Another Interlude.. Just because it is my birthday!

Okay, so...  I have four kids, and I am married, but honestly, I have never understood the great need in celebrating the day one was either pushed through a vaginal canal, or cut out through the lower abdominal wall.  Maybe it is me, I don't know.  The simple fact of the matter is that I just as well have the day pass without mention at all.  I remember when I was deploying to Iraq.  We started pre-deployment training in August, just a couple weeks before my birthday, but I was happy when the day came and went without any acknowledgement from my comrades in arms.  However, as an individual in leadership positions in the Army, I always wanted to acknowledge others, especially when it came to their birthday.  Not sure what it is, but I never liked the attention.  I mention that in my book (Combat Support "The True Burden Of Sacrifice"), I just never like to be the center of attention, but now, now that I wrote a book and must try and market not just it, but myself.  Well, now is when I should learn to try and strive to get attention.  Frankly, my book will not sell itself.  I know this for a fact, It has been available in ebook format for 6 months, and just over a month in print.  Now, it has done, okay.  But who puts time and effort into any project and just wants it to be okay?  To be mediocre, and accept just being average.

I can't stand it, why do anything, anything in this world, and be content on the situation you are in, how well your business is producing, how good you are at your job, how well you treat other people? It should never be good enough, why?  Because being satisfied, well, being completely satisfied, that breeds contentedness, contentedness leads to what in many cases is one becoming stagnant.  And when this happens, well, it is hard to get rolling again and become credible and non-complacent.  It all comes down to what your goals are in life.  If I am happy being a middle class father living on middle class wages, then there would have been no need for me to advance my education, then no need for me to write a book that opens any reader up to all the failures of my life.  Here is where the largest motivator for leaving mediocre in the past and becoming relevant. 

But, it all comes back full circle, because relevancy for me, that is simply how my success is judged in the eyes of those who love me.  Not on the dollar amount that is deposited in the bank account at the end of each pay period.  Not in the significance of the Bronze Star form Iraq, or other various individual awards throughout my military career. Not in the number of books I sell on the one and only book I currently have published.  That is all simply icing on the cake.  And good thing about today, is that cake, well, I had it, and ate it too!



In Geisinger Medical Center's Neurosurgery Department
Balloons, confetti, and assorted decorations courtesy of my wife, Shannon
Thanks, babe!

Judge your success not on what others deem successful, but on what you know you can accomplish.  Never settle for second, and no matter what, always, always, be relevant to who and what you are.

So, happy birthday to me!  Because, there is no guarantee that I will accomplish this again next year.

 

The beginning of a soldierly career

Korea, I knew nothing of the country.  Well, almost nothing, my sister, who my parents brought into out family when I was around eleven, was from South Korea.  The journey to Korea was one I remember well, I was apprehensive, but excited.  Here I was, 22 years old, fresh out of Army entry training and heading to a country that to this day is still "technically" at war with it's northern brother.  

Had to postpone this blog entry, needed to watch "The Hunger Games" with the wife and little girls last night, time spent with my family is priceless, but that movie, well, I expected much more.  Either way, let me get back to Korea.

So, as I mention, I am just a little out of my element.  I am the whitest of white guys probably to ever walk the face of God's green earth, but here I was smack dab in the middle of a foreign nation.  Luckily, the locals are friendly with their foreign military tenants, well, most of the time.  I recall many occasions, of drunk Americans, causing a raucous in the local bars and clubs, enough that I am sure the locals would want certain individuals gone.  Now, the business owners outside of the major military posts in Korea must make a killing on drunk GIs, they are easy prey, easy targets to take advantage of.  I must confess, I may have been one of those guys once or twice, but I will save myself the embarrassment of explaining how in my blog.  However, if you talk to one or two individuals who know me well, they can tell you the details, although I would hope they wouldn't. 

