It's been a while since I've posted. I'll try to catch things up fast.
I went on R&R and had a wonderful time with family, friends and pets. And music and movies. And a few projects...
Upon flying back overseas I picked up a heck of a cold and was sick with it for around 2 weeks. Shortly before getting over it, an, ummm, less-than-rational (IMO) doctor basically forced me to receive the small pox vaccination, even though I had good reasons for an exemption. I spent about 2 weeks being sick from that. During all that I experienced a typical case of "back in Kuwait blues"... Also during all that, time was ticking down to the Best Warrior Competition...
In preparation, I should have been studying, training and working out like crazy. I did study quite a bit, but didn't have the energy to work out much. By the time I felt good enough to seriously train I had about a week and a half.
Which brings us to...
The competition was 3 days long, plus a day beforehand to travel out to the post it was held at and the awards ceremony was on the fifth day, yesterday. 5 NCOs competing against each other and 4 soldiers against one another.
The competition consisted of:
Day 0
Not much other than moving to Camp Buehring, getting settled in to the competitor's tent (soft shell, plywood floor, cots, reasonably air-conditioned) and a dinner for all competitors, sponsors and staff. The soldier from my unit made a funny comment at dinner, as the competitors were all sizing each other up: "what if this was the Hunger Games?" I responded: "the food would be better." Only a few hours of sleep before the 0400 (oh-four) start time the next day.
Day 1
APFT (pushups, situps, 2-mile run): I did ok at the APFT, considering I had been sick for about a month in the weeks heading up to the competition. My score fell slightly to 285, from my best-ever 291, achieved 2 months previous.
10-mile 30lbs. ruck march: We were flown out to the remote, desert ruck site in Blackhawk helicopters! It is not often that soldiers are treated to Blackhawk rides or that they are used in training, so this was a real treat. I had no desire to try keeping up with the youngins who started out the ruck at a run, considering the difference between first and last place was 10 points in a 425-point competition. I settled in at an efficient pace in 4th place and soon was buddied-up with the only female contestant (and one of the soldiers, and thus, not a competitor to me). We mostly chatted about our significant others, our careers and stuff like that. Before the ruck was even half over it seemed like it would never end. Within a few miles I knew I was developing bad blisters. I failed to remember from my rucks in the past that I needed to wear an extra pair of socks... Dumb. I believe I could have and would have passed up the 3rd place NCO, but my buddy began to develop symptoms of heat illness and I wanted to stick with her to help her (I gave her some of my food and water when she was out) and make sure she didn't fall out--which she didn't (in fact, she took 2nd among the soldiers!) She was thankful and told me I was a great NCO. Awww... Totally worth 2 points to me. Around mile 3, the 5th place NCO had succumbed to an injury he sustained during the APFT and fell out of the ruck and the competition.
Formal Sergeants Major board: By design, we were brain-fried from exertion and hours in the desert sandy wind and sun when we appeared before six of the highest-ranking enlisted personnel in our chain of authority for a formal interview and questioning. Other than blanking on a couple of easy questions and mis-hearing another, explaining a procedure I wasn't asked about, I did ok. Not my best board, but it would have been incredible if it had been.
IED reaction lane: One by one, each contestant was given 3 soldiers to lead through a training area, known as a lane, to try to identify IEDs and react appropriately. The soldiers would do as you told them, but take no initiative, so you had to direct everything. You had to find the IEDs, get your soldiers back to safety while checking for "secondary" IEDs, cordon and control the area, then call in a 9-line UXO (unexploded ordnance) report. I missed one IED and didn't do the greatest job establishing a cordon, but did ok overall.
We had quite a bit of down-time after dinner. I brushed-up on some land nav knowledge and tried to get some sleep. This proved a little difficult, but a couple of softer Phil Keaggy albums (Beyond Nature and In the Quiet Hours) helped get me to sleep between midnight and 0100. I think there was an 0730 start for Day 2 (wouldn't want to start when the day is too cool...)
Day 2
Land Nav(igation): The clock started ticking down the 3-hour time limit. A written exam proceeded a 5-point, open desert course. We were given a topo map, a scale, a compass, a DAGR (defense advanced GPS receiver) and a list of 5 points we had to plot, then find. Shortly before finishing my plotting, I realized that my tummy was in trouble and I'd have to do something about it... or else... I had been struck by the Kuwaitee Krud for the umpteenth time on this tour. I told my sponsor, and after giving me an "are you serious???" went to find a driver for a bus to take me to find the closest possible latrine (plastic box of death). Good news is, we found one. Bad news is, it no longer had a toilet. I had to grip the door handle and, well, I think you can imagine. Gotta do what you gotta do. About 20 minutes later I was back in action. I had never been trained on a DAGR, but was told if I just left it on it would always give me my present coordinate. Too easy, were that the case. Wouldn't even need a compass or map! Just make sure that the coordinate numbers were ascending or descending, depending on what the coordinate was for the next point and I'd get there! Well, the thing went in to "standby mode" and would no longer display the current coordinate. After fussing with it for a few minutes, the best I could figure out was that if I powered it down and back up, it would give me my present coordinate before going immediately after into standby mode. This meant I could find my points "the old way," then confirm them with the DAGR by powering down and back up. Good enough. The points were any where from 1000 meters to 3000 meters apart--far enough to not see them from each other and to stumble upon wrong points if you weren't precise with your navigation. Due to the time constraint and my setbacks I ended up running thousands of meters (on blistered feet), but I found all my points and made it back to the waiting proctor with 3 whole minutes to spare!
