Weekend Wrap-Up (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Days 295 & 296

It’s NCAA March Madness time! I’m a huge college basketball fan, but have been unable to watch a lot of the games, partly because I can’t really disappear for long periods of time. I also have other things like school that take up my extra time. I planned ahead for this Saturday and designated it NCAA basketball day…and my wife was down with it. So I took my wife to her parents, where we ate lunch. I left her there with several loads of laundry to do. I then went to my sister’s house where I was able to watch the two scheduled games today with my brother-in-law and his 70” screen. I brought over some scotch for us to sip and had a pretty fun time! After the games, I picked up my wife and the clean laundry and we drove home…I’d call that a pretty good day!

Sunday was spent sleeping in, then doing schoolwork once I was up and moving…of course that’s after a cup or two of coffee. My wife had to work for a special promotion today, so she left early. She has pretty normal hours, but special promotions sometimes require special hours for the folks in the marketing department. Once I finished my schoolwork, I headed to my wife’s casino to visit with her during the promotion. I spent a lot of time in their lounge and watched more NCAA basketball on their big screen. It works out perfect because during the day, the lounge is pretty empty…which means no smoke and I can hear the game.

After the game I played a little craps, but not for long because the dice were ice cold. I left a couple hours before my wife’s shift ended. Once home I watched a pretty bad movie called “Redbelt”. It had Tim Allen along with a few folks form the UFC in it…but not much could help this film. It deals with an MMA instructor who doesn’t involve himself with the competitive sport circuit, but after a series of unfortunate events he finds himself in a competitive event and his honor is tested. I knew my wife didn’t want to see it…and probably for good reason. I’ll be sending that back to Netflix ASAP. While the movie was going I started a mandatory brief from the education center on Ft. Lewis and let it play unattended. This brief was a good 15-20 minutes or so. Once it finished I was able to save a PDF of the completion certificate and emailed it to my army email address to print off tomorrow. This certificate is required to clear the education center.

Back to Ft. Lewis - (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 184

The line at the Starbucks on post can get long at times!

This morning I headed back into Ft. Lewis. I went to the morning formation in ACUs because I was told to see my NCM between 0800 - 1000, and if I have to choose it’s going to be 0800 so I don’t have to do the army PT and then change. The morning formation was extremely cold though and I have no cold weather gear at all. I had to turn in everything I had before I left Germany. Speaking of cold, 4 of us in my platoon had to head up to the company office to do some make up required army cold weather training. Just what I love…some of that great army training! The four of us sat down in the platoon sergeant’s office. One person was at the controls of the computer and brought up the cold weather PowerPoint presentation training. The guy controlling it just blew through all the slides…I’m talking about one page per second. There was barely time to read the headline let alone all the other crap they had on each page. The important thing is now our platoon sergeant can say we’ve been trained and can check that box.

I left and went to my car to have some breakfast. At 0730 when the SFAC opened, I headed in and checked my army email. I then just surfed the web a bit. The SFAC has about 8 computers or so that soldiers can use, I was just staying inside to pass the time and try and stay warm because it’s so freakin’ cold outside.

At 0800 I went back up to B company and saw my NCM. We went through all the usual questions. I let her know that I don’t have any issues except having to drive all the way in here just to see you…lol. I did let her know about a refill I need for my muscle relaxers. She’s gonna have them ready for me so I can pick them up next week when I come in and see her again. She explained that they get audited a lot and they have to see each soldier at least once week, but every once in a while I can do the check in via phone if there is a holiday during the week or something. So it looks like I will not be getting out of making the drive at least once a week for the most part.

I went to the barber and got my head shaved, then went to the commissary to pick up a few things…I gotta take advantage of the times I do make the trip! I then changed into civilian clothes and went to the Starbucks on post to sit for a bit and enjoy a mocha. Since I had to make the trip here I decided to run a few errands as well. The first was a drive to Kent where I dropped off a MacBook that I worked on as a side job. I then made my way to Granite Falls middle school where I surprised my son at his away basketball game. It was pretty cool seeing his face when he saw me. I love taking every opportunity I have and seizing these precious moments in time. I already missed too much while being stationed away. I’m going to make the best of my time now.

