January 14, 2005

For Your Entertainment

Yes, everyone's doing it: put all the music on your computer in a playlist, shuffle, and list the top ten songs. Submitted, for your approval:

Buddy Holly by Weezer
Part of Your Life by The Outfield
You Are the Girl by The Cars
Voices of Babylon by The Outfield
Shock by The Psychedelic Furs
Against All Odds by Phil Collins
Suffer the Children by Tears for Fears
Sooner or Later by Madonna
One of These Days by Michelle Branch
Rock Me by Liz Phair

I won't testify to how representative that is, but I don't consider it a bad selection off the top.

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January 12, 2005

2004 For the Record

Via Vodkapundit I see this questionnaire about 2004, so I've decided to throw my own answers in because, let's face it, if you don't care you just won't read the answers.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before? I went to El Paso, Texas and spent over half the year there (and counting).

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Most of my resolutions were overcome by events: it’s hard to climb Pike’s Peak when you’re not living in Colorado anymore. Those that I could have kept, however…let’s just say they’re still on the list. I have made new goals for this year, however, and we’ll see how that works out.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, I hang out with people who live by the Seinfeldian dictum of a barren, sterile life that ends when you die.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What countries did you visit? None. I haven’t even made it over the border into Mexico.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? More time with my wife and family.

7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory? June 21: the day I came to El Paso. (What, you were expecting something momentous?)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting a job as a battalion S-3.

9. What was your biggest failure? Tough choice, as there were many, but I’ll go with I didn’t write enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just my toothache.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Frederick Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Curt Schilling’s.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I was somewhat appalled by what I saw as Gary Farber’s descent into partisan hack, but it didn’t depress me.

14. Where did most of your money go? Books and DVDs.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The Red Sox.

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2004? We Are the Champions, Queen

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
• Happier or sadder? Happier.
• Thinner or fatter? A little thinner.
• Richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Looking for a better job within the military.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Accepting the status quo.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? Too late.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? My wife.

22. Did you fall in love in 2004? Yes, with the 2004 Red Sox and with Amanda (again).

23. How many one-night stands in this last year? None, bringing my lifetime count to…none.

24. What was your favorite TV program? I don’t watch TV. The TV show I saw the most of was Babylon 5.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.

26. What was the best book(s) you read? Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Bowling for Soup’s 1985

28. What did you want and get? Christmas at home and a Red Sox pennant.

29. What did you want and not get? More weblog traffic.

30. What were your favorite films of this year? Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I don’t remember what I did, but I turned 34.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? See #6.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? Many more Red Sox t-shirts.

34. What kept you sane? My wife.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Virginia Postrel

36. What political issue stirred you the most? Probably Abu Ghraib and its continuing aftermath

37. Who did you miss? My grandmother.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Virginia Postrel

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004. Success is up to you.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “I live as I choose, or I will not live at all.” Free to Decide, The Cranberries

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December 16, 2004

Tactical Pause

My apologies for the lack of posting of late, but I have been moved into a battalion S3 position (that's the battalion's operations and training officer). It's a training battalion, not a tactical battalion, but there's still a great deal of work to be done, because the Army keeps throwing new tasks at us before we can complete the previous ones. Right now we're still trying to validate the training of the 29th BCT so they can deploy to Iraq, but an armor company from Vermont has arrived and we have to start training them on Saturday. This means that I'm currently about two loops back in the OODA chain with little hope of catching up any sooner than this weekend when we start training. I've got a lot of ideas percolating about Social Security, Iraq, the DC baseball team and the Cabinet, but I can't promise when I'll have time to put pixels to screen.

On the plus side, there will be another good reason to visit very soon...

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December 01, 2004

The Night Shift

For the next week I'll be working the night shift in the brigade TOC. For reasons beyond my understanding, my brigade consistently believes it needs additional officers to fill out the chronically undermanned brigade staff. So my boss offered me up to fill a slot while we run the 29th brigade through its final training exercise, a ten-day brigade FTX intended to replicate some of the common scenarios they'll face in Iraq. As you can probably imagine, the night shift is generally long and boring, as nobody likes operating at night and they therefore minimize their operations as much as they can. Add to that the fact we're an ad hoc group that doesn't have good SOPs and you've got a challenge. So it promises to be an interesting week. (Especially as it has gotten decidedly cold here in West Texas; the walk to the chemical toilets is brutal.) No promises on how much posting I'll be able to manage, let alone how coherent I'll be after staying up all night.

On the plus side, I should have some entertaining stories by the end of the week.

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November 25, 2004

Happy Thanksgiving

I am thankful for many things today, but first among them is the fact that Amanda has flown down to El Paso to spend the weekend with me. I plan to have a lovely holiday, and I hope that all of you do the same.

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October 14, 2004

Sleep Is For the Weak

If there's one thing I have learned about JRTC, it's that people who enjoy their sleep need not apply. As an OC, I've got to be ready to roll with the unit I'm covering whenever they get the call to go, which means that I've done a lot of late-night running around of late. (This is also why we come in every few days to 'refit.' Since we're expected to be the extra set of eyes that can help to make sure that the unit is training safely, we can't be as worn down as the unit it.)

Tuesday night the unit executed a cordon and search mission. The mission is simple in concept: first an outer cordon surrounds the site to be searched to make sure that nobody can come into the zone. Then an inner cordon is established around the site to make sure that nobody gets out. Finally, the search teams work their way through the objective. This mission was a resounding success, as the unit discovered a major arms cache in the village they were searching, capturing an antiaircraft missile and a mortar tube along with various small arms. However, the size of the cache meant that the outer cordon, where my unit was stationed, was in place from ten at night until almost six the next morning. A long night.

Last night we were in bed by two, as the unit was allowed to return to the FOB shortly after midnight, after a short but intense firefight.

Unfortunately, the unit really doesn't seem ready to go to war. I should start off by saying that my opinion is just that: an opinion. I haven't been to Iraq and I don't know that the unit can't handle it. But based on what I've observed so far during this rotation, I'm not impressed. The soldiers are generally motivated and willing to do what is required of them, but they're being let down by leaders who aren't skilled in planning and who aren't able or willing to do the hard things necessary for success in combat. I hope that I'm wrong, but I think the Army is not doing as much as it should to prepare units for war. (And, since I'm in a unit devoted to that, that means I'll have to take a long look at our training model to see how to better prepare these units.)

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October 08, 2004

Into the Box

We roll into the JRTC maneuver box tomorrow morning, and Fort Polk has minimal Internet access to begin with, so the odds are good I'm not going to be posting much for the next few weeks, although I'll try to sneak off to the library when I can. For now, I just plan to see if I can watch at least a little of the Red Sox game against Anaheim; it's been a good series so far, from my perspective, although I have some sympathy for Anaheim in Game Two, as it seemed pretty clear to me the Red Sox got the benefit of the doubt on the called third strike to Troy Glus in the eighth inning.

I didn't see the debate last night, nor have I heard anything about it, so I have no observations there. I am getting some good notes about JRTC, though, so I anticipate having some valuable observations about the Army's training plan for Iraq once I finish the rotation.

