I will be out of pocket for a few weeks. I'm posting a picture of my new home. It's not very redneck, but it's definitely mobile. I'll try to check in from time to time, but if I don't now you'll know why.
Anchors aweigh, my boy!
Saturday, September 23
Gone Fishin' (for terrorists)
This is our last Saturday on island for awhile. It just so happens that this is also the weekend that the MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) folks are hosting a festival right here on our camp. My cousin-in-law and family are coming up to join the party and we're supposed to hang out afterwards. I figured I'd just check my email while I wait for them to show and while I'm in the library... it rains. Not just pitter-patter, but RAIN. For about 30 seconds. Now it's gone. That probably means that the fair grounds have been dampened just a bit, but not my spirits.
I will be out of pocket for a few weeks. I'm posting a picture of my new home. It's not very redneck, but it's definitely mobile. I'll try to check in from time to time, but if I don't now you'll know why.
Anchors aweigh, my boy!
I will be out of pocket for a few weeks. I'm posting a picture of my new home. It's not very redneck, but it's definitely mobile. I'll try to check in from time to time, but if I don't now you'll know why.
Anchors aweigh, my boy!
Sunday, September 17
weekend lite
Well, we had a very windy day yesterday. We officially made it to Typhoon Condition 1C (C is for "Caution", not "Cookie") around 2 o'clock. That meant I had to leave the library where I was and return to my room. It also meant that if I wanted to leave after that (to go to the chow hall, for example) I had to don my flak jacket and kevlar helmet. It seemed extreme to me, but I'm sure had I not done so, I would have either gotten serious grief from the MP's who were on constant patrol in humvees looking for storm related problems, or with my luck, I would've caught a downed power line or something. Fortunately, none of that happened, although the power did go off in the barracks for a couple of hours last night. Let me tell you, when all the machinery shuts off, it gets very quiet with the definite exception of the gusting winds trying to recreate the big bad wolf of 3 Little Pigs fame. It was huffing and puffing to be sure.
Anyway, since it's the weekend and since OSU soundly defeated UC, I'm in a pretty good mood. If you add to that the drumming that "The U" took from Louisville... well, let's just say I was laughing all through the highlights of that game. Hey, 'Canes, don't jump up and down on someone's midfield logo until AFTER you beat them next time. You just made the Cardinals want to beat you that much more, which they did. As Homer (Simpson) would say, "WhooHoo!"
Having said all of that, I come now to the subject of the week. This week's survey asks a question. How well do you remember the music of the 80's?
I'm sure my wife will do very well on this one. How about the rest of you? Have a great week!
Anyway, since it's the weekend and since OSU soundly defeated UC, I'm in a pretty good mood. If you add to that the drumming that "The U" took from Louisville... well, let's just say I was laughing all through the highlights of that game. Hey, 'Canes, don't jump up and down on someone's midfield logo until AFTER you beat them next time. You just made the Cardinals want to beat you that much more, which they did. As Homer (Simpson) would say, "WhooHoo!"
Having said all of that, I come now to the subject of the week. This week's survey asks a question. How well do you remember the music of the 80's?
| You Scored 50% Correct |
 You are a solid child of the 80s You'd never confuse Tiffany from Debbie And while you may not know Prince's first #1 hit You know every word to Little Red Corvette |
I'm sure my wife will do very well on this one. How about the rest of you? Have a great week!
Saturday, September 9
Not even close
All the pre-game hype...
It's Number 1 visiting Number 2...
It's a rematch of last year's game...
This could have National Title implications...
Ohio State lost more than 1/2 of their starting defense to the NFL draft...
Texas has 9 starters returning on their offense...
Texas has scored in at least 10 points every game since 1997...
Final score?
The visiting Buckeyes from The Ohio State University: 24
The hometown Longhorns from The University of Texas: 7
Can you feel that? It's the winds of destiny. I think they may be starting to swirl in Columbus. The Hawkeyes of Iowa will be a major test, but I have faith that Jim Tressel will lead the longtime friends Smith and Ginn to a very successful season. I sure hope so anyway. As long as the Buckeys remain number 1 I have a good chance of seeing them play ball.
Lest we forget...
I was going to do a tribute post to the events of 5 years ago, but Mike has created such a well written post on his site that I would just encourage you to go there and read what he had to say.
Also, please visit my wife and let her know that she is not alone out there. She's had an interesting week to say the least and could use your support.
Have a good week and remember; It may be God's job to forgive Osama bin Laden, but it's our job to arrange the meeting. (Saw that on a bumper sticker.)
It's Number 1 visiting Number 2...
It's a rematch of last year's game...
This could have National Title implications...
Ohio State lost more than 1/2 of their starting defense to the NFL draft...
Texas has 9 starters returning on their offense...
Texas has scored in at least 10 points every game since 1997...
Final score?
The visiting Buckeyes from The Ohio State University: 24
The hometown Longhorns from The University of Texas: 7
Can you feel that? It's the winds of destiny. I think they may be starting to swirl in Columbus. The Hawkeyes of Iowa will be a major test, but I have faith that Jim Tressel will lead the longtime friends Smith and Ginn to a very successful season. I sure hope so anyway. As long as the Buckeys remain number 1 I have a good chance of seeing them play ball.
