New Years

Tonight 2007 ends and '08 begins. While I don't have any specific plans for this year I will say I'm looking forward to it. 2007 has had it's share of ups and downs for me; my family, my job and my health have all been areas that have seen the most extreme fluctuations in the past year. Other than my Dad's health which has been in decline for a while now, the biggest upheaval in my family has been the reemergence of my son back into it. I've been estranged from my son for many years now due a decision I'd made a long time ago. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do but as the years passed, deciding to limit contact with my son was something I'd increasingly regretted. Earlier this year I had finally been able to locate him on the internet (a high point) but when I attempted to reestablish a relationship with him he rejected me (a low point). While I understand his animosity towards me and see that it's a huge uphill battle, I'm hoping that in the upcoming year I can make progress in creating some type of relationship with him. As for my job, well here it was more about image that anything else. Earlier in the year I was filling in as the Squadron 1st Sergeant. As the top enlisted member of the squadron I was able to positively affect the career of many of our folks. This is something that I take personal pride in because I feel that unless you recognize the successes of your folks your not really leading them into success. During the year I deployed for four months and experienced some of the most challenging experiences I could ever imagine, some I did well, and some... not so much. The death of Joey during the deployment was tough but we banded together and pushed through it to get the mission done. While this time was a personal low point for me I think professionally it was more a high point. Although I could have handled things better, I kept focus on my guys making sure they dealt with the loss but also understood the importance of completing their mission. I remember taking pride in the fact that we didn't loose any missions due to this event, I think more than anything it was strong leadership from the entire squadron staff that kept that from happening. The low point of the deployment was the second half. It all started with me getting a little too big for my britches and made a few decisions that upset some of the leadership. When they put me in the "penalty box" it didn't set well with me and I started pushing back; its never a good thing when you try to push around your boss. This was some very poor judgment on my part and the repercussions reinforced my dependency into depression. All of it came to a head when the commander said I was a failure as a SrNCO, citing the fact that since I'd been unsuccessful in getting any of my guys recognized with awards I had failed them. While now I totally disagree with him, his comments hurt and made me re-access my entire career. I've since discovered that while my guys didn't get recognized I did gain their respect and admiration and that my ex-commander was totally oblivious to how his people felt towards me. The year ended on a high point though when I was successful in getting some well deserving individuals recognized and promoted. I also was able to secure some highly sought after assignments for a few of my guys so I may have slipped a little I've proven to myself that I am the SrNCO I should be. Some of the problems I had in the desert stemmed from my increasing health problems. Between my knees surgeries and my back problems I'm now always in a constant level pain. The pain varies greatly in intensity but it's always there. I never really understood how pain could be such a debilitating issue for people but now I have a totally different insight on it. I'm trying very hard not to use pain medication at all since I feel this will only cause other dependency issues I think would be worse so we're trying to use physical therapy to help reduce the pain. It seems to be working but the road is tough and frustrating. Pain can cause depression, moodiness, and laziness; all of these areas I noticed an increase in during the past year so hopefully in the upcoming one I can reverse this trend. As soon as I can get the pain under control things will get a lot easier for me. So as you can see I'm looking forward to the upcoming year but I'm sure t will have it's own challenges.

STEP Promotion

Yesterday I got a chance to see the results of some very hard work, one of my NCOs was promoted to the SrNCO ranks via the STEP program. Last year we submitted him, and even though we thought he had a very strong package, he had a huge hole in his career that we couldn't cover up. This year however we was able to complete those items and in fact did a lot more. We in the Air Force use the STEP (Stripes for Exceptional Performers) to recognize those that stand above and beyond and work at levels way above their pay grade. Some time this is used to promote some long in the tooth guy that's had difficulty testing, other times it's used for folks that truly stand-out above the rest. When the program is used for the former, the promotion may be well deserved but it lacks the ability to motivate others. However, when it is used for the later, it not only highlights a star performer but it also highlight all the core values we in the military hold dear; Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. Twice in my career I have seen people STEP promoted that truly epitomized these values and their promotion fit exactly in-line with the reasons the program was developed. This time with my troop, and when my brother in-law was promoted. In both incidences the individuals stood above the rest doing jobs their peers shy'd away from. Both times theses individuals sought out the hard things not to highlight themselves but because "that's why we wear these stripes". Both times these folks had displays what true and natural leaders they are and in both cases the Air Force responded. Yesterday was Kelly's day but in reality we're all going to benefit.

