Prayer Breakfast - (Germany) Day 512

The chaplain up front doing his thing at the prayer breakfast in Landstuhl

This morning was an early one. I headed over to the chaplain's house by 0430 in the morning. I had told him earlier that even though I would be clearing, that I would help him out with this last prayer breakfast. We drove up to Landstuhl which is about an hour away. On our drive there the chaplain asked me to pull over at the next rest area…a minute later he said take the next exit and just pull over! He had to go pee and it was an emergency. So I pull over and the chaplain takes a few steps off the road and relieves himself…lol. We get back on the road and arrive at our destination then headed to the 181 company conference room. Eventually the 102nd Signal Battalion chaplain and CSM arrived as well. This will be the chaplain that takes over once our 43rd Signal Battalion chaplain leaves and the 43rd Signal Battalion shuts down.

The breakfast spread was pretty amazing because of one particular female specialist from 181 in Landstuhl. She brought in all kinds of stuff to eat including breakfast burritos and some type of egg dish. There were some pastries as well and of course coffee and juice. I stayed in the back most of the time taking photos for the chaplain and helping out whenever needed.

After we finished the breakfast we headed out, I was able to grab a muffin and scarf it down before we left…not quite the breakfast I imagined, but at least it was something. On the way back the chaplain wanted to stop in Mannheim at one of the posts to ask some questions about his car. He's looking to sell it before he leaves and needed to find out some information. We ship all our cars from this post in Mannheim, so I'll be making a trip there in the near future. The chaplain wanted to get his car washed and inspected (the inspection is a requirement in order to sell). He was going to have me stay with him all day, but I let him know I still needed to continue to out-process. So he took me back home and then headed back to Mannheim. Because it was close to lunch time by now, I decided to eat some lunch and take a nap. I then downloaded all the prayer breakfast pictures I took and emailed them to my work address so I could forward them to the chaplain later on.

I headed into the out-processing center and finished up my last remaining office there which happened to be the passport office. I'm not sure why we have to out-process there. I sat down handed him my clearing paper, he signed it and I took off. I then headed to the ComSec office where I sent the prayer breakfast photos to the chaplain and also uploaded them to the 181 Facebook page. I call it a page, but it's really a closed group. I checked my email, talked with my boss for a bit…then headed out. I was able to find the S-4 NCO and he signed most of my paperwork, but needed some confirmation from our company headquarters that I don't have any gear checked out. So I had to go back to the ComSec office and send an email requesting this. I think there will be a lot of this type of stuff as I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends.

I headed to the hospital to knock out the clearing paperwork there. The problem is that with the closing of the post, everything is consolidating and nothing is where it should be. Some offices on my clearing paperwork state they are on the 4th floor of the hospital, but they have removed everything from the fourth floor! I ended up on the 2nd floor looking for a behavior health office, when I walked in there was no receptionist. Shrek was playing in the waiting room, but there was nobody there…it was like an abandoned clinic. I wandered around the hallways peering into empty offices and passing by some offices that stated "In Session". Finally a gentleman came out of an office and I asked him if he could out-process me. He said the CPT that usually does that is gone…then gently knocked on an office door that was "in session". The lady who answered told the gentleman to sign my paperwork if I had never been to behavior health before…I told him I hadn't, he signed it.

I then headed to the first floor to the family practice center is. The receptionist there took my paperwork and signed off on everything else except one office called social welfare or something. She told me it was upstairs. I headed back up to the place I just came from and after seeing nobody there, decided to sit down and watch Shrek for a while. A CPT came in who was also out-processing. I told her that everyone was in their offices with "in session" signs on their doors…and the rest where empty. She said she actually works in the hospital and since they signed my behavior health already, she would just sign my social welfare. I don't really see the point of having to do all this out-processing. I never had to show an ID card. The people never looked anything up in a computer or any records, they all just took my paperwork and signed it. It's just a big waste of time!

I headed home and took a nap…getting up so early left me drained. 

The Colonoscopy - (Germany) Day 482

This morning I didn't have PT, instead I had to drive the chaplain to the hospital for his colonoscopy appointment. We left at 0630 and once we arrived and checked him in, I headed to the USO in the hospital and made use of their free WiFi. I brought my laptop and had my schoolwork all ready to go, so I spent a while taking care of that and then doing some general web surfing. I was still a bit tired though, and ended up just heading back to the TMP and taking a nap.

The chaplain's procedure and recovery finished up at about noon. The nurse gave me a call and I headed in to meet up with him. We headed to the DFAC where he treated me to lunch. I just grabbed a quick sandwich and a drink, then we sat down and chatted for a bit over lunch. I'm pretty sure he was still a little out of it because he was a bit slow and kept asking me the same questions over and over. He wasn't as bad as "David at the Dentist", but it was still pretty funny.

After lunch we headed home and the entire trip he was talking the entire time, I wonder how much of it he'll remember. I dropped him off at his house where he was supposed to rest. I then returned the TMP after filling it up and had my wife pick me up. I headed home from there, it was a bit after 1400. There wasn't anything for me to do at the office and I got up pretty early today, so I just hung out at home for the rest of the day…and even took another nap.

NBC Turn-in - (Germany) Day 476

This morning for PT we formed up at Patton gym in our summer PTs with the winter jacket. The winter jacket was just in case it was a little cold out this morning, the normal folks did various sprints outside, while those of us on profile hit the gym. I had a mediocre workout on the stationary bike. I think I took a muscle relaxer too late last night and was dragging this morning. It was also very hot on the second level where the bikes are located…I just couldn't get going.

