24 January 2010

This is the end......

Alright, this is truly the end of this blog (for now).

I failed my psych consultation. Apparently my driving record is so horrible that the Army, in all it's infinate wisdom, has determined that I have a "personality disorder". I shit you not. I even recieved a letter from the good douche bags at Milwaukee MEPs saying that. VERBATUM. Or it could be that I told them I want to enlist again so that I could deploy to theater..... guess that makes them question my sanity. Fuck them then.

So there is no reason for me to continue a military blog when I am not in the military any more, I mean I suppose I could but there are others who have better credentials than I whom are also a lot more qualified to offer their opinions to the vast interweb world.

So I would like to take the oppurtunity to thank the two people who were my *only* followers; Concrete Bob (glad to see you're back in the game bro!) and Chewbaccafuzzbal, and the awesome folks at UCV.com.

So for now, this blog is off the net. This may change as the threat level rises and my services are again required.

Rest assured, I will be here, on the intard-web, lurking..... watching...... waiting for the perfect moment to jump out from behind the door and scream in the face of injustice and douchebag-hood.

So until I am again needed;

Good-bye and good luck.............

04 December 2009

I'm going crazy I think.....

So I'm getting tired of the bullshit that MEPS is inflicting on me, so I'm lurking about the interweb tube things. And I found this gem.

It's the only thing that's keeping me from flipping out and trying to enlist in the Marines.....





The funniest part is, this actually makes sense to me.....

And that scares me, that Gary Busey is seeming sane to me.

Maybe now is not a good time to take a psych eval.... oh wait, that's right! Fucking MEPS hasn't scheduled my eval and it's been OVER TWO DAMNED WEEKS!

So enjoy Gary in all his Busey-ness.

16 November 2009

Milwaukee MEPS sucks!

So I've put off writtig over the weekend as I've been screwed over and pissed off by the Army (big suprise there!) and needed some time to cool off and compose my thoughts. Here's the story;

I went to the Milwaukee MEPS on the night of the 11th. On the 12th we (I and the other seventy some recruits) went to Milwaukee MEPS and began the physical/medical screening. That was all done by 11:30 am. All in all I was actually very impressed by the medical folks who, despite being short four people, got a lot of us through there in a short time.

I finished/survived everything; urinalysis, blood letting, duck walking, crazy old man grabbing my testicles and trying to crush them.

After I jumped/duck walked through all the hurdles the military had for me I went to see the doctor one last time for a final medical interview. He flipped through my paperwork and asked a few questions which I answered. His final words to me were, "Congratulations, you've passed the physical. Take this paperwork to your branch and you're good to go. Good luck."

So I went to the Army branch office and gave my paperwork to MSG "G". He flips through it real quick and tells me, "You're all done for the day, thanks."

The problem was, I wasn't. I was supposed to enlist that day. And I told him so.

So he says, "I'll look into it, go get some lunch and come back here and sit in the waiting area when you're done."

I ate lunch and by 12 noon I was sitting in the very first chair in front of the office. I'm watching people and soldiers come and go. Everyone that comes out of the door; I'm looking them right in the eye. Eye contact is being made with every single person coming out. Recruits and soldiers and civilian workers. I'm looking right at them. This include MSG "G". He's coming and going and every single time he comes out we make eye contact. He just keeps on going. Not a single word is exchanged. But I figure that it's okay. He knows who I am, my situation, what I'm here to do. He'll get to me just as soon as he can, no worries. They want me in the Army just as much as I want to be in.

So it's 6pm and I'm starting to get tired of waiting. The shuttle bus driver is getting tired too. He went in and asked why I haven't been seen yet. There was another E-8 type in there by the name of MSG "C". He tells shuttle bus driver guy that I'm done and not enlisting today. Shuttle bus driver comes back into the waiting area and tells me this. I go in to see what the hell is going on.

MSG "C" tells me I'm a medical no-go.

I call bullshit.

Fat civilian doctor sat a foot away from me and went over all my paperwork. He said I passed the physical portion and was good to go. He even congratulated me!

MSG "C", "You're a medical no-go."

Me, "Negative SGT, I'm a medical go."

MSG "C", " you're a medical no-go."

Me, "No, I'm a go."

This went back and forth for a little bit. MSG "C" starts getting pissy with me. I finally ask the "subject matter expert" (please note the extreme sarcasm in which I tried to convey by putting that phrase in quotations) where it says I'm a no-go.

