Shipping the Car - (Germany) Day 523

The morning did not go as planned. I haven't been writing a lot about the pain I've been in because it's pretty much a normal every day occurrence. My back, neck and head are usually in some sort of pain, but it happens so often that I just work through it. I usually take a few Excedrin if the headaches get too bad and that helps sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. Last night I was feeling sore and took some Excedrin before bed. I didn't sleep well at all and at 0340 the pain was so bad in my head that I ended getting up and taking more Excedrin, which unfortunately did absolutely nothing. I ended just getting up for good at 0440 and starting my day because of this. I wish I had something to really kill the pain when it gets this bad, and I'm hoping we can figure something out when I start going through the medboard process at Ft. Lewis. A hot shower helped a little, but I ended up with a pretty terrible headache that lasted the entire day.

This morning PT formation was at Campbell gym. I showed up in ACUs as usual and listened to the usual morning announcements. I then coordinated with my boss to make sure someone would be able to pick me up after I drop off my vehicle for shipping. I then headed back home and got ready for the day.

I headed out about 0800 to Spinelli barracks in Mannheim which is about a half hour away and is also where vehicle processing is. I had an appointment at 0900 and arrived at 0830. They had me sign more papers than when I originally purchased the car! I was at a desk signing paper after paper, making sure to give them 5 copies of my orders in the process. I then went out with the inspector who said it passed the agricultural inspection (the one which I've heard so many horror stories about) and then he went over the "scratch and ding" report. This is where he marks on a drawing of a car every scratch and ding he can find. The end result looks like the car exploded on paper, but they want to document everything before shipping and after to make sure nothing happens during transport. I signed more paperwork and eventually was given my German license plates to take and "de-register" my car.

At this next office I signed in…I was the only person there…and waited a half hour for someone to see me. There were no other customers and two workers there. Ahhh…the life of a government employee. When I finally did get seen, I was able to de-register my vehicle, turn in my German license plates, get some new temporary ones to use in the states, and get my clearing papers signed. By the time I finished my boss and another co-worker were there to pick me up and take me back to the office.

We headed back, I scanned my cleaning paperwork and emailed it all to my boss. He in turn sent them up to the company commander for him to sign now that I have everything else done. We then went out for lunch and took our time coming back. The ComSec office used to be pretty boring, but now it's taken boring to an entire new level. There is no ComSec anymore since the place is closing. Nobody has a job to do anymore, so the only thing everyone does is watch YouTube on the computers all day. They have removed a few of the computers, so not everyone even has a computer. It's pretty crazy! I played games on my phone waiting for the commander to send back my signed form. I spent the rest of the day doing this as my boss called twice to check on the status. At the end of the day I got a ride home from a co-worker.

I spent the last half of the day playing games on my phone, when I could have been home cleaning. I final out the day after tomorrow and need that signature in order to do so. It's a little stressful waiting on others. I will feel so much better once I final out and make it to the hotel at the airport. I'll be done with this company and with this battalion.

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. 

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!

Another Day…Another Sergeant's Time Training - (Germany) Day 414

This morning we did not have PT, we met up at the PHV bowling alley at 0730, then took two cars to Mannheim for sergeant's time training. There were a number of people at the range, so we only had 7 total for this training. When we arrived at Mannheim they had one person there to attend the training. Shortly after getting setup, three people showed up from our company in Landstuhl (about an hour and a half away from Mannheim). The training was typical army training, the people that were in charge of the various subjects were told at the last minute yesterday that they had to come up with some training for today on selected subjects. So these folks threw together some PowerPoint slides and we sat and watched each of them speed through their training. I don't think anyone wanted to be there and was really just a waste of time. We had the training just for the fact that we can say we did training today.