I met up with SPC Mac and two other soldiers from the ComSec office this morning outside the ComSec office. SPC Mac and I planned on turning in our NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical - the stuff we wear in the gas chamber) gear today. The other guys ended up having things they needed to take care of in Landstuhl, so they wanted to tag along in the TMP since we were heading that way. Technically we could have turned in the NBC gear when we out-process, but I figured we might as well take a day to do it just to get it out of the way. It gave us something to do for the day and we also would have the opportunity to eat lunch at Ramstein Air Base.

We headed out at 0900 and drove to the company headquarters in Landstuhl. When we arrived the supply sergeant took our NBC gear. We then headed over to the hospital area and waited while one of the other soldiers had his taxes done. After that we headed to Ramstein and had lunch, then headed to another small post to check on training supplies for the other soldier. When all was said and done, we arrived back at the ComSec office at almost 1500. A good way to pass the time and have pretty much another day over.

I headed to my office, checked email, did my schoolwork and a little studying for the Apple re-certification exam. The chaplain was back, so we got caught up with each other and went over the upcoming schedule. Then before I knew it, the day was over.

Going to Jail - (Germany) Day 454

A view of the jail we visited, located at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim

You can see the guard towers at each corner...and of course

there are fences and barbed wire along each side.

 

This morning I headed to PT in my ACUs. I just showed up for formation and then headed back home. I'm turning in all my gear this morning, so I brought my wife to work early and headed to CIF (Central Issuing Facility). There are walk-ins from 0800 - 1200, I arrived at 0730 and brought in all my gear…and waited. I knew I was early, but I wanted to be first and get it done with. They opened up a little early and I packed all my crap inside the office. The local national (German dude) working the counter had me give him a copy of my orders and my memo stating I can turn in all my gear early. I am turning everything in as if I'm ETSing (leaving the army). He printed off a list of items that I needed to turn in and I started handing him things one at a time. He would give them a quick look over and then mark it off the list. It all went pretty quick and even though I was missing a grenade pouch, he said he had a few extras and I wouldn't be charged for it. After that he gave me some paperwork showing everything I had turned in. I've heard horror stories about turning stuff into CIF, like if there is a speck of dirt on an item they won't take it. Luckily my guy was pretty easy going.

I headed to my office and did a quick email check, then checked in with the chaplain. I had to head over to Subway and pick up a large order of party trays for today's lunch bible study. Once I brought them back to the conference room, the chaplain told me to take a couple for myself. I took a sandwich and headed to my office where I ate lunch and surfed the web.

We headed out after lunch, I drove the chaplain to the hospital in Landstuhl for his appointment. There were no TMPs available, so he had me drive him in his own car. The appointment at the hospital actually took quite a while. In addition he had to get some paperwork from another office on the other side of the hospital and bring it back to where we were. Before we left he bought me a snack and some coffee.

It was already well after 1500 by the time we headed to the company in Landstuhl. He visited with the soldiers there while I stayed in his car and did some schoolwork. It ended up being after 1700 by the time we left the company, but on a good note I was able to get all my schoolwork done. We then had to head to the prison located in Mannheim. The chaplain received a call from the prison chaplain asking if he could stop by the prison because he would not be able to make it. So we headed to the prison and I headed in with the chaplain as well, just to check it all out.

The outside and inside is pretty much like you see in all the movies. Large fences with barbed wire and guard towers. Inside there were plenty of gates that had to be remotely opened for us. We checked in and left my utility tool and the chaplain's pocket knife. I was able to bring in my phone because I was with the chaplain, but I wasn't allowed to take any photos unfortunately. We were escorted to a part of the prison called the SHU (Special Housing Unit) which was kind of like solitary confinement. The chaplain spoke with each of the 4 guys staying there. It was a pretty depressing place. Three of the four guys had kids and either a wife or girlfriend. I checked out some of the empty cells and let me just say I'm glad I'm not staying there! The cells were tiny with just enough room for a small bed, metal sink and toilet right out in the open.

On our way out we passed by a gym and a common area. The place is no joke and downright depressing. I don't think I would ever want to work in a prison! It was pretty cool to be able to go inside and actually check it out. An experience I probably would not have if I was not helping out the chaplain. We finally made it home a little after 2000…a long day!

Lotta Driving - (Germany) Day 449

This morning I didn't go to PT, instead I picked up the chaplain in the TMP in front of his house. We headed off to Wiesbaden where the chaplain did his UMT training and I headed to the food court to do schoolwork. I stayed in there until 1000 when the library opened up. By that time I had my schoolwork done, so I headed to the library and played around on my iPad using the free WiFi. I headed back to the food court once again for lunch and then met the chaplain at the TMP at 1300.

We then headed to Landstuhl where the chaplain went in and chatted with the soldiers. While he did his thing, I just stayed in the TMP and took a nap while listening to the radio. We headed out at about 1600 for home.

IDES Appt - (Germany) Day 442

This morning I did not head to PT, instead I drove a TMP up to Landstuhl hospital for an appointment. I had an appointment at 0830 and left at 0630 even though the trip is only a little over an hour. The problem comes when you reach the hospital gate in the morning because traffic gets backed up pretty far. This morning it actually took me a while to leave because there was ice all over the TMP, so I had to get all of that cleared before leaving. When I arrived at the gate, I was in a long line for about a half hour!

I ended up heading straight into my appointment and only arrived 10 minutes before the scheduled time. A couple minutes later and I would have been late! The appointment was basically sitting down with a doctor and going over all my conditions. The doctor was pretty cool and was able to do a good job of going over everything step by step. We went from my knee issues to my head & neck issues. He had access to all my records at his computer and we went over X-rays and everything else while I was there. His job was to put together a consolidated list of everything that is wrong with me. This list will then be sent to the medboard folks in Ft. Lewis and the process will move on from there.

