Happy April Fool's Day

I’d love to come up with some sort of really good April Fools joke to play on the family back home, but the more I thought of that, the more I realized it’s probably not the best idea. They worry to much as it is. I’ve spent the last three days going through massive amounts of turnover with Kenny. The good news is, the job gets a bit more manageable every day. It seems huge when you first look at it, but the reality is: it’s just like any other job I’ve had in the Navy. If you can get yourself ahead of the game, then all you are doing is waiting to put out the occasional ‘Flaming Chicken.’ We spent hours today pouring ourselves into a spreadsheet that probably won’t be needed for a month. The good news is: it’s done, and when the powers that be ask for the data, we’ll just E-mail them the work we did today (I’m sure it won’t be quite that easy, but one can hope). Next week I’ll start the ‘on the road’ portion of the turnover, so the blog’s may be spaced out a bit. Kenny’s taking me to all of the FOB’s where I have people who I support. It’s also a good way to get a face to face with the people who support you. E-mail and phone calls are nice, but it’s easier to ask someone to bend over backwards for you if you actually met them before.

We had a promotion/awards ceremony the other day, and I was amazed at the lengths that these folks go to, to take care of the families. They had the promotion set up with a video tele-conference, so the loved ones at home could watch. I thought it was a nice gesture. As I stood there, I was looking at the command flags that were placed behind the awardees (even in the desert, you put up some flags just like we would back home). I haven’t said this before, but the Army unit that is in charge of the IAG (Iraq Assistance Group) is the First Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Most of you know this division as the ‘Big Red One.’ As I was looking at the Big Red One’s Flag, I was looking at the campaign pennants that were flying from the top of the flag (on military flags they will often have small pennants on the top denoting major campaigns that the unit has participated in or led). The names on the pennants were humbling: Cantigny, Soissons, the Argonne Forest, North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and so on. I began to realize that, despite what most aviators will tell you, ground forces win wars. The amount of history in that flag made hit me in such a way, that I felt compelled to go home last night and research the history of this unit to which I am assigned. The sheer volume of the information was staggering. One of the benefits of being deployed with an Army unit in the way that I am is: when I have been with the unit for one month, they will allow me to wear the patch of their unit on my sleeve (one sleeve already has the JCCS-1 patch, but the other one is open). I can’t think of a greater honor, than to wear the patch of a unit so steeped in tradition. I’m pretty sure (who am I kidding, I know) my Dad would have been proud of this. What’s even more amazing about this group is: they’re IA’s too! The First Infantry Division is currently at home in Kansas, but members of the division have volunteered to come over here to teach the Iraqis how to do it on their own. There are other members from other units who have come here as well, but the IAG is First Division heavy. Even our CG (Commanding General) is one of the First Division generals (there are three at the First, an overall commander (Major General), and two Assistant Commanders (Brigadier Generals). We have one of the Brigadier Generals. All that said, the more I learn about this job, the more I realize that there are some really spectacular folks in the Army, and I’m lucky to be associated with them. I’m going to head over to the phone tent and call home. I’ll leave you with the motto of my new found division:

“No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great – Duty First”

Until tomorrow.

-Grease out.