We arrived back at PHV in time to eat lunch, so I had lunch at my house and expected to get a ride from one of the other guy's in the ComSec office (SPC Squirrel…because he moves and acts like a squirrel). As I was waiting in front of my building I get a call from SPC Squirrel saying he's going to be a bit late…his dog just ate 6 chocolate cupcakes. I wait and wait, then call him back after about a half hour. It turns out he ended up going to the vet and asked SGT Steroids to give me a ride, but he never showed up. I ended up calling my wife and had her leave work and come give me a ride in. I showed up an hour later than I had planned, but no big deal…none of it was my fault.

In my office I finished up some tasks for the chaplain (emails and some research), then did a little schoolwork. I contacted housing in Wiesbaden to get that process started. Even though I'm now on permanent profile and I should be going through the medboard process at some point, it may take quite a while. So right now I have to plan as though nothing has changed, but it would turn out to be pretty stupid and expensive for the army to move me to Wiesbaden only to turn around and move me again back home.

My wife came and was able to hang out in my office for the last half hour or so before I left. It's a four day weekend now and I haven't had a safety brief or a POV inspection. I feel like I can go buck wild crazy…LOL.

Weekend Wrap-Up - (Germany) Day 353 to 355

The Mannheim Christmas Market at night

Friday: I found out late yesterday (during PT) that today was actually a last minute training holiday. Surprise…everyone has the day off! This actually worked out very well. I don't mention my headaches all the time because they are pretty much a constant in some form or another, but yesterday my head just kept getting worse and worse all day long and I ended up waking up with an extreme headache in the morning. So being able to just relax and lay around for a better part of the day was just what I needed.

I didn't do a whole lot for most of the day and my headache did get better as the day went on, in fact by the time I picked up my wife from work, I was back in a functional state. All in all I didn't do much, so not a whole lot to talk about.

Saturday: We slept in this morning and had a lazy morning just kind of lounging around for the better part of the afternoon. At about 1400 we started to get ready and then headed out to the Mannheim Christmas Market with SPC Mac and his wife. Similar to the other Christmas markets we've been to, there were a lot of vendors, photos with a skinny Santa, and some small rides for the children. We hung out, checked out the vendors, and ate dinner from one of the many food vendors.

We then parted ways with SPC Mac and his wife and headed towards the SAP Arena in Mannheim. My wife bought me tickets to probably the best German rock band of all time…Die Toten Hosen. This band has been extremely popular in Germany since the early 80's. They are still making great music and it's being played on the German pop stations. Not surprisingly the crowd in the arena ranged from young teenagers all the way to some old folks. I've been waiting over 20 years to see this band in concert (since I came to Germany many years ago and fell in love with their music). They put on a great, energetic show and even my wife enjoyed herself…even though she hadn't heard of them until recently. I had a great time…a great early Christmas present that I'll remember forever.

Sunday: Today was our usual Sunday day…lots of cleaning and laundry, then some TV shows. We also watched "The Campaign" which turned out to be a pretty funny movie. I had seen it before, but my wife has been waiting to see it for a while. We also chatted with members from both our families, so nice to see everyone…but of course it makes it tough because we both miss everyone a lot. I hope now more than ever that I will end up just getting a medboard and sent back to Ft. Lewis which is only a half hour from my hometown. Not a lot else went on…a pretty mellow day.

Getting ready to cross the street and check out the Mannheim Christmas Market

 

Die Toten Hosen Live in concert!

Die Toten Hosen Live in concert...what a blast!

More of that Sergeant's Time Training - (Germany) Day 352

This morning everyone had to meet at the bowling alley parking lot at 0630 in the morning to head out for training. We weren't told much at all about the training, even if it was inside or outside…only that we had to bring full battle rattle. I can't wear mine and I've let PFC Ski borrow it because he hasn't been issued his yet. I did dress for the weather though, with what we call our "ninja suit" on underneath my uniform. It's kind of like army issued long johns and help keep you warm. I also wore my polar fleece and brought along a snack…always good to be prepared.