DNIF update and other stuff

OK, so the physical therapy isn't going so well. They have me in traction 20 minutes a day 3 days a week and each day I feel worse than when I walked in. One of my favorite movies is 12 O'clock High and one of the story lines in the movie is of Gately being a slug but having back problems. As I'm laying there in the machine I'm thinking of General Savage (Gregory Peck) sitting at Gately's bedside trying to comfort him but realizing that maybe he was a little premature on his assessment of him. Well I'm no slug but when I'm laying there I sure feel like one, especially since I feel worse afterwards than when I started. My next appointment is Tuesday so hopefully the weekend off will help the back feel better. I'm not feeling like a slug because of the back pain but I am feeling bad for not being able to fly. Since I've returned from Qatar I've been DNIF and have not flown at all. Granted I have been very busy getting the office in order but I get paid to go out and fly airplanes, and I haven't been able to do that. So no matter how many times I restructure the office, write evaluations, or create a new medal package, I still feel I'm not doing my part since I'm not flying. That's the drawback to being a career aviator! Speaking of recognition, my boss wants to put an awards package in for me. After all the bad stuff that happened while I was in the desert I am very hesitant to put anything in for myself. After all I am the first SrNCO that deployed with a group of guys and didn't bring all of them back. In my mind I know that I couldn't have done anything about Joey's death but in my heart it really hurts that I couldn't do anything to stop it. All of the 15 engineers deployed relied on me to make sure they returned safely and I failed in this one. I thought I was past all these feelings but when he asked me about the submittal this week it brought back all those feelings of failure that I've been trying to suppress. I'm going to give my boss what he's asking for, even though I don't think it'll go anywhere, but if it does I hope that Windy and Joey understand. I will tell you this that whatever package is submitted for me, there will be no references to Joey or any of the memorial stuff that's happened since. If I do receive an award I sure don't want that tragedy to contribute at all. Hopefully everyone understands.

Wanna be Doctors! Yuch

I've been having some back pain recently so my doc recommended for me to see a physical therapist. After doing an MRI he found that I had a couple of bulging disks, remedy... traction. Today was day one of the traction; instead of relief, my pain was so bad I couldn't hardly get up off the table. We'll see how day two goes tomorrow but if it's the same I think I'd prefer a surgeon to fix the problem. Between chiropractors and physical therapists it's a wonder I can still sit up straight.

Anti-War Attitude Explained

I heard a theory the other day that's made me do a lot of thinking about "anti-war". Did you know there's a huge anti-war movement in the United States? Or so the liberal media wants you to think. Yes there are a lot of people and groups out there wanting the war to stop but their on the fringe of society and can be easily rebuked. No, according to the media the majority of Americans are anti-war. What a load of hooey! Yes there's a large displeasure in the current state of the war (or at least the pre-surge era) but most people aren't anti war. Saying that you're anti-war means that you are a pacifist, someone how abhors conflict and feels that peace is the only just course. Do you really think that the majority of Americans are pacifists? I don't think so. America was founded by war, sustained by war, and will continue to proper because of war. To make a general statement that the majority of Americans are anti-war (pacifists) is an insult to me, you, and every person that has fought and died to get us where we are today. I really feel that most Americans feel frustrated with the way the war is going, that's okay. The average Joe has a hard time understanding why we've been at war for over 7 years and have no clear end in sight. We are the most powerful nation in the world but a ragtag bunch of criminals seems to be getting the upper hand. It's a slap in our face and doesn't reflect the strength of the America people want to be a part of. Mr. John Q. Public sees everyday the frustration of the U.S. Military as it's being portrayed by the news and has no other choice but to feel beaten and weak. Nobody likes that so they become, not anti-war, but anti-"getting our butts kicked". News organizations and people with an agenda feed on this attitude by asking vague or leading questions in public opinion poles then twisting the results to fit their point of view. It's a self perpetuating cycle, the more people say they're frustrated the more they hear how frustrated they are but they're words are being twisted so support real anti-war organizations. A perfect example of this is the Code Pink crowd. Expressing dissent based on frustrations does not mean you're anti-war, it just means you don't like how things are going. So stop supporting those that are twisting your words to make this nation seem divided. We must stand together to defeat this enemy, but it's okay to voice your opinion on how we do it. Be careful though, the enemy could be that pollster calling.