Lest we forget...
I was going to do a tribute post to the events of 5 years ago, but Mike has created such a well written post on his site that I would just encourage you to go there and read what he had to say.
Also, please visit my wife and let her know that she is not alone out there. She's had an interesting week to say the least and could use your support.
Have a good week and remember; It may be God's job to forgive Osama bin Laden, but it's our job to arrange the meeting. (Saw that on a bumper sticker.)
Saturday, September 2
Happy 100!
This is my 100th post on this blog. How cool is that? To celebrate, I've constructed a list of 100 things about myself. I know from reading other blogs (like my wife's) that I'm supposed to have a neat little button and a link, but I don't know how to do that. If you can help me out with that, please do so. Then, I'll update and create aforementioned link and button and continue on. Until then, grab some water or go to the bathroom 'cuz this is a bit of a read, but here are 100 things about me.
100 things about me
1. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. I am named after my father, William E, Sr. That makes me “Jr.”
3. I sang in the Cincinnati Boy’s Choir for three years, 4th through 6th grades.
4. I went to Frankfurt, Germany; Munich, and Vienna, Austria when I was 12 as a member of the CBC for an international music festival.
5. I played baseball for 6 years while I attended elementary school.
6. I was a catcher most of the time, but played some outfield and 2nd base.
7. I’ve played a musical instrument since I was in the 4th grade.
8. I started out learning trumpet because that’s what my dad plays.
9. My dad was my band director in junior high and shifted me to French horn.
10. My dad brought a tuba into the house the summer before I started high school so I switched again just before band camp.
11. I took lessons for four years from a tuba professor who’d studied under the legendary Bill Bell.
12. I was offered a scholarship to Carson-Newman College, a small Christian college in Tennessee, by the head of the music department after he and I played together at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Ashville, NC in 1990.
13. I went to Ridgecrest every year since I was a baby for music week as family vacation. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the trip was a business trip for my dad, the minister of music.
14. I played football in junior high, but gave it up for the band in high school.
15. My favorite football player was Reggie White, number 92, for the Philadelphia Eagles.
16. When he left the Eagles and went to the Packers, I stayed a fan of the Eagles and have been one ever since.
17. I took my test for my driver’s license on my 16th birthday.
18. I used my girlfriend’s parents’ car for the test.
19. I drove a 1976 Plymouth Grand Fury station wagon for a couple of years.
20. There was a hole in the back where the floor had rusted out, allowing all sorts of noxious fumes to come into the car.
21. I only drove it to and from school, about 5 miles each way.
22. My senior year, I traded down and drove a Datsun 510.
23. The air campaign of Operation Desert Storm started on my 18th birthday, hours after I’d registered for the draft.
24. I was in the chess club and on the varsity wrestling team at the same time.
25. I studied German for four years, certain I’d never need to know any Spanish.
26. My Marine Corps recruiter took me to Wright-Patterson Air Base in Dayton, to audition for the Marine Corps Band program, called the Musician Enlistment Option Program (MEOP).
27. I signed my agreement to enter the Delayed Entry Program on my Dad’s birthday, two months after the start of Operation Desert Storm.
28. I’ve been stationed in San Diego for most of the last 14 years.
29. I still don’t know very much Spanish. If I want to speak Spanish, I’ll go to Mexico. If people from Mexico come to America, they should speak English. If it’s good enough to be the official language of the court system, why isn’t it good enough for everything else?
30. I graduated High School in 1991.
31. I marched in Drum Corps International in 1991, the summer after I graduated. I marched in a division II corps called “The Limited Edition” because each year’s show is a one season run, or a limited edition performance.
32. I never took the SAT.
33. I scored a 27 on the ACT. My sister scored a 29 a couple of years later.
34. I was accepted to Ohio State as an architect major… AFTER I’d joined the Marine Corps.
35. I built models in my teens, mostly WWII aircraft, but some NASCAR models, and ships as well.
36. My favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt.
37. I took a quiz that indicated my “life number” is 3.
38. I got a tattoo in 1994 on my shoulder.
39. It’s a spider web that has my initials (W.E.B.) integrated into the design.
40. When people first see it, they tend to ask if I’ve done any prison time.
41. I have never been in jail.
42. I went to Parris Island, South Carolina, in February 1992.
43. After boot camp, I attended Marine Combat Training at Camp LeJeune, NC.
44. I spent the second half of 1992 in Little Creek, VA, attending the Armed Forces School of Music.
45. My first permanent duty station was Okinawa, Japan, as a member of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band.
46. I bought my first car while still in Okinawa through the PX.
47. My dad drove me up to Dayton when I got back to Cincinnati so I could pick up my brand new car.
48. It was a 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier with only 13 miles on the odometer. It was white with grey cloth interior. It had a tape deck, cruise control, and A/C.
