Sitting in a class of young junior officers makes me feel like a relic. They are so young and full of energy and they represent the future of the Army. The average time in service for most of these men and women is around 4 years, yet over 70% of them have already served in a combat zone. They are veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq, and a few of them have even served in both theaters. These are men and women who have led soldiers in battle and it makes me proud that they are wearing the same uniform that I am.
My stay here in Missouri is infinite according to the powers above me. Actually, it can’t exceed 545 days, but for the most part, no one can give me a definite time line of when I will be departing here and where I’ll be going. Ah... the life of a mushroom... kept in the dark and fed crap. In the meantime the LT and I are attending refresher classes at the schoolhouse. It is suppose to familiarize us with our branch specific skills that we might have lost while we were out. I find myself again being the center of unwanted attention as folks come up and ask me why I’m here. It’s also tough to call the small group leaders, who are majors, “sir” when they didn’t even get their commission until two years after me. It’s very surreal, but at least the amenities here are much better than they were at Benning. I finagled myself into the officer’s quarters and have my own room, my own shower, and best of all, no one snoring next to me. Life is good! Well, except for the cold. I don’t like the cold. Have I whined enough about that yet? No? Well, I’m going to complain while I can because I know that in a few months from now, I’ll be grumbling about how freaking hot it is.
Pics of my room at Morelli Heights
Spartan, but much better than the bays
1 comment:
Life is about extremes. Extreme cold and then Extreme HOT!. Extreme sleeping conditions and then a room to your self. THAT's JUST NOT RIGHT! You are in the Army aren't you? They need to desegregate like real life....
Post a Comment