Getting Out of Training - (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 132

I headed to the morning formation in ACUs because I had an appointment at 0800. During the formation we were all told to head into a training room for some mandatory suicide prevention training. When we all get in there we find out that the movie we have to watch is going to last over 2 hours. Since I will have to leave before it ends, my squad leader says I can just leave now before they get started. Unfortunately they are waiting until the end of the training to pass around the sign in sheet, so I know they are going to want me to watch this suicide movie at some point in the future. For now I'm going to leave and hope they forget.

I head to my car and eat my breakfast, then just hang out and listen to the radio until it's time for my appointment. My appointment was an MOU follow up. The MOU is my school and the internship I'm doing with the navy. Most people do either one or the other, but I'm doing both! The appointment went pretty fast, the lady I had to see just wanted to make sure everything was going well and if I had any questions or concerns.

I headed back to my car and relaxed for a while until my 0930 appointment with my PCM (Primary Care Manager). We go over how I've been doing. No real changes, but I do make sure to get a couple new prescriptions of the medications I'm running low on. Once finished, I head to the pharmacy and pick up the meds. The pharmacy is as crazy as ever…luckily I'm in uniform, so I get a special ticket. Even with the special ticket, it still takes a while, I can't imagine being a retiree or dependent trying to get something at this pharmacy…they must wait half the day there.

Back in my car I do some schoolwork, listen to music, and eat my lunch. In the afternoon I have another hydro-massage appointment, which is pretty awesome. I would love to have one of those things in my house! I could get used to one of those every day for sure! After that I headed home, then picked up my kids from their grandparents. We all headed out to my hometown and watched my high school football team play my wife's high school. It was cold, but a lot of fun. It turned out to be my high school's homecoming game which added a little more entertainment to the mix. My high school also beat my wife's…so I was able to give her a hard time.

SHARP and Go Home - (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 65

At morning formation everyone was in summer PTs with the jacket because it was cold out. In typical army use of no common sense, the first sergeant came out and had everyone take off their jackets. Yes, it is August, but in the pacific northwest it can get pretty chilly in the morning. I'm so done with stupid power trips and lack of common sense, I can't wait to get out of the army! So everyone got back in formation shivering a little because of the cold. Each platoon went over names of everyone that is on the list to update their life insurance policy with the army. Unbelievably my name was called…maybe I shouldn't say unbelievably because by now I've come to terms that the army is full of incompetent people. One of the first things you learn is to keep a copy of everything because somehow everything gets lost all the time. I went to my squad leader and reminded him I just updated my life insurance because it was part of the mandatory process when I came into the company not too long ago. He tilted his head and thought about it and said I should be OK then…(now I don't have to schedule an appointment with our HR department today).

By this time I was already away from the folks doing PT. I was pissed off because of all the stupidity, that I decided not to join them and instead just headed to my car. I ate breakfast and waited until the SFAC opened at 0730. Once it opened up, I headed in and used their computers to check my army email, do my self assessment, and also some required SHARP training that I was told needed to be done. As with most required army "check the box" training, I opened it up, hit the next button over and over until it was finished, then emailed my squad leader a certificate of completion.

Once all this was done I took off and headed home where I did my schoolwork and then just relaxed. I love the fact that I don't have to hang out at the base anymore! I will be able to focus my time and energy into transitioning back into normal life…where common sense is a little more common.

Career Fair - (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 60

 Just a cool image I found on the web of McChord Air Force Base

Morning formation was full of all kinds of inconsistencies. Some folks were in ACUs which is normal if you have an appointment, some had summer PTs (shorts and a t-shirt) and some had summer PTs with the jacket. I of course was one of the guys with a jacket, even though it's summertime, there is still a chill in the air at the butt crack of dawn when we form up.

After accountability we all found out that we had to attend SHARP training right after formation…shoot me now. Everyone headed inside to the multipurpose room and went through the usual army "Death by PowerPoint" slideshow. There were supposed to be videos to watch as well, but the NCOs couldn't figure out how to get them to work. This led to the trainer explaining what the video was about and then moving on. We all signed next to our name on the sign-in roster in order to get credit for this mandatory "check the box" training.