The appointment lasted until about 1030, then I headed to the food court and ate lunch. After lunch I headed to the TMP to take a nap before driving back. Nobody was expecting me back until 1400 and I didn't want to disappoint them. I ended up getting back a little before 1400 and headed to my office. I was able to do some schoolwork and then some SkillPorts before calling it a day.

The Driver - (Germany) Day 435

Just a photo I snapped while driving along the autobahn. 

OK I may have the humor of a 12 year old...LOL

This morning there was no PT because of some sergeant's time training in Landstuhl. I was exempt because I had to drive the chaplain. I spent the first half hour at work putting together everything to submit a pass request. We are planning a trip on the April 4-day. Anytime you go on pass or leave, there is a ton of paperwork that must be submitted.

Once the pass was submitted to my boss, I headed out with the TMP and filled it up with gas. I was back and ready in plenty of time for our scheduled departure at 1030. I drove the chaplain to Landstuhl, so he could meet up with the soldiers located up there. On the drive up, the chaplain fell asleep and he doesn't like the radio on…so it was a quite ride. I dropped him off and then headed to the hospital to grab some lunch at their food court. I was planning on having some Subway, but the line was out the freakin' door! I guess showing up at noon is not a good idea. I chose pizza instead, there was only one person in line…LOL.

After eating, I headed back and waited in the van while parked in the parking lot. I was drained, so I took a nap. I then read a "Stars and Stripes" newspaper I bought at the hospital. I noticed the headline about North Korea threatening a preemptive strategic nuclear strike and had to read it.

The chaplain came out and we left around 1500, again he slept on the way home and no radio. It's pretty strange to think that this is a days work for me. Driving a guy back and forth and a lot of waiting in a van. When I got back it was after 1600, so I spent a while just surfing the web passing the time until 1700 rolled around.

PEBLO Briefing - (Germany) Day 433

A view of the Landstuhl Medical Center from the sky.

I was told that it's design was to help in case it is bombed, there

are several buildings all attached instead of one large hospital building

 

This morning I headed out and instead of going to the PT formation, I hopped into a TMP and headed off to Landstuhl. I headed out at 0630 with an appointment at 0845 at the Landstuhl hospital. It normally takes a bit over an hour to get there, but I heard traffic in the morning at the gate is horrible…and I have to be there 15 minutes early of course. Traffic was indeed horrible at the gate, but I made it in plenty of time. I went to the coffee joint in the hospital and picked up a mocha and a bite to eat for breakfast.

When I arrived they had me sign in and then my case nurse (or something like that) took me back into her office. We went over all my paperwork and she gave me a little pre-briefing briefing. I headed back to the conference room where there ended up being a total of three soldiers going through the process. We had a total of three briefings all about the medboard process. The first was legal, then another guy who works with a number of soldier organizations, and finally the PEBLO brief. We learned what the process will be like and how long it should take. We learned the various outcomes of the medboard process and what things we can appeal and what we can't. It was an interesting brief, but I had heard a lot of it before from SPC Mac since he just went through his. It's always best to hear it straight from the source though…as the ComSec motto goes "Trust No One".

After the brief I had to make an appointment for an OPIN appointment. This is where a doctor will discuss everything with me and write down kind of a consolidated form with everything on it. This will be sent to the WTU in Ft. Lewis and used as a starting point for the medboard process. I have that appointment next Thursday.

I grabbed a bite to eat at the food court in the hospital, then headed back to my office. By the time I filled up the TMP and turned it back into the ComSec office it was 1500. I met up with the chaplain and we went over everything that's going on with all his events. He also said he talked to my platoon sergeant and got me off of garbage duty from now on. The chaplain said he needs me too much, and can't spare me every Monday. So…no more "Garbage Man Mondays".

Smoke Break - (Germany) Day 421

On the way back...is it coincidence that there are dark clouds 

looming on the way back to work?

PT this morning was a little odd. It was combatives, which meant that I just came in my normal uniform, sat in the bleachers and watched. It was scheduled for 2 hours which meant 0630 to 0830 in the morning. The funny part is that the platoon sergeant was sick as a dog and left after we had accountability. The normal combatives instructor (SGT Steroids) was on staff duty, so they had another sergeant teach it. Let's just say that this sergeant is the last person you would expect to teach anyone combatives. They started and after about a half hour everyone stopped and took a smoke break. When they came back in they shot some baskets on the basketball court…I joined in on that venture, something I can do. Then they went back to combatives. Basically all their combatives training was just picking two people to square off and see if they could submit the other within 2 minutes. Once everyone had done it again after the smoke break, we cleaned up and went home. We left earlier than planned, so I was home a little before 0800 and didn't have to be back to work until 1000.

They had planned on doing the same classes for sergeant's time training, so I just headed into my office. I had to prepare for our events tomorrow, check my email, and make sure the TMP was gassed and ready to go for today. After that I headed to Subway and picked up a sandwich. I ate it, then headed to a mandatory lunch with the brigade CSM (Command Sergeant Major). He was down to visit Heidelberg and instead of having a mandatory meeting, he decides to force everyone to take their lunch break and spend it with him. Lunch is not provided, we have to bring our own. To me that just seems like a guy with an ego trip. He talked about "go army" stuff, the coming budget crisis and how it will affect everyone. It was hard to hear everything because the noise in that room echoes a lot and the CSM kept walking around sometimes talking with his back to people. I sat through it patiently, then when it was over I split. I had to be at the TMP at 1300 to take the chaplain to Landstuhl. On my way out a first sergeant told me to stop and help put away all the chairs. At first I didn't realize he was talking to me and I just kept going. He sent someone running after me to stop me and have me come back. I let them know I'm currently "on a mission for the chaplain"… in retrospect I should have said "I"m on a mission for God"…that would have been funny. They guy turned around and went back and I kept going. Something about that whole event just pissed me off. It's not like I was trying to get out of putting a couple chairs away, I needed to get a move on.

