Promotion, Better Than Relegation!

Yesterday I was promoted to Major in the United States Air Force.  The ceremony was on Sunday, the last day of July, but the "official" day of promotion was yesterday.  The rank of Major is a milestone in the military because it represents a step up from the "company grade" ranks to the "field grade" ranks.  This is supposed to represent the increased leadership responsibilities and burden as an officer progresses through a career.

This was the third time I've been promoted in the military (the first three are pretty regularly scheduled, 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant at two years, 1st Lieutenant to Captain two years later, and Captain to Major about 6 years later), and the second time I've been promoted in a war zone.  Each time I've been promoted I've been lucky to have someone I care about perform the ceremony.

My first promotion happened the day before I left Kuwait in 2003.  Mission Accomplished had been declared in OIF, and we had no clue what kind of hornet's nest had been stirred up.  I was at the end of a 190-day deployment, which back in those days was really an anomaly.  I remember being happy to have the ceremony in front of the Airmen that I served with in Kuwait, and having my good friend Derek administer the oath.  I also remember thinking I was cool for not having my squadron commander, who was not well liked, promote me.  I've grown up a bit since then...

The second promotion of my career happened on one of the best weekends of my life, Memorial Day Weekend 2005.  I married Ashley on the 29th, and her father promoted me to Captain on the 30th.  It was very impressive to see him put on his Army Service Dress more than 10 years after he'd retired, looking like he could step right back into command.

Even though those two ceremonies were very special, I think it will be hard to top this one.  My previous boss in Korea, a 3-star general, was able to connect to our building via Video Teleconference and officiate my promotion as about 30 of my colleagues looked on, and my mom and dad watched over Skype.  What's even cooler is that when Ashley's computer died, my dad was able to connect to her on his cell phone, which usually has worse service than in the Sudan, and she could hear the remarks from my old boss coming from a conference room on the other side of the world.  It was a very special ceremony because I had the people who mattered the most there, even if they were there via Skype.  I never cease to be amazed when I think about how people dealt with separation during World War I and II, Vietnam, and even the first Gulf War.  My generation is truly lucky to not be burdened by the utter loss of communication when they are away from their loved ones.

I plan to post at least 3 more times over the next week, and then I'll go quiet for a bit because I'm moving to a new base.  Until the next time, stay safe...

The Cycle of Violence

It seems like months since I posted last, but it's really only been 18 days.  I understand that is a long time to go without a blog entry from me, so I understand your excitement to have a new post to read.  I must beg your forgiveness for the absence, although it hasn't really been my fault.  Unfortunately the power adapter on my laptop (which was a replacement of the original) finally gave up the ghost on me, and I had to order a new one from the Interwebs.  Thankfully there was nothing else wrong with the laptop (besides the fact that the mike doesn't work and the speakers are losing strength, but I digress) and when I plugged in the new adapter it sprung to life.

Since my last post a lot has happened.  The 4th of July came and went, the US Women's team made an inspirational run to the World Cup Final, Albert Pujols broke his wrist and healed, and Darren Clarke won The Open.  Of course, Clarke literally just finished winning The Open, and our USA women are getting ready to take the field, so hopefully I don't curse them by mentioning the team here.

For one reason or another, this was my first 4th of July spent deployed.  In my previous deployments I've been lucky enough to miss most of the summer.  Not so much on this go round.  We were given a "minimal manning" day, which meant we got the afternoon off and were able to relax a little bit.  The DFAC (dining facility) put out a pretty good spread, hanging up all kinds of red, white, and blue bunting, American flags on all the tables, things like that.  I always wonder what the contractors who work in the DFAC think about our American holidays (they are almost all Third Country Nationals from Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, etc).  It also gives me cause for reflection.  Will Iraq ever have a day they celebrate as their "Independence Day"?  What will this country be like in 10, 20, or 50 years?  If you look at our history, we didn't just spring from 1776 to the world's lone superpower.  We have several moments in our history that we shouldn't be proud of.  I wonder if the current insurgent violence and illegal militias in Iraq are a sign of their own troubled times, or a permanent state of struggle that will take decades to change.  Speaking in terms of the World Cup, one can only hope that in 65 years, Iraq could be playing Kuwait in soccer at a field in Iran, with all three countries at peace.