49. I drove that car from Cincinnati, to Mississippi (to visit family), to Camp Pendleton, CA in January 1994, where I joined the 1st Marine Division Band.
50. I met my wife in March 1994.
51. I was looking for a church I’d seen advertised in the yellow pages, but couldn’t find it at first because they were meeting in a school.
52. In August, 1994, I rededicated my life to Christ at a Harvest Crusade meeting at Qualcomm Stadium, but it wasn’t called “Qualcomm” yet, it was still “Jack Murphy”.
53. I started going out with Jennie as a friend later that month.
54. Our 5th “date” was the Marine Corps ball at the “Medieval Times” in Laguna Niguel. As part of the festivities, we didn’t get silverware for our meal, so we had to use our hands, wearing our dress uniforms and formal gowns.
55. She declared us a couple in January 1995 after dumping her boyfriend.
56. I was assigned as the duty NCO on my 22nd birthday.
57. Jen visited me at the band hall that evening and brought me a birthday cake of sorts. It was a package of Hostess cupcakes and she’d put a number “2” candle in each one.
58. That weekend, she and her mom took me to Disneyland.
59. In February, the band recorded a concert at the Center for the Performing Arts, in Escondido, CA and made CD’s. Those CD’s are still available for sale through Sgt Gritt, and other military related retail outlets.
60. I drove my Cavalier out to the Grand Canyon that summer, with Jennie, to introduce her to my parents and sister.
61. We camped at the Grand Canyon National Park, where my sister was working on a summer missionary team from college.
62. I think we instinctively knew we were going to get married some day because we decided to collect shot glasses and bought our first one at the Grand Canyon gift shop.
63. I proposed in August.
64. We were married in July, 1996.
65. We took the sunset train from Oceanside to Los Angeles after our wedding reception and stayed the night in a hotel close to LAX.
66. We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii. We stayed at the Hale Koa (Warrior’s Rest) which is a first rate hotel run by the military recreation department right on Waikiki.
67. Our first meal in Hawaii was at the California Pizza Kitchen and our waiter was originally from Vista, where my wife went to school.
68. When we returned, we learned that I had orders transferring me to the Pacific Fleet Band, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
69. We were not amused.
70. I got my orders modified to allow me to attend the School of Music advanced course back in VA.
71. I drove my Cavalier across the country again when we moved to Virginia.
72. We lived in a small apartment in Little Creek for 6 months while I attended the Armed Forces School of Music again.
73. While there, we learned the spot in Hawaii had been filled and I was being sent back to Camp Pendleton.
74. I got those orders modified to send us to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, in Irvine, CA (it’s in OC).
75. El Toro closed in 1999 and I helped relocate the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band from El Toro to our new home at MCAS Miramar, in San Diego.
76. Jen and I moved into a “temporary” apartment in January, 1999.
77. I was screened for recruiting duty in early 2000.
78. I did not receive orders, so I applied to become a career planner.
79. I transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 39, at Camp Pendleton, in December, 1999 for duty as the Career Planner of Marine Medium Helicopter (Training) Squadron-164, the “Knightriders.”
80. I went to Quantico for 5 weeks to learn how to be a career planner.
81. We finally moved out of our apartment and into base housing in late 2000.
82. I traded in my Cavalier in 2002 as part of a deal to buy a Saturn VUE. It had over 125,000 miles on it and had had no work more serious than a brake job or three done on it the whole time I owned it.
83. The VUE was totaled in a broadside collision in 2005, with less than 50,000 miles on the odometer.
84. We replaced it with another Saturn, an L300.
85. I call my son, William III, “Trey” to avoid the confusion I had to deal with asking about “Big Bill” or “Little Bill” or people calling me Billy.
86. Trey calls me “Big Bill” and himself “Little Bill” after the show of the same title that Bill Cosby produces.
87. I made a lateral move to become a “Career Retention Specialist” in 2002.
88. I was transferred to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion in late 2002, just before the battalion went on holiday leave.
89. I deployed to Kuwait as part of the build up preceding the March, 2003 invasion of Iraq, dubbed “Operation Iraqi Freedom”.
90. My wife bought me a truck to replace my car while I was deployed. (reference #82) I’d been without a car of my own since trading in both of our cars for that VUE. She’d had a Saturn SL2.
91. I returned home in late June, just in time for the 4th of July, 2003. I wore jeans and long sleeves all day because I was still used to the heat of Ad-Diwaniyah and I felt cold.
92. We went to my best friend’s house for a cook-out and because you could see three sets of fire works from his balcony.
93. In June, 2004, my daughter was born.
94. I was transferred to 1st Battalion/5th Marines in January, 2005.
95. I deployed to Ramadi, in the Al-Anbar province of Iraq to assist with Stabilization and Security Operations. During our time there, we registered 80% of the city’s population to vote in the October and December elections and lost 15 Marines and one sailor (a corpsman) to insurgent activity. We killed and captured a lot more than that and the city was in better condition when we left than it was when we arrived.