I had the TMP ready to go when the chaplain came out and we headed off to Landstuhl. When we arrived, he went in and did his thing with the soldiers and I delivered some boxes I brought up for the supply sergeant. I then sat in the van and did my schoolwork. I must have been tired because at one point I fell asleep reading my textbook, but I was able to finish my chapter before the chaplain came out at 1600. We headed back to our office and I readied some paperwork for the Prayer Breakfast tomorrow morning. I headed home about 1730 to take care of my still sick wife.

It's Permanent - (Germany) Day 412

This morning's PT was at the gym on Campbell, those not on profile did circuit drills while those of us on profile went to the gym and worked out on our own. I got a good workout doing my normal routine of weights. The only bummer about having PT at Campbell is that it makes the rest of the morning a bit rushed.

I headed into my office and had time to finish up one of the mandatory online training modules, but when I tried to do another I found out that I needed an upgraded version of flash in order to do it. So I put in a help desk request and perhaps I'll be able to do it tomorrow. The chaplain had me work on another flyer and after that it was about time for lunch, so I headed home.

After lunch I headed to the Landstuhl hospital for my neurology appointment. I arrived and saw my doctor, the appointment was a follow-up and all we did was talk about how everything was going. By the end of the conversation we both agreed that after almost a year of being on temporary profile and trying a number of options, nothing has improved. So she changed my profile to permanent and it has a PULHES (a scoring system used by the military to rate a physical profile) score with multiple 3s. A 3 means I have some medical conditions that require significant limitations. This will trigger a medboard at some point, the doctor could not tell me how fast it would happen because it really varies. The good news is that I do not need to go get my profile renewed all the time and I will not have to do anything that will aggravate my neck/head. I guess we'll see where this takes me. Glad to have this first step done and over with.

I headed home and picked up my wife from work. I finished my schoolwork and spent the evening hanging out with my wife.

Prayer Breakfast & FPU - (Germany) Day 408

I had to leave pretty early this morning, I got up at 0330 and picked up the chaplain in the TMP at 0430. We left from PHV and headed towards the Landstuhl hospitable about an hour away. Once we arrived, we made sure the room adjacent to the DFAC was ready to go. This morning the chaplain hosted a prayer breakfast. The prayer breakfast is open to any soldiers that want to come, they purchase their own breakfast at the DFAC and then listen to the chaplain speak for a few minutes. Today's featured speaker was the 5th signal command chaplain…a full bird colonel. My job at this event was to make sure everyone got their fliers, everyone signed in, and also to take a bunch of photos.

After the event the chaplain and I took a short break in the main part of the DFAC and had some coffee. We went over the pros and cons of the event and then headed to 181st Company Headquarters. Here the chaplain went around and talked to the various soldiers and during this time I was able to stay in the TMP. My plan was to study a bit, but I was too tired…I kept reading the same paragraph over and over, then eventually gave in and just took a nap.

I met up with the chaplain in the conference room at 1045 where we setup for a financial training class. The chaplain brought along Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. I've listened to this guy before and he does a really great job of explaining finances and helping people get out of debt. Not only is he entertaining, but he gives some really sound advice. We watched about 45 minutes of his video on debt. The chaplain then spoke a bit and answered any questions. After that the commander and first sergeant had to get their time in, which eventually turned into a safety brief for the weekend…always one of my favorite topics (sigh). Interestingly enough when we were all leaving the first sergeant patted me on the back and asked how I liked helping out the chaplain. I told him I'm doing the best I can to help him out. The chaplain has been informing the commander and first sergeant how much he appreciates my help and I think it's starting to win the command over. The first sergeant has gone from accusing me of being a terrorist, to patting me on the back and actually being nice to me. It was pretty strange. I haven't been told anything about the investigation at all. Right now I'm cautiously optimistic that they are just going to drop it because it just got all overblown. It sure has caused me a lot of stress and really soured my view of the army. Right now I'm just working through each day knowing I'm one day closer to getting out.

We drove back to PHV where I dropped the chaplain off and then took a quick lunch break even though it was already past 1400. I then headed back to my office, stopping to top off the TMP gas tank along the way. Once I arrived, I went through my email and got all caught up. The chaplain let me go at 1630 for the day. Glad to finally start the weekend!

A Day Away - (Germany) Day 399

This morning I headed out and met up with SGT Mex and another guy (PFC Ski) from the ComSec office at 0730. We headed out in a TMP to the Landstuhl hospital. PFC Ski had an appointment at 1000 and I had one at 1300. We did head out early which had us arrive early and PFC Ski was able to get his appointment all taken care of shortly after we arrived. We then headed over to Ramstein Air Base which is only about 15 minutes away. We decided to eat lunch at Chili's, but found out that it doesn't open until 1100…and it was only 1020. So we drove around the base and then finally just waited outside until they opened the doors. We had a great lunch. I was a little shocked to receive American style service by the waiter. Eating at restaurants here in Germany is quite a bit different than in the states. It is more of a social experience here in Germany and people tend to stay quite a bit longer. The staff at the restaurants take their time and usually only come to your table if you flag them down. I've found myself waiting trying to get a waiter's attention to pay my bill and leave. This was not the case at Chili's on the base, the waiter was there about every 5 minutes it seemed, just checking on us and refilling our drinks (something that costs each time at a local restaurant).