After arriving at the bowling alley we found out that we were going to Mannheim, we took a TMP and a few people's cars. SPC Mac and I hitched a ride with SGT Mex. We were the group of misfits I guess. SGT Mex is getting chaptered out for being overweight, SPC Mac is getting medboarded, and me…who knows what's going on with me.

We arrived in Mannheim and ate breakfast at the DFAC before starting training. The training took place in a conference room, so all the full battle rattle gear that everyone had to bring sat in a pile in the corner of the room. Why did everyone have to bring their gear…who knows? We sat through a lot of PowerPoints on everything from modern warfare to escalation of force all so a box could be checked off stating that yes…we've done this training that has nothing to do with our current jobs or environment. My point of view has not changed with our army training…a complete waste of time and resources.

I was lucky enough to be able to leave at lunch time with SGT Mex. He had an ACAP appointment that he had to get back for, and the chaplain mentioned he may need a ride to Landstuhl so I had to be back as well. After eating lunch, I headed to my office only to find the entire building locked. I sat in my car and did some schoolwork while I waited. I finally saw someone unlock the doors and head in, so I followed. The sergeant there said the chaplain should be back any minute…so I waited in the conference room either reading or playing games on my phone to pass the time. 1430 came and went…the time the chaplain said he wanted to go, with no sign of him. I waited until about 1530 doing the same thing and then headed over to do PT.

I met up with the rest of my platoon in the gym and found out that we have a day off tomorrow! That's great news…a nice surprise for once! My boss also talked with me for a bit wondering if I've heard anything about my investigation….not a thing. We talked for a bit, then I finished my workout and headed out.

LandNav - (Germany) Day 289

This morning we didn't have PT, instead we formed up at 0730 in the bowling alley parking lot at PHV. 0730 of course means 0720, so I headed out from my house and walked there so my wife could have the car for the day. I arrived at 0718 to find everyone already formed up, but at least I wasn't the last person…there were a couple more that arrived a few minutes after me. Once we all formed up we were told that we would be heading to 2nd Platoon in Mannheim for training. SPC Mac and I caught a ride with SGT Mex and we headed off for the half hour drive.

Training was in a very old building that was literally crumbling apart. There was a small pile of rubble near the entrance of the building, it looked like there may have been an earthquake, perhaps a few stray bullets, or maybe a truck backed into it…who knows? So we go in the old building and climb up to the top floor where there is a conference room complete with tables and a projector. This is a very fine training room compared to the small office with even smaller monitors that we usually train on. Large maps were handed out along with protractors for the LandNav training we were to have. The training was broken up into small blocks with practical exercises thrown in after each block. We did things like find what was at various grid coordinates, give coordinates for various cities, measure distances, and plot our point given two or more landmarks using a reverse azimuth. All in all the training was done well and it kept everyone involved. It was much better than a lot of the sergeant's time training that we are forced to do. With that said, I'm not sure how much use the training will be in the real world now that everything uses GPS, but I guess if I happen to get lost and also happen to have a map with a compass, I may be able to find my way around.

We left around 1130 and both SPC Mac and I were dropped off at PHV for lunch. I ate at my house which was nice. It's always nice to eat lunch in the comfort of my own place. I was able to plop down on my couch, eat my lunch and watch a show. SPC Mac gave me a ride back to the office were I sat in a chair and looked at the wall. Unfortunately all the computers were taken. There was some idle talk, but it was truly boring as hell. Even all the computers were being used on the maintenance side of the office. I ended up going out and taking my time checking my mail, but that can only take so long. Finally I was told I could head to the gym and workout, since we did not have PT this morning. I had brought in civilian PT clothes, so I headed to the gym and rode the stationary bike for 45 minutes, then did some of the weight machines before being released for the day. I was not actually released though because after speaking with SPC Mac today, I volunteered to take his staff duty shift this evening. His kid is sick and his wife has to work tonight, so he would have had to send a sick kid to a babysitter. No worries I told him, I know what it's like to have sick kids.