I then ate breakfast in my car, went to the VA assistance office and turned in my marriage certificate. I was supposed to give them a copy when I filled out my VA claim form, but it was with my household goods which just now arrived. I headed over to the SFAC and checked my army email. After that I went to the gym and changed into my ACUs before heading to a career fair located on the McChord Air Base portion of Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM). At the career fair there were a bunch of vendors both big and small. I stopped by most of their booths to chat and get a feel for what the market is like out there. I currently don't even know when I'm getting out, I just told them all next summer. It all really depends on how fast this MedBoard takes. Even though it may be around a year, I figured the sooner I start the better.

After the career fair, I headed back to the SFAC and had lunch. I then stopped by an office to pick up my "MOU". Now that I have done all the paperwork and prerequisites to attend school I can now take this official "MOU" to my squad leader. It basically states that I am attending school, so I don't have to stick around after first formation anymore. That means no more evening formation for me! It also means right after first formation is finished and I complete PT, I can head home and do my schoolwork in the peace and quite of my own house. No more hearing babies crying, kids screaming and running around, or just trying to find a place to sit in the busy library at Ft. Lewis. After I gave the MOU to my squad leader I promptly left and went home. Today has been a pretty good day!

More SHARP - (MedBoard: Joint Base Lewis-McChord) Day 13

Saw this on the way home...a portable toilet!

We had our normal PT formation and right after accountability we were all told to head into the WTB multipurpose room for some SHARP training. Of course more training to "check the box" is exactly what the army needs to solve it's sexual harassment and assault problems.  We started to watch a video, but it was streaming from YouTube and about 3 minutes into it, it froze. The cadre were unable to get it working again, so we went straight into questions and answers. After a couple of these I was able to get up and leave. Fortunately I came in my ACUs because I had an early appointment.

This appointment was to start the actual MedBoard process. So far I've just been seeing doctors and such to treat my current symptoms, but the MedBoard process to get me out of the army hasn't actually been started yet. This appointment was basically just going over some of my records and making sure everything such as my name and address were correct. He then scheduled me for a MedBoard briefing next Monday and an appointment with a MedBoard doctor next Wednesday.

I headed to the SFAC and used their computers to finish up my mandatory training and do a little web surfing. I then headed to my car to hang out, listen to music and play games on my iPhone. I did this until lunch time. I had lunch at the SFAC as usual and then headed out to what was supposed to be the end of day formation at noon, but only one other guy showed up. I guess we didn't get the message that there was no formation, so I took off and headed home for the weekend.

The CSM and his Crotch - (Germany) Day 483

These are seen around post housing...to kill the mice and rats I imagine. 

Ironically the German word for poison is "Gift"

This morning we had PT at Campbell gym in civilian clothes. We didn't even form up, but kind of gathered around our platoon sergeant sitting on the bleachers and listened to some announcements. We all then were dispersed to go workout on our own in the gym. The gym has become somewhat of a ghost town lately. With the closure of Heidelberg, there have been a lot of units that have already left. It's quite a stark contrast to when I first arrived here and every cardio machine was always occupied. Today I worked out on the weight machines and had a pretty good strength workout. As our platoon sergeant was leaving he told me I had to attend a VTC (Video TeleConference) this morning and to be there at 0845. This particular conference is specifically for NCOs and specialists that have made promotable status, I shouldn't even be going. The army is all about appearances though, and our platoon sergeant wanted to make sure all the seats were full for this VTC training. Another instance of "checking the box", just doing something for the sake of doing it…not because it's going to be actually useful.

I headed home and got ready, then my wife and I headed out for work. For some reason traffic was crazy, so I ended up having her drop me off at work instead of the usual routine with me dropping her off first. I arrived just in time and grabbed a seat. The VTC consisted of the entire brigade and on screen you could see a small live feed of each battalion with the brigade CSM taking up the large center portion. I'm not sure who setup the camera on their end, but all everyone saw the entire time was the CSM's crotch. He would pace back and forth talking (CSMs can talk forever) and all we saw was his crotch going back and forth. He went on about being professional and mentorship for 2.5 hours. The only phrase that stuck out was when he mentioned that America owes a lot of other nations money. He then asked if anyone knows why they don't come and collect…it's because we have the best military! That's just great logic <sarcasm> and it should not be something the brigade CSM is telling everyone. He's basically saying "it's OK to borrow money and never give it back if you're big enough and strong enough". The problem is that if you do that, nobody will ever loan money to you again, then are you just going to take it when you need it? Sounds like robbery to me.