We then headed back to the hospital where I was going to my appointment. After checking in and going back, I found out that they can't do the procedure because I didn't actually have a headache today. What's ironic is that I've had a killer headache that has lasted the last three days, but just like when you take your car to the mechanic…it was fine today. They schedule about a month out…how am I supposed to know that I'm supposed to have a headache when coming in? I guess if I would have known, I would have done some running or sit-ups the night before. They did give me a special number to call and said that when I have a painful headache, I can give them a call and they can see if they can fit me in. The problem is that the place is an hour away, and I have to coordinate time off. So we left and headed back to Ramstein Air Base. We did some shopping and then headed to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream. Nobody was in a hurry to head back to work.

We did leave a little after 1500 and headed back. Even though I didn't get to actually do anything at my appointment, it was a good day. I had some good conversation with SGT Mex and had a good time hanging out with them both. SGT Mex is wondering why he's still here, they started the paperwork to chapter him out a long time ago. I think they are keeping him around to help while the base is closing, but we'll see. He's a little pissed off, but he's dealing with it.

The Driver - (Germany) Day 378

This morning I headed to work and did my normal reading routine, but it was not as long as my usual days. Today I have a mission to accomplish…I'm driving the chaplain to Landstuhl. So a little after 1000, I get the keys to the TMP and check it out making sure it's gas tank is full and such. I then took a very quick lunch, I drove home and quickly ate, then grabbed a snack and a drink to take with me. I headed back to work and at 1125 had the TMP warming up and the GPS set. The chaplain came out and we headed off to Landstuhl. The drive was uneventful, we had some good conversation and arrived a little over an hour after setting off.

I waited in the TMP because there is no way in hell I want to walk around the company headquarters and take the chance of getting cornered by the first sergeant…no thank you. I just waited in the TMP with the radio on and my textbook for school. I got a lot of reading done and some nice relaxation as well. We left at almost 1330 and after getting back and turning in the keys, I headed home. My wife and I just finished watching all three of "The Transporter" series…I'm thinking maybe I should get some driving gloves now that it's become part of my job…LOL.

Swearing - (Germany) Day 359

Just a random photo I saw on Flickr showing just how big the

satellite dishes are at our company headquarters in Landstuhl

(I never took a photo myself worried that it might break OpSec rules) 

It's Thursday and no sergeant's time training…I can be thankful for at least that today! I headed into work and read for a while as usual, I guess I'm starting to get used to this "new" job of mine :) I spoke with the chaplain about 0900 and he asked me to get the TMP ready and topped off for our trip today. That gave me something to do for the morning I guess. I took the van over to Patton barracks (about 5 minutes away) where the TMP fueling point is and filled it up. All TMP vehicles can get "free" gas at this point. We just have to log in the odometer reading and log it in our log book.

After getting back, I read a little more and then headed out at 1000 for an early lunch. I headed home and watched a little more of the Ultimate Fighter. I got a call from SGT Mex asking what I had planned today. It turns out that if I wasn't taking the chaplain to Landstuhl, they were going to have me ride with our platoon sergeant up to Landstuhl anyway. I learned that I have to see our XO when I get up there…bummer, I had planned on just hanging out in the van and reading.

We ended up leaving about 1200 for the hour drive. The drive had a lot of conversation between me and the chaplain. We discussed everything from my current situation to world war II. When we arrived I headed into the XO's office not quite knowing what to expect. It turns out he wanted me to fill out a sworn statement. He had me write a few questions down and then answer them on a special form. The questions were like "did you receive OpSec training" and "did you commit opsec violations in your blog". There were a couple other similar questions. He told me I don't have to fill it out if I don't want to, or I can seek legal help first. I figured I would fill out the basics…yes I did have OpSec training at some point earlier this year, I don't know exactly when. No I didn't believe I committed any OpSec violations while writing my blog. I signed it and that was it. I left and went out to the van and waited for the chaplain to finish his thing.

We left a little earlier than his usual visits because he wanted to make sure and get back for some PT. On the way back I mentioned to him that I actually wouldn't mind working for him the rest of my time here. He said he would love to have me and hopes they can work something out. I guess I'll just wait and see what will happen. I do plan on going to JAG at some point during our short week next week. The chaplain said he'll be gone on leave next week, so it will be a good time to take care of any issues I need to.

We got back a little before 1600, so I changed and then texted my boss letting him know we're back and I'm heading to the gym. I eventually saw my boss in the gym and we chatted for a bit. I had a good workout on the weight machines…then took off for the day.

The Neurologist - (Germany) Day 322

Driving on the autobahn towards the Landstuhl hospital...a wildlife crossing

This morning's PT had those of us on profile head straight to the gym after formation as usual, then unlike most days, 2nd platoon fell out and all headed to the gym as well. Usually the company all does the same thing, but I guess 2nd platoon wasn't feeling it today. I'm not even sure what 1st platoon did today, as for me I did cardio on the elliptical machine. Unfortunately all the stationary bikes were taken, but the elliptical machine is also a good cardio machine…I just don't care for it as much, it just doesn't feel natural. The important thing is that it is also a no impact machine, so no extra pain for my knee and neck.

Instead of heading to work I headed straight to the Landstuhl hospital again this morning. I had an 1100 appointment. I needed to arrive early (as usual) and the trip takes a little over an hour. So just in case there was traffic I left right after I dropped my wife off for work at 0830. This did give me a small window to take a nap once I did arrive at the hospital, which was perfect because I was about to fall asleep on the drive there.