Until then, please feel free to use this as an open thread while I'm away, and I'll pop in to comment as I can.

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October 04, 2004

Situation Report

I've made it to Fort Polk safely, where I have already learned all I ever wanted to know about rural Louisiana. I'm spending the night in DeRidder, 20 miles down the road, because the Army is putting us up in open-bay WWII billets and we decided we were willing to pay for a night in a hotel to avoid a night in the billets. If I can, I'll post some pictures later this week. We don't really know what we'll be doing here yet, beyond serving as observer/controllers, and Internet access is pricey, so I don't know how much additional posting I'll be able to do. Until then, the blogroll is filled with good reading. I'll be back when I can.

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September 19, 2004

Fort Polk in the Fall

The good news is, I'm going to get the chance to get out of Texas for a few weeks. The bad news is, I'll be heading to Fort Polk, Louisiana. The 116th Brigade, having just about completed their training with us at Fort Bliss, will head to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk on or about the 30th of this month to go through a Mission Readiness Exercise (MRX), their capstone exercise before they leave for Iraq. Apparently JRTC is short on Observer/Controllers (O/Cs), so they've asked us for augmentees, and yours truly is on the hook.

So it promises to be an interesting October. I should have some interesting stories about lessons learned when I get back, but I don't know if I'll be able to do much posting while I'm down there.

You know, I think I'd rather just go to Iraq and get it over with, as the Army seems determined to keep sending me to the worst places in the U.S. as long as I'm not overseas.

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August 29, 2004

Gutting Out Those Fifteen Minutes

For those who are interested, I will be appearing on Walking A Thin Line this Thursday starting around seven Eastern. Walking A Thin Line is a radio show based out of Florida, talking about energy independence and whatever else comes up. I spoke with one of the hosts today, and he struck me as an interesting person, so I anticipate an interesting discussion. And, on the plus side, I really don't know anyone in Florida, so if I make an ass of myself, at least it won't be in front of people I know. You can hear the broadcast at the station's web site, if you're so inclined.

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August 05, 2004

Cool

Via Sgt Hook I learn that one of the units we'll be training in October will be a battalion of the renowned 442d Regimental Combat Team. The 442d, of course, was the most-decorated American regiment in World War II, made up entirely of Japanese immigrants [correction: the 442d was made up of Issei (first generation Japanese immigrants) and descendants of Japanese immigrants).] to the United States, many of whose families would spend the war in internment camps while their loved ones fought and bled their way across Europe. (Another interesting change from WWII until now: today we're not even willing to profile Arabs or Muslims, while CAIR screams bloody murder about imagined threats to Muslims living the the U.S. Then, new Americans went to war in huge numbers to prove that their loyalties were with their new country despite their families being penned up in virtual prisons. An interesting contrast.) It will be an honor to work with such a storied unit.

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July 14, 2004

Still Here

My apologies for the dearth of posting of late. I've been working on an essay discussing the state of American politics, but with the deployment, it's taking me some time, and this piece is going to be a little more detailed than a typical blog post. So it probably won't be done before this weekend, as I'm hoping that I will actually get some time off on Saturday or Sunday. (Or both...both is good, too.) In any case, I figured I'd offer a few thoughts on two issues that have cropped up recently.

First, Vice President Cheney's decision to greet a Senator with a few curses. While I'm far from shy about cursing, I do believe that there is a time and a place for it, and the floor of Congress is not that place. More importantly, a guy who ran for office talking about restoring honor and dignity to the White House ought to consider how dignified it is to act like that. It strikes me as both lacking in class and lacking in dignity. One more reason President Bush ought to find another running mate for November.

Second, Joe Wilson. Thank God for his sake the media is so partisan it's not trumpeting the news he's a liar the way it did his accusations about the President. And he's still got Josh Marshall carrying water for him, to boot. The bottom line here seems pretty simple to me: the man has been revealed as a congenital liar, and anything he has to say ought to be circular filed immediately, because there's no reason to think he's honest in any aspect of his behavior. Conversely, that doesn't justify whoever decided to out his wife; that investigation should go forward, and if they can demonstrate that the law was broken, the lawbreaker(s) should be prosecuted.

I know you were all dying to know what I was thinking about those issues. There it is in a nutshell. Enjoy. ;)

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July 06, 2004

And the Hits Just Keep On Coming

Regular readers are aware that I'm currently living in El Paso, Texas, because my unit has deployed here to train a National Guard brigade for Iraq. Last night we were informed that a second brigade is now in the chute for Iraq, and they'll also be training at Fort Bliss. Therefore, since we're already here, the plan is for us to stay an additional three months to train the next brigade, take about ten days off for Christmas, and then start the new year at Fort Polk, Louisiana to support a JRTC rotation for the brigade before they go to Iraq.

Granted, while living out of a motel room isn't much fun, it certainly beats Hell out of a year in Iraq. But aside from a deployment to Iraq, another three months at Fort Bliss is certainly about the worst news I could reasonably have expected to enjoy this year. It was already promising to be a long summer; now it's promising to be a long rest of the year.

Just wanted to get that off my chest. ;)

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June 21, 2004

Made It

As the title should attest, I survived the trip (the only real danger being, of course, boredom), and I'm reasonably safely ensconsed in my hotel room outside Fort Bliss. It looks like things have calmed down significantly since it was decided we needed to come down early, so I should have time to settle in tomorrow before things really get rolling. However, I'm thoroughly worn out right now, so I'm going to get some sleep before turning my attention to any of several issues I'm quite interested in at the moment. For now, my congratulations to the crew of Space Ship One for their outstanding performance today; here's hoping the X-Prize is in their hands by the end of July. (Perchance, the 20th?) Thanks to all who wished me luck, and Walter, I'll need some more specific directions to track Chico's down, thanks. See you all in the morning.

Update: I see from the now-linked article that Space Ship One had some unexpected problems, so shooting for the X-Prize next month may be out of reach. That doesn't take away from their impressive accomplishments thus far, however.

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West Texas, Here I Come

Amanda and I enjoyed a very pleasant weekend, closing it out by going to see "The Terminal" last night. However, now I've got to hop into the car and make the long drive south to Fort Bliss. This is one of those things that Hollywood loves to show in movies: the soldiers leaving their loved ones behind (although, in the movies, the soldiers are leaving for war), but it seems a lot less glamorous when you actually have to do it. It will doubtless be a long summer. But it could certainly be far worse, as my best friend is getting ready to head to Iraq, while I just have to endure West Texas. Wish me luck.

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June 18, 2004

Never a Dull Moment

So I'm getting ready for bed last night and my cell phone rings. I check the number, and it's SFC Rosenberger, my NCOIC. He's been down at Bliss for just over a week, as part of the battalion advance party. I assumed he was just calling to let me know how things were going. So I pick up the phone, to be told that he and SFC Scrimshaw, my other guy on the advance party, are working like dogs trying to get the ranges ready for the live fires. Despite our having assembled a detailed list of requirements for us to be able to use the range, none of the ranges are in the proper shape for us to begin training the 116th Brigade next month. While SFC Rosenberger didn't quite ask, it was clear that they're going to need as much help as they can get to make sure we get everything ready before the training is supposed to begin.

