I want to start this off by saying a big Atta Boy to Montel Williams for FINALLY putting the news reporters in their places when it comes to the war and the troops. This is from Fox News on Jan. 26, 2008. I think this is awesome and it's about time someone put it into perspective!!
Well, I went on my lovely week training to Florida. I was pretty bummed the weather wasn't any nicer than highs in the 50's/60's. Oh well, it was a week off work with much better pay and I got to gaff off most of the days after class. However, I STILL didn't have my advanced pay and I STILL didn't have my Government travel card by the time I left so I had to put the nice travel claim in once I returned. Let's cross fingers and toes and hope all will go through with the claim so I can get my money back. On a side note, I did get a Chrylser 300 as my rental car while down there so at least I was cruisin' in style.
I'm still plugging away at my deployment check off list. Today I went to B&N and got the Quicken Will Maker kit. That's always a nice book to have to buy. I hope I'm smart enough to figure out how to do it and what to put in it. Never really had to predetermine my destiny before. Not much fun to think about.
We got an email the other day about the uniform for checking into our processing station on the first leg of our deployment. They were saying it was DRESS BLUES!! Are they kidding!??!! Who the hell wants to jack around with packing that shit to only wear for a couple of days. That would take up 1/4 of my seabag. Then, today we get another email stating that now we only have to bring 1 set of working blues. Better, but still really stupid. We are d-e-p-l-o-y-i-n-g....ya know, going to the sand? Dress/working blues not really going to be needed there. Just more stupid shit to take up room and will have to be sent home before we leave the states.
By the way....I read Colby Buzzell's book, "My War-Killing Time In Iraq" while I was traveling for my training. I have to say I was a little disappointed considering all the hoopla that was surrounding the book. I was expecting more hard-core, meaty, in-your-face writing and to me it seemed a little watered down. I'm not sure this was done in the editing of the book or if those were his actual posts. I never had the fortune to have read his blog before the book so I have nothing to reference it to. I would recommend the book though, it was a really good read.
TTFN
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Hoops
As much as I love the military, it's pretty ass-backwards sometimes and the amount of hoops and red tape you have to wade through is ridiculous sometimes. Here's the scoop. I am going to training school and I had applied for a Government travel credit card two drill weekends ago (November) only to have it kicked back to me last drill weekend (December) because I had missed something on one of the blocks. So, I corrected the form, gave it back to my career counselor and off it went. So I thought. It is now coming up on drill weekend again (January) and I STILL don't have my damn government travel credit card. I have emailed personnel, who in turn forwarded my email on to the Chief that oversees credit cards and ADT order approval. I never heard back. I emailed the first class that is going to be checking me out for active duty and asked her what else I needed for deployment and she informed me that I would need a government travel credit card. So, again I explained the story to her and she forwarded my email onto the Chief that oversees the cards. I never heard back. So, I took the bull by the horns and I emailed the Chief to find out where my card was. Mind you, I have at this point scrambled and got a copy of my rental car and hotel reservations to request advanced per diem so I would have SOME money to go on my GOVERNMENT orders with. The Chief emailed me back today and he not only copied the first class that got me my advanced per diem request processed, but the NOSC XO, two people in personnel and my unit Chief. I guess he was saying that I didn't follow my chain of command. Who knows. Who cares, I got my credit card application processed.....FINALLY.
*Side note-there were at least 5 other people going on orders to this training school that requested government travel credit cards at the same time and last I had heard, they had not received theirs either.
The card Chief told me in the email that he wasn't sure why there was such a delay, but my card should be processed tomorrow and SHOULD be here before I leave. Thank goodness that I was told about requesting the advanced per diem!! Can we say someone dropped the ball?!!??!!
This is just ANOTHER example of why I hate the Reserves. I know, I know, it happens on active duty too, but at least you don't have to wait an entire month to try and get something resolved because they can only do it on a drill weekend. Don't even get me started on the whole ID card thing and why my NOSC doesn't have an ID Deers machine and why if we have an ID card issue, we have to go to the Air National Guard base or go to the Capital. Can we say they don't want to "deal" with it so they just get rid of the problem. How nice of them to be so thoughtful and look out for their "shipmates". HA! what a joke!! Pitiful....pit-i-ful I say! I think it's time to Go Green, at least on drill weekends I would have a much cooler uniform to get shafted in.
