Current Situation

Two and a half months since the last update and nary an excuse to show for it. We had a reasonable (if exceptionally crowded) flight from NY to Kuwait via Shannon, Ireland (have to make it back there sometime). Describing Ft. Drum in my opening post as the frozen wasteland at the base of Dante’s Hell was certainly an apt comparison and still stands, but Kuwait in all it’s barren glory certainly matches the typical western archetype of the infernal regions. Blazing sun morning to night, no shade anywhere outside of a building, and aside from a few small grasses I saw at the firing range, not a plant to be seen around the post.

We didn’t do too much there other than get acclimatized. Unfortunately, acclimatization seemed to include going to the firing ranges an awful lot. Wearing all that gear (shown earlier) and trudging through ankle deep sand at 120+ doesn’t do the body good – that’s all I’m going to say.

Soon enough however, we were crammed sardine style on another flight to Baghdad (possible photos to follow). The arrival was not too bad however, and it was a relief to find that Iraq has an actual climate – even the occasional cloudy day. I hear tell that they actually get a couple of rain showers in December. I’ll keep you posted on this development.

We took over from the previous unit without any real issues, sending an LA guard unit back to the remains of Katrina. My hopes and prayers go with those guys – out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Two months of routine is working pretty well right now. 12 hours a day, 1900-0700 – the night shift. You start developing habits, good and bad. After most of a month slacking, trying to get adjusted, I have my off-shift schedule down pretty well, including workouts after I finish my shift on most days. That and a movie or hour ½ of xbox normally ties up most of my non-sleeping time. Only a couple of actual days off since I arrived and none since Sept, but at least I’ve been given a few extra hours here and there. My MSG keeps me squared away.

Not too much reading done lately, but as my schedule has developed, I think I’ll be able to work in considerably more in the near future. Nothing big since I finished Quicksilver by Neal “Cryptonomicon” Stephenson in Kuwait. I’m really looking forward to digging out my Charles Williams novels pretty soon and starting them again.

The distraction keeping me from real reading right now is largely from studying for the board. On the first I go up for promotion to SGT. Looking forward to it, although it’s my first one. I was supposed to have gone before the board this summer for “soldier of the month” but never had the chance so it’s still a new experience, although I have gotten a little practice from some folks thankfully. Kinda weird how it’s not just what you know – appearance and bearing counts for as much or even more in some circumstances. Professionalism sure doesn’t hurt in any business.

Updates to follow.

Travel Time

I have no idea why it's taken me this long to get around to posting again. In truth, I think it's partly because I created this page to function primarily as an updater once I got deployed and I didn't have as much use for it in between. I've had delusions of eloquence and thoughts about using it to post reviews and other things but the limitations of the software and design don't allow for as much as I'd like. This next year may prove a good time to try building a site from scratch, but we'll see.

Sometime in the next few weeks I'll be heading over to the big sandbox. Hopefully I'll be able to post updates on my personal situation considerably more often. Beyond that subject however, you'll be better off checking the papers and TV for your information because it's not my place to stick it up here.

In the meantime, since it's been so long, I've got a few recent photos to put up -- though with my luck they'll end up above this post ;p

A Long Break

Well, this is what happens when you're gone for over a month. One little deployment and your schedule gets all messed up. Not that it was perfect before I left, but I definitely need to work on getting something regular. Perhaps regular posts on certain days of the week.

It was a short deployment. Just one month at the Joint Readiness Training Center (aka JRTC) in warm, sunny Fort Polk, Louisiana. Coming from Ft. Drum at the end of February, this place was heaven. Reminded me of what I'd been missing lately.

It was a good training schedule. It gave me a good opportunity to practice for "real" using the skills I'd learned in a field environment. I have a pretty good sense of what I'll be doing once I head overseas. Of course because they have such a short period to train with here, they pack it full -- each day in "the box" is roughly equivalent to a week or more (from recent events I'd say considerably more now) of real-time.

I did get the chance to get some more reading done, although not as much as I was hoping. 12 hour shifts keep you pretty busy and before and after the events, there was lots of packing, unpacking and additional training to handle. Still, I may try and get some little reviews done soon. I've started reading these old pulp reprints by certain authors and I've got to say that they are a pretty interesting change from a lot of what's being published currently.

All the same, I do plan on doing some other reviews sooner or later as well -- dvds, etc. We'll see.

