All Trained Up

Last weekend was a relaxing respite following the two weeks of field training my unit just completed. It was 14 days of 6am until midnight work days, with plenty of stress and few meals. You'd think I'd lose a bunch of weight, but the stress must increase my cortisol levels which kind of keeps me at status quo.

What's so stressful, you ask? A team of observer/trainers came up from Ft Leavenworth to train and evaluate us, the staff. I had a colonel devoted to looking over my shoulder, to analyze every thing my team and I did. He was actually a great help...a wealth of recent experience and knowledge, but it doesn't make it any easier.

The other stress comes from performance anxiety, as the commander establishes his requirements from his staff. I always want to do my best for him. He deserves a good PAO; one that meets his information needs and delivers sound advice. I hate it when I come up short. It's like I disappointed my dad, or something.

In the end, the staff and command team performed superbly. We'll be ready to go, without a question. The question is, what is Iraq going to look like when we get there? With the US forces leaving the cities tomorrow and handing security over to the Iraqis, it will be interesting to see what Iraq will have devolved (evolved) to by the time we get there. I pray for success, but realism says they will be facing some extreme challenges that we may have to help them with. Many mistakes we may have to undo. Areas we may have to reestablish.

Iraqis--I wish you well. Do your best. Don't let your commanders down.

Happy Father's Day! Happy Birthday, Son!!

Because of the training I'm in, I won't be with my fathers or be with my own children during Father's Day tomorrow. Katie took the boys to Baltimore for my cousin's wedding. My Mom and Dad are there, too. Katie's dad is at home.

So, when I get up tomorrow, I will wish myself a happy father's day--because I'm happy to be the father of three great sons. They are the joy of my life. That is, when they aren't fighting with each other.

To my dad, and my wonderful father-in-law: I love you both and wish you a wonderful Father's Day. I appreciate each of you for the role you play in my life. Your wisdom, acceptance, love, and guidance has been essential to my progression in life. I am thankful for both of you.

To Dad--you have been a great father and I couldn't ask for more. I enjoy the times we spend together and I look forward to the day when we can do it with continued frequency. You're the best!

To Jacob--happy birthday, son! You make me so incredibly proud. You are a great guy; talented in so many ways. I can't believe it was 14 years ago when I held you in my arms as a newborn, only to have you stare at me with the expression,"What!?" I am thankful for the honor God has given me to be your father. See you in a few days.

Getting Ready to Go

I'm on a 36-hour break right now. I've spent last week in the field on a Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX). It's the last training event before getting ready to deploy. The deployment is still several months away, but this training event is our certification that we are ready to do the job that needs to be done.

It's a tough exercise. Trainers from Ft Leavenworth's Battle Command Training Center are here to help us by observing and assessing where we are at; how ready we are. We started last Sunday and paused the exercise yesterday afternoon. Afterwards we did a mid-point after action review to see where we're at in the process. By all accounts we are doing well.

I think my team is doing very well. I know I've been stretched personally and I've been tested by some difficult situations. It's stressful. There are lots of events going on simultaneously, and each one requires full attention and concentration in order to make the right decision.

In my job, people are relying on me and my Soldiers to make sound recommendations to the commander and then be prepared to put out accurate and effective messages about the unit's actions. The people of America deserve the best information we can provide them, and the command deserves for me to be on top of my game. So far I think we have upheld our part of the mission.

The exercise is based on a simulation of operations in the area of the country we're deploying to. As a member of the staff, we react to requests for information from the "media", publish command information products to the families "back home", prepare the commander and other leaders for engagements with Western and "foreign" media, and respond to misinformation, among other things.

The BCTP folks simulate media, foreign nationals, foreign leaders, etc.with role players who act out their part in the scenario. It makes it all very realistic.

We have one more week of the MRX starting tomorrow at about noon. Hopefully we can take the lessons learned from last week and make the improvements the BCTP observer/trainers have suggested.

Happy 234th Army Birthday!

Tonight was Ft. Stewart's Twilight Tattoo in celebration of the Army's 234th birthday which is this weekend. It was a wonderfully thrilling and patriotic event. The kind of event that makes your heart pump with pride. The 3rd ID band performed spectacularly, and the Soldiers who took the field represented all the tough and disciplined Dogface Soldiers in the division.

