august:
02nd
staff duty
08th
KARLA's b-day
10th
JOHARA's b-day
11th
TANYA's b-day
13th
IRIS' b-day
14th
staff duty
16th
staff duty
26th
staff duty
28th
NICK's b-day
31st
MARILOU's b-day
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SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST 2006
11:58-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."
-- Hebrews 03 : 13
"Little Is Much"
Downhere
What is the measure of a life well-lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures
Little is much when GOD's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when GOD's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much
Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers
Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have
Little is much when GOD's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when GOD's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST 2006
9:58-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
-- Romans 15 : 13
My fourth Staff Duty shift for the month started with mass confusion. But I'm no stranger to trying to manage incoming calls and requestsat the desk; it seems as though I'm always on duty when something goes wrong or I have to get ahold of several people in the space of a few minutes. This time a higher echelon called down to request an NCO and Officer up at the Post Headquatersfor duty; naturally each of the three (03) companies claimed they did not have the duty today. It was a change which did not reach the Battalion so there was a lot of calling and moving of personnel from one (01) duty desk to another and so on and so forth. I stayed put here and played referee and operator. Now things are calm. I always earn for the night hours when there areno phone callsand nobody comes in asking questions, I'm free to work on the things I need to accomplish. So far I've created what I think is a good matrixto use in order to track my platoon's training status in these weeks to come before the convoy live fire exercise. And sure, I accomplished a few other things as well. So far I'm using my time quite wisely as the hours are ticking away. Eleven (11) more hours to go, give or take fifteen (15) minutes. I just hope my relief arrives on time so I can retire to my room by just after 9:00 tomorrow morning.
I can't believe how crazy and busy the past few weeks have been. For a couple of weeks all I was using my room for was a place to sleep. I didn't have much time to do anything else but shower and fall into bed; falling asleep seemed to take all of two (02) secondsand before I knew it, I'd be getting up at 4:30 to get to the company for a 5:30 platoon sergeant's meeting before formation at 5:50 and PT from 6:00 to 7:00. Of course I didn't actually get a chance to do a full week of PT, much less a day, until this week. And I was horribly sore as a result of it. But it was that good, I worked muscles that I haven't worked in a while, kind of soreness. Good stuffage.
I'm officially thirty-six (36) days out. According to a time tracker program I have on my computer, I've completed 90% of my tour and have 10%, or just over fifty one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three (51,973) hours, to go. Earlier today I completed my leave request packet: thirty-six (36) days from 02 October to 06 November. So even if I head for Fort Riley before the end of my leave, I'll be reporting earlier than my 11 November reporting date. So far I'm still looking to meet up with the Rear Detachment First Sergeant in order to begin my predeployment training. As of now I should be on the ground in Iraq by the start of December. Hopefully I won't be delayed along the way; I do expect a little bit of hassle though, and how could I not in the wake of this splendid tour in Korea. Yes, in the wake. While I'm not officially gone, I'm getting there rather quickly. My orders are as the personnel battalion and I should get them this coming week. I'll turn in my leave form Monday and will head to the medical clinic in order to get all my shots and such updated. So far so good. I'll soon be able to have that permanent "I'm almost out of here" smile plastered across my face.
Finally!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 2006
10:41-AM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."
-- Philippians 04 : 13
"JUBAILE, ...
... Congratulations! I'm so proud of you. I can imagine how much blood, sweat, and tears you must have put into preparing for such an exam. And now you proved that lil doubter within you wrong; you're officially official now. Keep setting the bar high and working hard to reach it.
Hopefully I'll get to congratulate you in person in a couple of months. And I'd just like to see how much you've changed and grown in the past few years. We have some catching up to do. Again, congratulations. I knew you could do it! Keep in touch JUBAILE abila, RN. Ciao."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 13TH AUGUST 2006
3:30-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!' "
-- MATTHEW 08 : 26 & 27
"IRIS, ...
... happy birthday sister! I know you've been going through a lot in the past few months. I know you have a lot of unanswered questions and are having to make some tough choices.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST 2006
7:55-AM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I'll put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"
-- MATTHEW 25 : 20 & 21
I was supposed to set my bag and food down last night, take a nice hot shower, and sit down and eat before crashing into bed and taking a break from conscious reality. However, I woke up about a half hour ago; my food was in a bag sitting on the ironing board untouched and anything but piping hot and fresh. But no worries, the Philly cheese steak tasted just fine once I pulled it out of the microwave. Hopefully the fries will not be too bad reheated. Unfortunately my second cup of lemonade was quite diluted because of all the ice they crammed in the cup. I should have scooped it all out. Of course I didn't plan on falling asleep and come to think of it, don't remember taking off my glasses and getting into bed.