So I headed to the staff duty desk after showering and stopping by the shoppette to pick up some staff duty supplies (drinks and snacks). I had my wife bring by my laptop and drop it off, so I am set to sit at a desk and watch movies all night. I guess there have been issues with people sleeping and also not completing all the required checks, so we may get a visit by the CSM in the middle of the night to check on us. Oh joy. The "new" staff duty desk does not have a computer for the "runner" (me) to use, only the NCO. So if I want to surf the internet to try and pass the time, I have to use another one on the other side of the office.

Sitting here at staff duty I've been thinking how much I just don't like being in the army. I can't remember the last time I woke up for work while being in the army and actually looked forward to heading into the office. A person should enjoy their job, or at least feel like they have accomplished something when they spend a day at work. They should have pride in what they do. Me…I used to have that at my previous jobs, but this is something totally different. My only hope is that perhaps when Heidelberg closes, that Wiesbaden will be different and better. I cling to that hope because imagining another 3 years of the same old thing is very depressing. I have enjoyed a few things in the army. I can't say that basic training was enjoyable, but it was interesting and had a lot of funny things happen. It's one thing that I'm glad I was able to accomplish…especially coming in much older than everyone else. AIT was not enjoyable at all, but I was proud that I was able to graduate at the top of the class. I am glad of all the places I've been able to see and the great people that I've met, but the army is not for me. I just hate all the extra crap that goes on. If I could just come in and do the job I signed up for, then go home I think I would be fine. That is kind of what I envisioned when I signed up to be an I.T. Specialist…but is definitely not what I ended up with.

I was given a dinner break at 2000 until 2230, I had my wife pick me up and take me back home to eat dinner and relax a bit before heading back to staff duty. When I headed back to my star duty shift, I ended up watching two movies "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Defiance".

Neither Sleet nor Snow - (Germany) Day 273

The Mannheim Mailroom Center...someone has a sense of humor

This morning PT was football for those not on profile. I do like that they are now starting to mix up PT a little bit. If you can get a good workout and have fun doing it, that has to be the best way to do it. I headed over to the gym with the profiles and used the weight machines. I had a good workout, even though it wasn't playing a sport, I enjoy heading to the gym where I'm inside listening to my music. I get a good workout on my own without having to deal with all the extra crap that the company always has to go through. I was reminded of this on my way back from the gym as I saw everyone getting in formation and going through the stretching cool down. It's all just so formal and a waste of time in my opinion. I stretch out and get everything done quickly, whereas when doing it in a formation takes a long period of time.

Yesterday our office was looking for someone to work in the mailroom for the week. The person that they were asking stated that it hurt his back to stand too long. I volunteered to do it. Normally I don't volunteer for anything, but working in the mailroom is not a bad gig. For a week I will get to come into work in civilian clothes. This means I don't have to worry about wearing a hat every time I go outside and I don't have to worry about an officer sneaking up without me knowing and having to salute at the last second. Ironically you also get a lot more respect in civilian clothes. If you are in civilian clothes you are treated differently. Those in the military don't know if you are actually a civilian, or if you are enlisted or an officer just in civilian clothes. There are a lot of times where NCOs or officers see I'm only a specialist and all respect goes out the window.

Time in the mailroom also goes by pretty quickly. Even though I know I'll be working until 1700 for sure each day instead of the chance of getting off sooner, the day will fly by. I started off the day sorting mail into folks boxes, but was quickly pulled to head off with one of the civilian GS employees. He remembered me from the last time I was there and asked me to ride with him to Mannheim. The conversation on the drive there was interesting. With Heidelberg closing in the next year, all the mailroom employees are trying to scramble to find new jobs. There are only two actual full time GS employees. These two will get priority placement which means the government will offer them a job somewhere when theirs disappears. For everyone else, there is a lot of stress involved at the moment. Even for those who will get the priority placement, there is still some stress because the job they are offered can end up being pretty much anywhere. We arrived in Mannheim and I was reminded of the time I worked for UPS, but on a much smaller scale. A semi pulled up and they started unloading mail onto a conveyor belt, where we kept an eye out for packages heading to Heidelberg and grabbed them. We had another conveyor belt that led up to our truck and sent all the packages and bags of letters to it.

