Why yes Sgt. I would LOVE to spend the week cleaning my M16....

One of the true joys of being in the Army is the whole "HURRY UP AND WAIT" and this is true day in and day out. 

I am in a Unit that is going to be disbanding in the new year, so with that being said there is a lot of things that must happen at many levels almost all of them don't involve me!!  But a few do and when they do well its the next coming of the almighty (whom ever you believe in).  So this week should be no different, but with a little twist because after all we are the Mighty Shoremasters!!

So I mentioned before, with the Unit disbanding we are having to do things such as make sure the millions of papers that they keep on us is up to date, we haven't moved, changed phone numbers or even identities, those who are in or have loved ones in can understand this.  So I have put down my name rank and social so many times that its all auto pilot now, then we got to bring in EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF GEAR ever issued to us for a layout (we literally laid it all out on the ground, yep pretty deep stuff there!) again this was all to check that little square on a piece of paper, god bless America and the trees we cut down!!

So while our Sgt's are off doing important stuff (see square comment above) we are left with time on our hands, what better way to fill than to clean weapons!!!  WAHOO AND EUREKA!! I love cleaning weapons, nothing like mindless conversations, smell of engine cleaner and the endless sea of white pipe cleaners and q tips to pass a week by!!  If you ask me, this sounds like paradise!!  Okay enough of the sarcasm....so we set about the task of cleaning our weapons. 

Now, not to take away from the importance of this, weapons cleaning is very important for a soldier.  We need to have a clean weapon so that when the time comes for us to fire it, the weapon will be working at its full potential because having a misfire or even a jam is never a good thing and can be very stressful. I am even going to break out into my old SPORTS. 

• SLAP THE MAGAZINE
• PULL THE CHARGING HANDLE
• OBSERVE THE OBJECTION PORT
• RELEASE THE ACTION
• TAP THE FORWARD ASSIST.

(Yep I took it old school there, we are talking BCT!!)  But anyhow, we don't want anything but smooth firing when need to use the weapon.  So like I said, I don't mind cleaning my weapon!! 

Well we have been cleaning our weapons for 3 days now, I have gotten the ole girl about as clean as I can get her, lets be real here, she isn't going to be spotless unless a) J comes to work and cleans her {this isn't happening} or b) she is dipped in acid and all the dirt is eaten away!!  Lucy is as clean as she is going to be and patiently waiting till I get to either see her again tomorrow for a nice rub down, or pull her and take her with me to our new Unit!!

So I say YES SGT...LET ME CLEAN MY M16!!

Smellin like a boy isn't part of the deal!!

Ugh what a day.....we are back to hard core training.....which means early morning, long days and late nights...it also means hours in the sun.  Gone are my days of sitting in a nice air conditioned office or heated (depending on the time of year) wearing cute clothes to work, and shoes that I don't mind hurting my feet.  I traded it all in for the ACU's and combat boots....oh and the dog tags!

While today would have normally been a beautiful crisp fall day, working and being in the sun wearing a hard hat made it just well hot....and working around the vehicles only added to heat.  After awhile, I don't care who you are, your body spray is going to wear off, the girls are going to start to sweat and the sports bra yep its gonna be gross....oh lets not forget the hair matted to our head and the hairspray melting off and running into our eyes!!  I am telling you being a female in the Army is twice as hard!

I have come to realize that its the little things that keep me connected to the the pretty side of me....my chicken poop lip gloss (not made with real poop, but the best all natural stuff out there and made back home in Kansas...maybe if I had enough readers I could give a tube or two away!!) wearing the pretty engagement ring from the hubs, and smelly hand sanitizer, its not much but as much as I can do.

I love being in the Army and am so proud to serve most days, but on the days I come home smelling like the hubs and body aching....it takes me back to the days when I took mani pedis, pretty hair, heals, and office for granted.....

God Bless the USA, but would it be too much for  a stronger perfume?

Why only remember on holidays?