I lied (sort of)

Oh well, so much for my much vaunted updates, photos, etc. happening before the next little training escapade. I'm leaving tomorrow for a month -- someplace much warmer thank heavens.

Almost certainly no posts for a month or so. When I get back however, I vow that sometime in the month of April there will be photos -- from last year and hopefully this next trip. Also a movie review/dvd comparison. Maybe even a book review. And definitely more quotes. Woohoo. I hope that whet someone's appetite.

I'll leave you fine folks with this little quote of the week to tide you over (who am I kidding):

"He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams."
-- Aunt May ("Spider-Man 2")

What is a Just War pt 2

Well, just today, I received some links to further articles on the topic -- these ones coming from more contemporary writers (than the ones referenced in the other article) -- that interestingly enough lead to the same conclusion as the article I posted previously.

Here's one from World Magazine originally written in 1999 in reference to Kosovo and since revised for the current situation

The second one is by theologian John Piper and gives a very good breakdown based on interpretation of a number of Bible passages including many from the Gospels.

Quote of the Week

A little more of Gilbert Keith Chesterton's wit and wisdom this week:

"The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a free man any more than a dog."

I hope to have a few more updates this week. I have some more photos in mind (as I mentioned last week), as well as some possible reviews and updates to previous posts. I may as well get some content in while I have a chance since I probably won't be able to update for the entire month of March.

What is a Just War?

Unfortunately, I don’t believe that I currently possess the necessary objectivity to answer this question. My choice of occupation at present, temporary though it is, would seemingly negate my ability to remedy this conundrum for the duration. Nevertheless, I do wish to learn more about the subject at hand.

Admittedly, my experience with this topic is limited despite my literary, theological and military leanings. I do recall reading passages from Augustine and Aquinas, but those were largely excerpts from reading assignments in college. Only now am I actually taking the time to try working through the complete (if abridged) City of God as I find the time – more often than not during field exercises.

At the same time, the magazine First Things has just placed on their website an article that I first read in their print magazine a couple of months ago on this specific issue. It presents a very interesting, balanced, relevant view on the subject and makes for fascinating reading. At the moment, I’m particularly interested in following up on some of the (to me) lesser known thinkers quoted, cited and referenced in the article. If anyone can suggest key works on or featuring Just War theory by William Ames, Hugo Grotius, or more recently Paul Ramsey and Michael Walzer, I’d appreciate it. (I realize the irony involved in this question since I already linked to amazon.com, but humor me – I like personal recommendations)

Further Updates

Well, those photos I published earlier were from our recent training exercise near Harrisburg, PA -- as referenced in my very first post. I may stick a few more up in the next few days after I check up on some stuff.

I may try posting a little movie review later this week. We'll see. It's taking me longer than I would have liked to get this site up the way I like it.

I also have some older photos from when I was in Arizona last year for AIT. I'll stick some of them up later this week.

Quote of the Week.

Prof. Farnsworth: "Hey, unless this is a nude love-in, get the hell off my property!"
Hippie: "You can't own property man."
Prof. Farnsworth: "I can, but that's because I'm not a penniless hippie."

-- Futurama episode "The Problem with Popplers"

Quote of the Week

"Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle." -- G.K. Chesterton

This is a little feature I've been thinking about for awhile. I'm not certain that the site format allows much else, though I need to sit down and explore it a little. This first quote is also one of many featured at The American Chesterton Society, and you'll probably see quite a bit more from there -- I really enjoy the man's writing.

I'll probably post some mini-reviews for books and movies as I come across them. I'll have some links up to other review sites that I enjoy, but I need the writing practice as well.

It's a start -- of sorts.

Understandably many folks may associate different places to which they've traveled with Hell -- that is to say, the nether regions, following a strictly Dantean cosmology. If this is assumed to be true, then Ft. Drum, NY must certainly be the 9th Circle -- at least during this dismal season. While I have yet to come across the frozen souls of Judas, Brutus and Alger Hiss, I have run across (and over) numerous poor souls buried to various degrees within the icy grasp of this fell place.

You may think me exaggerating, but any garrison based in such a locale where the weather experienced on a twice daily walk from the barracks to the dining facility causes one to reminisce about the previous two weeks in the field, which featured (among other regularities): temperatures consistently below freezing, winds gusting up to 50MPH, and poorly heated tents -- will not be held in high esteem by some people.