So it is that I'm now getting ready to drive down to El Paso first thing Monday morning, rather than next Thursday as was originally the plan. Not a big deal in terms of time away; three months and three days isn't really any worse than three months, although I know Amanda's not happy about the time being moved up. But it has meant a very busy day, as I have had to make sure that everything is ready for our reserve soldiers while we're away while concurrently getting the car ready to go. I plan to get everything done today, or almost everything, so that I can at least enjoy the weekend with Amanda.

We'll be there four days early (originally we were supposed to take two days to drive down), and between the five of us hopefully we'll be able to take the strain of off SFCs Rosenberger and Scrimshaw. In any case, we will get everything knocked out in time for the training. But this does mean that I'll be out of the net on Monday, and possibly more often than not after that, depending on how busy things are at Fort Bliss. So my updates my be less frequent for the time being, although I hope not. In the interim, I plan to enjoy an excellent weekend with my wife, so I will see you all sometime later.

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June 14, 2004

Thinking Styles

According to this test, I am a Logical-Mathematical Thinker.

Logical-Mathematical thinkers:

• Like to understand patterns and relationships between objects or actions
  
• Try to understand the world in terms of causes and effects
  
• Are good at thinking critically, and solving problems creatively

Like Logical-Mathematical thinkers, Leonardo based his theories on evidence rather than speculation. Other Logical-Mathematical Thinkers include Isaac Newton, Archimedes, Albert Einstein

Careers which suit Logical-Mathematical thinkers include Physicist, Chemist, Biologist, Lawyer, Computer programmer, Engineer, Inventor

I don't know about creative problem solving (creative problem creating, perhaps), but the rest sounds reasonably accurate. Like all such tests, of course, there's no other particular value to it, but it is certainly interesting.

Hat tip: Amygdala.

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June 12, 2004

Serendipity

I've known Stephen Green, at least in passing, for almost two years now. In that time we've lived in the same town, doubtless attended many of the same movies and eaten at many of the same restaurants on numerous occasions. So where's the first place I ever run into him outside of a Blogger Bash? At the Renaissance Festival, of all places. Amanda and I were checking out one of the numerous costume shops when I saw a familiar face pass by: Melissa Green. She pointed the way to Stephen, so I headed to another part of the shop to see the Vodkapundit himself modelling a leather coat (and quite well, I might add, although he refrained from purchasing it). So we had a good little chat before moving on to continue exploring the Festival. Perhaps next time we meet will be a little closer to home.

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May 09, 2004

Back

We made it home safely yesterday, although it is a long trip from Orlando back to Colorado Springs. Nonetheless, things went as well as could be expected, and today we're taking the time to relax a little before we go back to work. Unfortunately, our refrigerator died while we were gone, so we had to go out and buy a new one (which won't be delivered until tomorrow, naturally), a nice little added expense beyond what we spent at Disney World. C'est la vie. In any case, we're happy to be home, and regular blogging will resume later today; I've got to post a Winds of War Iraq Update this evening, so that will be first on the list. Then I'll take a look at some of the other hot topics I ignored while I was away.

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May 08, 2004

Homeward Bound

As anyone who has been to Walt Disney World is probably aware, a vacation here can seem as much like work as fun, if only because there is so much to do that getting to it all can require you to stay incredibly busy. And so we have been for the past week, continuing to visit all of the parks while also hitting Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, the two water parks here in the World, after it got rather warm this week. It has been a great time, albeit one that is sadly ending today. But we've still got a few hours left to spend hitting a few favorite rides and the like, so we're going to head back out for a little more entertainment before we begin the long journey back home to Colorado. Normal blogging will (probably) resume tomorrow, once I get my feet under me again.

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May 02, 2004

Weekend Update

Weekends at the parks are something of a crapshoot. On the one hand, many people arrive and leave on the weekend, so it's possible you'll have fewer people on hand than you had hoped. On the other hand, lots of locals own annual passes and swing by on the weekend to check things out. So you never know if the parks will be crowded, deserted (relatively speaking, of course), or normal. This weekend was a little of each.

We decided to do a little swimming in the hotel pool yesterday morning. Old Key West has multiple small pools, because most of the buildings are too spread out to use a single centralized facility. Ours is a five minute walk from our room, and it's small, but nice. Unfortunately, it gets crowded pretty fast, so we figured we'd jump in right at opening to try and get some laps in before it got too crowded. But it appears they're not too strict about opening hours there, as there were already quite a few people in the pool by the time we arrived. Most of them left after 15-20 minutes, though, so we were able to get in a little good swimming at least.

After that we headed over to Epcot. We figured we'd try to work our way through the right half of Future World, so we started with The Living Seas. We had priority seating at the restaurant, which is located next to a large window looking into the massive aquarium. We were seated right next to the window, so we got a really great view of the various fish swimming about. After lunch we headed into the attraction itself. There's no real ride associated with the pavilion, but it does contain numerous places to look into the aquarium (large enough to hold Spaceship Earth) as well as various exhibits about marine life. All very entertaining, especially the manatees.

Following that we headed over to The Land. This pavilion is dedicated to food (a personal favorite topic), and normally contains three different attractions. One was closed, however, awaiting a newer attraction later this year or early next year. The main attraction was way too crowded, so we headed for number three, a film called Symbiosis starring Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa from Disney's The Lion King. It's a film about the environment, and while it's rather heavy-handed, it's not as bad as it could be, and the Timon and Pumbaa scenes are always fun to watch.

Then we headed to Imagination, a pavilion devoted to...well, you can figure it out. We hopped onto the main ride, Journey Into Your Imagination, first. It replaced an earlier ride that I thought was far superior, but even Disney doesn't hit a home run every trip to the plate, and the new ride isn't bad. After that we headed to the theater to watch Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, a 3D film starring Professor Wayne Szalinski (sp?) and his family from the Honey I Shrunk the Kids films. As with all Disney 3D attractions, you get a lot more than just the appearance of 3D, and this is a pretty big hit.

With most of Future World complete, we strolled into World Showcase and headed right into Canada, going by some of the Flower and Garden exhibits en route. Canada hosts a 360 degree film called O Canada, which takes viewers on a brief journey across Canada. It's quite well done, especially if you recognize some of the sites, as we did. With that, we were ready to head back to the hotel and call it a day, although we finished up with a ride on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and back just to take the chance to check out the scenery.

This morning we were at the Magic Kingdom at opening, always the best time. Before our nine AM breakfast time we'd ridden the Winnie the Pooh ride, Peter Pan's Adventure, visited Mickey's Philharmagic again and ridden Cinderella's Golden Carousel with time to spare. Breakfast was a character meal at the Crystal Palace, combining a tasty buffet with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.