Tomorrow is 9/11 and today I found myself telling the hubs that we needed to stop by the store and get some more American flags to put in the yard for tomorrow.  I thought nothing more of this and went about the day.  As I am sitting here blogging tonight, I glance up and notice the American flags that waving in the breeze, they were put up today because we have a Unit coming home.  They are there in honor of the selfless service they have given these past 15 months.  And the thought hit me then, why am I only going to put flags out on holidays?  Why am I only going to make the effort to stop remember and thank those who served before me then; remember those whose life was taken in the blink of an eye that fateful morning?  Can I not find a moment or two in my day to remember these people year round?  Am I really that self absorb?  The answer plain and simple with no lies is yes....yes I am.

I would like to think that I am more patriotic than the average person.  My dad served in the Air Force for 20 + years, I have grandfathers, uncles and a brother who have served, my husband served in the Army and did 3 tours of combat and finally, I myself have joined the ranks.  But despite all of this I am your typical, think of them on the holidays or when I am reminded too.

Recently my family and I went to Washington DC, I got to go to Arlington and visit the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.  This was in EVERY way shape and form a eye opener for me.  To see the thousands of tombstones, to know that these individuals are buried here for a reason and to simply be there, it is so much larger than we are.  The stories that those men and women took with them to the grave are enough to fill the Library of Congress 10 folds.  But they were all hero's in someones eye.  We happen to be walking to the Tomb when Rivalee started to play, immediately without thinking I stopped faced where the flag would be and stood at attention.  My family of course stopped and faced the same way.  We stood there quietly and waited for the music to stop.  As we are standing there, me at attention and them with their hands over their heart, we had people walk up on us and stop as well, they had no idea what was going on, but one of them said I don't know why we are doing this but I think that they are in the military so we should.  Anyhow, the point of my story is that I believe that everyone wants to thank and remember those who have fallen and given their lives for us, some of us just don't know how or even understand it.  I was moved beyond words.  We also got to witness the changing of guard in front of the tomb.  What an amazing thing.  The honor and respect that is given to the fallen.....

I want to make a better effort in remembering those who served before me, the friends of my husband that fought side by side with him, that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that I could have another day with him, so that we could have the family we have. 

I am going to have a flag in my garden year round and I am going to take a moment each day to remember.  And most of all to say thank you, to those that had the courage that so many of us lack!! 

This blog is dedicated to all those who served before me, but more specifically to those men that gave their lives from Diamond Brigade...we love you and you are not forgotten.

I was thinking that I was employed by the Army....

I was thinking that I was employed by the Army, but after the summer I have had I can't help but to wonder if that is true or just a rumor....man basic training felt so real!! I can honestly say that the entire summer I worked 3 weeks....that was it!!  But I have endure some of the most painful times of my life....a foot surgery, infection that followed, waiting for the deep wound to heal, learning to walk all over, getting fitted for permanent inserts and finally dealing with the massive amount of scar tissue that is still there making simple tasks such as a museum visit pure torture at times....that was just the foot....I also had a particle hysterectomy  we won't begin to go into the healing process there, all I am going to say is child birth was a walk in the park compared to this!!  So I have officially been down for the count!!

I am due to come off my final convalescent leave on Saturday and sign back into the Unit.  When I go back I will have my deploy able status back and will be hopefully operating at close to a 100%.    I am excited to get back into the swing of things, to go back to working full time and working out like I had come to love!  But at the same time I am going to miss my one on one time with Moo and all the time we have got to spend as a family.  I truly love being a mom and wife....but I have always been one to want more...how can I raise my daughter to go after all her hopes and dreams if I myself was not willing to do the same?  I want to be her role model and hero, to both my kids!!

So now I am once again facing that all too familiar feeling of wanting to work, train and deploy but at the same time wanting and needing to be the everything to Mr. Man, Moo and Handsome....someone lied when they said you could have it all....so not true!!  But this is the life I lead and I would not have it any other way....

What are the struggles you face in everyday life?  What tears at your heart strings but still you press forward? 

All good things must be.....continued!!

After an amazing week with my older sis...N...she has decided that she must sadly return to her life....I will miss her, but I have made a vow that we shall not go 6 years or a wedding in between visits....details of our adventures to follow!!