96. When I left home in January, my daughter could barely crawl. When I came home in September, she was walking.
97. My favorite color is blue, but my family crest is mostly red.
98. My two favorite college football teams are the Ohio State Buckeyes and whoever’s playing against Michigan.
99. I still love the Cincinnati Reds, but I also like to see the Padres win.
100. This list wasn’t as hard to put together as I thought it would be.
So there it is. Thank you for making it this far. It's been a fun 100 entries and I'm already fomulating some ideas for entry #101.
100 things about me
1. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. I am named after my father, William E, Sr. That makes me “Jr.”
3. I sang in the Cincinnati Boy’s Choir for three years, 4th through 6th grades.
4. I went to Frankfurt, Germany; Munich, and Vienna, Austria when I was 12 as a member of the CBC for an international music festival.
5. I played baseball for 6 years while I attended elementary school.
6. I was a catcher most of the time, but played some outfield and 2nd base.
7. I’ve played a musical instrument since I was in the 4th grade.
8. I started out learning trumpet because that’s what my dad plays.
9. My dad was my band director in junior high and shifted me to French horn.
10. My dad brought a tuba into the house the summer before I started high school so I switched again just before band camp.
11. I took lessons for four years from a tuba professor who’d studied under the legendary Bill Bell.
12. I was offered a scholarship to Carson-Newman College, a small Christian college in Tennessee, by the head of the music department after he and I played together at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Ashville, NC in 1990.
13. I went to Ridgecrest every year since I was a baby for music week as family vacation. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the trip was a business trip for my dad, the minister of music.
14. I played football in junior high, but gave it up for the band in high school.
15. My favorite football player was Reggie White, number 92, for the Philadelphia Eagles.
16. When he left the Eagles and went to the Packers, I stayed a fan of the Eagles and have been one ever since.
17. I took my test for my driver’s license on my 16th birthday.
18. I used my girlfriend’s parents’ car for the test.
19. I drove a 1976 Plymouth Grand Fury station wagon for a couple of years.
20. There was a hole in the back where the floor had rusted out, allowing all sorts of noxious fumes to come into the car.
21. I only drove it to and from school, about 5 miles each way.
22. My senior year, I traded down and drove a Datsun 510.
23. The air campaign of Operation Desert Storm started on my 18th birthday, hours after I’d registered for the draft.
24. I was in the chess club and on the varsity wrestling team at the same time.
25. I studied German for four years, certain I’d never need to know any Spanish.
26. My Marine Corps recruiter took me to Wright-Patterson Air Base in Dayton, to audition for the Marine Corps Band program, called the Musician Enlistment Option Program (MEOP).
27. I signed my agreement to enter the Delayed Entry Program on my Dad’s birthday, two months after the start of Operation Desert Storm.
28. I’ve been stationed in San Diego for most of the last 14 years.
29. I still don’t know very much Spanish. If I want to speak Spanish, I’ll go to Mexico. If people from Mexico come to America, they should speak English. If it’s good enough to be the official language of the court system, why isn’t it good enough for everything else?
30. I graduated High School in 1991.
31. I marched in Drum Corps International in 1991, the summer after I graduated. I marched in a division II corps called “The Limited Edition” because each year’s show is a one season run, or a limited edition performance.
32. I never took the SAT.
33. I scored a 27 on the ACT. My sister scored a 29 a couple of years later.
34. I was accepted to Ohio State as an architect major… AFTER I’d joined the Marine Corps.
35. I built models in my teens, mostly WWII aircraft, but some NASCAR models, and ships as well.
36. My favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt.
37. I took a quiz that indicated my “life number” is 3.
38. I got a tattoo in 1994 on my shoulder.
39. It’s a spider web that has my initials (W.E.B.) integrated into the design.
40. When people first see it, they tend to ask if I’ve done any prison time.
41. I have never been in jail.
42. I went to Parris Island, South Carolina, in February 1992.
43. After boot camp, I attended Marine Combat Training at Camp LeJeune, NC.
44. I spent the second half of 1992 in Little Creek, VA, attending the Armed Forces School of Music.
45. My first permanent duty station was Okinawa, Japan, as a member of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band.
46. I bought my first car while still in Okinawa through the PX.
47. My dad drove me up to Dayton when I got back to Cincinnati so I could pick up my brand new car.
48. It was a 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier with only 13 miles on the odometer. It was white with grey cloth interior. It had a tape deck, cruise control, and A/C.
49. I drove that car from Cincinnati, to Mississippi (to visit family), to Camp Pendleton, CA in January 1994, where I joined the 1st Marine Division Band.
50. I met my wife in March 1994.
51. I was looking for a church I’d seen advertised in the yellow pages, but couldn’t find it at first because they were meeting in a school.
52. In August, 1994, I rededicated my life to Christ at a Harvest Crusade meeting at Qualcomm Stadium, but it wasn’t called “Qualcomm” yet, it was still “Jack Murphy”.
53. I started going out with Jennie as a friend later that month.
54. Our 5th “date” was the Marine Corps ball at the “Medieval Times” in Laguna Niguel. As part of the festivities, we didn’t get silverware for our meal, so we had to use our hands, wearing our dress uniforms and formal gowns.