Ok, ok, I'm done with my rant now.
So, in other news...I was much nicer to the new girl at work today and I was even nicer to my boss. I'm sure they all thought I fell and hit my head overnight or something. It must have been the weather change today. Everyone at work seems to be under this delusional impression that I am a smartass or something and I really don't know where they would ever get that idea. :o)
As Sandra Lee says, "keep it simple, keep it smart, and most of all keep it loaded with ALCOHOL"
Peace out!!
*Side note-there were at least 5 other people going on orders to this training school that requested government travel credit cards at the same time and last I had heard, they had not received theirs either.
The card Chief told me in the email that he wasn't sure why there was such a delay, but my card should be processed tomorrow and SHOULD be here before I leave. Thank goodness that I was told about requesting the advanced per diem!! Can we say someone dropped the ball?!!??!!
This is just ANOTHER example of why I hate the Reserves. I know, I know, it happens on active duty too, but at least you don't have to wait an entire month to try and get something resolved because they can only do it on a drill weekend. Don't even get me started on the whole ID card thing and why my NOSC doesn't have an ID Deers machine and why if we have an ID card issue, we have to go to the Air National Guard base or go to the Capital. Can we say they don't want to "deal" with it so they just get rid of the problem. How nice of them to be so thoughtful and look out for their "shipmates". HA! what a joke!! Pitiful....pit-i-ful I say! I think it's time to Go Green, at least on drill weekends I would have a much cooler uniform to get shafted in.
Ok, ok, I'm done with my rant now.
So, in other news...I was much nicer to the new girl at work today and I was even nicer to my boss. I'm sure they all thought I fell and hit my head overnight or something. It must have been the weather change today. Everyone at work seems to be under this delusional impression that I am a smartass or something and I really don't know where they would ever get that idea. :o)
As Sandra Lee says, "keep it simple, keep it smart, and most of all keep it loaded with ALCOHOL"
Peace out!!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Control freak
Let me just clear the air and state for the record that I am a control freak. I feel like I need to go to control freaks anonymous, ya know, "hello my name is Sailorette, and I'm a control freak". "Hello, Sailorette, we loooovve you!" I am training a new girl to replace me at work while I'm on my adventure overseas and I just can't for the life of me be nice to her or allow her to succeed. She is a wonderful person and I know she will do great in the job and I need to just back off and allow her to do well instead of making things difficult for her. She is catching on well, a little slower than I would like, but there comes the control freak in me. I just feel at those times that I know I can get it done right so I might as well do it. Sheesh, I'm so mean sometimes. I have vowed to myself to just do everything in my power to help her learn and do well.
My family and I took a trip up home to visit my grandparents before I go overseas. It's such a long trip, but it's always fun and we are really glad that we went. My grandpa is in his 80's, so I hate to say it, but I'm not sure if he will still be here when I return from deployment. I think he knew that as well because when we were leaving he pulled me aside and wished me luck and let me know that I will be in his thoughts and prayers. It felt almost like a final goodbye. I hate that, but makes me even more glad that I was able to go up and visit one last time.
Things are just grooving along towards my deployment. I had to get a passport the other day and let me tell you that it's not cheap to have one expedited....$200!! Never mind the fact they tell us almost at the last minute we need one. Oh well, that's the military for ya! I have been so concerned as to how to pack my toiletries in my carry-on bag. I bought a great bag from L.L. Bean that I think is going to be just hunky-dory for what I am going to need. I even got it in Army green. LOL!!
Well, my cat is just throwing fits to get out of my room. I don't think I stink, I at least showered today, so I will wrap this up and tend to the Princess.