Of course, I also reflect on the state of our own country.  I see and hear bits and pieces of the "Debt Crisis" debates and it really just depresses me.  I think our founders would shake their heads in disbelief if they could see how poisonous our politics have become.  It's really too bad that those in Washington can't remember the spirit of 1776 and how people of all political stripes, from liberal northeasterners, to plantation born southerners, and frontier folks who had already begun exploring the west came together and signed a document that would have had them all hanged had the war turned out differently.  We can be great again, but it's not happening anytime soon with our current representation.

By now, you're wondering what in the heck the title of my post means.  You've read this far, probably hoping for some juicy description of killing bad guys, or cracking down on militant religious fanatics.  Unfortunately, the Cycle of Violence refers to a process I've been deeply involved in over the past 3 weeks, called the Joint Plans and Operations cycle.  Anytime there is a big decision to be made by the USF-I Commanding General (4-star General Lloyd Austin), a briefing has to be developed and delivered to the Joint Plans and Operations Group, a room full of Colonels chaired by a 1-star who pick the briefing apart, ask a lot of questions, and decide whether it is good enough to go forward.  If it is, the briefer goes back and makes changes and then briefs another group, this time called the Joint Plans and Operations Council, a room full of one and two star generals chaired by two 3-stars.  These guys are the Deputy Commanding Generals for USF-I, and they do the same thing as the previous group, from a more strategic perspective.  If the briefing passes their scrutiny the briefer is cleared to take it to the Joint Plans and Operations Huddle, a small group of generals with a colonel or two in the CG's office.  The briefer delivers the brief one on one with the 4-star and if he approves, it is then briefed again, one final time, at the Joint Plans and Operations Board, the full complement of USF-I leadership.  The CG usually makes his decision at that time.  My involvement with this mind numbing process was building each version of the brief for my Colonel boss to give at each level.  I can't tell you what the decision was about, but it was a very interesting process, and it taught me a lot about how the Army operates.  We're a "Joint" community (meaning we have Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine forces in USF-I), but most of the processes have Army roots.

I wasn't planning on boring everyone describing that process, but Ashley said I should, so if it sucked, blame her.  If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch the USA take down Japan.  Until next time...

What I'm Reading and What I Wish I Was Watching Vol 1

I've been getting a lot of reading done.  I walk for 45-60 minutes every morning first thing (walking at an incline at a heart rate of about 60% of your max in a fasted state is fueled almost exclusively by fat, a great perk if one is trying to get to single digit bodyfat), and as I walk, I read my Kindle.  I also read for 15-20 minutes each night before going to sleep.  I thought I would take a few minutes each month to let you know what's in my Kindle, in case you're looking for reading ideas.  I'll tell you a bit about what the book is about, and what I think of it.


Reading
Sovereign: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery - C.J. Sanscom
     This is the third Matthew Shardlake novel, a series of books set in Tudor England about the adventures of a hunchbacked lawyer working for low level nobility in the employ of Henry VIII.  This author was introduced to us by Suzy, our neighbor in England, and Ashley and I enjoy his books a lot.  They're very well researched historical fiction, and interesting mysteries without being too procedural.  I'm in the middle of this one now, and it's outstanding so far.  I also have the next two books on my Kindle ready to go when I get to them.  So far, I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 "Murder She Wrotes".