Just when I thought everything was over and they shut down the VTC at our normal lunch time (1130), our battalion CSM in the room with everyone said he wanted his time now. He continued to talk for another half hour…I think my eyes were starting to turn yellow by the time he finally let everyone go at noon. Maybe drinking all that coffee was not such a good idea, but at least it did help keep me awake through the whole thing. I quickly exited and headed to the bathroom. What a waste of a morning…I really can't wait until I start my leave.

I ended up getting lunch at the subway in the food court and bringing it back to my office to eat. After lunch I did my schoolwork and the usual…check email and surf the web until the end of the day.

Days of Excellence & Paintball - (Germany) Day 463

A group shot of the chaplain with all the paintballers

This morning for PT we formed up at the Patton gym. Instead of splitting up the profiles and non-profiles, the platoon sergeant just told everyone to go ahead and hit the gym…workout on whatever you need. I rode the stationary bike for some cardio.

This morning we had "Days of Excellence" at the hospital theatre. We had to be seated by 0845 and then started hearing a brief about how to be a good sponsor. It was strange that they were even giving us this class because there are no more new soldiers coming to Heidelberg with the upcoming closing of the base. I know some people in the audience may become sponsors in the future at another post, but most of the information that was given was all bout the resources available for new soldiers here in Heidelberg. Just another example of the army being able to check a box and mark that some training was done, even though there was nothing useful about it. We then had some ethics training and some safety training. The safety training included one of those vehicle safety movies that show all the gruesome videos and pictures that they show in drivers ed classes. The event concluded with a few PCS awards and a few promotions.

We were released for lunch, after lunch I headed to the Rod and Gun Club. The UMT has been promoting a paintball event for a while now. I've sent out numerous emails and put up flyers all over the battalion for it. Now was the time of the event. We had just enough soldiers come and attend in order to reserve the field. The chaplain came and said a few words, then turned everyone loose. The field is small and allows for 5 on 5 games to be played. There were some first timers as well as some experienced veterans who came with their own gear and "markers" (paintball guns). I think everyone had a good time, I spend the entire time taking a bunch of photos.

The evening with my wife was normal up until about 2000 or so, that is when we packed up and prepared ourselves for our upcoming trip. We met our van at the park and ride which is located right outside the post at 2230. This van drove us and a few others to meet the main bus at Wiesbaden, which left at midnight.

The chaplain giving a pep talk to everyone while they're getting ready to play

 

Taking cover

On the run

One of the guys from the ComSec office couldn't play, but wasn't afraid

to go on the field and take photos!

Taking cover

The guys at the start of one of the games

Battle wounds

The Invisible War - (Germany) Day 462

Movie poster on the internet of the movie we watched

for our sexual harrassment training.

 

This morning for PT we formed up at the commissary parking lot at 0530. There was a 5K fun run/walk being put on by the garrison for sexual harassment and assault. I showed up in my ACU because I'm on profile and cannot do the run. I sat in the TMP with SPC Mac and we just chatted about anything and everything. Unfortunately because we had to attend this event, we couldn't actually get a workout of our own in…instead we just sat and listened to the radio until the event was over, then we headed home.

The next part of the day was a movie that we were required to watch for our SHARP training. It was being shown at the movie theatre on post. As soon as everyone from the various organizations were coming in, they all started searching for the sign in sheets to make sure they get credit. Nobody wants to be forced to do the training over. I'm not sure why they don't just scan everyone's ID cards when they come in like they do at the gym. It would be easy and foolproof. No more loosing sign in rosters or illegible handwriting.

The movie was called "The Invisible War" and was actually quite good. I was surprised the army was showing this movie, because it really paints the military in a bad light. The movie is a documentary of several victims of sexual assault in various branches of our military. It goes over how they were treated throughout the process and how it has affected their lives since. The movie was pretty powerful and really stresses how the military needs to change their attitudes towards sexual assault. It has a very long way to go. I definitely would not want either of my girls to even think about joining any branch of the military. I've seen too much and I don't think anything will change very soon.