We then headed into Adventureland and grabbed Fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise before hopping onto Aladdin's Magic Carpets. Then we headed underground to check out Pirates of the Caribbean before hopping onto a boat for a Jungle Cruise. Jungle Cruise is a dated ride, but the Disney crew keeps it entertaining by not treating it too seriously and instead offering deadpan humor like our guide's final words to us: "If you enjoyed the ride, I'm Don and this has been the Jungle Cruise. If not, I'm Bob and this was the Country Bear Jamboree." We closed out Adventureland with a visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room, then headed for the exit and Downtown Disney West Side.

DisneyQuest was far less crowded today than Friday, so we were able to hop onto Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters right away. This ride puts teams of two into bumpercar-like rides that are fully enclosed. One rider drives the vehicle while the other loads foam balls into a cannon and fires them at other vehicles. If your vehicle is struck on little pink starburst targets, it spins around for a few seconds, taking you out of the fight. And you can always ram your opponents, of course. We then played a few vintage video games before heading up to the Midway on the Moon again to earn more tickets for silly prizes.

Then it was time for lunch at Wolfgang Puck's. We enjoyed a flatbread pizza, which I cannot recommend highly enough. They're light and very tasty, as good as any pizza I've ever had and better than most. On the other hand, the price is just as dear, but you get used to that pretty fast at Disney World. Our stomachs filled, we headed back to DisneyQuest for some more fun before returning to our hotel for a break before dinner.

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May 01, 2004

The Travelogue Continues

A nominally easy day yesterday, although it still had its share of wearing moments. We chilled out at the hotel for most of the morning before heading back to Downtown Disney West Side to spend some time at DisneyQuest. DQ is a five-story building filled with various activities including old time video games, midway-style attractions, more modern video games, virtual reality, and a whole lot more. We spent about three and a half hours in there, although it seemed like a lot longer, and had a great time checking out many of the attractions. Unfortunately, it was more crowded than we had expected, but we were still able to do quite a few things, including many video games to bring back memories of our misspent youth.

After that we returned to the hotel and watched another DVD: Election, with Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. A rather sad tale, but entertaining, nonetheless. We then headed to Epcot, as we had priority seating at Bistro de Paris. There are two restaurants in Epcot's French pavilion, Chefs de France and Bistro. Chefs de France is ok, but Bistro is where you find the really good French cuisine (and it is very good). We usually try to get in there when we're down here, and we were seated almost immediately last night. I enjoyed a lobster tail while Amanda had the duck: she got the better of the deal, as the duck was phenomonal.

When dinner was over it had started to rain, but not too bad. We wandered around the French pavilion until it was time for the movie, Impressions de France, to start. The film takes you on an 18-minute journey across France, and is quite entertaining. It's only a tiny taste of the country, of course, but it's well done and does capture some of the flavor of France. Coming out of the film, we stepped into a rather impressive downpour, however. So instead of waiting for the fireworks, we decided to head back to the hotel. We made it, but not without getting pretty thoroughly soaked. Nonetheless, it couldn't ruin another good day in the World.

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April 30, 2004

No Parking

We decided to hit the Magic Kingdom early yesterday, as it was an early-opening day there and we hadn't spent much time there. Rather than parking in the main lot, however, from which you have to take the ferry or monorail to reach the Magic Kingdom, we decided we would park at the Contemporary Resort, which is only a short walk from the gate. Unfortunately, Disney is aware of this gambit, so they stopped us and we had to return to the main lot. Still, we reached the Kingdom by 8:30 or so, and we walked back to Fantasyland to check out the latest attraction, Mickey's Philharmagic. This is a 3D film starring Mickey and Donald chronicling Donald's adventures when he borrow's Mickey's magic Sorceror's Apprentice hat. It being Disney, it's more than 3D, though: when Donald gets splashed with water, so does the audience, and when he is served a big apple pie, the pie smell wafts through the theater. Quite impressive.

We then strolled over to Liberty Square and into the Haunted Mansion, a Disney classic. Walking over to Frontierland, we got Fastpasses to Big Thunder Mountain and hopped aboard the Disney railroad, a steam train that circles the park. We got off at Main Street U.S.A. and got some beautiful shots of Main Street, where Daisy Duck was meeting some of her fans. Counting ourselves among that number, we headed down to say hello. We then headed back to Frontierland to hop onto Big Thunder Mountain, one of our favorite attractions. Having survived the runaway train, we headed to the Hall of Presidents, a much more sedate attraction.

By now it was time for lunch, so we swung into Tomorrowland and grabbed some chicken sandwiches at Cosmic Ray's. Our timing was horrible, as everyone else was having lunch at the same time, so it was very crowded; it's usually best to eat lunch early or late if you're eating in the parks. With the crowds as bad as they were, we decided it would be a good time to be elsewhere. So we headed back to our car and drove to Downtown Disney Marketplace, a collection of shops and restaurants.

As anyone can imagine, it's easy to run through a lot of money in such a big collection of shops, and so we did, buying gifts for relatives and friends and souvenirs for ourselves. It was great fun, particularly when we stopped into Ghirardelli's, a chocolate shop, and enjoyed some marvelous sundaes. With our wallets empty and stomachs full, we headed back to our hotel to take a little break.

Dinner was at Shula's, a steakhouse located at one of the non-Disney-owned hotels on property, the Dolphin (surprise). The prices are frighteningly high, but the food and service are correspondingly great, so we enjoyed an excellent dinner. Afterwards we planned to watch a movie, but the resort rental place was closed, so we had to head to Downtown Disney West Side and pick up some DVDs at the Virgin Megastore. Then it was back to the hotel to watch an old favorite, "Better Off Dead," before calling it a night.

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April 29, 2004

Park Hopping

It has been a busy, and fun, three days. Monday we violated the key rule of Disney visits and slept in, so we didn't get into the Animal Kingdom until about nine. As longtime visitors know, getting into the parks as soon as they open is critical if you want to enjoy as many rides as possible without standing in big lines. Nonetheless, despite taking our time walking into the park and checking out several of the animal exhibits, we were able to grab Fastpasses to Kilimanjaro Safaris and, while waiting for that ride, we walked the Pangani Forest exploration trail. Although it tends to be overcrowded, the trail is still great fun, as you get to observe okapi, naked mole rats, hippos, meerkats, and gorillas at various spots along the trail. By the time we came off the trail, it was time for our safari.

Kilimanjaro Safaris takes visitors on a trip across a simulated African savannah. En route you see dozens, if not hundreds of animals, including lions and elephants. Better yet, the ride is constructed so you're actually on the savannah with the smaller animals, and it creates the illusion that you're with the rest of the animals as well. We got some great pictures of the various animals, and had a marvelous time.

By then it was time for breakfast, so we swung by the Kusafiri House for croissants. With breakfast behind us, we walked down the trail to Asia. Along the way we saw a fascinating sight: a young woman dressed as a tree. If you didn't catch her moving, you might well think it was only a strange tree or bush, but every few minutes she would move to a new position. Very interesting. In Asia we were just in time for the bird show, called "Flights of Wonder." The keepers demonstrate various birds performing natural behaviors. It's a great show, if rather heavy-handed when it comes to its ecologically friendly message. But you get the chance to see many fascinating birds, including a bald eagle, so it's well worth the time.