The Five Love Languages:  The Secret to Love that Lasts - Gary Chapman
     This book was recommended to me by Brandon, the guy I replaced.  He and his wife (married just over a year) used it to help themselves communicate while he was away.  Obviously Ashley and I have been through this a couple of times before, and we've been married 6 years now (Wow!) but I thought it would be neat to read this together in stages and discuss a chapter a week on the phone.  It has little "Your Turn" moments at the end of each chapter where you apply what you've read to your own marriage.  The Five Languages are:  Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.  The idea is that each of us has a primary love language, and if our spouse learns to communicate with us in that language, our love tanks will be fuller.  The idea is fantastic, and a lot of the ideas he gives will be great to use when I get home.  The book has also lead to some good discussions.  I highly recommend this to all couples, married or not, it can only help your relationship.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 "Stuart Smalleys".   Oh wait, I'm sorry, that's 4.5 out of 5 "Senator Stuart Smalleys".

The End of Overeating:  Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite - David Kessler
     By now you can tell that I like to intersperse my reading for pleasure with reading for spiritual or mental growth.  This book was recommended on the fitness website I mention below, and it was only $2.99 on Kindle, so I got it.  It starts off a bit slow and sciency, but if you hang through that part it has fascinating insights on why we can't resist eating things that we know aren't good for us, even when we know we'll regret it later.  The author gives some great guidance on how to change your habits, and possibly change your future health.  It was fascinating for me learning more about the inner workings of the human psyche when it comes to food, but it didn't really tell me anything I didn't know about what to eat, when, and what was good and not good for me.  I give this one 3 out of 5 "Richard Simmons".

Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin
     I started these books because the HBO series looked like something right up my alley (medieval setting, kings, knights, battles, etc) kind of like Braveheart, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven all rolled up into one 13 hour movie (and that's just the first season!).  If you're a fan of fantasy books or medieval writing (Tolkien, Eddings, Brooks, Jordan, King, etc) then this series is for you.  Fair warning though, I bought a four book set on Kindle thinking it was complete and it turns out that book five comes out in two weeks, and there are two more planned after.  Curses!  If you know me well, you know my saga with Roland and his ka-tet, and how I suffered for ten years to see their adventures concluded.  Because of that I can't give the books perfect marks, but I can still give them 4.5 out of 5 "Dark Towers".

The Accidental Guerilla:  Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One - David Kilcullen
     This was an interesting, insightful look into how to best fight a war against extremists of one sort or another.  As interesting as it was, it was also depressing because the techniques Kilcullen outlines are hard to execute without cooperation from the people you're trying to help, and because the timelines to deliver effective, noticeable aid are so long.  I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone who wasn't planning a vacation to Afghanistan, but it really hit the mark with what it was trying to accomplish.  It gets 3.5 out of 5 "Lawrence of Arabias".

Bossypants - Tina Fey
     This is a hilarious autobiography of one of the funniest, most talented women in entertainment.  There were several bona fide laugh out loud moments, and her story is pretty inspiring.  There's definitely something for everyone here, and it made me want to go back and watch every episode of her series 30 Rock.  It also made me want to go see the Second City comedy troup in Chicago.  When I get back, Ashley and I are coming to visit, Kate and Pete, and we want to go!  In fact, because Tina Fey is also an unabashed feminist, I'm going to give this book 4.5 out of 5 "Kate Richards Endicotts".

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
     I read this series right before I left, so I'm not sure it counts.  Plus, it's aimed at young adults, specifically girls in their late teens (I think).  That said, these three books are phenomenal looks at a post-apocalyptic society in which a country resembling the United States is divided into 12 districts.  These districts are required to send one boy and one girl to compete in the Hunger Games each year as punishment for a revolt started by the 13th district, which was obliterated by the Capital.  I know, it sounds pretty hokey and science fictiony, but it's a very powerful story, with fantastic characters.  The books are also being made into movies, the first of which is due out in early 2012, so you have a few months to get on board.  You won't regret it.  I give this series 5 out of 5 "Mad Maxes".

www.grantland.com - Bill Simmons, et al
     This is a brand new website founded by my favorite sportswriter, Bill Simmons (ESPN's The Sports Guy).  He's rounded up a group of talented authors who will give their takes on all things pop culture, from sports and music to movies and TV.  I think it has something for everyone, and I check back every few days for updates.  Looking forward to great things.  It's also nice because ESPN.com is blocked at work for some reason, so this is my only outlet for The Sports Guy.