Already long story short, he points to a block with the number zero in it and tells me that is why I can't enlist today.

That zero is there because I have an "exsesive amount" of traffic violations. Speeding tickets in my case.

The Army defines "exsesive amount" as more than 3 in the last year. I've had at least 3 in the last 3 months!

Here's the problem; in 2004 I was sent to Baghdad. As a part of a Civil Affairs team, I was made a driver. There was only 5 of us on the team so we travelled light and fast in our two humvees. I went on close to 300 missions in my time in country. Most I was a driver, some I was truck commander and on others I was even a turret gunner. All these positions required me to drive fast, think fast and act just as fast. Never got hit, never hit anybody, no accidents, but I did set one humvee on fire cause the transmission went to shit and the maintenance guys didn't put in the new one the right way. But that's neither here nor there (which I don't understand cause if something is not here, and it's not there, then where the hell is it!?!). Never mind I was a poor driver before I went but when I came back my bad driving habits were replaced by fast and aggressive habits.

In short, for ill or nil, good or bad, the Army made me the driver I am today.

So now that the Army has determined that I have an "exsesive amount" of traffic violations, I have to get a fucking psycholgical evaluation!

I could pose a threat to the Army!?!

So, let me get this straight.

11years in the Army Reserve, a two year mobilization for Operation Noble Eagle, a year long mobilization and deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, was assigned to a Special Operations unit for a little over 4 years, which entailed me having a SECRET security clearnce (which requires a complete background check by the FBI going back to where and how I did in elementary school!), have recieved the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal twice, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal twice, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon.

And I need a psychological evaluation as I might pose a threat to other soldiers?

I guess I'm just that potentially dangerous.

I love my country and my Army but this is some bullshit.

JB2D out.....

12 November 2009

I'm enlisting!!!!!

I'm on my way to MEPS! Next time I check in, I'll be a soldier again!

* turns out this post was a lie! see above for details!*

11 November 2009

Veteran's Day 2009

So we come to another Veteran's Day where we are at war.

Reguardless of your views of these two wars, you have to honor and respect those who are willing and able to stand up and fight injustice where ever it may be.

There are a few things I'd like to do this day:

1. Honor those who have and those who are currently serving. I found this video and it sums up everything perfectly.





2. I wish to honor a great soldier and a great friend; SGT Bryan L. Freeman.

I met Bryan when I was "cross-leveled" to the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion in 2004. I first met "B-Free" when we went to Ft. McCoy, WI for pre-mob training. To say this guy was "squared away" doesn't begin to describe it. He was a true soldier to the bone. Those who knew Freeman remember his motto, "Squared away!" Everything he did was squared away.

Bryan began his Army career on active duty at Ft. Drum as cannon crew member in 1993. In 1997 he left active duty and joined the New Jersey National Guard. Still a "cannon-cocker".

He joined the Army Reserve in 2003 as a member of the 404th CA Bn at Ft. Dix.

He too was cross-leveled to the 443rd CA Bn.

On 4 Nov 2004, then SPC Freeman was on a mission with his CA team; doing a SWET accessment (pronounced as sweat - which is an acronym for Sewer - Water - Electricty - Trash. The basic utilities we were trying to get going in Baghdad back then.).

Bryan was with his battle buddy SPC Aaron Meade, they were providing security for the team seargent.

They had stopped a car to do a brief visual check of the interior and ask the occupants what their opinions were of the current level of utilities their town had.

As Aaron leaned forward to look into the car, a shot rang out.

A 7.62mm round glanced off of Aaron's helmet and struck Bryan in the face, killing him instantly.

I wasn't on his team, not even in the same company, when Bryan was taken from us. But the impact he had on me was inmeasurable.

Bryan inspired everyone he met. He was always smiling, always willing to help those around him. He was everyone's battle buddy.

Even when we were stuck at Ft. Bragg in July, in the old 82nd Division buildings. No windows, no screens, no a/c, no fans, snakes bugs and everything coming in the windows at night. He never once complained.

I always remember him standing at his bunk at Bragg playing video games on his laptop.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of Bryan.

By the way.....

Veterans - you can eat at Applebee's today for free! Check the link for details.

http://www.applebees.com/vetsday/

JB2D out.