We left and on the way back to Heidelberg I noticed traffic start to slow from what looked like a taxi that had pulled off to the side. At first I thought it had broken down, that is until we got closer. As we passed I saw the passenger had the driver pull over so he could take a piss on the side of the road. I guess when you have to go, you have to go…traffic be damned!

By the time we got back and unloaded the truck, it was time for lunch. I ate in my car and listened to music. I headed back into the mailroom and worked the front desk, which is basically only getting people's packages when they bring up their notification slip. This can come and go in spurts, so I would surf the internet for a while to pass the time during the slow periods. The most common comment made all day long…"What the heck did my wife buy now?"

I got off at 1700 and picked up my wife from work. We both are starting to feel a little sick..scratchy throat and such. I started popping vitamin c and we both had soup for dinner. I'm hoping this comes and goes quickly!!

Weekend Wrap-Up (4-Day) - (Germany) Day 249 - 252

A view of from the Wasserturm (Water Tower) in Mannheim.

Friday: Even though today starts the four day weekend for everyone else, I'm still stuck here for this class. I started the day a little different than usual, I had to get ready and pack everything up before leaving to have breakfast. I headed over and checked out first, leaving my bags at the hotel desk. I then had breakfast, then made my way over to our classroom.

Today is test day…we had 3 hours and 15 minutes to finish the test. I took my time and skipped any questions I didn't know the answer to. There were a total of 50 questions. After I finished, I went back and looked up each of the questions I skipped, and the ones I wasn't too sure about. I finished with plenty of time left. I waited for the instructor to grade my paper and found out I got a 94%. Not too bad for a class I had no interest in and no desire to take.

I headed over to the hotel and changed into civilian clothes after getting my bags. We were required to take the test in ACUs. I only had to wait about 5 minutes or so before my boss arrived to pick me up. We went to lunch at a restaurant off post called the "Tea Garden". Probably the best Chinese food I've had here in Germany. We then went to the PX before heading back home. When all was said and done I made it home about 1700. I just hung out with my wife and relaxed for the night. We were both a little bummed because we should have been in England at this moment, and we lost out on the tickets we purchased because of this class.

Saturday: Today we just relaxed and took it easy. We slept in and after a while decided to head out to downtown Heidelberg for a bite to eat. We walked around until we decided on a Mexican restaurant. After we finished we headed back to post and went to the theatre to watch the movie "Brave". My wife had been wanting to see it for a while and we lucked out with it playing here again. It was a cute film.

Sunday: Today was a day of sleeping in of course…then cleaning. Laundry and cleaning the house was the theme of the day. We then watched some TV shows and relaxed the rest of the night. Not a whole lot to say about today.

Monday: We decided to head out and check out the downtown area of Mannheim today. We had been there before for movies, but I read that there is a large pedestrian zone with a lot of shopping and restaurants to check out. We walked around checking out the sites, but by the time we decided to eat, we were starving and the only place close by was a McDonalds….LOL. So we ended up eating there and then continue our site seeing adventure. There is a lot to see and we could probably spend another day there just checking out the shops and restaurants…but next time we'll eat at an actual restaurant or cafe. The "Wasserturm" is a pretty cool attraction with fountains, statues and nice grounds surrounding it.

We headed home and took it easy for the rest of the day. We watched "Battleship" a movie about aliens invading from space…a fun sci-fi movie. I'm really not looking forward to heading into work tomorrow….Uggghhh.

This whole four day weekend didn't turn out exactly as originally planned, instead of going to England we just took it easy and relaxed for the most part. Nothing too exciting to report.