55. She declared us a couple in January 1995 after dumping her boyfriend.
56. I was assigned as the duty NCO on my 22nd birthday.
57. Jen visited me at the band hall that evening and brought me a birthday cake of sorts. It was a package of Hostess cupcakes and she’d put a number “2” candle in each one.
58. That weekend, she and her mom took me to Disneyland.
59. In February, the band recorded a concert at the Center for the Performing Arts, in Escondido, CA and made CD’s. Those CD’s are still available for sale through Sgt Gritt, and other military related retail outlets.
60. I drove my Cavalier out to the Grand Canyon that summer, with Jennie, to introduce her to my parents and sister.
61. We camped at the Grand Canyon National Park, where my sister was working on a summer missionary team from college.
62. I think we instinctively knew we were going to get married some day because we decided to collect shot glasses and bought our first one at the Grand Canyon gift shop.
63. I proposed in August.
64. We were married in July, 1996.
65. We took the sunset train from Oceanside to Los Angeles after our wedding reception and stayed the night in a hotel close to LAX.
66. We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii. We stayed at the Hale Koa (Warrior’s Rest) which is a first rate hotel run by the military recreation department right on Waikiki.
67. Our first meal in Hawaii was at the California Pizza Kitchen and our waiter was originally from Vista, where my wife went to school.
68. When we returned, we learned that I had orders transferring me to the Pacific Fleet Band, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
69. We were not amused.
70. I got my orders modified to allow me to attend the School of Music advanced course back in VA.
71. I drove my Cavalier across the country again when we moved to Virginia.
72. We lived in a small apartment in Little Creek for 6 months while I attended the Armed Forces School of Music again.
73. While there, we learned the spot in Hawaii had been filled and I was being sent back to Camp Pendleton.
74. I got those orders modified to send us to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, in Irvine, CA (it’s in OC).
75. El Toro closed in 1999 and I helped relocate the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band from El Toro to our new home at MCAS Miramar, in San Diego.
76. Jen and I moved into a “temporary” apartment in January, 1999.
77. I was screened for recruiting duty in early 2000.
78. I did not receive orders, so I applied to become a career planner.
79. I transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 39, at Camp Pendleton, in December, 1999 for duty as the Career Planner of Marine Medium Helicopter (Training) Squadron-164, the “Knightriders.”
80. I went to Quantico for 5 weeks to learn how to be a career planner.
81. We finally moved out of our apartment and into base housing in late 2000.
82. I traded in my Cavalier in 2002 as part of a deal to buy a Saturn VUE. It had over 125,000 miles on it and had had no work more serious than a brake job or three done on it the whole time I owned it.
83. The VUE was totaled in a broadside collision in 2005, with less than 50,000 miles on the odometer.
84. We replaced it with another Saturn, an L300.
85. I call my son, William III, “Trey” to avoid the confusion I had to deal with asking about “Big Bill” or “Little Bill” or people calling me Billy.
86. Trey calls me “Big Bill” and himself “Little Bill” after the show of the same title that Bill Cosby produces.
87. I made a lateral move to become a “Career Retention Specialist” in 2002.
88. I was transferred to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion in late 2002, just before the battalion went on holiday leave.
89. I deployed to Kuwait as part of the build up preceding the March, 2003 invasion of Iraq, dubbed “Operation Iraqi Freedom”.
90. My wife bought me a truck to replace my car while I was deployed. (reference #82) I’d been without a car of my own since trading in both of our cars for that VUE. She’d had a Saturn SL2.
91. I returned home in late June, just in time for the 4th of July, 2003. I wore jeans and long sleeves all day because I was still used to the heat of Ad-Diwaniyah and I felt cold.
92. We went to my best friend’s house for a cook-out and because you could see three sets of fire works from his balcony.
93. In June, 2004, my daughter was born.
94. I was transferred to 1st Battalion/5th Marines in January, 2005.
95. I deployed to Ramadi, in the Al-Anbar province of Iraq to assist with Stabilization and Security Operations. During our time there, we registered 80% of the city’s population to vote in the October and December elections and lost 15 Marines and one sailor (a corpsman) to insurgent activity. We killed and captured a lot more than that and the city was in better condition when we left than it was when we arrived.
96. When I left home in January, my daughter could barely crawl. When I came home in September, she was walking.
97. My favorite color is blue, but my family crest is mostly red.
98. My two favorite college football teams are the Ohio State Buckeyes and whoever’s playing against Michigan.
99. I still love the Cincinnati Reds, but I also like to see the Padres win.
100. This list wasn’t as hard to put together as I thought it would be.
So there it is. Thank you for making it this far. It's been a fun 100 entries and I'm already fomulating some ideas for entry #101.
Wednesday, August 16
let's take a moment
Okay, let me break this down for those who may be curious as to what I'm doing right now. Well, actually, right now I'm sitting at a computer in the base library and updating my blog, but I'm talking big picture stuff here...