I headed into the neurology clinic and after filling out some paperwork and only waiting a few minutes, I was called back. The doctor had me take off my jacket and shoes, then asked me a bunch of questions. She then inspected me all over, making sure I had good communication from my brain to all my extremities. She pulled up the MRI and showed me the results. It looks like I have some degenerative disks that are stressing my nerves and causing my headaches. It was easy to see in some of the photos how a couple of my vertebrae did not have much space surrounding them as the others. She then suggested that I get a shot in the back of my head to numb the nerves up there. It's a little scary when people start talking about sticking needles in your head. She had a concoction of 3 different ingredients, I honestly can't remember them though. She then drew them each into a large syringe with a needle that made my eyes bug out of my head. She saw my reaction and told me not to worry, she was just using that to draw out the medicine. She then replaced the very large needle with a much smaller one…the one that she stuck in the back of my head…twice! One injection on each side near where my spine connects to my head. It was a little discomforting, but not to bad. The effects should last a month, so I'm trying to be very cautiously optimistic. I can't imagine not having constant headaches every day now, if this can fix them…I'm going to be a very happy dude!

I made an appointment with her in 4 weeks to go over everything and proceed with another shot if needed. I'm also going to make a headache log each night and not take any over the counter meds. I'm really crossing my fingers and hoping we may be on to a solution at least to fix the symptoms of my issues. 

I ate lunch in my car at the hospital before leaving and ended up getting back to the office at 1400. I did a little bit of work trying to contact my customers and getting some dates on when and where they will go when the Heidelberg post closes. We need to start the process of transferring their accounts to the various other ComSec accounts that they will be moving to. That will be a process, so we're trying to be a little proactive.

I spent the rest of the day as usual…surfing the internet and then cleaning up when it was time to leave. We were released at 1630.

MRI - (Germany) Day 311

A photo of the main entrance to the Landstuhl hospital, the largest military

hospital outside of the states.

This morning for PT we had a battalion run. In the past this has meant that we all show up very early and stand around in formation for a half hour to 45 minutes before doing anything. Today it was a little better, we formed up and got started pretty quickly. In the past profiles would usually go for a walk, but this time they just told profiles to get on the bus (that brought the folks from Landstuhl) and sit because there was a light rain. I may be on profile, but I still like to get some sort of a workout in. I headed to the gym instead after talking with my boss and used the weight machines to workout my core and back mostly. By the time I was finished the battalion run was done, and they had already made all their little speeches, so I just headed home.

Today was Days of Excellence. Everyone headed there instead of work for a day full of speeches, some boring PowerPoint shows, and some promotions. I was lucky enough to have an appointment in Landstuhl for an MRI at 1130. I left a little after 0900 just in case there was traffic and also because I'm supposed to arrive a half hour early…and also partly because I didn't want to spend any time at the Days of Excellence.

I arrived without issue and was able to find the MRI office after wandering around the hospital for a while. The "Landstuhl Regional Medical Center" as it is officially called, is actually the largest military hospital outside of the U.S. It's also where wounded soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are treated. This really hit home as I was walking down a hall and was passed by a soldier in a wheelchair with only one leg. 

Once in the MRI office, I filled out a quick questionnaire answering questions like "do I have any foreign objects inside my body". I only had to sit for a couple minutes before heading back to the changing room. I had to take off everything except my pants, socks and shirt. This includes any jewelry, my watch, my belt and so on. I then was escorted into the scanner room where they explained the entire process to me. If you're claustrophobic, then you would definitely have some issues. I laid down on the table and was given an emergency ball to squeeze if I needed them to stop and let me out. I was also given earplugs to put in. I was told to lay as still as possible as they perform the scan, then I was slid into the small tube where the process started. Even with the earplugs in, it was still pretty loud. There were sounds ranging from different sounding tones, to what sounded like a generator running. They told me the process would last about 15 minutes and it would be OK if I fell asleep, I'm not sure if I could sleep during the process, but the time did go by pretty quick. When finished I was told the results would be available to my provider in 2 to 3 days. The scan was done of my neck, and I'm hoping they can find out what is causing all the headaches I constantly have. On a good day I feel like I'm on the verge of having a headache, but on the bad days I have terrible headaches that really make it hard to do much of anything. The average day is a minor headache. The profile I'm on keeps me from doing stuff that turns that average headache into a major headache. I'm hoping that perhaps the MRI will show something and there can be actions taken to improve my situation.

I headed out to my car and had my lunch break in it. I was hungry and wanted to eat before I made the drive back to Heidelberg. On my drive back SGT Mex gave me a call and said that the work day was over, so I could just head home…very cool. I headed home and did some maintenance on my various home computers. This is the only actual real 25B (Information Technology) work that I have ended up doing since joining the army…working on my own computers.

Change of Command - (Germany) Day 294

This morning we did not have PT, instead we formed up for accountability at 0645 (really 0635), then headed up to Landstuhl (our company headquarters) for the change of command ceremony. I brought my headphones so I could relax and listen to some music for the hour drive up there. We made a quick stop once there at the shoppette for some breakfast supplies and coffee. We then arrived at the new location for the ceremony…the gym on post. Evidently it was too cold yesterday outside, and they didn't want the honored guests and other civilians to be cold while watching the ceremony.

We had time to finish our coffee and stand around for a while before anything got started. Then we practiced the whole ceremony several times. I'm not too sure why we had to practice so much. Most of these people were here doing this for half the day yesterday and the only thing all the soldiers in formation do is…well…stand in formation. Well we do go to parade rest when told to, we also go to attention when told to, and we also salute when the national anthems of both Germany and America are played. I guess it didn't matter too much that I missed all that practice yesterday…LOL. Just a lot of standing around doing nothing for almost the entire morning.