Haven't Commented in a While!

This wasn't a line I wanted to use but it's appropriate since I haven't written here in a while. I've been very preoccupied with a lot things happening at the home front. Right now things have settled down a little so I thought I'd try to write something. I have another blog that I use to talk to my son and I've been writing on it fairly consistently. Last I checked the other blog has about 70 entries and, well you can count the ones here. When I first started this blog I wanted to use it as a venue to opine on social matters and offer ideas and concepts I thought up. I didn't think there needed to be yet another blog saying "well the weather today was crappy". With all the turmoil my life's been in lately I find it hard to get time to put these things down in writing but I will try to be more consistent in writing here. If you would like to read the other blog I mentioned, it's not publicly advertised. The blog is there as a venue for me and my son (Andrew) to communicate and the contents aren't necessarily for public consumption. If you're interested, you can leave a comment and we can discuss it but if your not Andy then I'll be very hesitant to send it to you.

My son has a new name

As some of you know I have a son from my previous marriage. His Name was Andrew Hunt but he has legally changed it to Andrew Jones-Gonzales. His reasons for changing his name are his own and I don't want to speculate as to his motives. If you know about my previous marriage you'll know the basis of the new name and can formulate your own opinion on this. Andrew had informed me of his desire to change his name earlier in the year. At first I was wondering if he'd go through with it but based on the reasons he gave me I was pretty sure he would. I had know idea what new name he was planning on and expected something more obscure or even from a foreign language. I was pleasantly surprised that he decided to keep his first and middle name and only changed his last. What's in a name? Is a name just another word or is it an identifier that defines us? Can a name do more than just a identify your lineage? Some people take a lot of pride in all the names they've been given. Take Hillery Clinton for example. For several years she wanted to be called Hillery Rohdam-Clinton. She wanted to honor the lineage of her premarriage name by including it into hers. Many young ladies upon marriage decide to hyphenate their names for this very reason. This bucks tradition but who cares it's what make them happy. I'm sure Andrew's reasons fall somewhere in this but as I said his reasons are his own. So if you happen to run across Andy congratulate him on his new name. Hopefully he take pride in his new name.

Deployment now over Life sure sucked I'm glad to be home now Life improving

Affecting world events

Not many people get an opportunity in their life to affect world events. I'm not talking about the "Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Andy Worhal type of affect, but real and tangible things that will affect the world for years to come. Recently I've had two events in my life that have the possibility of having that long lasting affect I'm talking about. A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to transport an investigative team to a refugee camp in northern Africa. They here there to see first hand the effects of a long period of strife in the region and how it's affecting the population. The people in the area used to be mostly agricultural based but recently a guerrilla war has forced the people to concentrate around semi-secure camps and have stopped farming. Basically they have stopped producing for themselves and become totally reliant on government and foreign aide. They're economy has taken a downward spiral from total self sufficiency to total dependency. The team I took in was there to see first hand the effects of the war and hopefully a means to reverse the process. The teams approach to the situation was fairly unique in that it was not singularly focused but in fact took into consideration three basic human needs; defense, self sufficiency, and a feeling of community. One of the head guys referred to it as the 3D approach but other than defense I can't remember what the other two Ds where. Defense is pretty straight forward, but the other two where more difficult for me to comprehend. In a nut shell the where trying to build self sufficiency by providing a defense thus encouraging the families to go back out to the farms and out of the refugee camps. Also, the team was trying to get the government to allow us to go in to do more civil engineering project, road, bridges, rail, that kind of stuff. The feeling here was that if the people saw that the rest of the world felt strong enough to come in to do these types of things to improve their quality of life they would feel more like a part of the global community. The total goal of this project was to encourage people to want to be part of the global economy and not part of the terrorist network that seeks to undermine the free world. I'm not sure how this will all turn out but I know it's a work in progress and hopefully we'll all benefit from it. Secondly, recently I was on a crew that took the President of Iraq to a meeting with our President. I have no idea what they talked about but I'm sure it wasn't a social call. Iraq and the whole middle east is so much in turmoil these days, hopefully the meeting enabled a quicker end to some of the conflict over here. Any time there is conflict it destabilizes the entire region. As I've said before conflict is a necessary thing for humans, but in order for us to become better we also need to resolve our conflicts. Hopefully this meeting resolved something so this war/occupation can end sooner rather than later. Everyday someone out there is doing something that affects the world as a whole. Most of the time it's something small such as transporting a VIP. While these things on themselves are nothing, the end results could be everything. We all do this everyday, it could be the bank teller making a transaction for a global relief organization, a taxi driver taking an important underling to a back room meeting, or a world leader making nice with another leader; all of us do our part to affect everything else.