I have a busy weekend ahead of me, as always. To prepare for next week I have to get my replacement in sink with business around here on a day to day basis. Hopefully he will be all in processed by the end of the week and prepared to step into the platoon sergeant role the week after next.
My time here is quickly winding down. By the month's end I should pretty much be out the door. I'm putting in five (05) days of use or lose leave to head up to Seoul and visit with EDITH. I haven't seen here since she arrived in country, to teach English, the day I left for vacation in the Philippines. I have been super busy since I returned. Fortunately, I'm almost on my way out and not beginning my tour here in Korea as part of this unit; I have put in my dues and then some, it's time to move out and move on.
I'll spend today cleaning my room; it has been getting pretty cluttered up even though I rarely spend time in it. Of course all I have time to do is change clothes, throw things down, shower, and sleep. Most of the time I'm in the office, at the company, or running around here and there even into the late evening. Clean clothes get piled on the bed, and this and that gets thrown on the floor and put on my desk. In addition to cleaning my room I'll prepare for the work week and do homework. So I have a pretty packed Saturday ahead of me. Tomorrow will no doubt mirror today.
1LT Shipp leave tomorrow with most of the officers in the company to do their part in support of this UFL exercise. So I'll be without my Platoon Leader for a few weeks. Bummer. She'll return before I leave though, so that's a plus. I don't have to say so long to her now. But by the time she returns SFC Williams should be in place as GSE Platoon's platoon sergeant and my duties as such will have ended. I'll spend the majority of next month on leave and clearing the installation.
Well, time to get to work. I can't wait until I'll be sorting through everything and preparing all my things to be packed up for shipment to my next duty station. Moving day will be a good day indeed. Soon after that I'll be catching the 5:50 bus to Incheon International Airport to fly back to the United States.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 05TH AUGUST 2006
5:29-AM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
-- Romans 12 : 21
For the last eight (08) years or so I have been loyal to a single brand and style of pen: The Pilot G-2 Gel Pen 0.38 mm. Well, the other day I found two (02) ink spots on the inside of the pocket of my jeans; it was the last straw because it's happened a few times in the last eight (08) years. It hasn't happened enough times for me to really get fired up about it, but with the institution of the Army's new Combat Uniform, I figured I'd have to switch to a different pen. The new uniform has pen holders along the sleeves and if the ink were to leak onto the sleeve, it would always be extremely noticable. So today marks the end of my loyalty to the Pilot G-2. I have ordered a box of Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.40 mm pens. These pens will be my new pens of choice.
Just for your information.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 03RD AUGUST 2006
11:54-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
Listening - "RIDE"-STACIE orrico Genuine
"'Behold, I'm coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I'll give to everyone according to what he has done. I'm the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'"
-- Revelation 22 : 12 & 13
Well, the duty driver arrived about an hour and fifteen (15) minutes late. When I made a phone call to check on the whereabouts of the day's duty driver, I was told the Soldier was at Sergeant's Time Training. Phone calls would be made to get a replacment to Battalion headquaters as quickly as possible. I realized I probably wouldn't have had anyone arriving to relieve my duty driver had I not called. Of course I relieved my duty driver at 9:00 so it was just me waiting around. He eventually arrived and I closed out my log and left.
When I arrived at the office 1LT Shipp was there with our four (04) cadets. It was a packed house so after I did a little work I made a beeline to my room and hopped in the shower as I was pretty fragrant after having done a workday and over fifteen (15) hours duty. I cleaned up, put on a fresh ACU, and headed to the company to prepare for the training meeting at 1:30. It wasn't the first time I decided not to take a day off in the wake of a staff duty shift, and it definitely will not be the last as I have another shift to pull a couple of weeks from now. And I may have to cover down on someone else's that same week. Ha! But hey, I just don't like the idea of having someone as acting platoon sergeant in my absence, especially while things are so chaotic. However, I'll need to put in my five (05) days of use or lose leave before too long. I think I'll shoot for early September. There is an exercise in September but I think it is at the end of the month, and I probably will not attend it anyway as I'll be clearing and preparing to leave Korea once again. So as it stands now it looks like I'll be putting in leave for 04 September to 15 September. Yes, more than five (05) days I know.