Finally we were about to start, but it turned out to be a false start. The new commander's wife and family I guess were having a hard time finding the gym. When they arrived about 15 minutes later we finally started the ceremony. Thankfully it was pretty quick…for an army ceremony. We did our thing…stood in formation and such. There was a lot of reading by the Master of Ceremonies. There was the "passing of the guidon", and a prayer. The company commanders both old and new gave some speeches along with the battalion commander, then we were all released.

Everyone in our TMP formed up and quickly exited the building. We headed over to Ramstein for lunch, where I was severely disappointed that Taco Bell stopped selling their Dorito Tacos. I'm not sure what they are thinking…that was perhaps one of the best things they've thought of since the Volcano Taco!

We did have to head back to Landstuhl before heading home. Our CAM had to pick up a laptop from someone at the company. Our CAM is the head of all things ComSec and is actually the supervisor of my boss. She surprised me today by saying in a casual conversation that she gets sick to her stomach every Sunday because she knows that she has to go to work the next day. Sounds a little like I feel. I swear everyone hates being in the army here. I wonder if having a new company commander will change anyone's feelings on this? The pessimistic side of me says...I don't think so.

We were all given a pleasant surprise when we got back to Heidelberg…we were told that we could have the rest of the day off. So from about 1400 on I was free. I headed home and relaxed a bit, chilled in front of the TV after starting some laundry (a never ending battle). I was supposed to go to the range tomorrow, but found out that I can't because I'm still on profile and can't wear my body armor or helmet. I don't even know why they had me scheduled so early. They are good for a year, and I have plenty of time left on mine. I'm also not too sure why they make such a big deal out of the need to wear the body armor and helmet when at the range. The entire time I was at basic training we never wore any of that and we went every day for weeks it seemed.

Not a big deal though, in fact if that is the case, I can't see me going again. I have been diagnosed with spondylosis and I don't see that getting any better. I guess we'll see. I have an appointment this Friday and may be referred to the large hospital in Landstuhl for further diagnosis. We'll see what they can find out or treat me with.

The Potato - (Germany) Day 282

A somewhat blurry photo of our food at "the potato" restaurant

This morning's PT was a run with body armor. It's days like these that I'm extremely glad that I'm on profile. That would've messed me up pretty good! I headed to the gym and on the way over, the NCO in charge of the profiles walked with me and wanted to chat the entire way. He wanted to know about all my injuries, my profile and my long term plans for the army. I gave him all the particulars of what hurts and what I can and cannot do. I also let him know that I only ever planned on signing up for one term and then going back to normal life. I also said that I know I can do my job just fine and it's all the other crap that the profile limits me from. If the army wants to keep me that's fine, if they don't, that's fine too. I then headed and did some cardio on the stationary bicycle for my workout.

This morning at the office I was able to jump on a computer and update some files that were requested for my DTS. I'll do my part, but I still have doubts that I will ever see any of the money they are supposed to pay me for my travel expenses during the two classes I just took.

It's Thursday and you know what that means…one of my favorite days of the week in the army….Sergeant's Time Training! <Insert very heavy sarcasm here>. We sat around on one side of the office and went through various PowerPoint presentations on communication. This included sending up Medivac requests, spot reports, & SALUTE reports. Basically stuff we will never use the entire time we are here in a strategic unit. The class was of course given by two soldiers who were told at the last minute to prepare and give the class…the soldiers picked also had never given or even seen any of these reports in real life…such is our army training.

I headed to lunch in my car after training where I relaxed for an hour before heading over to the chaplain's office. I was told to report there at 1245, of course I have to arrive 10 minutes early…so make that 1235. This was totally unnecessary as I suspected, because he was still in the middle of eating his lunch. I had a seat on his couch and looked at the wall for a half hour before he was ready to start getting ready to leave. I grabbed the keys and the dispatch book for the TMP and filled out all the paperwork. I hooked up my GPS (I use this pretty much anytime I leave the city of Heidelberg because I'm directionally challenged). Unfortunately I couldn't find actual coordinates to our company headquarters on the web, only the hospital located in Landstuhl, so we used those and off we went.

The chaplain did not want to hear the radio, instead inserted an audio book on CD and we listened to how to basically think different. It was actually a pretty interesting book. The drive is a little over an hour and the GPS took us right to the hospital, but unfortunately a gate that only allows outgoing traffic. There was no easy way to get to another gate as we found out, we ended up driving through a couple small towns and farms before I decided to head back to the highway and try the next exit. This was actually the correct exit and we ended up making it to the company in time, just with a lot of scenic views beforehand…or as my friend calls it "building area knowledge".

I was waiting for the chaplain as he spoke with the company commander and the 1st sergeant zeroed in on me and made a beeline straight to me. I stood at parade rest as he addressed me and we ended up having a long conversation about my plans for the army. As I told the NCO this morning during profile PT, I only plan on staying in for one term. Our 1st sergeant had other plans for me…when he found out I was older and had a number of certifications under my belt already, he said "I'm in his crosshairs". He said he wants to move me to Landstuhl to do actual 25B work and make me an NCO. Before I would have jumped at the chance, but from what I've heard about working in Landstuhl…it's some strange hours. I've seen first hand how working different hours from your spouse can really affect the marriage. I also have no plans whatsoever to become an NCO. All the extra crap and responsibility…for a tiny raise is not worth it. I just want to do my job, do my part to contribute, and then go home. Thankfully I'm stationed in Heidelberg and will be out of the 1st sergeant's eyesight for the most part…maybe he'll forget about me.