I've lost a friend

A few weeks ago I put a friend of mine on a medi-vac flight to Germany. That was the last time I saw him; he lost his battle with the illness he was suffering from shortly after his arrival. His passing has created a hole in me that only time will heal. I'm not sure if the hole will ever fill all the way, in some way I don't want it to. The grieving process really sucks but it's a process we all have to go through. In this day of the virtual world our lost friends are only one Google search away. It's a strange thing to see my friend now plastered all over the net and now I know his memory will live on forever on some server somewhere. The story's will never replace my friend but they will always remind me of him, my friend, my co-worker, husband and father, TSgt Joey Link. I'll miss you brother. http://www.reporternews.com/news/2007/aug/07/family-still-has-no-answer-on-what-caused-death/ http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/08/airforce_dyess_death_070806/ http://www.reporternews.com/photos/2007/aug/06/5018/ http://www.patriotguard.org/Forums/tabid/61/postid/601702/view/topic/Default.aspx

Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." Translation: "Therefore, whoever wishes for peace, let him prepare for war." (Vegetius in De Re Militari) This is a very interesting comment that most pacifist fail to comprehend. War, although unwanted, is what happens when peace breaks down. If you have peace then guess what, at one time you had war. I know there will always be those that feel war should be avoided at all costs and to some point I agree, but to not prepare for war, that's opening yourself up to conquest. How many of us out there have not benefited at some level from war? The United States would still be British if it hadn't been for the Revolutionary War. For that matter we wouldn't have country's at all if we didn't have war. People tend to get wrapped up in the minutia of war and not the results. Yes the atrocities associated with destruction are horrible but the outcome may be worth it. In every war people are fighting for what they believe in, what they feel passionate about. We have wars because not everybody feels the same way about all things. True peace can only be achieved by the removal of free thought or the eradication of man. Anything else and the best we can hope for are long periods of peace. Peace can only be assured by strength. Sometimes your strength is restraint but many times you have to show the bully on the block that your serious. We use all means to prevent war, diplomacy, negotiations, treaty's, and yes, ignoring are all tactics we use to avoid conflict, but those tools are only useful if your enemy knows you'll take things to the next level. Empty or hollow threats have never and will never protect you, they're as transparent as air. Vegetius has it right but here's my take on it: Thrust peace on your enemy, or they will thrust theirs on you.

Baby killers?

For those of you in the non-American world; don't believe what your seeing on your local news. The US military isn't the baby killing murderer's they're portrayed as. Come on, do you honestly think this to be true? These are human beings that have volunteered to support they're country. Get a clue folks, educate yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's a rule of thumb for you, if it sounds to convenient then it's probably not true. Instead of taking what you hear as the gospel do a little research and dig for the truth. When I'm overseas I watch Fox New, Sky News and CNN; this gives me a pretty clear and objective viewpoint to almost anything happening in the world. Try this next time you hear that we're "evil" so you can make up your own mind. Stop letting yourself be brainwashed by someone else agenda!

Lurking or what!!

You know, reading the blog without commenting is rude in my opinion. If the post intrigues you then leave a comment and let us all know what you think.