After the movie they had a little question and answer period, which I was hoping would go pretty quickly. I drank my coffee through the entire show and by the time it ended I felt like my bladder was about to burst. Unfortunately I was sitting exactly right in the middle of the theatre, so there was no easy way to easily make my way out and to the bathroom. 50 minutes later…the question and discussion period was over…I quickly made my way and relieved myself as fast as possible.

I then had lunch at home and headed into my office. The afternoon was spent doing schoolwork, checking email and surfing the web…oh and the occasional game on my iPhone. I am thankful for the time to do my schoolwork, but most of the time I just feel like I'm getting paid to do nothing.

Repeat - (Germany) Day 456

Last night I sent a text to our CAM asking about this morning's PT. She replied stating that there is no PT, instead there is LandNav and other various training in Landstuhl today. They are leaving at 0730 from the office. I promptly informed her that I'd be with the chaplain today. I've already turned in all my cold weather gear, and believe me it's still very cold outside. I also have no desire to do some stupid training outside in Landstuhl all day. So I'm glad I have my escape, which also made for a nice easy going morning with my wife as we both got ready together and left for work.

I headed into my office and unfortunately was in quite a bit of pain most of the day. The entire left side of my head, neck and shoulder were all pretty bad all day long and not even a generous serving of Excedrin throughout the day put a dent in the pain. I was able to check my email and do schoolwork in the morning. I headed home for lunch and then headed back into see transportation after lunch. I had to rebook my transportation brief because it was on the same day they are planning to come and pick up my unaccompanied baggage. (Unaccompanied baggage is shipped much faster than normal household goods, but is limited to 500 pounds). I was able to get this changed quickly and then headed over to housing to setup my final out date and arrange for government furniture to be delivered to use between the time they pack up our household goods and when we leave. I got an urgent call from our CAM saying that it's imperative that I update my SGLI (Life Insurance) today. I guess the battalion is making sure everyone's insurance has been checked within the last year, now it's an emergency that I get mine done.

I then headed back to my office and then to our S-1 shop where I updated my SGLI. The process involves the sergeant on duty to bring up my current statement, I look at it on the screen, say yes…keep it the same, then input my CAC card to digitally sign it. The process only takes a few minutes. When I got back to my office I then received an email from my boss stating that he needs training certificates for a bunch of the mandatory training we had to do. They did add a few new things, but most of it was stuff they just had us do. Luckily I saved all my training certificates on my desktop because this is like the third time I've sent them! I swear paperwork disappears all the time in the army. I had about 4 modules that were newly added that I needed to do, so I started tackling those. The training is so mindless and stupid, I don't know why they have added even more to our list of mandatory online training. I ended up getting a couple done before leaving for the day, I'll finish the rest tomorrow…I feel like banging my head against a wall!

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.

A Lotta Training - (Germany) Day 413

This morning's PT was a little strange, I asked SGT Mex last night what was going on for PT this morning and he told me it was in the gym at Campbell in civilian clothes. I arrived and nobody else from my platoon ever showed up. I suspect they formed up outside close to the gate for an off post run, but I wasn't going to go around looking for them. An NCO told me to be in the gym and I have my phone, so I just stayed in the gym and did a cardio workout on the stationary bike. I'm using "workout" loosely, because all I was doing was slowly peddling and wasting time. I am still trying to get over a cold and just didn't have the energy this morning.

I headed into work for only a short time, enough time to check my email and that is pretty much it. I then turned around and picked my wife back up from her office. We both have to attend some mandatory training that is being held in the PHV theatre. The training was TARP (Threat Awareness and Reporting Program) and is a yearly requirement for both of our jobs. A special agent lead the PowerPoint presentation, but the training had issues from the beginning. The guy's microphone kept going out, so he finally gave up trying to use it. His voice was going out by the end of the hour long presentation. There were also some videos as part of the presentation, but nobody could hear the sound from the tiny little speakers they brought. This caused the special agent to just give us a little explanation of what was going on while skipping through the videos. The basics were to look out for potential bad people and report them to authorities…it could save lives. Now I can check this off as one of the mandatory training modules I need to complete.