The chaplain went around from group to group, also taking time to talk to a few people one on one. We didn't end up leaving Landstuhl until almost 1730. I was a little pissed because I wasn't told this in advance. My wife was stranded at work because of this. If I would have known in advance, I could have planned accordingly. I was able to contact my boss and have him give her a ride home…I didn't get home until 1900. Hopefully I will not have to be a chauffeur too often, but if I do…I can make plans in advance from now on.

We quickly got ready and then left for dinner. Tonight we headed to "Die Kartoffel" (The Potato) for SPC Mac's birthday. This restaurant is simply great food. You choose the size of your steak and they bring it out raw, cooking on a hot stone…along with a large baked potato. You then slice up your steak and let it cook to your taste on the hot stone. There are some dipping sauces to use, and you enjoy. Located inside a very old building, the experience is a lot of fun.

Survive - (Germany) Day 213

This morning we formed up at the office at 0630. We did not have PT, instead we had to head up to our company headquarters in Landstuhl for sergeant's time training. Everyone had to bring their full battle rattle, my boss told me to bring mine as well just in case. With my updated profile I knew I would not be able to wear that crap for a second, so I decided to leave it all at home. It would have been just a waste of time hauling all that crap everywhere knowing that I will not be wearing it. I figured I would deal with the consequences if anything came up, but there was no way in hell I was going to put on all that gear. My head has been pounding for 3 days now and that would only make it much worse than it already has been.

We headed off in two TMP vans and made the hour trek to Landstuhl. Once there we grabbed some snacks at the shoppette, then waited outside our company for over a half hour wondering what to do. We finally found out we were supposed to march out into the woods for training. This week's training was indeed in the woods and consisted of four stations. We were broke up into four groups and spent about 45 minutes at each station before rotating.

I never really care for sergeant's time training especially because it almost always pertains to stuff I'll never use. Today was a little different…don't get me wrong, I still didn't want to be out there, but we covered some stuff that may be handy if something bad were to ever happen. The first station was preventing shock, the second station about 50 feet away was how to treat a wound, the third was what to do with injured in an active combat situation, and the fourth was on CPR.

We've done all this training at some point before, but it's good to have a refresher on it. It is also stuff that we may come across in our normal life and knowing how to treat for shock or perform CPR could save someone's life. What I don't think is necessary is the full battle rattle for everyone. It just seemed totally retarded that they even required everyone to wear it. As soon as we got to each station everyone would take it off, then we would start the class. It was pointless to make everyone wear it at all. The second thing is forcing everyone to drive out to Landstuhl. We spent over two hours of the day just driving, so we could attend classes that could easily be done in a conference room or even our office.

After we finished the training we drove over to Ramstein air base and had lunch. The base is only about 10 minutes away and has the big food court. By the time we got back to the office it was about 1500. When I went pee it was a dark orange…not a good color. I didn't drink a whole lot during training because we were outside without any bathrooms. Since there were females around we couldn't just "utilize the wood line". So I only ended up taking a few drinks. I could feel myself overheating…outside it was very hot. I headed over to the shoppette and purchased a liter of water and then headed back to the office and took off my top while drinking the water to hydrate myself and cool myself down.

We were let go at 1600 which was a nice surprise…except for 3 random people that had to stay for a piss test. I headed home and was planning to take my kids out for a little trip, but it was just too hot. We all ended up just staying in and watching some TV shows.

A long hot day…but tomorrow's Friday!!

A Long Day of Training - (Germany) Day 206

This morning's PT was what I think we should do a lot more of. Even though I couldn't participate, I think it's the best way to get a good workout and have fun as well. I did participate in the warm up and some of the push-up and other exercises to get everyone ready. Then everyone played touch football. Every time there was a score or turn-over, the other team had to do 30 seconds of intense exercises. It was fun and it gave everyone a good workout.

Once at the office we did sergeant's time training. Again it was (almost) all on what I consider useless stuff. How to call in a medivac when in battle, how to use hand signals, and general radio etiquette. The only class that was useful was one on viruses and firewalls…stuff that everyone can put to everyday use. Right after training I was told I have 20 minutes to eat my lunch because I'm heading to the company in Landstuhl. WTF? I hate last minute crap like that.

I ate my lunch and then headed off in the TMP with another soldier people call "The Haitian Sensation" and our platoon sergeant. Landstuhl is about an hour away and is where our company headquarters is located. We drove up there for a "training meeting". This is attended by all the platoon sergeants, the first sergeant, and the company XO. Me and The Haitian Sensation were told to go so we could "experience" the meeting. We were the only soldiers there for this "experience". I get why they wanted us to go, but I was still a little pissed with the whole situation.

I did learn some things during the meeting. They have this meeting weekly and go over everything that is going on with the company. The calendar of events, everyone's status with PT tests, the over weight program, weapons qualifications, passes, leaves, awards…they go over it all. It was interesting to see how the process is done and how these people see things from their point of view, then how their decision making process affects everyone. It's all a numbers game and all the E-4s and below are just numbers that either make a good or bad percentage…or fill needed slots. The entire process just reaffirmed my decision that there is no way in hell I want to be an NCO…or even reenlist to stay in the army.

We finally left a bit after 1600, which had me back to the office at about 1730. I was able to call SPC Whirlwind and have him pick up my wife from work, so she wouldn't have to just sit and wait for me there. No news for the night…we had family dinner and I finished up watching UFC 148 while the kiddos video chatted with their friends back home.