What to do with all your junk.... A funny R-vs-B PSA More Red vs Blue videos can be found here.

News Junkie

They say that the first step to overcoming an addiction is admitting you have one so, yes I am a "News Junkie". I wake up in the morning and put on FOX News, listen to talk radio throughout the day, keep news feeds up on my web browsers, and watch a few hours of news at night. Two things I've figured out; there's a lot of problems in the world, and there's a whole bunch of crap being reported as news. News channels and have a tendency to sensationalize stuff that isn't really news. OJ Simpson, Natalie Holloway, and Anna Nichole Smith are all examples of stories that should have had 5 minutes on the news, not the years of coverage they've gotten. Yes, murder's, young girls disappearing, and celebrity deaths are tragic but the continual reporting and over emphasis on these types of stories trivialize all news reporting. I realize that sometimes there are slow news days and they need to come up with some "filler" and these stories would be fine for that. What I've seen though is the coverage becomes the news, it's no longer about the actual story, it's about the masses of people outside the courthouse, or the minute by minute coverage of an investigation that becomes the story. This level of attention can't be helpful in getting to the bottom of anything and it numbs people to that actual atrocities that had happened. I do like talk radio, especially now that I've started listening to several shows with differing opinions. I feel I'm getting a more balanced portrayal of important issues, or at least the issues they want me to hear about. I listen to Michael Savage in the evenings and he discusses issues that most other news organizations ignore. But here again, I only hear about stuff he feels supports his agenda. There is nothing out there that will give me a full spectrum report on what I think are important issues. I think that if they merged CNN and FOX into one news service, took out all the conservative-liberal labeling. You would get a fair and balanced report on whats going on. Fox has Hannity and Combs, which is supposed to be a balanced show, but in actuality is Sean Hannity's vehicle to demonstrate to the idiocy of the liberal point of view. Alan Combs does nothing but throw up softballs for Sean who is the dominate voice on the show. Fair and Balanced does not mean marketing news by using two extreme views, it should be a non-biased, non-sensationalized report on news reporting. As Joe Friday said; "Just the facts, Ma'am"! I'll continue to be a news junkie though, it does give me some idea of what's going on. I'll just have to keep in mind that I'm only hearing one point of view.

Immigration

I really don't know if immigration reform is needed in the country. On one hand we have all these people here illegally but on the other hand there here illegally because of the laws of the country. We Americans are a proud people, sometimes too proud though; these "illegals" do the jobs we don't want to do. I remember when we had a huge migrant worker population that consisted of people from all over the country. They did all the jobs most of us wouldn't, and did them dirt cheap. The problem was that they're pay was so low and they're living conditions so poor all the "do-gooders" felt it was they're mission to help them out. We still have migrant workers but now they're called illegal aliens but they're still doing the same job. Do you think these people will continue doing this type of labor once they're legal? Hell no! They going to demand health care, social security, and better pay; you know, all those things that we as citizens enjoy. As soon as you legalize them you open the gates to our benefits. Now I'm not saying to stop them either; as I said, we need these people, but the status-quo works fine right now. One thing I would change is to hold them more accountable for they're actions. Deportation for a crime should be an exception, not the rule. We may even think about increasing punishment for crimes for these people. In other words, toe the line or your going to pay! No, amnesty is the wrong thing to do; let them come in to work, but keep a tight leash on them. And if they screw up, hammer them HARD! No anchor babies, no second chances, and tax the hell out of them. Hey, here's a novel idea... Start an American Foreign Legion like the French have starting with all our able bodied illegals. That way next time we want to go into the world to nation-build; our boy's go in first to secure the place and then we can send them in to do the occupying afterwards. Think about the scapegoat potential with that one! Oh the liberals would have a field day with that one!!!

In Memory of Blase

I just found out that a friend of mine, Blase Gaude, passed away last year. I swam with Blase while we where in the Philippines with the Clark AFB Flying Dolphins. Blase's mom coached the team and he was the best swimmer in my age group. He played almost any sport there was but at 17 he was paralyzed from the neck down from a football injury. He died at 44 years old and from what I can tell he never gave up on anything while he was alive. While I didn't keep up with Blase after we moved, when I think about my time swimming he is always in my memory. Blase will be missed by everybody that knew him.