By the time the show was over, it was time for lunch, so we decided to head to Epcot. On the way out of the park we stopped to look at several more animal exhibits, as there are a lot of them towards the front of the park. Our lunch date was at one of the best-kept secrets in the parks: Restaurant Marrakesh. As you can no doubt tell, it serves Moroccan cuisine, and it's very good. Better yet, because people either don't realize it's there or are nervous about foreign food, there's never a wait. And inside, in addition to magnificent architecture, there's always live entertainment including a belly dancer. If you visit Disney World, you really should stop in.

With lunch out of the way, it was time to head back to the hotel for a time. On the way back to the hotel we picked up some food to keep in the room, as eating in the parks can get expensive. At the hotel we grabbed a movie to watch: A Knight's Tale. Nothing to write home about, but a servicable film (particularly when it's free). For dinner we enjoyed turkey sandwiches from Good's Food to Go, another hotel restaurant, before heading back to our room for the movie. We closed out the evening with a little swim.

Tuesday we woke up late again, arriving at the Disney-MGM Studios around 8:30. We headed over to Star Tours, the motion simulator that gives you the chance to fly to Endor, and then stopped into Muppet-Vision 3D, a fun little 3D film starring everyone's favorite puppets. With those out of the way, we wandered over to Starring Rolls, a pastry shop, for breakfast. We then wandered down to Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, a marvelous tribute to the man who started it all. We then wandered over to Sounds Dangerous, a demonstration of 3D sound that allows you to listen (and occasionally watch) Drew Carey attempt to solve a mystery involving smugglers. Following that we watched The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a stage show that retells the movie using puppets, animation, and live actors.

By then it had started to rain, so we started looking for places to stay under cover. It was lunchtime, so Toy Story Pizza Planet sounded like a good choice. En route, we stopped to watch The Great Movie Ride. This ride takes passengers through the history of the American cinema, and while there are rumors it will be replaced with something else, I think it's one of the best rides in the park. We then continued to lunch. With our stomachs full, we headed back across the park to The Magic of Disney Animation. This used to be a really good show, but with the closing of Disney's animation unit in Florida, there's not much to recommend it any more. After that we headed over to the Backstage Magic tour. Like much of MGM, this was better when the park first opened. Now it's a much-abbreviated ride that really does little to tell you how movies are made, unlike the original ride. We finished up at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire--Play It, a soundstage just like the original show where audience members get a chance to play the game (although the prizes are somewhat less exciting). Finally we headed over to Making of The Haunted Mansion, an opportunity to check out some of the props and scenery from the recent Disney film.

It was time for dinner at Mama Melrose's Ristorante. Not your usual Italian place, Mama's is California Italian, and very tasty. We enjoyed salad, flatbread pizza, pasta, and gelato. We had paid for the dinner and a show option, which meant we got a pass to a special seating area of Fantasmic. Fantasmic is a relatively new show at MGM that takes the audience inside Mickey's dreams. A collection of Disney villains attempt to take charge of Mickey's dream, but he uses his imagination to fight back and defeat them. The show involves fireworks, live action, and animation projected onto sprays of water. It's probably the best show in the parks, which is why you need the dinner and a show option if you want to see it without getting your seat an hour in advance.

This morning we finally managed to get up on time, so we were at Epcot when it opened. We headed straight to Mission: Space, a brand new attraction that sends guests to Mars. It uses a centrifuge and visuals to simulate liftoff and microgravity, the former more convincingly than the latter. Each member of the crew has two duties to perform during the flight, which keeps you on your toes throughout. It's a fun ride, although not as good as our next destination, Test Track. Test Track gives guests a chance to ride in a vehicle going through various test driving procedures (including a crash test). The highlight of this ride is the loop, where you get up to 60+ miles an hour zipping along the outside of the building. Very entertaining, although you'd better remember to put your hat away before you ride.

With Epcot's thrill rides behind us, we headed to Fountain View Espresso and Bakery for breakfast. This is the best bakery at Disney World, so we always visit it a few times during our trip. After breakfast we did a little shopping before stopping by the wildlife garden to watch the butterfly release. Epcot is having its annual Flower and Garden Festival, and that includes insect releases three times a day. The butterfly release was fun until the children (and sometimes their parents) started grabbing the butterflies by their wings; not a good day for the butterflies. We then took a swing through Innoventions, where Disney demonstrates various new technologies. After that we headed to the Universe of Energy. This ride used to be somewhat boring, but they spiced it up a few years back by using it to tell a story with Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye, the Science Guy. You still learn a lot about energy, but now you're also entertained (and there are dinosaurs), so it's a big improvement.

Then we headed back to the wildlife garden for the ladybug release. Amanda actually got the chance to release a box full of ladybugs, and as they have a tougher carapace than butterflies, the ladybugs seemed to survive the experience better than their unfortunate predecessors. On our way out of the park, we stopped into Spaceship Earth for a trip through the history of communication. It's a fun ride, but it probably needs some updating to keep it interesting. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. Napping is very important when you're at Disney World, because the parks are least crowded when they first open and near closing, so those are the times you want to be there.

This evening we had dinner at the California Grill, a Wolfgang Puck-inspired restaurant at the top of the Contemporary Resort (the A-frame hotel near the Magic Kingdom). The food there is among the best in the World, and we enjoyed flatbread pizza and beef followed by a molten chocolate cake. We then walked into the Magic Kingdom and took a ride on the runaway train of Big Thunder Mountain. Swinging through Adventureland we hopped onto Pirates of the Caribbean before heading to Tomorrowland for an encore performance of the Wishes fireworks show. It was just as good as the first time, and a great close to the evening.

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April 26, 2004

Travel's a Curse

Despite ourselves we managed to survive the trip, and even enjoy some of Disney's hospitality yesterday. We arrived in Orlando around 4:30 local time, and reached our hotel at 6:30, thanks to being a very long ways from baggage claim and the rental car place.

We're staying at Disney's Old Key West resort, which is laid out somewhat like a small town rather than a normal hotel, with roughly 50 buildings running along a series of small ponds. Our room has a nice view of a pond and a golf course, although the trees are so high that even on the third floor we can only barely see past them.

We had dinner at Olivia's Cafe, the hotel restaurant. It was somewhat disappointing, which is unusual for us at a Disney restaurant. I had the snapper and Amanda tried a pasta and chicken dish. The pasta was quite good, but the snapper had a rather unpleasant aftertaste; I'm not sure if that was a flaw in the cooking or a quality of the fish, though. I tend to experiment a lot when I'm on vacation, so it's quite possible I simply don't enjoy snapper. For dessert we sharted a key lime tart. It was encased in a thick layer of graham cracker crust, and the tart itself was very weak, not at all what I've come to expect from key limes. In any case, the service was very subpar, and that's a critical issue for me when I go out to eat. So Olivia's gets a thumbs down, but that's ok, as we have many other places to visit while we're here.