Thomas Friedman
     Everyone following this blog is aware of my man crush on Thomas Friedman, so we'll just move on.  You can find his pieces on the New York Times' website, or frequently posted on my Facebook wall.

Peter King
     Hopefully less controversial than Thomas Friedman, Peter King writes Sports Illustrated's "Monday Morning Quarterback", a weekly look into professional football, as well as some off the wall observations and commentary.  He's a great source for all things NFL, and I like his writing style.

Fareed Zakaria
     Oh here we go again, more political stuff.  I think Zakaria and Friedman are two of the most important voices we have in the media today, and I think if a few more Members of Congress listened to them and thought about how to implement some of their ideas, even while keeping them within the fabric of their political party, we'd all be a lot better off.

www.t-nation.com
     This is my go-to website for fitness and nutrition info.  I've been following it for over 8 years now, and it's *FREE* advice and articles have helped me and many of my friends learn a lot about some pretty complex stuff.  If you're thinking about starting a new fitness program, a new diet, want some awesome protein products, or just want to look at pretty girls (they have a Fitness Athlete page), this is the place for you.

Well, I wish I could review the titles below, but that's kind of the point of the post.  I can't!  Of course, I could probably by a bootleg copy of all these and watch them on my computer, but summer movies are the kind that need to watched on a gigantic screen with the volume set to 11, so I'll just have to wait until I get home to see these.  Anyone have any recommendations to add to the list?  (Don't list anything that's not out yet, I'll update my list as things are released)

Wish I Was Watching
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean IV
Hangover Part II
Super 8
Transformers III
Game of Thrones (HBO)

Hope you enjoyed this post...I enjoyed writing it and reflecting on all I've read and what I have to read.  I'll probably do this once a month and keep you up to date on my literary travels!  Until next time...

Attitude Check

I've been on the ground here in Iraq for almost 2 months, and I've had some time to "take the temperature" of the people responsible for conducting "the greatest movement of man and material" since Vietnam.  Hmmm, I just put two phrases in quotes in the same sentence!  I forget if that is poor form or not.  Does anyone know if Mrs. Thompson is following this blog?

Consider that we have approximately 47,000 troops and 10,000 pieces of equipment to move off 60 bases in 7 months.  Put another way, there are close to 190 days until 31 December 2011, the last legal date for military forces to be in country, which means we have to close a base almost every 3 days for 7 months to get home.  Quite a daunting task, isn't it?

For the most part, people are fairly calm about the workload.  There are many plans in place that are being shaped, tweaked, and modified to account for new information.   The senior leaders have more important things on their minds right now than looking at passenger lists and packing schedules, confident that when the time to get going gets here, we're going to get going.  You ask what could be on their minds that is more important?  Well, for one thing this country is still in the fledgling stages of being able to take care of itself.  Not a single day goes by where there aren't double digits of civilians killed by insurgents, and there is no way to know how deep external influences from countries and organizations unfriendly to the USA and our efforts run here.  If leadership had the choice between an orderly, timely, and responsible drawdown with more Iraqi casualties and a lower chance of future success, and a chaotic, rushed departure leaving lots of materiel behind but a more secure environment, they'd take the second option.

Those who are not as comfortable with the process worry about the sheer volume of stuff that has to roll out of here, along with the mass of people and their stuff that goes with it.  One base that closed already kept its US Post Office open until a week before the closure, and on the last day they had a line going out the door around the building, and they did $12,000 worth of business in a single day.  That's how much crap the people who are deployed here have brought with them, had shipped here, or accumulated while here.  The obvious, if uncomfortable answer, is that hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars of equipment and material will just be left behind for the Iraqis to use.  Most of it would cost more to move back home than it is worth, and the rest just won't be high enough priority to get moved.