The soldiers I served with in Korea were a great bunch, I spent the good portion of the first 3 months performing my duties as a line medic with Bravo Company, 1st of the 9th Infantry Regiment.  Then I was approached by my Platoon Sergeant, he explained that the Battalion Executive Officer (XO) was looking for a driver.  The battalion, knowing we were slightly over-strengthed on medics (or so I was told), requested someone form the medical platoon leadership.  That guy was me, after some serious thought and contemplation, I agreed to take the position.  It was interesting to say the least.  I drove for a guy named Scott Rutter, he was a Major then, but I understand he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.  He was very good at his job, very much fit the mold as an officer, probably as much as I do not fit the mold now, although I am making strides.  I drove his ass all over that country for a good portion of the year I spent in Korea, approximately 6 of those months were spent in the field for training, but as a driver, I had a pretty nice assignment.  Again, I explain this in some more detail in my book. 

Interesting year, more to follow on Korea.....

Check out my former Battalion XO's post-service commitment, worth looking at
Scott Rutter, LTC Ret.
http://www.scotterutter.com/

The creation of the American Soldier - Completion of training

I go into a little more detail in my book about basic training and advanced individual training, so I will spare the details here.  All I can say is I was happy, at that time, for the completion of what seemed like an unending journey that would never end.  It wasn't that it was all that difficult, I have said many times, to many people, that if I could get through basic and AIT, anyone could.  Now, I was in decent shape, but not in as good as shape as when I completed this training.  This would begin a stretch of four years where I would be in probably the best cardiovascular shape of my life, only because I was made to run, which, I will tell you now, I hate with a passion.  I still force myself to run, but only 15 minutes a day, I split my cardio workouts between running and the elliptical, 15 minutes each, that is all I can tolerate. 

The next step in those early years was to be "shipped" to my first duty station.  Isn't that interesting, how we refer to service members going overseas or on deployment, or changing duty stations as being "shipped." Like we are a piece of freight, most likely low end freight, that is packaged and sent somewhere to be unpacked an utilized as needed at a different location.  I guess in the grand scheme of things this is actually how we can be categorized, same as the initials G.I. or general issue.  My general issue was the clothing and equipment I initially collected upon entering the military, but to Uncle Sam, we are his new possession, his general issue, ready for use and service. 

My first duty station was South Korea, I would go home for a week and then head overseas, to Camp Hovey, home of the 1st of the 9th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), part of the 2nd Infantry Division.  There was a great sense of accomplishment, but in all honesty, I was still a E1 (private), and I didn't know shit. Actually, I can't even begin to explain how much I didn't know, I could march, and perform the basic soldier skills, but there was a long way to go.  I would learn during that year in Korea what it means to train, half the year would encompass training, the other half, well, that would be garrison time, and when we were off on weekends, or on pass, it was time to have some fun.

I was off to The Republic of Korea, a place where I would meet many great Americans I still have enormous respect for.  And a place where I would learn the roads like I knew the ones back home in Danville, PA.

Interlude continued.....

These days working as a Neurosurgery physician assistant (PA) really takes a toll physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Long hours and exhausting days in the OR, clinic, on the floor, or a combination of the three.  Have very little energy or resolve to post anything tonight, actually, I have very little resolve to try and think at all, trying to rest all the neurons so I might get them firing at a decent rate for work tomorrow.  Good thing about today is that it is Wednesday, and Friday is approaching with haste.  Unlike my post Monday night, where I was literally hitting all the wrong letters on the keyboard, it seems my fine motor function is somewhat better tonight.  Think I need to start a blog about being a Neurosurgery PA, think I will start it this weekend, yes, I will.

So, since writing this book, I got a twitter account, joined LinkedIn, Updated my profiles everywhere, started to build a web page (not even close to finished), and I am slowly trying increase the awareness of Combat Support "The True Burden Of Sacrifice."  It is a slow process, without being a big name author, or having a huge publishing company behind you, it is difficult to get noticed.  Hell, if my book was completed in crayon, had 10 pages, and my name was Kim Kardashian, I would have sold a million copies by now, but my name is not Kim, nor am I as appealing to look at.   I certainly am happy with my sales, but a million is a long way off, but it is possible.  So, this brings me to one simple question that I am pondering this very instant.  Why do I want this book to be successful?  I'll explain.

