Sorry it has been awhile, but I have been TDY and don't want to take the chance of posting using the GOV computer. Imagine my surprise today when I get back to the office and see the newest copy of the "Army Times" on my desk and after reading though it I see that I have been quoted. That is a way to get your blood pumping. I guess that those of us on the blogg scene need to watch our backs because the USAREC monster will be cracking down on what we say and do now. Well I can't say that this hasn't been a great forum to voice my concerns or ideas. At least I had a couple of shippers get off today with no problems. The draw back to it was that I had to be up at 3am and just got home at 9pm. All I have to say is 3 more months to go!!!!!
Well as you can guess I am beat and need to hit the old fart sack. I promise that I will be posting now with regularity. Until tomorrow, good night.

Well I wish that I could say that I'm glad it is Friday afternoon, but in this business Saturday is just like every other day. PT at 0700 and workcall at 1000 hopefully be out by 1700.

Today was interesting, I lost an applicant for this month because he has a $4000 a month alimony/child support payment and can't join until next month when he can go in front a judge and amend it. But had a former senior DEP loss come back in and want to re-join after realizing how hard the real world is and I will be sending her to the floor by the end of next week.

I had a break today in that I didn't have to do any prospecting and was able to sit in the office and relax all day and my S/C didn't say anything negative to me. The past few days he has been acting really odd. He has not raised his voice, slammed his computer, or threatened our lives. I wish I knew what is causing him to be that way. I know it isn't the mission, we are only at 50% (we would have boxed but a future 79R is having some DEP issues and setting us back).

I don't know if it is happening every where but it is happening here. USAREC is run by NCO's and everyone CPL and up have read the NCO creed (I would hope). The whole thing could be boiled down to one part of it thought because if you live by the one line everything else will come out of it. By now, if you know the NCO creed you know which line I'm referring to "My two basic responsibilities will always remain uppermost in my mind - accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers." What I have noticed in recruiting is that the "and" is replaced by an "or". I think that we field force recruiters are expendable, I have been hospitalized and upon discharge from the hospital was made to make red-time (phone calls) from the house. I have a friend in another brigade that lost his wife to divorce and had to go to Alcohol addiction classes. There are recruiters in my company that have had everything from stress related counseling to loss of their marriages. I suppose when you work a 12+hour day 6 days a week your loved ones get tired of it. In my opinion, 1 year in Iraq knowing that you will not see your family except the 15 days R&R would be better that 3 years of having your loved ones right down the street and not able to see them awake except Sunday. We are pushed to make friends within the community that we live in, but when you have only one day to your self (provide that you don't have to put anyone on the bus to MEPS for Monday) you don't much want to go out into your community to make friends.

Well I will end today's rant with the idea that there are people out there living in homes that don't have air conditioning and the possibility that a bullet might go though their window tonight and end all their dreams. That is less than 5 miles from where I live. I guess I will go back out tomorrow and try to pull some of those ignorant people out of that situation and give them a better life.

I doubt that I will be able to post tomorrow because my wife will probably want my full attention and there is NOTHING wrong with that. Everyone that has read this take care of yourself and your neighbor, if you don't who will?

Here it is, I have heard about and read milblogs for a long time. I guess now is a good time to make my own. I am a 8 year army vet and LOVE the Army, but for the last 2.5 years I have been assigned to recruiting command as a recruiter. I can't claim that I have been to the sand box and had to deal w/ IED's or car bombs. I went "Over There" in 1998 for Operation Desert Fox for 6 months. I have had friends and soldiers that I have recruited go and I have been fourtunate enought to not have lost anyone that I know. Being a Combat Engineer in peacetime can be like a hungry tiger caged in a barn yard, and for something to kick off but not being able to go can emotionaly trying.
Some of the things I have done out here have been life changing in a good way, it feels realy good when you enlist someone that you know will make a difference in their life. I have seen things out here ranging from shady recruiters, and ignorant parents. I have never been shot at until I came out to recruiting and it has happened twice.
I have been on the top of the pack and the bottom, and there is no difference that I see. When you are on top and bottom you are in the spotlight. When on top the 79R's are pushing you to do more to cover the weak links and when you are on the bottom you have the 79R's pushing you to work harder, like you weren't before, to cover the others and yourself. Even in the middle you can NEVER do enough. As long as you put in the # required the 79R's always want more.
I'm writing this while my S/C and a future 79R talk about football, then they wonder why we don't go home until 2200. This is suppose to be a EOD meeting and closeout not sportcenter. I just got married and I would like to see my wife some time. This is a everyday thing and being the lowest ranking and the only white guy (I bring this up because I'm reminded of this every day, I was assigned here because they needed a white guy to go out to the boondocks where they still burn crosses. Like I know anything about that, I'm a city boy from Arizona) I have no voice in this office.
SIX MORE MONTHS!!!!! Fort Leonard Wood here I come!