Dedicated to Sean

The following was sent to me, and I feel that it is so damn funny that I must post it here. It is the "official" bio of my brother Sean - who plays football for the Merchant Marine Academy. Most of it needs no explanation ... and it does wonders for the southern stereotype.

Before USMMA: Lettered in football for two years, soccer for four years, swimming for two years and baseball for one year at NorthshoreHigh School... was named All-District in football...played club soccer for NOSA...placed second at the Los Angeles State Wrestling Tournament.

Personal: Born Sept. 1, 1985 in Alameda, Calif...son of Rex and Trissy Bent...has three brothers, Geoffry, Byron and Buster as well as asister, Trigger...majoring in systems engineering.

Buster and Trigger are the family dogs. Los Angeles State WrestlingTournament - Is that the unofficial name of the Chino Detention facility? Sean, do you have something that you'd like to share with us? I can see Sean now ... um, uh, uh, well, um, what I mean was, ummm, I play football? Yes, Sean you do ... and yes, I am judging you!

New EWO

Amazingly, my relief is in Baghdad and in an even stranger chain of events, he should be here at my location within the next few days. Very strange in deed. The concept that my time might be coming to an end just has not really hit. The good news is that I was ready to leave months ago - so the sentimental attachment just isn't here. However, in true Navy form there is a mandated time length requirement for a turnover (I guess this is to ensure a "proper" turnover). The funny part about this is that on a ship you are lucky to get five days. It is more of a, "I had it - you got it." The turnover requirements over here are just insane. Another admin program designed to help the war fighter that falls short. So does that mean that I know my fate and when I'll be coming home? The long and short of it is no. Don't take this as bitterness - I would say that it is quite safe that I'll be home well prior to December. Trust me - it can't come soon enough. The fun meter is broken.

A little "Feisty"

Sometimes this blog is a little off the cuff, and quite honestly, I think that this post reminds me of the best damn calculus teacher at the boat school. Everyday is a Tuesday in this barren land; however, today is Monday. Basically, I want to crawl up in the fetal position and cry my eyes out (like baby Kenny) b/c of the precarious situation "my" teams have placed me in. You know, ok, I get it ... My Padres just aren't good enough, the Saints are back to paper bagging it, Tony Stewart didn't seem to drive inspired in Dover, and Navy Football is quite pedestrian. And, if that wasn't enough, I am going to have to listen to all the crap about how great the Steelers are playing. Duane, I just don't want to hear it - just remember your team had a starting quarterback that got caught by the po-po for doing the same thing as the Idaho Senator. Nice, very nice.

Time continues to move slowly. I feel like I am in the last two minutes of a football game that somehow takes an hour to play out. Still no word from the Navy brass in Baghdad on my departure - I'll believe it when I see it. For some reason, they've gotten into quite the habit of over promising and under delivering.

But if you want to talk about results, the entire Moody family gets "mad props." Colleen, Jack and Meg, and Granny Moody came through with a total of three boxes full of goodies. Inside them were Monsters ... and they now have a new flavor - Java. Basically, it is liquid crack and
just utterly awesome.

At any rate, Go Padres, 7 games left ... figure we need a minimum of 5 to make it work.

Mad Friars

I've resisted the urge to write about this all week: How about them Padres? Jerry Coleman, hang a star on the first seven games of the homestand. Seven in a row - now that is what I like to see! Granted, it was against two of the proverbial cellar teams; however, good teams are supposed to beat up on the weak! Now, who said that Newton was an idiot? So, we've got ten games left w/ 3 at home against the Rockies and then 3 at SF, followed by four at the Brew crew. I really hope that we have things in hand before the games in Wisconsin ... I don't want to keep reading about the East Coast teams and how they are this and that. The good news gets even better b/c Milton Bradley should play tonight or tomorrow. Harriston is swinging a big stick and makes me ask the question: Should Giles join his brother on the bench? Says here that Giles might get a few more "off" days in order to keep him fresh for the post season. If anyone has tickets that they want to pawn off, I'll start walking from Iraq right now. Hell, we are in Ramadan, and I need a trip to the Promised Land - the World Series. Trust me, San Diego is no Mecca - but I'll take the hit for the team. I'll just tell the boss that I have my own pilgrimage that I need to embark upon.

Reflection

3/5 is on deck. It is that time in the deployment when the call for lessons learned and after action reports have cast wide nets. It is one of those things where even if you don't have anything to say - you have to say something. Naturally, I am all for such endeavors. In order to complete something like this the skill that one has to draw from is reflection. Admittedly, this is something that I am not particularly very skilled at accomplishing. For one reason or another, I tend to keep my head down and keep plugging along. Most of my vivid recollections are centered on times when I just about lost my mind - and that isn't particularly helpful. It is one of things that I'll just have to keep working on. With that goal in mind, I'll attempt to cajole myself by thinking that I do have something to offer and that you, my readers (read Sean), may gleam from some of things I have been able to reflect on. Most of these, I've learned the hard way.