My refrain is that we're going to have a timely and responsible drawdown, even if we have to redefine the words timely and responsible.  It really bothers me to see the waste of taxpayer resources, but that's the way it is.  It will just be the last round of drinks on this 8+ year bar tab we've been running...

The USO

For today's post I want to talk a little bit about the United Service Organization, or USO.  On previous deployments I haven't really taken advantages of the services they offered.  The concerts weren't that appealing, no one very interesting seemed to come to visit the locations I was at, and I didn't really get what they did.  I thought the best thing about them was that they provided service members a place to sit and relax in airports while waiting on an airplane.  Their airport lounges are awesome, with free snacks and drinks, books, movies, telephones, the whole nine yards, all free to service members.  Some airports are better than others, but they all make you feel very welcome and at home.

Here in Iraq the USO has really stepped up its game in the past few years.  For example, about a week after I got here, Toby Keith came to town.  He gave a great show, even though the base was hit with rockets literally 5 minutes before he took the stage.  A lesser entertainer might have not come on stage, but he did, and basically called out the insurgents for shooting rockets when he was trying to put on a show.  Toby sang all my favorites (I know a lot of people don't like him, but I think most of his stuff is pretty good, especially his older songs).  He sang a couple that I'd never heard before that had a particular relevance.  Here are the links to YouTube if you want to listen:

The Ballad of Balad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdHLYn8b4PA

The Taliban Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BttTesmLglc

They were even better live, surrounded by people who have lived these songs for the past 10 years.

Aside from bringing guys like Toby Keith to the theater, the USO has areas set up in our passenger terminals where people getting ready to travel can jump on the internet, watch a movie, play video games, or even call home for free.  Before I left for Al Udeid I was able to call my mom and dad from the phones and it was nice not having to watch the clock like I do in the office during morale calls, and not having to use a phone card.  So, I'm glad I started taking advantage of the USO, and if you ever wondered what they did or what their purpose was when you saw the signs in the airport, now you know.

They're really some great Americans.  My next post will be about the mood I've observed regarding drawdown.  Until then...

Odds and Ends

Wow, can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post.  The time does fly when you're having fun...or when you're stuck in Groundhog Day.  I'm going to use this post to catch up on a few topics that people have asked about, then try to post again this weekend, and going forward shoot for two posts per week.  I would also like to know what does and doesn't interest you, or what topics you'd like me to explore.

Bin Laden
Some in my family have asked what I think of the fact that we finally got Osama Bin Laden.  I will definitely never forget where I was when I heard the news.  I had been here for about 4 days and was supposed to meet the guy I replaced for breakfast.  As I was getting ready to leave my CHU I had the TV on, and while flipping the channels I came across the live broadcast of some cable news show.  It was past 11 pm in the States, and the footage was of a crowd of people standing outside the White House chanting U-S-A and singing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America.  It almost gave me goosebumps and made me feel triumphant.  9/11 happened just two months after I came on active duty, so nearly my entire career has happened with the global war on terror as a backdrop.  Finding out that we had finally taken down the man who was behind numerous attacks and American deaths finally brings that opening chapter to a close.  However, when I look back at how we spent the 10 years since the attacks, it makes me sad that we as a country didn't use the opportunity to unite more than we did.  Sure, the months after 9/11 were some of the most patriotic of my lifetime, and the way we quickly dealt with the Taliban and Al Qaeda was inspiring to say the least, but I think we lost our way a little bit after that and have been working to get back on track ever since.  Here's hoping that during the next ten years we're able to focus our time and money within our borders, so that my kids, and their kids, will continue to know what it means to improve on the standard of living passed down from their parents.