TTFN
My family and I took a trip up home to visit my grandparents before I go overseas. It's such a long trip, but it's always fun and we are really glad that we went. My grandpa is in his 80's, so I hate to say it, but I'm not sure if he will still be here when I return from deployment. I think he knew that as well because when we were leaving he pulled me aside and wished me luck and let me know that I will be in his thoughts and prayers. It felt almost like a final goodbye. I hate that, but makes me even more glad that I was able to go up and visit one last time.
Things are just grooving along towards my deployment. I had to get a passport the other day and let me tell you that it's not cheap to have one expedited....$200!! Never mind the fact they tell us almost at the last minute we need one. Oh well, that's the military for ya! I have been so concerned as to how to pack my toiletries in my carry-on bag. I bought a great bag from L.L. Bean that I think is going to be just hunky-dory for what I am going to need. I even got it in Army green. LOL!!
Well, my cat is just throwing fits to get out of my room. I don't think I stink, I at least showered today, so I will wrap this up and tend to the Princess.
TTFN
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The answer to the question..
I have a lot of mixed reactions when I tell people that I re-enlisted into the Navy Reserves and that I will now be going on active duty to serve my country in the war efforts. Some people thank me for my service, some people tell me that they would NEVER want to do what I'm doing. Most of the time I answer their questions with "well someone has to do it so it might as well be me. " Some of the time I just say "thank you" or "it's my pleasure". I have found an excerpt from a book called, "The Blog of War: Front-Line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan" by Matthew Currier Burden and he sums the answer up like this, "To that, I have to say: Serving my country is not a 4-year contract. It is a lifelong commitment. Nor is it a "due" to be paid like some cheap membership fee. It is a deeply personal obligation. And it is certainly not "time" that has to be "done" like some felony prison sentence. It is nothing short of an honor that I hold in the highest regard, an honor that I must prove worthy of, an honor that must be earned every single day."
That, my friends, is EXACTLY why I have made the decisions that I have. That is why I'm seriously considering changing branches to the Army so that I can serve my country in a greater capacity than sewing rack curtains for submarines on my Drill Weekends. I am greatly disappointed by my unit duties during Drill and I want to find out if I have to wait until the end of my contract (3 years) or can I switch to another branch at any time. I love the Navy. I come from a Navy family, but the "new" Navy is not where it's at for me anymore. I loved my time aboard ship when I was active duty 9 years ago, but the reserve Navy is not for me. I have much more to offer and I want much more out of my enlistment than being a seamstress!!! Granted, when I get my own place I'll definitely know how to sew a mean set of curtains, but come on!! This is B.S! There are people in my unit and Reserve Center that have NEVER even set foot on a ship nor will they ever in the future. What kind of crap is that!??!! I guess for some, that is quite alright, but for me it's a slap in the face! Call me gung ho, or just call me crazy, but damnit, I want to do something. So, with that being said, I am going to make this the best New Years Resolution and get off my ass and do something I feel good about for a change.
Happy F-ing New Year 2008!!
Oh, and GO GATORS! BEAT MICHIGAN!!!
TTFN
That, my friends, is EXACTLY why I have made the decisions that I have. That is why I'm seriously considering changing branches to the Army so that I can serve my country in a greater capacity than sewing rack curtains for submarines on my Drill Weekends. I am greatly disappointed by my unit duties during Drill and I want to find out if I have to wait until the end of my contract (3 years) or can I switch to another branch at any time. I love the Navy. I come from a Navy family, but the "new" Navy is not where it's at for me anymore. I loved my time aboard ship when I was active duty 9 years ago, but the reserve Navy is not for me. I have much more to offer and I want much more out of my enlistment than being a seamstress!!! Granted, when I get my own place I'll definitely know how to sew a mean set of curtains, but come on!! This is B.S! There are people in my unit and Reserve Center that have NEVER even set foot on a ship nor will they ever in the future. What kind of crap is that!??!! I guess for some, that is quite alright, but for me it's a slap in the face! Call me gung ho, or just call me crazy, but damnit, I want to do something. So, with that being said, I am going to make this the best New Years Resolution and get off my ass and do something I feel good about for a change.
Happy F-ing New Year 2008!!
Oh, and GO GATORS! BEAT MICHIGAN!!!
TTFN
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