Field Training - (Germany) Day 185

Looking down my rifle as we're about to make an assault

This morning we did not have PT because of our wonderful Thursday Sergeant's Time Training. We formed up at 0630, then drew our weapons from the armory. After that we loaded into TMPs and headed off to Mannheim, where we met up with the rest of our company for training. Before training though we all headed into the DFAC for breakfast.

The training was a little more active than the last time we headed up there. We were broken up into two groups and had one class learning how to perform 360 degree security while the other group worked with various formations to move a squad or platoon. At the end of each training the squad performing the security would get "attacked" by the other squad. It was kind of pointless because all we could do was say "bang bang" as we were shooting each other. At one point I decided to turn into a terminator and just stood up and walked straight at the group letting their "bullets" bounce off me as I just continued a terminator style walk right at them. I gotta do something to entertain myself. As I've complained before, this training has no use for me. Nothing I will ever use…and if there is a point at which I get sent down range and end up on a raid with an infantry group, I know I'll get plenty of training with them before hand. That is one thing that is said over and over again. "Each unit does things differently and you'll get training on your unit's procedures when you're in it, if you get deployed". Then tell me why are we wasting time and money on this training, when we could be learning more about the job we're actually doing, or at least the MOS we should be doing?

After the training we headed back to the DFAC where folks could eat lunch if they wanted. I didn't because I ate a huge breakfast. I'm never sure how the food situation is gong to work on these training days, so I pack snacks and try to prepare as much as possible. There were about 4 people that were taken aside by the commander and the first sergeant once we got back. They were all given negative counseling statements for being overweight. I know at least two of them were NCOs, which is not a good thing!

Once back in the office I checked my email and did a little surfing on the internet. We then had to make sure our weekend checklist was done. We received our end of the month counseling and then cleaned up the office and headed home at about 1600. I'm hoping this will continue to be the norm…leaving early when we don't have anything to do.

Once home I hung out with my wife. We cleaned up a bit, ate dinner and watched some shows.

Training Day - (Germany) Day 171

A view across the training area in Mannheim looking at half of our group taking a class...a.k.a. standing around in full battle rattle looking at printed out PowerPoint slides

This morning we did not have PT. Instead we formed up early at 0715 in full battle rattle for sergeant's time training. Our training was to take place in the Mannheim training area. After accountability, we loaded into 4 vans and made the half hour drive to the training area. We ate breakfast at the Mannheim DFAC. We then headed off to our training area…Mannheim has a number of training areas to use for different scenarios. We used one that was basically an open field surrounded by a wood line. I wore my helmet, but not my body armor because of my profile. Everyone else was in full battle rattle for this training…which had to be one of the more stupid ideas we've done so far. Instead of sitting in a room on post and viewing PowerPoint slides, we drove over a half hour to stand around in a semi-circle and view printed copies of PowerPoint slides. No joke! I was speechless. I couldn't believe how retarded this situation was. We went through four classes of this and then headed back to our post…Campbell Barracks. What was the purpose of wearing the body armor? What was the purpose of driving all the way out to a training area to look at printed out PowerPoint slides? Pure stupidity!

Once back I headed home to change into a new uniform and boots…and eat lunch. Walking around from class to class got my boots and socks wet. I also wore my "field uniform", which is an older uniform that I use anytime I know we're going to the field. This way I don't ruin any of my newer uniforms. My back and head were killing me…I did too much during PT yesterday…and perhaps wearing the helmet made it worse. I may have to modify my profile. I hate feeling like crap all day long. I took my paid medication, but it doesn't seem to do a thing. I ended up taking some over the counter pain meds as well, and continued to take more throughout the day to try and counter the pain.

Back at work while I sat at a desk one of the sergeant's came around checking drawers. I guess while I was gone everyone was supposed to clean out the drawers in the desks. Nobody cleaned out the one I was sitting at and she told me to do so…shred it. So I just took everything out except for office supplies and shredded it all. I didn't give a crap.