So I'm still up. I just left LLOYD's room. He informed me that most of the platoon was late for formation because the First Sergeant called "fall in" while most of them were standing around, but not in fomation. So LLOYD was told to have couseling statements for everyone who wasn't in formation. He felt bad about it and apologized for "letting me down". I wasn't irked at all really. When he first explained it over the phone I thought that half of my platoon just didn't show up. But when he clarified to me what had happened it relieved me. Occassionally a First Sergeant will do such a thing to impress upon the company that standing around and waiting around until the exact second isn't the best idea. So no harm no foul really. Anyway, we talked about the happenings of the day and the company and just about everything and anything as we usually do. I was forced, once again, to order pizza when I intended to order Subway. I couldn't get through to Subway but got through to Pizza Hut. The people at Subway have a lot of bad habits such as not picking up the phone or putting callers on hold for the longest time. I've been on hold for forrty-five (45) minutes before; and of course I thought that if I hung up I'd just call back and get a busy signal. Of course each minute I stayed on the line I had to hear orders being taken and all kinds of movement and talking. And once 9:00 hits, they no longer deliver. So LLOYD and I ate pizza while I decompressed from my day and we both did some venting and discussing about the direction of our unit.
LLOYD thinks I'd be an ideal officer. Of course I mentioned the fact I was leaning more towards getting out in a few years rather than pressing on with my military career. He, as others have recently, said I should not only stay in but look into becoming a warrant officer. I don't know, I might look into it, but it's never been something I've wanted or been interested in pursuing so I doubt I'll start putting together a packet. But I'll explore it as an option simply because I want to know what my options are. Maybe there's something about it all that I haven't learned that I'd find interesting and worthwhile.
In any case, right now things are going a mile a second. Fortunately, I'm nearing the end of my tour. I don't think I could stand this being month two (02) or three (03) and working this much. From day one (01) however, my work load has increased and time devoted to anything but all things Army has decreased. A couple of months to go. This month will no doubt be very long and very trying.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 02ND AUGUST 2006
11:13-PM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
Listening - "CAPTURED"-NATALIE grant Awaken
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
-- Colossians 03 : 05
A year ago I was at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. I had just finished BNCOC, been promoted a couple of months before, and was soon to be on my way home for a nice break before heading to Korea for what I then believed would be two (02) years. It seems like a lifetime ago; so many things have happened since then, ... and changed too. So many changes.
TUESDAY 02ND AUGUST 2005
11:17-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner."
-- Proverbs 13 : 06
I just finished speaking with CHRIS on the phone. He called around 9:30. I suppose the phone was what woke me from my sleep. Well, it had to be now that I think about it. All of a sudden I found myself traversing the floor between my bed and the iron board my pants were draped over to retrieve my phone from the pocket. I didn't even have the energy to empty my pockets before getting online for a brief moment, getting in and out of the shower, and slithering into bed to read, (for all of five (05) minutes) and quickly falling asleep. It was a busy day, what can I say.
After polishing off a pancake breakfast at the Cracker Barrel with FELICIA (she had catfish) I had just enough in me to drive back to post before settling in for a nice long nap. Why I'm up now I really have no idea. Okay, yes I do, I'm up to do exactly what I'm doing: Put a little something "out there" for you (whomever you are) to read. Submitted, not necessarily, for your approval. Again, what can I say, I get a kick out of the possibility of strangers half a world away being able to read what I have to say here in my own corner of my world and mind. And I just like the idea of months and months of my life having been chronicled if for no other reason and purpose than for me to look back at a month, a year, five (05) years from now. Well, enough of that.
I went into work today just before lunch time. I believe I parked and headed up into the Sparkman Center around 11:00. Yup, just before lunchtime. Coincidently I was just in tie to hit the ground running. Things didn't slow down a bit while I was away doing my BNCOC thing for a couple of months and the Command Group was still going a mile a minute. I linked up with FELICIA and CEVELYNE to help them with a retirement/change of charter ceremony which lasted well into the afternoon, ... the entire time I was more than pleased to be back in the swing of things but kicking myself for not having eaten before I headed to work.