I took my wife back to work, then headed back home for lunch. After lunch I headed into my office where I started up on the rest of the mandatory training that I have left to do…everything from sexual harassment to ethics. I was able to finish what I think is all of the modules and email all my certificates to my boss and our CAM. I'm sure they'll let me know if I'm missing anything. I did a few things for the chaplain and then called it a day.

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.

Check That Box - (Germany) Day 406

This morning for PT we formed up on PHV and those not on profile went on a run around the post, while those of us on profile headed to the gym. PT here on the same post where we live saves a lot of time, and I can't say that I don't mind heading into the gym to workout and listen to my headphones. I rode the stationary bike for my cardio today and I was able to get home in time to get ready at a normal pace instead of rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off.

I arrived at my office and saw the computer was still not there, I was hoping the tech would have returned it ready to go by now. I gave him a call and he said he was still working on it…makes it tough to get much done. As usual I brought my textbook so I could read and do schoolwork. When the chaplain came in later on, I made some phone calls and ran some errands for him. I then left early before lunch and headed to the hospital, I was told yesterday by our CAM that I was due for another immunization shot and I had to get it done asap. When I arrived and told the immunization clinic at the hospital, they looked up my record and said I'm fine. I had them print off proof so I could take it back to the ComSec office and show them. It seems our company's records are a little out of whack. I headed home for lunch after leaving the hospital.

On my way back to my office, SGT Mex called and said our CAM wants me to come back to the ComSec office today and do more of the mandatory online training. So I spent the last half of the day doing just that and I was able to finish quite a few. It seems that they are rushing me now to get them all completed. Everyone else has had weeks to do them all, and I haven't even had a computer to do them on while at work. At 1700 I left and headed back to my office to lock up, and finally to my surprise my computer was there. It seems the tech finally got around to getting it working now. At least now I can do the mandatory training in the comfort of my office, and catch up on the over 190 emails I saw that are now in my inbox. The chaplain has a ton of stuff for me to work on as well, so I think I'll be a pretty busy guy at least for a while.

SHARP - (Germany) Day 401

An exercise in communication...teams trying to build a lego structure. 

The builders were blindfolded and the supervisors could 

not communicate with their mouths.

This morning I headed out a little early, my wife dropped me off at my office a bit before 0630 where I met up with the chaplain after his formation. We were unable to get a TMP to drive up to Days of Excellence which is being held in Ramstein, so we took his car. He wanted me to drive…the good news is that it's a BMW, the bad news is that I didn't bring my GPS. I get lost easily once I leave our immediate Heidelberg area. We only had to double back once on the drive there. Once we arrived, I took a seat next to SPC Mac and some others that I used to work with back in the ComSec office.

The ceremony started off with some awards and promotions. One specialist got an army achievement medal for saving another's life while in a restaurant. He stated "I want to thank SPC so and so for choking and CSI Miami for teaching me the Heimlich Maneuver" LOL. We then went on to some required army training. The topic of the day was SHARP (Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention). The first module was the same ol' PowerPoint presentation that we usually get along with the same slides we see over and over again. The training itself was actually not that bad all because of the enthusiasm and the motivation the sergeant had while giving it. The second module was unlike any army training I've had before. The topic was on communication and instead of using PowerPoint, the trainer picked five lower enlisted soldiers to head up on stage and five NCOs or officers to join them. The lower enlisted were the "supervisors" and the NCOs and officers were the builders. The supervisors were shown a building (an assortment of large legos put together) and had to tell the builders how to build it. The rules…builders were blindfolded and supervisors could not speak. It was pretty funny to watch. The supervisors were stomping and clapping and the builders didn't have a clue, in the end I think they didn't even get the base put together. The trainer then went on to go over the many aspects and feelings people have when trying to communicate. It was nice to do something a little different and I think everyone got something out of it.

After the event we all had to stand outside in the rain and cold to listen to our commander and first sergeant give us a safety brief for the weekend. It's super bowl weekend and they don't want any issues to arise. Every time we thought it was just about to finish the other would start talking more and more about being safe. This went on for a while and the commander also promised that if the company goes 81 days without any incidents, he and the first sergeant will work some shifts for the soldiers…that would be funny.