Cows

A cow walks into a bar. The Bartender asks; "Hey Mr. Cow what would you like?" The cow says; "Moo" The Bartender replies; "We only speak English here. Now what can I get you?" The cow says; "Moo" Now the Bartenders getting a little miffed and say; "Look Cow, speak English or get out! Now what would you like" The cow says; "Moo" again... As this was happening, a cowboy was watching what was going on from outside. The trail boss comes up to him and says; "Hey, are you going to go in and get that cow out of the bar?" The cowboy replies; "Yea, I was just waiting for the punchline to develop..."

Have you forgottten or just become accustomed to things?

I was listening to Michael Savage this afternoon and he was going on about how Americans are a bunch of head in the sand ostriches. His claim is that we're being lulled into a false sense of security by the "liberal media" and the government. He backs up his claim by interpreting the governments response and the media coverage of the latest terrorist plot foiled at Ft Dix. Also today I got the pleasure of listening to one of our top enlisted leaders today and he spoke on this subject as well but from a different point of view. His was a warning to us that before this war is finished it's going to get a lot more unpopular. So twice today I was reminded that America has a short memory; initially strong and patriotic but then wanes towards acceptance of the status-quo. Does America have that short of a memory to accept the tragedy of 9-11? Have we become complacent in our false sense of security thinking we've won becaus we we foiled one small terrorist plot? God I hope not. Folks, terrorist are real, our country's enemies are real, and the need for this war on terror is real! There are bad people out there in the world, people who hate our way of life, who hate our freedoms, people who hate the fact that we exist. I'm not talking about the religious zealots, these are nothing but pawns in the this war. I'm talking about terrorist who use religion as a masquerade for their hatred or us. This isn't about religion it's about our enemies using any and all methods to wage war against us. The terrorist goal is to destroy us, we can not let this happen. You know I live in a very pro military community, people are always saying thanks for doing what I do. I really appreciate it but why do they do it. Are they truly appreciative for me going and off to war? Maybe they say thanks to make themselves feel better thinking I need to hear it? I don't know why but it does make me feel like I'm making a difference. I know that in a lot of other places in the country our military folks aren't being treated like this. They are being spit upon, being called government stooges, or worst of all "losers" by their own government representatives. This behavior is unforgivable. Folks, these Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airman are doing their job. They joined to defend your freedoms; please show your respect for at least that! I don't care what your political affiliation is; I and many like me do our job because we said that's what we would do, defend YOU!. It's called a sense of duty and if you haven't been in the military you'll never understand it. Many other countries in the world have a mandatory military service requirement for their youth. Once you've finished high school you're required to do 2 years in the military to learn basic soldering. While I don't want to go back to a draft I would support this idea. After two years you could go off and do whatever you wanted, further military service would be totally voluntary as it is now. Military vets are sought after commodities in the work force because of the discipline, integrity, and sense of duty that's been honed over years of military service. Our youth could sure use that type of training. The byproduct of this training would be a greater sense of patriotism and government involvement. It's a win-win scenario no matter how you look at it. So next time you see a military person don't go up and say thanks, turn to your child and say how much you'd like them to be like that. Patriotism is contagious, spread the word!

The Ugly American

I just finished watching the season finale for "The Amazing Race". I love the show but it does highlight one aspect of our nation most of us don't see; that's the ugly American. The ugly American is arogance and niavity all rolled into one person. The person who thinks that in order for them to be understood by someone who doesn't understand English all they have to do is speak English with an accent. The person who acts like an ass in public because the place he want's to go is closed for siesta. The "I'll get you to do it by throwing a few US dollars around. People who get drunk instead of drinking socially. People who can't eat anything but hamburgers. The bermuda short wearing flowered shirt fat guy taking picture of locals because THEY look different! In all my travels I contantly strive not to be that guy. Sometime's I'm the tourist which is ok, but I'm never the ugly American. Please, if your traveling outside the country, take a little time to enjoy the culture you're visiting, be respectful, be patient, try to blend in.