We had to form up with the rest of 43rd Signal at 1530. A few people got battalion coins for being exceptional and the major got an award for putting together the signal ball. The outgoing commander then gave a little speech, basically saying good job and good bye. We will be having a change of command ceremony next week for him.

After the formation we were released for the 4 day weekend. It figures on the day I have staff duty, they would release everyone early. I had to head over to staff duty, and started my shift at 1600. There was a guy who had extra duty, so he was here helping out with the maid and janitorial service that staff duty usually gets stuck with. So I read my book a bit and surfed the web before being released for dinner at 1800. I was told to come back by 2100 which was a nice little break. My wife picked me up and we had dinner and spent some time together.

Back at staff duty I then watched the keynote from Apple's WWDC event. It's always fun to see what new stuff is coming out. I now want a new MacBook Pro and a new iPhone with iOS 6…those will have to wait for now.

I was able to take the occasional nap throughout the night, but trying to sleep in an uncomfortable desk chair is a little hard. At about 0715 I had to take out our trash, then vacuum the office. At 0800 I left to PHV to pick up an SFC that called and wanted a ride. At staff duty our main job is to sign people in and out of leave and also give soldiers rides if they need it using the TMP. I headed off and picked up the guy who actually turned out to be a pretty nice dude. I took him to the shopping center and we talked about being stationed in Korea. He just arrived and is going through in-processing…a lot of which is done in the shopping center area. He offered to buy me some coffee, but I told him I plan on going to sleep after this! After dropping him off I headed back to the staff duty desk where it was about time to leave. I was let go right after getting back. My wife picked me up and I headed home to nap.

Gettin' The Car - (Germany) Day 49

This morning PT was inside the gym. We ended up doing a ton of jumping jacks (or as the army calls them...Side Straddle Hops) with some sprints and other various runs to half court and back. It was enough to get a little sweat going.

I didn't end up going into work after PT, my boss picked me up and we headed to Mannheim to pick up my car which finally arrived. I've been looking forward to getting our car for a while. We arrived at the Spinelli Barracks post which does all the shipping of POVs for our area. The whole process was pretty silly. Everything is located in very close proximity to each other.

The first stop was to get temporary plates for the vehicle. So I go in and fill out all the required paperwork and pay a fee of $30. I also have to say that being in the military, it was nice to have USAA as our insurance. I didn't have to show any proof of insurance or anything, it was all done automatically and in their system. I would actually recommend USAA banking and insurance to anyone in the military…coming from me this is a big deal because I don't use banks, I only use non-profit credit unions. Anyways…back to my story…I get two temporary license plates in return. We then take the plates and head over to pick up our car.

At the second stop I had to give my temporary plates to them and fill out even more paperwork. I then inspected my car to make sure no damage occurred during transit. Once finished my plates were put on and I was good to go.

We then drove over to the third stop inspection point to have the car inspected. I had previously purchased two required items needed as part of the inspection, a reflective triangle and a first aid kit.. The inspectors checked it out and gave it a thumbs up.

The fourth stop was back at the original first stop once again. I then had to take off the temporary plates that they gave to me and turn them in so I could get permanent plates. After some more paperwork and paying another $30, I was given the permanent plates to put on the car. I was also then good to go…at least for two years until I have to renew it. (I think getting the whole temporary plates and putting them on to drive 200 yards and back was kind of stupid)

We then left Mannheim and headed back to Heidelberg to the shopping center. I went to my fifth and final stop which was the PX customer service. From there I was able to get a fuel ration card. With this card I get 400 liters a month at US gas prices at Esso gas stations here in Germany. I was given a prepaid debit type card that I have to refill with money at any shoppette. I put $100 on it and then headed to the office. I arrived at 1330, so the whole process took a little over half a day.