This book is simply a complete gut wrenching, mind dumping, detehtering of all the secrets I ever had in life.  It exposes all of my life, good, bad, and the ugly for all to see.  It has also been very therapeutic and soul cleansing for me, not only has it helped me close the door on a deployment to Iraq over 6 years ago, but it also tells a story unlike any available today.  There is no heroic deeds, no 150+ confirmed kills, or stories of being blown up by roadside bombs multiple times.  The portion of the book that pertains to the deployment is a true and unedited look inside the mission assigned to one soldier and his team for 12 months in Iraq.  It exposes the longing for family, the anticipation of a return home, but mostly the desire, determination, pride, loyalty, and selflessness to complete the mission assigned at the highest level with honor.  Then it exposes the uneasiness experienced by the whole family upon my return home, and explores what I determine to be the true burden of sacrifice....  I owed it to my wife and children to tell and share this story.  I am hoping it puts me in a position to give back, mostly to my fellow Veterans, but also to their families in the future.

It is a book worth exploring, it is a story worth sharing.

P.S.
If anyone knows a good, expediant way to build a web page, please share it with me.

Interlude

Need a break from discussing books and becoming a soldier.   I know, I know, I am barely into it, but bear with me and I will get back to it in the next day or so.  What I want to discuss for a few minutes, or seconds (reading this most likely will be much quicker than writing it) is the state of the nation as we head into a very important election.  As an officer in the US Army, I certainly will not express my personal choice or discuss how I feel one candidate  better than the other.  I have been around long enough to know that we are simply choosing the lesser of two evils, not that either candidate is truly evil.  That is just a play on words, like the right and left play on the citizens of this country.  Too many people are without true thoughts of their own, so they tend to migrate, right or left, and once they get there, they tend to stay and like a lemming will follow the fringe of the political parties off a cliff if led in that direction.

Yes, I am saying we are lemmings, too enthralled by what we see on the TV (there is a reason my grandfather called it the "boob" tube) to think that those spreading the word of the far left or far right could be wrong.  So we continue along, walking along, oblivious to all that is going on outside of our little far left or far right worlds, unable to think for ourselves.  Meanwhile, men, and women serving this nation, go to foreign nations placing their lives on the line for the souls of other countries, other civilizations, others that do not necessarily believe in the freedoms that we as citizens have grown to cherish and love, and expect.  So, the political talking heads continue their unending bobble heading to the special interest groups, and big donors, and so the little guys stuck under their thumbs, doing their bidding on foreign soil, sometimes pay the price.

Too many times politics has left those doing the bidding of politicians, hanging out to dry.  Unable to complete their missions effectively because we have to bring political correctness into the combat zone so we don't offend someone or hurt their feelings.  Well, in war, feelings get hurt, and people die.  Sometimes those people are innocent, but remember on our soil, nearly eleven years ago, innocent blood was shed thousands of times over.  The war in Afghanistan started with the world trade centers, it should end when we have completed the job, and we can safely say our nation is safer due to the lives, time, money, and hard work we dedicated to the mission there.

On to Syria..  God knows the UN and NATO will not have the balls to do anything.

The Idea For a Book - Part 5

So, as it happens, this is not the first book I ever wanted to write.  Actually, it isn't the first book I started to write, but it just happens to be the first book I completed from front to back, cover to cover.  The first book I started to write, I started when I was 18, lets just say, that has been on the shelf for a very long time, nearly 20 years.  However, if I pursue another novel, it will surely be that one, and thankfully, all the other projects I have begun, or have wandering around my cerebral cortex in some capacity, are all fiction!  Thank the Lord.  Unfortunately that is where these stories mainly reside, inside my head, waiting for a time when I decide to clean off the shelf and put it all on paper.  But, like my yard at this very moment, that sits awaiting a long overdue mowing, these stories wait for a time and situation where I can complete them and make them whole.