Travel
So far while I've been in Baghdad I've taken three trips.  I've been to Balad and Al Asad Air Bases in Iraq, and I'm sitting at a desk in Al Udeid, Qatar writing this piece.  You can look these bases up on Google and learn lots, so I won't go into much detail, but being able to see the amount of time and effort spent to secure this country and give it a chance to foster a democratic society has been eye opening.  I'm not sure that the Iraqis can handle it yet, I think too many of their powerful men are seeking power for their own good, to hold onto as long as possible, instead of with a goal of making life better for their people.  Unfortunately I don't know if I think we should continue to be here spending billions of borrowed money to ensure their success.  It's a very tough problem, one that would be hard enough to solve without the additional outside forces trying to force the country to come unglued from within.  One thing I can say is that a tiny percentage of America's youth is coming of age on these bases, and it makes me proud to serve beside them.  I wish more people in America knew what it meant to serve.  If there were more veterans and engineers in government than lawyers (sorry Ashley!) and businessmen, I think our country would be in much better hands.

Diet and Exercise
By far the biggest benefit of being deployed is being able to save lots of money, as well as earn money free of federal income tax.  But the second biggest benefit is the ample availability of gym time and top notch nutrition.  Each day I eat an egg white omelet with mixed peppers and onions, 3 hard boiled eggs, and some fruit for breakfast.  Lunch and dinner are either chicken or turkey with broccoli and other vegetables, or chicken, mixed peppers, onions, and broccoli stir fried together with a bit of soy sauce.  The fruits and veggies are very fresh, and everything is delicious.  It's costing the taxpayer about $30 a plate, so I always try to get my money's worth.  Also, I'm sure most of you know that there's no drinking allowed.  These two factors allow me to get the best out of the 2+ hours I spend every day in the gym, and I'm already starting to notice some big changes in my body.  I really can't wait to see what the next 6 months brings!

No CHUsing Roommates

I'm sure most of you are wondering what the living conditions are like over here.  They are actually surprisingly good, although you might expect that after being here eight years.  We've certainly sunk enough money into this country to at least have decent lodging!  The vast majority of people live in a CHU (Containerized Housing Unit), which is a 25 foot long, 10 foot wide, 8 foot tall box with one door, one air conditioner, and one ceiling light, two beds, and at least two wall lockers for storing stuff in.  Most people use their lockers as the dividing line between their spaces, and over the years they have accumulated TVs, fridges, desks, lamps, etc.  Some of the Army soldiers here on one year tours really spruce up their areas, adding flat screen TVs, carpets, and even barbeque grills outside (you can buy all this stuff at the Base Exchange, even meat for the grill).  My roommate is Chris, an Army Captain who volunteered to come back on active duty after he separated a year or two ago.  He's an Engineer officer as well, although that means something different over here.  When he was here last, two or three years ago, his job was to do route clearance.  Pretty much the most dangerous job in Iraq.  These guys drive in armored vehicles ahead of convoys looking out for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and even trying to get themselves blown up so that their buddies behind don't have to.  He's been blown up six times, and I think he actually enjoyed it.  He likes to fly hang gliders, climb mountains, and ride motorcycles, so his lifestyle is pretty extreme.  I tried explaining that I think it's perfectly fine to climb down a mountain after taking the trouble to climb up, but he would prefer to jump off and fly down.
Although he's a really nice guy, we don't see a lot of each other because he works nights.  Since I'm at work all day we don't even overlap except for briefly in the morning sometimes when he's coming home from work and I'm leaving.  I love it, because I'm a light sleeper and in the past I've had roommates who made it a nightmare to get to bed and stay asleep.  I don't envy him working nights, but I think it works out for both of us.  Here's my bed.  A huge upgrade over the one in Qatar, wouldn't you agree?

And this is where I sit to compose these missives:

Eventually I will have to move out as we continue our efforts to close down our bases.  Hopefully I will be promoted before then so I can possibly have a room to myself.  One of the perks of rank is that you sometimes get to live alone.  Well see what happens...until next time.