After dinner we shot over to the Magic Kingdom, as they have a new fireworks show we wanted to enjoy. We got to the park some 50 minutes before the show, so we took a few rides before the show. We started with a favorite, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. You ride in a small space buggy that comes equipped with two laser guns and a joystick, so you can control which direction you're facing while you shoot at Emperor Zurg's minions and the buggy keeps score. Ego prevents me from revealing how thoroughly Amanda kicked my butt on that ride. After that we took a leisurely ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. It's like a small train that takes guests on a tour of Tomorrowland, and in addition to some good views it also offers a chance to rest your feet. We closed out the rides with the Mad Tea Party; you sit in a teacup that you can spin around as fast as you like (if you're strong enough), a great chance to make ourselves dizzy. We then found a position behind Cinderella's Castle from which we could enjoy the Wishes fireworks show, which was quite enjoyable. The only down side was that we then had to wait in line for about an hour to reach our car and head back to the hotel. All in all, a highly successful first day, though.

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April 24, 2004

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Amanda and I are heading south to Walt Disney World for the next two weeks. I'll still be doing a little blogging, but I've got the digital camera so much of it may be DisneyBlogging for that time, assuming nothing else catches my fancy. Here's hoping I don't lose either of my loyal readers while I'm gone. ;)

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April 16, 2004

The Good Doctor

Let's give it up for frequent commenter and my brother Enrak, who today settled once and for all the question of which of us is the smart one by successfully defending his PhD thesis. In recognition of this feat, he shall henceforth be known as Dr. Enrak. Let the applause begin for a job very well done.

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March 28, 2004

A Fine Day for Hiking

Amanda and I went for a little hike this morning, a few miles up the Barr Trail. The Barr Trail is the most popular trail leading to the top of Pike's Peak, running some thirteen miles from a parking lot in Manitou Springs to the summit. It initially climbs over Rocky Mountain, also known as Mount Manitou, before beginning its ascent of the Peak iteself. (This is the sign at the start of the trail.) There are, unsurprisingly, some excellent views from the trail, including Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs.

We finished up our hike about a mile and a half from the parking lot, having ascended some 500-700 feet. Our stopping point overlooked the Manitou Incline, a path running straight up the side of the mountain (Rocky Mountain, not Pike's Peak) for people who don't want to take their time ascending the various switchbacks along the Barr Trail. Next week we'll see if we can make it to the top of the incline itself.

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March 01, 2004

Showtime

Looks like I'll have job security at least through the end of this year. The 116th Cavalry Brigade is the priority unit for my Army Reserve unit, and Fox is reporting they're about to be alerted for overseas duty late this year or early next year. That means we'll be deeply involved in helping to mobilize them and prepare them for operations in Iraq, a process that will probably take between two and three months. We'll continue to pull in data on Iraq through the unit, of course, but anyone with access to other after action reports or other information about the situation on the ground in Iraq would be doing me a great favor by pointing me in the right direction. It's our responsibility to get these guys ready to enter a war zone, so the more relevant information we have, the better.

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December 24, 2003

A Soldier's Christmas Carol

Sasha Castel has posted an old favorite that comes around every Christmas. With soldiers on watch in Iraq and Afghanistan, it seems even more appropriate.

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October 06, 2003

Operation Give

I've mentioned Chief Wiggle's toy drive before, but now it's taken on a life of its own as Operation Give. Please, go check it out and, if you can, send something to help.

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September 26, 2003

The Cos in Colorado Springs

Amanda and I caught Bill Cosby at the Pikes Peak Center tonight. (OK, it's not being at Fenway the night the Sox clinch, but it's the best I've got.) I'm happy to report that Cosby still has his touch. He kicked off the show with Marion Anderson singing Ave Maria in a brief tribute to Fred Rogers and to the men and women killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cosby then rolled into the show.

His humor now focuses primarily on family life. He kicked off with a piece discussing his trip to a restaurant with his wife and how she controls his diet now. That set the theme for the night, as Cos portrayed himself as the prototypical henpecked husband, noting that this is the natural way of the world for men and women. Although none of his vignettes this evening were quite as good as his Hofstra piece, they were all very funny.

Cosby also did a good job of interacting with the crowd, as a number of spectators had nothing better to do than shout things at him. He closed the set with an old routine, The Dentist, a fine capstone to a very fine evening. If he comes to your area, he's definitely worth the time to go see.

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September 19, 2003

It's Official

I noted my selection on the Major's promotion list back at the beginning of August. Yesterday, the orders arrived, and today at lunch the brigade commander and my lovely wife pinned on a gold oak leaf.

Now all I have to do is put together the promotion party...

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August 26, 2003

I Never Played the Game

As the United States ramped up for World War I, a freshly promoted Captain was told he could not go to France to serve as a combat office. His skills as an instructor and trainer were deemed too valuable, so he spent the entire war in the United States, turning civilians into soldiers. Although promoted to Major shortly after the war ended, the officer was convinced he had no real future in the Army. Service under another outstanding officer convinced him to keep trying, and by the mid-1930s he was reasonably well-known throughout the Army as an outstanding staff officer. Indeed, he was seen as such a great staff officer, he was denied the chance to command troops, instead moving from one staff assignment to another. As World War II hove over the horizon, the officer was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, and given responsibility for planning the largest peacetime maneuvers ever executed: the Louisiana maneuvers. His performance with those was so good that when the war came, General Marshall brought him to Washington and the War Plans Division. As other officers were given division and corps commands, this officer had to remain in Washington. Only in 1942 was he finally given a chance to command; in March of that year he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as commander of all U.S. forces in the E.T.O.

As most of you doubtless know, the officer I’m referring to is none other than Dwight David Eisenhower, eventual Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and 34th President of the United States. He ended up with plenty of chances to lead over his career, despite the terrible disappointment of World War I. But I can certainly sympathize with how he must have felt after World War I ended with him still in the United States.

Some people may read those words and come to the conclusion that I’m a warmonger or a psychotic. Nobody in their right mind wants to go to war. I can imagine few things on Earth worse than war. Yet I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my career had been a frustrating one precisely because I have never had the opportunity to use any of my training in a real world situation.

I enlisted in the National Guard in 1988, and attended Infantry Basic Training in the summer of 1989. Many of the other trainees in my platoon were destined to join the 82d Airborne Division, and some of them jumped into Panama that December. Others deployed to the desert in late 1990, and participated in the Gulf War. I watched those on television, knowing that among the soldiers risking their lives were men I knew well. In 1993, now in the regular army, I was a tank platoon leader on active duty, and I was training my platoon when we got word of a battle in a place called Mogadishu. My platoon alone would have made a massive difference in the outcome of the battle now immortalized as Black Hawk Down, but the administration had decided that heavy armor was not needed in Somalia. In 1995 my battalion was finally given a real world mission: we deployed to Cuba and ran camps for Cuban and Haitian refugees for six months. In 1999, as I prepared to take command of a tank company, I followed the news and intelligence reports as NATO waged a pure air war over Kosovo. In 2001, there was no call for tanks in Afghanistan, so once again CNN was my window to the war. And in 2003, I watched as the company I’d commanded for 18 months went to war in Iraq under another commander.

