had to pee pretty badly. I found the tourist information center and promptly asked them where the nearest bathroom was. Once that was taken care of, I was able to think clearly and we started enjoying the sites.

We checked out the Regensburg Cathedral which has two large towers that dominate the skyline. The inside is impressive as well, and there are tombs of past bishops which I was surprised to see. After that we headed out and found a restaurant to have lunch at outside. This is one of the things I love about the European towns that we visit, on a nice day one can sit outside at the many tables and grab a bite to eat. It's enjoyable to people watch and take in the fresh air.

With full stomachs we headed to check out the The remains of the East Tower of Porta Praetoria from Ancient Roman times. It always amazes me when I check out ancient ruins and think back at how long ago they were built. We headed across the stone bridge which was finished in 1146! This ancient bridge was very important back in the day and was used by the knights of the crusades on their way to the holy land.

We spent more time just checking out the city before heading out for a short drive to Walhalla Temple. This huge building is full of famous and historical German figures and is modeled after the Parthenon in Athens. We did have to pay for parking (2 Euro) and then pay for entrance (3 Euro), but it was very impressive. Inside it is full of busts in the likeness of the historical figures and outside it is just massive, with the columns and the large steps.

We headed back to the hotel after that and had another great meal by the owner here. I think the coolest thing about this trip is that we would have never even thought of it unless it was recommended by the owners. I'm glad we were able to make it there and enjoy a city we would have missed otherwise.

Sunday: We had breakfast again at 0900, then headed off to the Grafenwoehr post. I had to do laundry (one of the only downfalls of this hotel is the lack of a washer and dryer). While I did my laundry, my wife shopped at the PX, which is fairly large compared to ours in Heidelberg. We then planned to eat lunch at a wonderful Chinese place called "Tea Garden" off post, but when we arrived we found it closed. They are closed for a month while they go on vacation. This is something you don't see much of in the states. A business usually doesn't just take a month off so they can go on vacation. They have a different outlook on money I guess, and they put more emphases on their own quality of life. I guess this isn't a bad thing, except for the fact that my wife and I wanted some good Chinese food.

We ended up headed back to the food court on post for lunch, then went back to our hotel for a nap. My wife left at about 1500 to head back home and I did schoolwork and then read for a while before eating another wonderful dinner here at the hotel. I'm afraid to get on the scale when I get back home!

Pictures of our day trip...check out the slideshow below or go to the album on my flickr:

Created with flickr slideshow.

Intel 35 Day 5 - (Germany) Day 262

Had the usual morning breakfast in the dining area of the hotel. One of the nice things about each morning is that the three of us that are staying here, all sit at one table and have some morning conversation while we eat breakfast. It kind of starts the day out right, a nice breakfast with some fellow students who like to talk about anything and everything.

Class today was similar to the previous days. Today we focused on transferring encryption keys we made to devices called SKL (Simple Key Loader), which is the device similar to an oversized palm pilot. We also loaded the audit logs from the device to the machine. As with the other classes we would get a block of instruction and then do a practical exercise giving us some hands on experience.

At lunch we ate at the DFAC and then headed off to try and find the health clinic on this post. Evidently it's an emergency that I get my flu shot now. I guess the rest of the office received theirs and it was actually marked down in their MedPros, so now I need to get mine done. We finally found the place, but found out they only do flu shots on Mondays. I told them it was an emergency…LOL, then told them I'd be back on Monday.

We got out of class at 1500 which was pretty cool…a nice way to start our weekend. We came back to the hotel and I did my schoolwork before doing a little reading. By about 1800 my wife had arrived. We ate dinner in the dining area with SGT Mex and the other student here. My wife finally got to experience some of the wonderful food the owner makes here. I'm guessing I'll probably gain about 10 pounds in these two weeks I'm here.

We were planning on heading to Munich this weekend, but after the owner came out and suggested we check out Regensburg (which is only an hour away) we decided to take his advice.

Intel 35 Day 4 - (Germany) Day 261

Had my usual morning breakfast at the hotel before heading to class. We started class after our usual morning news brief. This is where the instructor hangs out in the front of class and we discuss the daily news. They say we can discuss anything except politics and religion…LOL. They would prefer security related news, but everything is fair game. Today it was mostly about the attacks on the US Embassies in the middle east. These places also have ComSec material, we were wondering at what point they might have actually started their destruction process (destroying all the ComSec classified & top secret  materials while the embassy is under attack)

Class went by pretty quickly, as usual we listened to a block of instruction and then did some hands on with a practical exercise on our system. We generated electronic encryption keys on each of our systems by the end of the day.

The day also included a number of breaks where discussions would arise and the one I hear most often is the difference between tactical vs. strategic units in the army (tactical units deploy and strategic units do not). I'm told that if I were in a tactical unit, then there would be no doubt that I would be actually doing my job (Information Technology Specialist). On top of that I hear from everyone that the environment in a tactical unit is much different than that of a strategic unit. The idea I keep hearing is that since a strategic unit doesn't deploy, they hang around worrying about stupid stuff all the time. A tactical unit on the other hand has more money to spend and just gets things done…they don't do the stupid crap all the time. How much of this is true, I don't know…since I've never experienced the tactical side. It seems to be the common theme I hear from everyone though. I think my whole experience, thoughts and feelings I have about the army would be different if I had been in a tactical unit.

Once class was out we headed back to the hotel where I started watching the Apple special presentation on the new iPhone 5. I have to keep up with the tech news even while I'm away! I then had dinner in the dining area with the other two soldiers here. The cool thing about staying in such a small hotel out with the locals, is the ability to interact with them. One of the owners of the hotel came out and chatted with us for about an hour.

I then video chatted with my wife for a while before heading to bed for the night. Looking forward to the weekend coming soon, my wife will be coming up and we'll be doing some site seeing.

Intel 35 Day 3 - (Germany) Day 260

A view of SGT Mex in the outside dining area at our hotel...I love this place!

Had my usual nice breakfast this morning along with my "to-go" coffee…I love this hotel! Arrived at class and because we have such a small class size (only 4 people) we have been moving along faster than planned. We ended up taking quite a bit of time just chatting with the instructors between each block of instruction. At one point we chatted for an hour about random stuff. There were some pretty interesting conversations. Both our instructors have retired from the army. Our female instructor had an interesting career with overseas time in Korea, Kuwait, Norway, and Germany as well as some time working at the NSA. She did say something that I can really relate to, probably because I joined so late in life "I was a civilian in a military uniform". I think and feel the same way. Being older, I'm already set in my ways and I can see past a lot of the bullshit that goes on. I also question a lot of the stupidity that I see versus a young person who may not know any better.

We did have a couple hands on portions during the day, but today was more instruction than usual. The instructors said they still have to give these current blocks of instruction, but the army does not use this information anymore. It's funny because even the last bullet on the slide stated that the army no longer uses this…but we had to go through it anyway because the material had not been changed yet by Fort Gordon. Everyone was left kind of scratching their heads wondering why we just wasted two hours of our lives.

We were let out at 1600 after another long random conversation session between us and the instructors. We backed up our systems and did an inventory of all of our personal items, then we left. We headed back to the hotel, where I read my book for a bit, then took a nap. I then ate dinner with SGT Mex in the dining area along with another soldier here for training. This hotel only has 3 rooms! We had some good dinner and good conversation before heading back to each of our rooms. I did homework before video chatting with my wife, then called it a night and turned in.