Training Days

I had a great Thanksgiving with my family. Our newborn son is doing great, my wife is adjusting well to me being gone, and our older two boys seem to be doing fine as well. I get home from time to time; it all depends on our training schedule, which changes daily.

Things at Ft. Bragg are going well - same old Army, hurry up and wait. I'm towing the line and trying not to ruffle any feathers. The Army has activated a reserve unit to process all of us through (most of whom have never deployed), and they are teaching us how to do things that they have no real experience in doing. It is not their fault. It is just the way the Army does things, and since I've deployed numerous times before and have been there recently, I have a little different perspective on what my troops need to know. We just have to check this block and get on with the deployment.

I visited with some of my active duty friends who were stationed here with me when I was on active duty. One, a Commander now in the 82nd Airborne, is trying to get me a pass to ride along on an upcoming jump. I won't get to exit the plane with them, but it feels good to be around the Whoa crowd again.

My unit is projected to complete the training here around Dec 20th, and we are fair game to leave after that. The tentative plan is to have a break during Christmas and have wheels up sometime shortly after we return. That would make sense -- so you know what that means-- yep, it won't happen that way, I fully expect to get a call on Dec 24 saying we are leaving the next day. Ha Ha!

Hope all are doing well and you are gearing up to have a great Holiday!