Looking at that record from a purely logical perspective, I’ve been pretty lucky. Other than a year in Korea, four months in Cuba and the occasional National Training Center rotation, I’ve spent damn near my whole career at home. I haven’t had to go months without a shower or a hot meal. While many of my fellow soldiers have endured misery and too many have made the supreme sacrifice, I’ve led a pretty easy career. And part of me says I should just thank my lucky stars. But it’s hard to do that.

It’s not that I really want to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. With perhaps a very few exceptions, no soldiers really do. But there’s two other factors at play: guilt, and frustration.

The guilt is easy enough to understand. Close to 300 soldiers have died in Iraq thus far, and even under the best of circumstances, that number will easily surpass the 300 mark before all is said and done. The vast majority will survive, but they’re living under constant stress is terrible conditions. Meanwhile, I’m typing a blog entry on my laptop waiting for my wife to bring dinner downstairs. Because I’m assigned to a training unit, I’m at absolutely zero risk of facing a deployment. Even if we’re ordered to train units at another post, the worst case is that I’ll be living in a barracks or hotel room somewhere in the United States; a far cry from the Syrian border. While I realize that it’s nothing more than the luck of the draw, it still seems somehow unjust.

Beyond that, however, is the knowledge that I’ve trained for war my entire adult life. (Which some will call, with some justification, a terrible waste, but that’s my choice to make.) Yet despite the United States’ involvement in a disturbingly high number of conflicts in that time, I’ve managed to miss them all. As I noted before, I realize that I would have been miserable had I actually been involved in any of those fights…but it’s frustrating nonetheless to miss them. I’ve spent literally thousands of hours in simulated combat operations, from leading a tank platoon to helping to develop operations for a heavy brigade. It’s hard to watch people go to war without wondering how I might do in those circumstances.

I’m no Eisenhower, and I hope and pray the United States doesn’t end up in an even larger war several decades from now. So why write this? Because I believe it’s important for people to understand where soldiers are coming from; I’m hardly unique in my feelings about war. Many civilians with limited exposure to soldiers probably look at the desire of some soldiers to go to war as evidence of the moral bankruptcy of soldiers in general. Perhaps this explanation will forestall at least a few of those criticisms.

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August 25, 2003

Getting Old

It doesn't seem like it's been that long since I joined the Army, but then I see articles like this that tell me otherwise.

Scroll down about two-thirds of the way down the page and you'll see a quote from Captain David L. Swenson, ostensibly of the 173d Airborne Brigade. Dave is actually the company commander of C Company, 1-68 AR, 4th Infantry Division. His company is currently attached to the 173d, helping to keep the peace (most of the time) in northern Iraq.

But before he went to Iraq, before he took a command, and before he came to Fort Carson, Dave was a brand-new second lieutenant assigned to 1st Battalion, 72d Armor at Camp Casey back in Korea, working for one Captain Andrew Olmsted in the S-3 (Operations) shop in early 1997.

Now, here it is six and a half years later and I'm still a Captain (albeit not for much longer), and Dave is commanding a company on the ground in Iraq. Somehow this just doesn't seem possible.

Yes, I know, this has no relevance at all to what I normally write about, but seeing Dave's name like that just demanded a comment.

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August 11, 2003

Flag Phobia

Steven Den Beste is discussing yet another example of college students who think the display of the American flag will somehow traumatize foreign students. Steven notes the tendency of those on the far left to deny any good that may ever have done by the United States, and the students who claim the flag stands for 'violence and fascism' certainly appear to fall into that category. Steven's discussion of that subject needs no further elaboration, but the issue as a whole still raises questions for me.

I should begin by noting that, while I'm no longer the jingoistic 'My country right or wrong' type I was as a youth, I do still feel a surge of pride at the sight of the Stars and Stripes. I have served proudly in the United States Army virtually my entire adult life, and I am firmly convinced that America represents a number of great ideals that are rare or nonexistent in the rest of the world. Those who have seen the film "Glory" doubtless recall the climactic moment of the film, when Denzel Washington brandishes the unit colors, an American flag, in a successful attempt to rally the regiment. Color bearer was a position of great risk and great honor during the American Civil War. Many men died to keep their unit colors flying during combat, because those colors meant something to them. For me, the U.S. flag will always stand for those great ideals: freedom, justice, equality.

By that same token, I expect people from other countries to feel similarly about their own flags. There are few scenes in film as stirring as Rick, Ilsa and the Frenchmen in Rick's Cafe American singing La Marseillaise as a show of defiance to the Nazis in Casablanca. The sight of the Union Jack reminds me of Churchill, Dunkirk, Drake and Marlborough. When I served in Korea, the ROK flag served as a strong reminder of the sacrifice and diligence of the South Korean people, and their ability to grow so strong after the horrors of the Korean War. I would assume that the majority of citizens of those nations feel similarly, and when I visit their countries the sight of their flags is a reminder to me of the local culture and history. Perhaps it's simply projection on my part, but I assume that most people feel a degree of pride and belonging to their country, even for those who choose to leave it.

The thought of people who can look at their national symbol only with contempt, fear, or hatred makes me more than a little sad. Has America done some things that we shouldn't be proud of over her history? Absolutely. So has every other nation on the globe, I'll wager. But to cut one's self off from the nation simply because you're unwilling to see any of the good things that your country has done is a willful blindness that does neither you nor anyone else any good. America brought the world Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Lincoln, the Constitution, baseball, and jazz music. We helped save the world from fascism and communism, and economic disaster as well. Is it silly for me to take pride in this? To an extent, it is, as I certainly had nothing to do with any of that. But my parents and grandparents certainly did. One of my great-great-great grandfathers fought for the federal cavalry during the Civil War. Several uncles and great-uncles served during World War II and Korea. Taking pride in their accomplishments is another way of acknowledging and commemorating them, and I won't apologize for it. And I think people who see the world in such black and white terms that America has to be all bad because of things they disagree with about her now are simply cutting off their nose to spite their face.

It's very important not to get too caught up in the past. Reveling in past glories is an easy way to ensure there will be no future successes. But it's important to look behind us now and then to remind us of which direction we're heading. Sometimes it can help point out when we've strayed off course and need to consider changing our direction. American history belongs to all Americans, whether your family came over on the Mayflower, on a slave ship, or on a raft. There's good and ill aplenty there, and only a fool takes only one half.

Steven Decatur once famously observed, "Our country, in dealing with the other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country right or wrong." Many people interpret that as simply jingoistic fervor. I see it as a simple truism: I would hope that America always stands up for her ideals and what is right. I know she won't always do so, but it is my duty to try and convince our political leadership to do so. But regardless of what they stand up for, the United States is still my country. I cannot walk away from my responsibilities as a citizen simply because I disagree with some of her policies.