I'm a member of 1/5. For those not familiar with the jargon, that would be the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine regiment, 1st Marine Division. This battalion has a long and storied history, dating back to its creation during the Great War. In every war since then, the 5th Marines have been involved. It was the 5th and 6th Marines who charged across Belleau Wood in France during WWI and earned the Marines the title of "Devil Dog." It was the 1st Marine Division, including the 5th Marines, who landed on Guadalcanal during WWII to launch the first offensive operation of the war in the Pacific. The 5th Marines also participated in the battles of Pelilieu and Okinawa. During the war in Korea, it was the 1st Division who fought their way through a surrounding Chinese Communist army and made their way from the Chosen Resevoir back to South Korea. During this same war, the 5th Marines, commanded by the legendary Chesty Puller landed at Inchon and drove across the peninsula. During Vietnam, the division was deployed again and they called on the 5th Marines during some of the fiercest fighting. Specifically, 1/5 was given the task of taking Hue City and follow on battles. In the early 90's the division led the Marine thrust in Operation Desert Storm. (Just for the record, I was in high school at the time. The air campaign started on my 18th birthday.) When Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003, it was the 1st Division driving right up the middle in an all out race to Baghdad. In all, the 1st Marine Division has been involved in every war since WWI and the 5th Marines have been right there the whole time. Why do I tell you all of this? I don't honestly know. I sat down to explain the MEU and our current deployment. I didn't mean to go into all that history. Let's move on...
We are currently deployed as the ground combat element (GCE) for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The 31st is the only forward deployed MEU in the Corps. All the others originate from either San Diego or Norfolk. When we embark on the ships of the MEU sometime next month, I will be on board the USS Essex, LHD-2. The interesting thing about this is that when I was in high school I built models of just about anything. I only built a couple of ships, though. One of the ships I built was the USS Tarawa, LHD-4 and sister ship of the Essex. That's just another little sidebar I guess, but I thought it was interesting. Anyway, we have joined up with our attachments (LAR, AAV, and I/3/11) to form a Battalion Landing Team. When we are finished with our deployment, our attachments will detach and in all likelyhood I will never see them again. Ours is a short relationship, but sometimes those are the most memorable. While these teams are attached to my battalion, I become their career counselor. It's very interesting hearing Marines from other units moan and complain about their job. As soon as I suggest they make a move to the infantry, they always seem to find something about their job that they enjoy and couldn't possibly give up. I suppose it's just in our nature as Marines to complain about something.
Anyway, you can check out the links above if you want to learn more about my current duty status. As far as I know, since this info is freely available on the WWW, I'm not breaking any security rules by posting this. No one's told me any of this was classified. If it was, I guess it wouldn't be on the internet, right? Because you know you can trust everything you see online.
Lastly, I just noticed on my blogger dashboard page that this is my 99th entry. I'm going to have to throw a party this weekend for my 100th. Think I should do one of those "meme" lists?
I'm a member of 1/5. For those not familiar with the jargon, that would be the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine regiment, 1st Marine Division. This battalion has a long and storied history, dating back to its creation during the Great War. In every war since then, the 5th Marines have been involved. It was the 5th and 6th Marines who charged across Belleau Wood in France during WWI and earned the Marines the title of "Devil Dog." It was the 1st Marine Division, including the 5th Marines, who landed on Guadalcanal during WWII to launch the first offensive operation of the war in the Pacific. The 5th Marines also participated in the battles of Pelilieu and Okinawa. During the war in Korea, it was the 1st Division who fought their way through a surrounding Chinese Communist army and made their way from the Chosen Resevoir back to South Korea. During this same war, the 5th Marines, commanded by the legendary Chesty Puller landed at Inchon and drove across the peninsula. During Vietnam, the division was deployed again and they called on the 5th Marines during some of the fiercest fighting. Specifically, 1/5 was given the task of taking Hue City and follow on battles. In the early 90's the division led the Marine thrust in Operation Desert Storm. (Just for the record, I was in high school at the time. The air campaign started on my 18th birthday.) When Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003, it was the 1st Division driving right up the middle in an all out race to Baghdad. In all, the 1st Marine Division has been involved in every war since WWI and the 5th Marines have been right there the whole time. Why do I tell you all of this? I don't honestly know. I sat down to explain the MEU and our current deployment. I didn't mean to go into all that history. Let's move on...
We are currently deployed as the ground combat element (GCE) for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The 31st is the only forward deployed MEU in the Corps. All the others originate from either San Diego or Norfolk. When we embark on the ships of the MEU sometime next month, I will be on board the USS Essex, LHD-2. The interesting thing about this is that when I was in high school I built models of just about anything. I only built a couple of ships, though. One of the ships I built was the USS Tarawa, LHD-4 and sister ship of the Essex. That's just another little sidebar I guess, but I thought it was interesting. Anyway, we have joined up with our attachments (LAR, AAV, and I/3/11) to form a Battalion Landing Team. When we are finished with our deployment, our attachments will detach and in all likelyhood I will never see them again. Ours is a short relationship, but sometimes those are the most memorable. While these teams are attached to my battalion, I become their career counselor. It's very interesting hearing Marines from other units moan and complain about their job. As soon as I suggest they make a move to the infantry, they always seem to find something about their job that they enjoy and couldn't possibly give up. I suppose it's just in our nature as Marines to complain about something.