I drove the chaplain to the hospital first, so he could get some contact info for the chaplain there. He also bought me lunch at the DFAC there and we had a decent meal. I don't know why, but it always seems as though that the hospital DFACs have the best food. On the drive back the chaplain fell asleep and I ended up taking us through a detour through the middle of Mannheim. I finally found some signs to head towards Heidelberg and we eventually made our way back. I think I may just keep my spare GPS in my office, so I'll always have it no matter what from now on.

When I arrived back I ran some errands for the chaplain here on post, then headed home. I ended up getting a text from my boss later on asking if I wanted to have a few beers with him at the bowling alley…no problem. We had some beers, played some darts and just hung out and talked with a couple other NCOs from the maintenance side of the ComSec office. It was a pretty good night.

Me on the right with some guys from the office watching the communication exercise

False Start - (Germany) Day 400

This morning I headed into my office and tried logging onto the computer for the first time since they suspended my account. I was told that my account has been reactivated, but when I tried to log on…it didn't work. It seems the computer that is in my office has not been turned on in so long that the domain admins took it off the domain for security purposes. Now I have to wait for who knows how long before they put it back on. I was wondering how many emails I was going to have…I guess I'll be wondering a while longer.

I started reading my school textbook for a bit and then got a call from my boss. There is more paperwork needed before they can start the process of getting me ready for the upcoming move when the base closes. I had to head to the transportation office and get a "cost estimate" memo to show how much it will cost to move all my crap. I then had to go to my house (because I have no workable computer) and fill out another form (4187) stating why I need to move…ummmm because the base is closing. I then attached all the paperwork together and emailed it to our S1 office. I headed back into my office and arrived at about 1030. The chaplain was there, so we went over everything that needs to be done this week and next week.

I headed to lunch at home (felt like I was just here) and had some leftover spicy spam fried rice…mmmm. When I headed back into the office I made some phone calls and ran some errands around post for the chaplain. I then finished my homework while I had the chance. At 1530 I get a call from the ComSec office telling me that I need to have all the required training done by tomorrow. I say my computer doesn't even work yet, but they say I have to do it all at home then. WTF? Everyone else got weeks to work on this while they were in the office. I've been able to do some on my home computer because I have my own CAC reader and installed all the necessary software, but I was only given certain hours to do it. This is total BS! I told the chaplain I had to go because I needed to start on this mandatory training. I didn't go to PT…I just picked up my wife and headed home. I started trying to do the training, but got frustrated and just stopped. I'll deal with whatever consequences they have for me. I don't give a crap! I haven't even had computer access since Thanksgiving holiday. They said anyone who doesn't finish the training has to come in and do it this Saturday…that's fine, I'll drag in another NCO and they can sit there and waste their time as well.

Repeat - (Germany) Day 394

This morning was…yes, the same as yesterday. The only difference was that I took the test and finally finished that training module that I've been working on for the last couple of days.This training module is quite a bit different than most of the others that I've had to take. The test ended up being kind of like a "choose your own adventure" video game. Your character is shown doing stuff and at certain points you have to choose what action to take, the choices you make determine if you pass or not. It's kind of a unique way of doing things and definitely makes you think a little more. Once I finished and made a PDF of my certificate, I did one more module on "combating trafficking in persons". Luckily I was able to take a pre-test and pass with a 100%, so I didn't even have to go through the training. After 5 minutes of work I had another certificate saved. That was enough to call it a morning for me. I emailed the chaplain the completed versions of the fliers I made him this week and then laid down on the couch for a bit. My head was hurting and I was able to just rest for about an hour before having lunch and then heading into my office.

When I arrived in the office I did my schoolwork and then played games on my iPhone until it was time to hit the gym. Not a whole lot to write about this afternoon…I had a good workout on the weights and then picked up my wife and headed home.

Training at Home - (Germany) Day 393

A picture of my company doing LandNav in the snow...
glad I didn't have to participate in this event...lol 

This morning as usual for this week, I drove my wife to work then headed home. I continued on the same training I started yesterday. This is the longest training module I've ever done online. I spent a lot of my morning yesterday on it and today I spent from 0800 until 1115. I finally finished the actual training portion and now have to take the scenario based test, I'll do that tomorrow and hopefully be done with it…then I can move on to the many other modules I still have to complete.