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August 07, 2003

Be Afraid

For those of my readers who still believe in the government, I've finally got proof positive that the government can't be trusted to run anything: the 2003 U.S. Army Reserve Major's promotion list. You'll notice that the government has decided to promote me to Major...how can you possibly trust that kind of organization?

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July 03, 2003

On the Road (Yet) Again

We'll by flying to Maine tomorrow morning to visit family. Although I will have limited internet access, I'll do my best to keep up the blogging when I get the chance, and I'll be back a week from Friday. Everyone enjoy a great Fourth of July; I'm sure we will.

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June 20, 2003

A Photo From Idaho

For those wondering what it is I'm doing here in the wilds of Idaho, I offer a picture of one event I observed yesterday.

It's a beautiful sight. That's part of a platoon of M1A1 Abrams tanks practicing maneuvers in the Orchard Training Area. Yes, it is very dusty here; in fact, OTA is where the Army first tested the M1 tank. Because the M1 uses a turbine engine, and because turbine engines need very pure air to function properly, the Army determined that if the M1 engine filters could keep the dust of OTA out of the engine, they'd keep any dust out of the engine. Unfortunately for Saddam Hussein, the filters worked adequately, and the world's greatest tank was born.

That's 1st Platoon, C Company, 3d Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, to be more precise. They're part of the 116th Enhanced Separate Brigade and a member of the Oregon National Guard. They're heading to the National Training Center in 2006, and this year begins their train-up for the rotation. That probably sounds a little silly, but it's one of the problems the National Guard has to work around. You've got your troops for 39 days a year, and that time has to cover everything from physical fitness tests to mandatory sexual harassment training. With an NTC rotation only three years away, they will actually be hard-pressed to get everyone ready in that time. For this year, they're trying to develop tank platoons that can conduct the very basics of maneuver: movement formations, movement techniques, and action drills.

To put those in more basic terms, movement formations are the actual ways a tank platoon can move. Column is the basic formation, where the four tanks get into a line and follow the leader, but there's also the wedge, where the platoon forms an inverted V, the vee, which should be self-explanatory, the line, where the platoon moves with all four tanks abreast, the staggered column, where the platoon moves in a wide column where no two tanks are directly behind one another, and the echelon, where the tanks are arrayed in a staggered line to the left or right.

Movement techniques are how the platoon moves while in these formations, and there are three of these. The basic movement technique in travelling, where the platoon simply gets into formation and moves. This technique is used when the platoon faces no risk of enemy action. Next is travelling overwatch, where the platoon normally moves as a unit, but occasionally halts two tanks to act as an overwatch while the other two tanks move forward, then the forward tanks halt to overwatch while the rear tanks catch up. This technique is used when enemy contact is possible, but not likely, as the overwatching tanks are better able to engage enemy forces. The third technique is known as bounding overwatch. This technique has the platoon moving by section constantly, with two tanks in overwatch while the other two move, and it is used when the platoon is expecting enemy contact. With two tanks always in the overwatch role, the platoon can quickly react to the appearance of the enemy while minimizing the risk to the platoon.

Action drills are predetermined drills used during combat operations. A tank platoon has five basic battle drills: change of formation, contact drill, action drill, react to indirect fire, and react to NBC attack. Change of formation is self-explanatory: a platoon must be able to quickly change from one formation to another to react to a change in conditions. When moving through an obstacle, for example, a platoon may have to move from a wedge to a column or staggered column to get through a breach in the obstacle, then quickly return to a wedge formation. A contact drill is a means for reacting to the sudden appearance of an enemy force. The platoon leader calls out 'contact' and a direction, and all turrets should turn to face that direction while the tanks continue to move in the same direction they were heading before making contact. An action drill is similar, but when an action drill is announced, the platoon should actually turn all tanks in the direction of the enemy. React to indirect fire trains a platoon to react to coming under artillery fire by getting into the tank and driving away from the area being attacked, while react to NBC trains a platoon to immediately mask, button up, activate their overpressurization system and get out of the area being attacked. All of these drills are relatively simple, and with good reason. A tank platoon needs to be able to execute them without hesitation under combat conditions. Therefore, repetition is essential to drilling them into the platoon, so they'll react instinctively under combat conditions.

Our (i.e., my unit) job is to help the battalion with their training. We provide platoon and company mentors, NCOs and officers who have significant experience as platoon sergeants and company commanders, and who can therefore provide guidance and assistance to help the National Guard get the most out of their training. It can be frustrating work, but it can also be a great deal of fun, especially when you're watching M1A1s zip by your position.

Posted at 12:55 PM · Personal · Comments (1) · TrackBack (0)

May 28, 2003

Ruth Littlefield, 1907-2003

Last Thursday Ruth Littlefield, my maternal grandmother, fell down a flight of stairs and crushed several vertebrae in her back. Although it appeared she was on her way to recovery, apparently a blood clot had formed somewhere in her system. Yesterday that clot reached her lungs, killing her.

In my grandmother's kitchen there is a small plaque that reads, "All our visitors bring joy. Some by coming, others by going." As much as I hate to say it, there are far more people in the latter category than the former. Most people, of course, fall into different categories at different times, as there are usually times when you want to see people and times when you'd rather not. Nana, however, always was in the first category. Her spirit, her love of her fellow man, and her basic decency combined somehow to make her a person people just enjoyed being around.

In her 96 years, Nana survived two World Wars, the Depression, the Korean War, Vietnam, the turmoil of the 1960s, the AIDS crisis, the Cold War and innumerable lesser crises. She raised six children, around twenty grandchildren, more great-grandchildren than I could possibly count, and we all expected she'd be seeing some great-great-grandchildren in another few years. She was proud of all of them, and with good reason. Whether from environment or genetics, I've always been impressed by the moral character of my aunts, uncles and cousins. As an almost universal rule, they not only know what the right thing is, they actually do it. Nana's legacy is as secure as anyone on the planet.

While I mourn Nana’s death, I’m thankful that I can look back on a life that was very well spent. I can’t imagine anyone being dissatisfied with a life as full as hers, and I know I would die content if I could bring one-tenth the happiness into the world that she did. So why the tears?

They’re not for Nana, who lived life on her terms and went out, if not precisely as she would have wished, certainly her end was far better than it could have been. She lived in her own home until the end. She never lost her faculties, nor did she impose any burden on her children.

Nor are they for her family or the world, even though both are poorer today than they were yesterday. The light Nana brought to the world was a rare gift. As my father pointed out, Nana’s funeral will probably rival that of heads of state, as almost everyone in her home town knew and loved her, not to mention her family.

Yet the tears come for the most selfish of reasons. Because I miss my grandmother; because I never spent enough time with her, a failing I’ll never be able to rectify. Yes, the world is a poorer place today, but I weep because my world is far more empty today. To borrow from Billy Crystal, she was 96 years old, and she went too soon.

I loved her, and I’ll miss her more than I can possibly put into words. Goodbye, Nana.

UPDATE (5/29/03): Her