1. "Just do it." This marketing slogan by Nike is utterly brilliant. The question "why" is the most often asked, rarely answered, and usually the least important. The solution? Accept the fact that you know fewer things than you think you do and do your job the best you can. All you can control is the execution phase.

2. "It is harder to fire someone you like." Endear yourself to your boss and command. If you don't, you become expendable. The solution? Focus on reasons to say "yes" rather than finding reasons to say "no."

3. "What have you done for me lately?" This may be more of a corollary to my second point; however, I feel that it deserves some time in the spotlight. We live in a time where things that you have accomplished in the past may lead to credibility and further your own experience; however, the fact remains that everything is about the here and now. Deployments, awards, qualifications, ribbons, etc... largely serve as placeholders for personal memories. The solution? Go climb Mt. Everest, find a cure for cancer, take two weeks and then go back to work.

No mail

Today is the last day for mail with 2/6. As soon as I get the good mailing address for the next unit - I'll push it out. In the mean time, please don't send anything, as it will end up in North Carolina.

Speaking of mail, I continued to be spoiled! Thank you very much to the following:
Grieser Family - A package full of books. My favorite by far was the Japanese Anime about Vampires ... nice, very nice.
Money Hill Ladies - The peanut butter granola bars are the best!
Hebner Family - Jeff Gordon is going down, and the the Home Depot Chevy is on his way to his third championship! Know about it!
Wood Family - Feeding my obsession w/ the Padres. I wish that we could play the Giants more often!

The FNG continues to move along. His attitude is contagious, and I think that eventually he will see success. No pictures or anything from my FMF qualification - Marines don't do that stuff. No worries.

Strolling Aroung the Lake

The dictionary defines the word "fun" as something that provides mirth or amusement. You'll notice that nowhere in that definition is mention of a combat endurance hump. Well folks, that was my Sunday morning -"humping" (walking 6.2 miles with a full combat load). Fun times. So call me Nancy, fit me for a dress, and point me to the hot tub. Marines call this fun, and I call it a nightmare. Marines are required to demonstrate proficiency in certain evolutions that Marines have to stay proficient in - marksmanship, weapons safety, rules of engagement,"humping" etc ... on a monthly basis. So, there I was playing along. The best part of this whole deal is that one of pre-deployment milestones is the ability to hump 15 miles. So, in essence this was supposed to be easy.

My Army guys

There is some sanity and justice going around - My three man Army Special Operations Soldiers are going home! After 16 months of working in Fallujah, the Army has identified personnel to replace them, and they will be leaving by the end of the month. I have two Sergeants and a Specialist (E4). Just when I want to complain about how long I have been here - I see them and realize that I need to shut my mouth. I try not to be political in my postings; however, my personal and professional opinion is that 6 or 7 months is the right length for deployments.

Re-enlistment Ceremony

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending a re-enlistment ceremony for three of our Corpsman. They held the ceremony on top of a bridge (about 15 feet high) that lead to an island where Udai Hussein used to have his vacation home. So, we lined up the BN CO, read their discharge papers, and as customary, asked the young men if they had anything that they wanted to say now that they were civilians. It was a long pause, and then, one of the kids that was re-enlisting broke ranks and jumped over the side and into the water below! I guess the moral of the story is that Navy guys miss being on the water.

My shadow

My ENS has arrived and has been shadowing me for the past day and a half. I must admit that it is very strange to have someone following me around. I am so used to doing whatever I want, whenever I want. I find him to be very well intentioned and eager. He wants to be here, and I think that if I can pick up on that level of enthusiasm - he will succeed. The funny part is that there are just so many things that he doesn't know about. Today, we went to a reenlistment ceremony - and I had to explain everything about it. He just had no clue. Oh well.

In other news, I passed my FMF board. I found it to be very fair, and at the appropriate level of knowledge. One more check off on the good old to do list.

Huge series for the Friars this week against the Dodgers. I figure that once we win two out of three we will end their chances at the post season. It is beginning to look like we might have to settle for the wild card - read cringe. That would pit us against the Mets and have us starting on the road. Ironically, those two factors shape up quite well for the good guys. We shall see.