Anyway, you can check out the links above if you want to learn more about my current duty status. As far as I know, since this info is freely available on the WWW, I'm not breaking any security rules by posting this. No one's told me any of this was classified. If it was, I guess it wouldn't be on the internet, right? Because you know you can trust everything you see online.
Lastly, I just noticed on my blogger dashboard page that this is my 99th entry. I'm going to have to throw a party this weekend for my 100th. Think I should do one of those "meme" lists?
Sunday, August 13
Welcome back
I haven't actually posted a serious blog entry in quite a while. Let's see if I remember how to do this. (smile)
We should start today with the big news in the world. Over here in the Far East, we don't seem to pay that much attention to the Mediterranean area. Our area of responsibility is much too large to go looking outside of it for action. The Pacific Command (PACOM) is responsible for everything from the West Coast of California to the Asian sub-continent of India and everything in between. This area encompasses the world's largest population center (India) and also the world's larges muslim population (Indonesia). As such, we may pay attention to what's going on in other areas of the world, but we can't obsess over them. Okay, that's the official point of view. My point of view is a little more biased. I think Hezbollah got exactly what they deserved. They are a terrorist organization and Israel has taken great pains to protect herself from extremists who have made it their party platform that Israel must be destroyed. Rrrright. Good luck with that. I've read the Bible and although God may allow His people to suffer, He will never allow them to be destroyed. This is really just another front in the Global War on Terrorism.
Having said that, I think Joe Lieberman was beaten in last week's primary by an ideal, not a candidate. From what I've been able to pick up, his opponent practically laid the blame for our continued presence in Iraq at the feet of Mr. Lieberman and played on the anti-war sentiment of the liberal population he hopes to represent. Well, if Mr. Lamont does in fact win the election, I believe he will either be forced to eat his words by reality, or he will go to congress, represent the spineless, and be voted out in favor of a man willing to stand by his convictions. Of course, this is the same region of the country that brought us Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry, so he may be at the beginning of a very long career in congress. I hope not.
On a more personal front, my wife has been stuggling with this deployment a little more than I think either of us thought she would. Since I'm not in a combat zone this time, my pay has not been changed significantly while my costs have gone up. We now have two households to maintain. Although mine is mostly paid for, I do incur costs from time to time. Seems like a weekly thing that staff members are asked to pitch in a few bucks here or there for this or that, plus my haircuts aren't free and the tap water here isn't much different from the tap water back home, so I buy a few bottles of water every week. Still, all in all, I'd not dispute that I've got the better deal around this time. So if you have a minute or two, please jump over to her blog and let her know that she is loved and cared for. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.
Okay, in a typical news cast this would be the weather segment, so let's do that. We were kissed by a quasi-typhoon last week (a "faux-phoon" if you will) that did little more than cancel the training schedule for Wednesday. As soon as it left us alone, however, it turned into a monster and hit the mainland with sustained winds over 150 mph. The thunderstorm that hit here blossomed into a killer super-typhoon that killed almost 200 people. Sheesh! We've been waiting for the call from higher HQ to go assist with the humanitarain effort, but so far that call has not been made. Perhaps it will never be made in this instance. If the call comes or not, America's 911 force stands ready to answer the call.
Finally, in sports... Does anyone else think that the Reds and the Padres are trying to lose? Maybe it's just me, but it seems like every time I get a new "score alert" email in my mailbox, the final score has the other team on the winning end of the margin. If the post season were already decided, that wouldn't be a problem, but that's far from being the case. The Padres and the Reds both need to realize that with the way it's going right now, if they don't win their respective division, they aren't going to the post season. On the plus side of things, the Eagles looked okay in their hall of fame game against the Raiders. Sure, they lost that game, but pre-season is all about testing the new guys and working out the kinks in the old guys. The Eagles starting offense (thankfully without Terrel Owens) was able to march down the field and put points on the board against the Raiders starting defense. The Philadelphia starting defense was able to shut down just about everything the Raiders tried. So, what does that mean? I think if you look at Bill Parcell's frustration down in the Big D (where T.O. landed by the way) and the consistent problems the 'Skins have with their lack of consistency, then I look for the Eagles to make the playoffs this year. Win the division? I dunno about that. They'll have to beat the Giants twice to have a shot at winning the NFC East, I think. Lastly, to combine news and sports: did you see the story about Maurice Clarett being ordered to get a psych evaluation? Maybe I should go crazy. Then I could get to stay home and watch my son play soccer on Saturdays.
Have a great week, folks. I'll post again when there's something worth posting.