I ate lunch at home and then headed into my office where I did schoolwork until it was time to hit the gym. As I was heading into the gym I ran into SPC Mac and we chatted a bit. It turns out they had sergeant's time training in Landstuhl today and it was LandNav in the snow. He put up some photos on Facebook and everyone looks pretty cold, I'm glad I was never called to join them! Being away from the ComSec office and working with the chaplain has eased my frustration quite a bit. I used to get mad at every stupid thing that came up. Tomorrow is my last day on this great schedule where I get to stay at home until after lunch…I'm going to miss it!

The Good Schedule - (Germany) Day 392

Just another picture of the snow while picking my wife up from work. 

The train station is close by and you can see all the tracks in the background

This morning with my new routine for the week, I drove my wife to work and then came back home. I worked on another flier for the chaplain for about a half hour and then started on with the mandatory online training our company is requiring everyone to do. Normally online army training is pretty easy, go to the training module, click next a bunch of times and then answer a few easy questions. Print out your certificate and you're done. The first module was like this and I finished fairly quickly, but the next one was different. I think they are catching on that nobody actually does the training. This particular training module forces the user to wait until the video is done before you can click the next button. OMG…talk about some boring training, and it's long too. This particular module is about evading capture and what to do if you are captured by the enemy. Why we have to do this as a strategic unit I'm not sure. Just another one of those "we can check the box" training. I know if I end up in a tactical unit that deploys we'll have to do this training all over again, then I would actually pay attention. I couldn't take it too long with this one, I would let the video start, then go do something else until it was done and click next, and then repeat. The problem is that the training is so long I wasn't even able to finish before lunch, so I'll be stuck doing the same module where I left off tomorrow. Oh well…I can't complain too much, I'm at home and comfortable.

I ate lunch and then headed into my office just to show some face time there. I just sat in my office reading from my iPad until it was time to work out. I headed to the gym and had a great workout on the weight machines. With the holiday schedule and driving the chaplain, I haven't been able to get on a normal routine lately and I can feel it.

Online Training Day - (Germany) Day 385

Self checkout in the commissary closed...figures, it's on a Windows machine

This morning I took my wife to work as usual, but then came back home. Yup, I came back home and took off my uniform top, then sat in front of my computer. I had talked to the chaplain yesterday and because of all the mandatory online training that we are required to do, he said I could start it at home. Home is my only option because I'm not allowed to use any computers at work. I was informed by our security officer that I officially have my actual clearance from the US government, but the local command says I can't use any of their computers. How stupid is that? I haven't touched a computer at work since I got back from Thanksgiving in England, it's the middle of January now! So I have a CAC reader that I hooked up to my computer because most of the training websites I need access to require my ID card to be inserted to verify it's me doing the training and to have access to the website.

The only problem was that it took me a while to get everything working. At first nothing worked with the smart card reader. After a little research I found that I needed to update the firmware on the reader. Then after installing newer drivers, I was ready to go. I did finish a few modules, but let me tell you that all this training is scattered over a number of different websites. Some websites were easy to navigate and find the training, some were extremely difficult. In fact I gave up on a few figuring I'd try them again at a later date. There is so much training that we have to do, it's going to take a while.

I did this until lunch time, after that I met my wife for lunch and then we headed to the EFMP appointment. The appointment was pretty easy, the doctor just said he had to physically see my wife and ask her a few questions. The questions were to find out if she had any special needs that would need to be taken into consideration at another post. She doesn't have any, so after a couple minutes he signed all the papers and we were out of there.

She dropped me off at my office and I read a little as usual. At about 1500 I picked up another office's TMP that I am going to use to drive the chaplain tomorrow. I loaded it up with all the books that I inventoried and boxed up when I first arrived to help out the chaplain. Once that was finished I headed to PT and had a quick workout on the weight machines. Even though it was a quick workout, it was a good one. I wanted to get out a little early because it was snowing and I still needed to fill up the TMP so it would be ready to go first thing in the morning.

I actually didn't see the chaplain at all today, but I got a call from him while I was at home after work. He just wanted to tell me how much he appreciates me and everything I'm doing for him. In fact he said he sent an email to my boss and our CAM to let them know as well. I'm glad I can help him out, and it's good to feel appreciated.