The afternoon at work was uneventful. I found some training on JKO for German Headstart that I enrolled in and started. I'm not sure if I get credit or what, but I figured it will give me something to do when I do have the chance to get on a computer. SPC Whirlwind needed a ride home, so I was able to leave early and give him a ride. We stopped and I filled up the car…I'm so glad I don't have to pay the Euro price! It would have cost over 75 Euro (which is around $100) and instead I paid $50.

Once home we had my wife's cousin and her husband as guests. They drove down from England to visit for the week, so we will have some company for a while. We had a nice dinner with them and also watched the Grammy awards. Looking forward to visiting with them and getting to know them.

Days of Excellence - (Germany) Day 39

A photo I snapped as we drove by the Heidelberg train station...a bicycle parking lot! 

There were a lot more I couldn't even fit in the picture!

This morning we did not have any PT. Today was "Days of Excellence", I wasn't sure exactly what to expect since this is my first one. It includes our company and part of 43 Signal as well, we have to be in our dress uniforms and there are some awards given out…this is all I was told. My boss picked me up and we headed off to Mannheim which is where the event was taking place. The weather was so cold just getting to the car I was actually shaking, and it was taking a while for my boss's car to get warm…at least he has heated seats and they were working.

We arrived at Mannheim at about 0800 and it was 5 degrees out! Let me tell you that the Class A uniform does not do much to keep you warm in 5 degree weather. We had to walk about a block before going into what was pretty much a warehouse, where the Days of Excellence is taking place. Unfortunately the warehouse was only a degree or two warmer than outside. The entire time we were there I could not get warm. We ended up getting in formation preparing for the uniform inspection to come from the 1st Sergeant/Command Sergeant Major (the same person is performing both roles as for now). We practiced staying in formation, performing open ranks and close ranks, and stood in formation for quite a while. Then all of a sudden we were all told to grab a seat, it was already 0915 which was 15 minutes behind schedule…I guess they decided not to do a uniform inspection after all. We pretty much just stood in formation wasting time.

After everyone was seated we had some briefs on sexual assault and safety on the road. After a quick break we moved on to the award ceremony were the email migration team received some army commendation awards. There were a few other "atta boys" and then the battalion commander started talking about a survey that was conducted right before I came. There were a number of issues that he went over…people's complaints and such, but because the complaints didn't have specific names he said there is not much he can do. It was an anonymous survey, but folks still didn't name names of who they were complaining about because there was fear of reprisal. If there is an NCO that has some bad things said about him or her, it may be pretty easy to figure out who said them depending on the size of the squad or platoon.

After the commander was finished, S2 came up and talked about piracy and how the German government is now cracking down on illegal downloads. There have been people in the 43rd that have been caught and are now paying fines. Shortly after I got here I found out it wasn't like Korea where piracy is rampant. I use a program called "Hide My Ass" which makes a VPN connection to various servers around the world. I can also choose an American server if I want to be able to stream from websites such as Netflix or Hulu which only allow users in America to use them. It's a nice service and I don't have to worry about any hassle because when it is on, everything is encrypted.

We finally left at around 1230 and were told that we had to be back at the office at 1300 to work. What sucks is that everyone else had the rest of the day off, but our office has to work. It had everyone a little upset. Right when we got back I headed over to Subway and brought back a sandwich. I then changed out of my Class A's to my ACUs, but found out I forgot to bring different socks and a different undershirt. The socks were no problem because they are hidden by the boots, but the shirt is a different story. I wore my polar fleece over my top and zipped it all the way up so there was no chance of seeing anything below my chin…it just looked like I was pretty cold. That was not far from the truth as I spent the rest of the day next to a co-worker and his little space heater trying to stay warm.

I left shortly before 1700 and my boss gave me a ride home. I spent the night hanging out with my wife. We watched a Netflix disk of "24" season 6…love that show. It's always nice to hang out with my wife and stay up late without worrying about getting up early in the morning.