We should start today with the big news in the world. Over here in the Far East, we don't seem to pay that much attention to the Mediterranean area. Our area of responsibility is much too large to go looking outside of it for action. The Pacific Command (PACOM) is responsible for everything from the West Coast of California to the Asian sub-continent of India and everything in between. This area encompasses the world's largest population center (India) and also the world's larges muslim population (Indonesia). As such, we may pay attention to what's going on in other areas of the world, but we can't obsess over them. Okay, that's the official point of view. My point of view is a little more biased. I think Hezbollah got exactly what they deserved. They are a terrorist organization and Israel has taken great pains to protect herself from extremists who have made it their party platform that Israel must be destroyed. Rrrright. Good luck with that. I've read the Bible and although God may allow His people to suffer, He will never allow them to be destroyed. This is really just another front in the Global War on Terrorism.
Having said that, I think Joe Lieberman was beaten in last week's primary by an ideal, not a candidate. From what I've been able to pick up, his opponent practically laid the blame for our continued presence in Iraq at the feet of Mr. Lieberman and played on the anti-war sentiment of the liberal population he hopes to represent. Well, if Mr. Lamont does in fact win the election, I believe he will either be forced to eat his words by reality, or he will go to congress, represent the spineless, and be voted out in favor of a man willing to stand by his convictions. Of course, this is the same region of the country that brought us Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry, so he may be at the beginning of a very long career in congress. I hope not.
On a more personal front, my wife has been stuggling with this deployment a little more than I think either of us thought she would. Since I'm not in a combat zone this time, my pay has not been changed significantly while my costs have gone up. We now have two households to maintain. Although mine is mostly paid for, I do incur costs from time to time. Seems like a weekly thing that staff members are asked to pitch in a few bucks here or there for this or that, plus my haircuts aren't free and the tap water here isn't much different from the tap water back home, so I buy a few bottles of water every week. Still, all in all, I'd not dispute that I've got the better deal around this time. So if you have a minute or two, please jump over to her blog and let her know that she is loved and cared for. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.
Okay, in a typical news cast this would be the weather segment, so let's do that. We were kissed by a quasi-typhoon last week (a "faux-phoon" if you will) that did little more than cancel the training schedule for Wednesday. As soon as it left us alone, however, it turned into a monster and hit the mainland with sustained winds over 150 mph. The thunderstorm that hit here blossomed into a killer super-typhoon that killed almost 200 people. Sheesh! We've been waiting for the call from higher HQ to go assist with the humanitarain effort, but so far that call has not been made. Perhaps it will never be made in this instance. If the call comes or not, America's 911 force stands ready to answer the call.
Finally, in sports... Does anyone else think that the Reds and the Padres are trying to lose? Maybe it's just me, but it seems like every time I get a new "score alert" email in my mailbox, the final score has the other team on the winning end of the margin. If the post season were already decided, that wouldn't be a problem, but that's far from being the case. The Padres and the Reds both need to realize that with the way it's going right now, if they don't win their respective division, they aren't going to the post season. On the plus side of things, the Eagles looked okay in their hall of fame game against the Raiders. Sure, they lost that game, but pre-season is all about testing the new guys and working out the kinks in the old guys. The Eagles starting offense (thankfully without Terrel Owens) was able to march down the field and put points on the board against the Raiders starting defense. The Philadelphia starting defense was able to shut down just about everything the Raiders tried. So, what does that mean? I think if you look at Bill Parcell's frustration down in the Big D (where T.O. landed by the way) and the consistent problems the 'Skins have with their lack of consistency, then I look for the Eagles to make the playoffs this year. Win the division? I dunno about that. They'll have to beat the Giants twice to have a shot at winning the NFC East, I think. Lastly, to combine news and sports: did you see the story about Maurice Clarett being ordered to get a psych evaluation? Maybe I should go crazy. Then I could get to stay home and watch my son play soccer on Saturdays.
Have a great week, folks. I'll post again when there's something worth posting.
Saturday, August 12
Zero!
Back when I went through boot camp, we had a ritual. If the Drill Instructor said, "do this" or "do that," he would start a countdown. By the time he got to "0" (which is pronounced with a lot of emphasis on the second syllable: ze-RO!) then wherever you were in the process, you stopped what you were doing and shouted at the top of your lungs, "Done, Sir! Done!"
I told you that story so I could tell you this one...
I'm done messing with my blog template. Ze-RO! Done, Sir! Done!
At least for now.
I'll stop back tomorrow after chapel services to comment on important stuff like the war in Israel and the cost of being right in a liberal community (think Joe Lieberman). Until then, have a great weekend.
Oh! I almost forgot this week's survey. Actually that's not true, I do a bunch of these surveys at one time and save the codes for later use.
This week I want to know...
How American are you?
I told you that story so I could tell you this one...
I'm done messing with my blog template. Ze-RO! Done, Sir! Done!
At least for now.
I'll stop back tomorrow after chapel services to comment on important stuff like the war in Israel and the cost of being right in a liberal community (think Joe Lieberman). Until then, have a great weekend.
Oh! I almost forgot this week's survey. Actually that's not true, I do a bunch of these surveys at one time and save the codes for later use.
This week I want to know...
How American are you?
| You Are 80% American |
 You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you! |
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