If you are sitting there thinking, "I have a great story to tell." Well, I don't know what you are waiting for, there are so many options for publishing that the chances for success are relatively good for  a well put together piece of prose.  I guess I don't have much room to talk, it took me over 20 years from the beginning of my "dream of writing," until I actually completed my first full length novel.  Regardless, if your only 12, or 63, if you want to write to get published, you just need sit down, prioritize your goals in the present, and get it done.  Understandably, it is difficult in today's world, with busy schedules, family (if you have one), and all the other nuances in life that we preoccupy our minds with, it is easy to get side tracked.  But, life is short, so get a move on!

One good way to organize the thought of a story is to create an outline, something that will give you structure to follow as you progress through your novel towards it's end.  I will be doing this for my next several novels, that is if I ever complete them, but then again, I wouldn't be following my own advice, and that just would not be right.  So, as soon as I get a few more of my educational goals complete, I will take the step and begin where I left off on my first novel.  I don't even have a title for it.  Hmm, I need to think about that. 

Three European settlers teaming up to find a location to lay roots in the new world, the first, the leader, the second, the scientist, the third, the man of God.  Along the way they face not only real world danger from the surroundings for which they travel, but also the dangers from that which plagues their minds, the weaknesses that each has engraved into their DNA is exploited by something that is of this world, but only plays to them in their dreams.  Well, it is a work in progress, I will update progress, if it ever comes.

For now, this project is complete and available:
Combat Support "The True Burden Of Sacrifice"
Check out the Facebook Page and follow me on Twitter

The creation of the American Soldier - Initiation part 5 (91B School)

My Advanced Individual Training (AIT) was located in the beautiful city of San Antonio, Texas.  Home to the Riverwalk and a night life that is vivid and energetic.  However, most of my time would not be spent strolling the streets of San Antonio, but rather engrossed in the education and training it takes to become a Combat Medic.  The Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) back in 1997 when I attended was 91B, that MOS has slowly morphed into what is now the Health Care Specialist, 68W.  Currently, in the present, 68W must pass and maintain the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (Basic) to stay qualified in their MOS.  When I went through 91B school, that was not a requirement, but the training has not changed dramatically, although there have been more advanced medical skills slowly integrated into the Health Care Specialist MOS. 

The time at Fort Sam Houston was somewhat like at Leonard Wood in Missouri.  We still had to live the regimented lifestyle of being in a training environment.  I recall many drill instructors in basic saying we would be living in two man rooms, with TV, and it would be more like a 9-5 job.  There is no such thing in the military, don't listen to anyone that tells you that.  There may be certain guidelines they try to follow for closing business at the end of a work day, but you are never off, only when you have left post and are home on leave.  And even then, they can reach out and snatch you if needed.  But still, the military is a great life for many.  And many make great careers out of it and accomplish extraordinary achievements during service.

Those few months in Texas were meaningful and the training was good, and again, they did everything in their power to make each soldier successful.  However, as much cerebral power as it took to get through basic training, it took ten times that to make it through the Combat Medic school.  Not everyone can be a medic, or in military intelligence, or go to a military linguist school.  There are certain cutoff scores within the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test that need to be exceeded in order to be accepted into certain schools, they do not fill those slots with anyone, but the intellectual standards are not extremely difficult to meet.

This would be another situation in life where I would be put into situations that were very uncomfortable, but were necessary to become competent at all the skills taught.  We learned to stick IVs on each other, how to give intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal injections, how to assess medical casualties and how to assess trauma casualties, along with many, many other basic medical skills from measuring vital signs to splinting extremities after injury.

It certainly prepared me for my first duty station, but it didn't prepare me to understand medicine, that would come many years later.