So I just jumped right back into the swing of things today. Some things have changed around the office. For one (01) boss has a new aide de camp. They are going through some growing pains but I have heard that the boss thinks things will work out just fine in time. So that is good. SGT Croan is getting more and more settled in as my replacement. SGT Gola is trying to prepare to head to PLDC and have SGT Croan move over to drive for the Commanding General. A lot of family members of employees here are falling ill or dying. I know it is rough for them because I know them, these people (though not exactly my peers; I could be a son to most of them) are my friends. So it is rough for me to hear that someone they care about has taken a turn for the worst, because I care about them. But all in all, things are still running smoothly. No one (01) up there really gives themselves credit for just how valuable they are to the success of the team. But maybe that is how it should be sometimes. Sometimes being totally blind to self and only seeing the team is what really gets the job accomplished.
Everyone was so glad to see me and CSM Lunn greeted me with a hearty handshake and a big grin. It is nice to be back up at the office even if it is until the end of the month. I spoke with CSM Lunn about focusing on getting things done in order to leave. He loved the idea that I didn't have to go back to Fort Drum. So for at least three (03) weeks or so I'll be heading in to work. I'll be here and there and everywhere as much as I need to in order to get situated concerning taking leave and heading to Korea, but my place of duty will be back up on the fifth floor of the Sparkman Center, where I belong. Ha!
Tomorrow morning I'll head to military personnel to check about my port call and to speak with MSG Carlile about the reenlistment bonus that I have not yet received. Yes, I need my bonus. And I'm pretty sure I'd not have missed a few grand being electronically credited to my account. So it is not like it slipped under my radar. Speaking of the money the military is supposed to get another across the board 03% raise this year. Goodie. I mean it is not exactly what most of us should be getting paid for what we do, but hey, it is a raise. Well okay, no, we should be getting more, but hey, for duty, honor, country, ... basically not exclusively for pay. It is more than a job, it is a lifestyle. But of course, more pay would help struggling military families.
Well tomorrow should be a busy day indeed. It's time I crawl back in bed and get some shut eye.
A year from then I'm now in a totally different world. I mean we've run out of paper in the Battalion twice; paper was delivered by the box when I was working for the AMCOM Command Group last year at this time. Crazy.
And to think last year at this time I was planning to come over here to Korea and immediately extend my tour, therefore, doing two (02) years and not expecting to leave until October of 2007. Of course things change. It took me about two (02) weeks to realize that I'd be needing to head back to the United States of America once a year had expired. Funny though, now I'm expecting to get to America and stay only for about nine (09) weeks before heading to Iraq (by way of Fort Riley, Kansas) for at least a year or so.
I've pretty much spent most of my six (06) years in the military just about as far from home as possible. Of course just about everything is far from the very southern tip of Texas. Even when in the States (New York) I was super far. Being in Alabama was the closest I have been put so far and that was still a twenty (20) hour drive. Of course I split it with stops in central Texas. In a matter of weeks I'll be reunited with my baby and I have no doubt we'll be off throughout Texas, if venturing nowhere else but to visit CHRIS and GLORIA.
Yes, a matter of weeks. I'm officially under sixty (60) days and it sure has seemed like at least a year. Sometimes you are able to look back and think that time has flown by. Sure, in some respects it has flown by, but for the most part I can recall a lot of excruciating moments where I was pretty sure I'dn't be getting out of this tour, and even if I did escape, it won't be without a few war wounds. It looks like I'll be heading home in one (01) piece though. Yes indeed, I think I'm going to make it.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 01ST AUGUST 2006
12:03-AM-(UTC/GMT +9 hours)
Listening - "JESUS IS"-Hillsong London Jesus Is
"'Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I'll come in, ..."
-- Revelation 03 : 20
"Jesus Is"
Hillsong London
Glory, glory all around
As the universe resounds
And we proclaim that He is Lord
Eternity echoes the song
Creation joining in as one
And we proclaim that He is Lord
Heavens cry
My heart sings
JESUS is, ...
Lord of all
Heaven and earth
JESUS is, ...
Glorious
Greatest of all
JESUS is, ... JESUS is, ...
Evermore
The King Above All
JESUS is, ... JESUS is, ...
Glory, glory all around
As the universe resounds
And we proclaim that He is Lord
Eternity echoes the song
Creation joining in as one
And we proclaim that He is Lord
Glorious
Greatest of all
JESUS is, ... JESUS is, ...
Evermore
The King Above All
JESUS is, ... JESUS is, ...
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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Content on this page © 2002-2009 Ted A. Mueller unless otherwise stated.
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