A tear rolled down my cheek when the band played "America the Beautiful". The commanding general, Maj. Gen. Cucolo offered a stirring, yet brief speech--it was aimed directly to the point. The Army is here, and always has been here, to defend our freedoms. To defend our nation. To defend our Constitution.

This was a great event, held by a great division, in honor of a great Army. I wish you all could be there. "Worth fighting for."

What do I do? Glad you asked...

One thing I really like about serving as an Army officer is the variety of duties I've been able to perform in my 17+ years of service.

I started my career as an aviator. I was trained to fly UH-1H and OH-58A/C/D helicopters. That, in itself, was unusual and exciting. I think it's fair to say that not many people have learned to fly, fly helicopters, under night vision goggles, at nap-of-the-earth altitudes, and fired a variety of aircraft-based weapons such as hellfire missiles, 2.75" rockets, Stinger air-to-air missiles, and .50 cal. machine guns. I mean, that is some cool stuff!

But then, in 2000 I was given the opportunity to move into public affairs. I now get the chance to tell the Army story.

This blog is not about that, really, but about my particular experiences in the Army and in life. However, being a public affairs officer (PAO) has brought me a whole new set of unusual and "wacky" experiences.

Now I routinely rub elbows with culturally powerful and influential people. Actors, journalists, musicians, politicians, singers, writers, filmmakers...these are the people that make my job unusual by Army standards. But I can say with sincere honesty that rarely have I met one of these "beautiful people" and were awed by their presence. The only cheesy photo I have is a shot of me with my arms around Randy Couture and Rich Franklin when they were visiting us in Iraq in 2006. I look at most of them as just ordinary people trying to do their job, just like me.

This year I've worked projects with Jake Rademacher (movie, "Brothers at War"), the TV show "Army Wives", a TV project with Ricky Shroeder, and another project for MTV. Each time I've interfaced with "famous" people. I try to be helpful and friendly in all of my actions...I want to my very best job in all that I do. I wonder if they are confused when we don't fawn all over them in the process?

The Hard Part

For people that haven't experienced military life, they probably wonder what aspect of the lifestyle is most difficult. Is it the training? The physical exertion and forced exercise regimen? Is it the long hours? Is it the very real possibility that your job could lead to a premature death?

In my personal experience, the most difficult thing is the separation from your family. From the moment Katie and I started our life together we've had long periods where we were separated by time and distance. The first five months of our marriage were apart as I continued with flight training and she finished school. Since that point in time we have routinely spent 2, 4, 8, 12 weeks apart. That just became a normal part of our life together. We hated the time away, but loved the reunions!

In 2005-2006 our family experienced the worst separation when I deployed with the 101st Airborne to Iraq. It was our longest time apart and the anxiety of not knowing how that long period of separation would feel brought the most concern to me. It definitely was not fun, but we survived. We're blessed because many military family relationships don't.

My boys are away right now visiting friends and relatives for the month. I won't see them for about four weeks. It stinks because I'm here--and in a few short months I won't be. I'll be deploying again. Back to Iraq. Again with the long year of separation bridged by email and 10-minute phone calls when you can get them.

I don't mind the hard training, the long work hours, the exhausting PT, or even the thought of sacrificing my life for the country I love...but I really don't like being without my beautiful family.

Crazy Dog Titus

We have a dog. His name is Titus. He is a puggle (pug/beagle mix). He is dumb.

I say that with the deepest affection for him in my heart, but I have to be real honest and admit that he just isn't too bright. I can't help but love him.

God knew what he was doing when he created the canine (duh,of course He knew what He was doing!). These creatures have the capacity to interact and communicate with us in the most amazing ways.

Titus is too fat to jump up on our bed. But on the days he wants to sleep with us, and not with one of the boys, he has his cues that say, "Lift me up there, I want to sleep with you guys!" Amazingly...we do it!

He tells us he's hungry, scared, uncomfortable, wants a walk, when he is content, wants to play fetch...all of that from one stupid little fuzzball.

In fact yesterday he even provided commentary on Katie's guitar playing. She's been playing for a few weeks now, and I think she's getting rather good. However, while practicing on the couch Katie noticed Titus burrowing his head under the layers of pillows and cushions to escape the objectionable sound. Maybe he's not so dumb after all.