Stranger things have happened

This snippet wanders to get to the point - so stay with me. In order to understand the nature of this IA, you have to have a loose understanding of my relationship w/ the various chains-of-command. First, I am under the administrative control of the Naval Academy. They are responsible for my regular administrative matters, as I still count against their numbers. Basically, I am on travel and for all intents and purposes, I still belong to them. Next, you have my operational boss, a group based out of Baghdad, JCCS-1. They are the ones who are administratively in charge of me in Iraq. They are akin to the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. My interaction with them is limited to a few emails, and except for emails, I don't know who they are. In fact, I think the only time I have met my Navy boss is when he met my group at the airport in Baghdad. They assigned me to the Marines and are dedicated to the missions of man, equip, and train. Next, you have my tactical chain and that is 2/6 - they are the ones who tell me to jump and I and respond with "how high."

So, the synopsis of this dialogue is emphasizing the point that I am out here alone and unafraid. In fact, this is the point of IAs - you show up, drop off your sea bags and get to work. We are supposed to have certain skill sets and just operate.

Now, I'll get to my story. Yesterday, I got a call from the man behind the curtain, and they asked if I would mind taking a new EWO under my rudder and help train him. Blindly, I say sure, but I had to ask 2/6. This fact was lost on them ... at any rate, 2/6 is fine with it. So, who is this mystery man and why does he need my tutelage? This is the question of the day. I'll tell you what I do know: 1) He is an ENS who has never been to the fleet2 ) He graduated in May from some higher institution of learning 3) He failed out of Flight School 4) He is currently in transit to me. Wow, that is a whole lot to chew on! I'm doing my best to keep an open mind - there has got to be more to the story. If that really is the story - holy cow, we've got a lot of work to do. On one hand, it is very exciting to have this ENS/FNG, and on the other, I feel sorry for him. It should be very entertaining to see how this story develops. Let the hazing begin!

Mail Cutoff

News on the mail cut-off date for 2/6. The date is now Sept. 17 for everything!! Anything postmarked before the 17th will still get to Iraq. Anything postmarked after will be rerouted to the 2/6 office at Camp Lejeune. I don't have the address for 3/5 yet.

A little slow

I didn't realize the pressure I was under to write on such a frequent basis. I know I haven't delivered in a few days, but at the rate ya'll are chastising me, it makes me feel as though I am working for George Steinbrenner. I suppose it is because I am lazy and/or there really isn't much to talk about. The big wigs coming into town provided a little stir. My opinion, for what it is worth, is that is was long overdue. The President was not in Fallujah. Seems as though, old girl Katie has had some positive things to say ... it would be nice if the press actually put the names of the Marines she talked with or the unit name into the paper. I don't think she realizes that it would be something that the Marines would put into their proverbial scrap book.You know - something that many years from now they would whip out and show their children - look what I did when I was younger. I think that the majority of us have/had grandparents in WWII or Vietnam and can remember times when grandpa would regale us with the stories of "the war." It is a shame that with all the advances in communication the art of newspaper clippings or letters are going by the wayside. I hope that the young Sailors and Marines are saving or printing their emails.

The good news is that we are just starting a very exciting time in the sports world - the baseball season is the seventh inning stretch, college football has kicked off, and the NFL season is tossing the coin to see who gets the ball. The Saints should be tough, Navy opened up a winner (and faces a huge uphill battle against nationally ranked Rutgers on Friday), and the Friars continue to look for walks against the NL West.

More News

Fallujah is all over the news. Here is a recent article that details much of what we have been doing. It is a good snap shot of things.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08272007/news/columnists/how_marines_pulled_fallujah_ou.htm

Disappointed

From what I have been able to discern, old girl Katie hasn't come up with anything to say about her trip to Fallujah. It is rather disappointing. I sure hope that she is going to talk about it on Monday. Maybe because it was a Saturday and the start of the college football season? I sure hope that it wasn't because it was an uneventful and rather positive trip. Honestly, it was amazing that not one bullet went flying through the air. I think that we got lucky. I don't think we'll be taking the next VIP to get his/her "Fallujah T-shirt" in that area. Stranger things have happened.

How about them Padres? 8-2 over the last 10 and working on a sweep on the LA Bums! I like what I'm seeing. If Jake isn't the NL Cy Young award winner - I'll cry my baby eyes out.

VIP Visit

General Patraus and Katie Couric have come and gone. I will be veryinterested in learning what they had to say about the trip. The VIPs went to one of our newly established Joint Security Stations - think community center that the police operate/live out of. The part of town that they visited is known as Andaloos. Historically, Andaloos has been the scene of some horrific events (this is where the black water contractors were hung a few years ago) and was a known haven for the hooded idiots. Even a few months ago this was a place where kinetic events flourished. I can tell you that I know all to well ... At any rate, the fact that we were able to take the VIPs into this area speaks volumes. It is not like we take the VIPs to areas where they are going to get into some trouble. At any rate, they shook some hands, talked to a bunch of people, and moved about freely. I wonder how the event will be reported.