No good very bad day....

Today seriously sucked....I mean in a huge way!!  It was our first day back after christmas which is never a good thing, but to top it off there was a snow storm and the roads still had a amount of snow and ice and from the evidence all over the roads the drivers out here don't know how to drive on the white shiny stuff....guess its a good thing that I am a midwest girl and driving on the snow is like second nature to me. 

So back to the crappy day.  I made it into work only to ice skate through the parking lot to check in, followed by skating back to the car to sit in the warmth for the next 20 minutes before we had to go form up 15 minutes prior to actually have a formation time (side note here, in the military 15 minutes early is on time and on time is late and the first sgt who holds formation is 15 minutes AFTER the said time but is NEVER late...you do the math!) so I proceeded to stand in freezing cold weather wearing combat boots that were not waterproof and well there was snow on the ground so I started off the day with wet toes....I was cold and miserable!!  Standing in one spot not moving, and having wet boots, listening to the 1st Sgt ramble on about who was there and who wasn't there....and blah blah blah, all the while I could only think about how my toes were going to fall off and may never walk properly again!!

So after standing and freezing the said toes off, we were sent down to the ice land that once was our motor pool....the motor pool had not been touched and under the snow was a nice layer of ice....and again my boots were wet.  I am not digging this tuesday which was our monday.

So we had to "walk the line" and do "command maintenance" all the while trying to understand why were the only company working when most were off because of the weather.  That is a head scratcher right there.

So here we are, at the motor pool doing command maintenance and I go to work on my generator...and lookie here the damn thing is still broken, not only broken but completely deadline (meaning that it won't work at all) the battery line has been cut and remains cut and has been this way for the past month...yes Sgt, I did notate this on the 5988 and the jackass who is suppose to fix this issue hasn't done so!!  Thanks a whole lot!

I go to bring this issue up to the E-6 in charge and well I guess in his Army world, he is more interested in chasing tail of a young 23 year old than work real issues within his platoon....news flash Sgt Doucher....the whole company knows that you and little girl are hooking up and I am sure that your wife knows the same...its not like you don't live on post and for that matter a few blocks from your little piece of tail!!

So the issue wasn't fixed, I couldn't get any real help and being a female in the Army today totally blew....

Oh well tomorrow is another day to try to break the glass ceiling right?  Oh and to wear two pairs of socks and some boots that are weather proof, then again it could be in the 50's and I won't need any of the above!!

Family, military style

I realize that being in the military, there are certain things that we are and are not allowed to talk about and well that is just par for the course I guess, do I always like it, no not really especially since I have my opinions and views that I am never afraid to express but I live with it, what other choice do I have?

But while having one of the most stimulating conversations with my husband last night I had a ahhhh haaa moment, and something hit me....and I really felt at peace with it when all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Let me share with you.  We as a country have been fighting wars since our birth, most of the time on foreign lands.  We have always been a volunteer military, meaning that we are not forced as citizens to join under normal situations.  There are always exceptions to the rule, like during WWII and Viet Nam. But in general we are a volunteer military, with that being said, it blows my mind that so many men and women have given the selfless sacrifice of the life they had for this country.  Its such and honorable thing, and I am time and time again in awe of it.

What I asked my husband (aka my Sgt.) was how is it to be over on foreign land fighting risking life and limb when you know that not everyone supports the cause you may be fighting for?  I know that not everyone believes in the wars going on, yet they still stand among us in the ranks.  The answer that he gave me made perfect sense and only made my commitment to what I do that much stronger.

We are not fighting for a cause at the end of the day.  We are fighting for the guys (meaning men and women) to our left and right.  We would do anything for our families, this doesn't change on foreign land, just the fact that your family is the ones who are with you serving and fighting.  You give your life so that your buddy doesn't have to.  So he can go home and spend another day with his wife and kids or her husband and kids. This made perfect sense. 

I would give my life limb or whatever else to save and protect my family.  And yes, when we are down range those that we deploy with ARE our family, we laugh, cry, fight, and live with these people sometimes for 15 months...you can't help but to have that type of bond with them.

So really at the end of the day does the cause matter?  What the people in the big white house think is in our nations best interest does that really matter?  Or does the guy to your left and right matter?  His life and his well being, that is all that we really care about in the here and now....let the politicians in the Capital deal with all the rest, we will fight and take care of our own and live life the way that few understand but make perfect sense to us....

Maybe that what makes the military and the military family stand above the rest, we know what the value of life and family is....

New beginnings....Round 4

It seems as if our family dinamitcs has once again changed....we have a wonderful full time addition to our family.  It seems that this day in age (wow, am I the only Gen X'er that uses this term my grandparents probably coined?) blended families are par for the norm, and ours is no exception.  But back to the post....we have a new full time addition to our family and it isn't one with four legs!!  My Sgt's oldest son has moved in with us, this is a for good type situation. 

I can't be happier with the way things have played out....while I am not looking through the situation with rose colored glasses, I am looking at it as in I am the luckiest girl because instead of one amazing man in my life I have 3!!  It was a package deal and one that I would gladly give my heart to all over again!!

So, we made the cross country treck to pick him up and bring him back "home".  It has been an eye opening trip for us.  He has little to no knowlegde of what life in a military family is like or even of the military itself.  I am reliving my youth by teaching him the ways of the military world (I am a seasoned military brat myself) but the awe and respect he is showing all that he is learning is awesome!!  When I told him that Monday he is going to get his id card, he was beside himself with excitement!!  He could not believe that he is getting something as important and cool as this!!  I remember the day I got my dependent id...I was just as excited...my dad celebrated by taking me for ice cream, I think I am going to take MJ down to the beach instead...hey the kid is from land lock kansas!!

So while we are halfway through our long drive back home, I can't help but be giddy with excitement and anticipation at all that is waiting for our family....my Moo has a full time big brother, my husband has the missing puzzle piece in his life, MJ has a fresh start that he so deserves and me, well I have it all!!  A awesome job, three amazing kids, and the man of my dreams.....really does life get any better?

Well I could be asleep right now instead of blogging at 0200 but hey, its still a long car ride so why not!!