Weapons qual(ification):
I had kind of an off-day with the M16. My last qual was a 37 out of 40. This time I shot around 30. I was pretty disappointed and didn't count exactly. Just turned in my card and headed for the 9mm range... There my fortunes turned and I shot a 35 out of 40, even though I'd never tried to fire a pistol from the prone, squatting or kneeling positions nor had ever had to fire within a time limit, including magazine changes. That may have been the best 9mm score out there. Not sure, but most of the other contestants expressed some dismay over their shooting.
Top Shot competition:
We were given 10 9mm (nine-mike-mike) rounds and 10 5.56 (five-five-six) rounds and 2 minutes to pop as many balloons (out of 6) at short range with the M9 and score as many bull's eyes at long range with the M16 as possible (2 targets that could be struck 5 times per). I quickly popped all six of my balloons with 7 shots, then proceeded to put my 5.56 rounds down range. I only hit a couple of bull's eyes, but the other contestants didn't do nearly as well with the balloons (and I didn't hear about anyone hitting more than 3 bull's eyes), so I thought I might have won that event, but the event organizers didn't say (they were hush-hush over the standings for the entire event). Word spread fast that I had got all of my balloons and a lot of cadre (staff) and my sponsor were pretty excited. That kinda pumped me up. I felt good to be good, maybe the best, at something!
A second Blackhawk ride, this time with the doors open (!) brought us back to Buehring. We had quite a bit of down time after a Sergeant's Major-sponsored and cooked BBQ and a faily late start of 0630 (oh-six-thirty) the next day.
Day 3
CLS (mass casualty rescue): One by one we were ushered in to a nearly pitch black (except for explosion and muzzle flashes) building. The blasts were not quite deafening, but made it very difficult to hear. This was a very stress-inducing, distracting and confusing environment. Strewn about were bodies, which had sustained various levels of damage. Some were dead. Some were amputees. You had to try to find one that needed urgent help, administer life-saving aid, then move on to another, saving as many lives as possible within the 15 minute time limit. I attended two casualties, checking for and treating MARCH (massive bleeding, airway, respiration, circulation and head injury). I elevated limbs, applied bandages and torniquets (including marking the forehead with a T and the time in blood), loosened clothing, reassured the victims and just did what I could think to do. The dummies were equipped with pneumatics and could breath (either normally or abnormally) and move their eyes.
CBRN/E (see-burn-ee): Survive and save lives during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive attack. Upon leaving the CLS building, we were ushered to the CBRNE lane. Each contestant was surprised when, coming around a corner (one by one, of course), distracted by a chatty cadre, there was a man writhing on the ground, gagging and foaming at the mouth. I immediately put on my gas mask, tightened it, cleared it, pressure tested it, then called out "gas, gas, gas" while rushing to the downed man. He was pretty well out of it, but semi-conscious. After helping him don his own mask I injected him with an antidote (simulated) and waited a few seconds to check for better responsiveness. He showed marked improvement, so I didn't hit him with shots 2 & 3, though, for the grader's sake I loudly proclaimed this to be an option. When the grader gave the all clear I proceeded to decontaminate (with a kit) our garb and gear, then we unmasked. I was told by the instructor that I should have decontaminated sooner (with which I disagree) and that I'd receive only partial credit for that, but it wasn't a big deal to me. I think it's retarded to decontaminate while contaminants are still in the air, which can then recontaminate you. I'm not alone in this opinion, but there is no arguing with a higher-ranking person holding a Power Point slide!
MOUT (urban warfare): Possibly the most fun of the entire competition and a great finale. You were given 15 minutes to lead 3 "dumb privates" (helpers who would do everything they were told but precious little else!) through an enemy-occupied building to seize weapons and intel and save a hostage. I received the OPORD (operation order), then "sandtabled" my guys, assigning them each a position and duties and creating a loose plan, before "stacking up" on the building and beginning the assault. We cleared the building from room to room, engaging in several firefights, killing all the enemy, seized the weapons we found, treated the hostage, loaded "him" on to a litter, called in a 9-line MEDEVAC and hightailed it to the LZ (landing zone). Moments later a Blackhawk appeared on the horizon. I "popped smoke," (a green smoke grenade) marking the landing site for the chopper. We loaded the casualty at the direction of the flight chief while pulling security.
We assembled in the VIP room of the DFAC (dining facility) for last words from each sponsor and speeches by the Sergeants Major and Brigadier General Ives, who had observed much of the competition on the third day.
Finally, we were (coincidentally) treated to a Toby Keith concert. I have been familiar with several of his songs over the years (thanks to my time serving in the military), but didn't know who the artist was: American Soldier, Made in America, Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue and I Love This Bar. He played all these and quite a few other songs. One was about an ugly female MP, which went over well, though there was an ugly female MP who didn't seem to enjoy it much. "Get Out of Your Clothes or Get Out of My Car" was enjoyable and memorable for various reasons. "I'm Runnin' Block" (a ode to "wingmen" everywhere) was a personal favorite.
We then made a late-night move back to Arifjan, where I spent the next day and then some cleaning gear, unpacking, cleaning my quarters and trying to rest and recover.
Awards Day
Somewhere in that time frame was the award ceremony, which featured a video that had been shot over the course of the 3 competition days. There it was revealed that the two infantrymen from Task Force Sinai (stationed in Egypt, in coalition with about 7 other countries, to keep the peace between Israel and Egypt) were the winners. This was as I had privately predicted (when all was said and done--I tried to stay positive during the competition) and I believe the best warriors won and are now proceeding to the next level of competition. They were awarded with ARCOMs (Army Commendation Medals). The rest of us received COAs (Certificates of Achievement--worth some promotion points, so hey, not too shabby, eh?) After these awards were presented they announced the winner of the Top Shot event, which, was me! I went onstage to receive a 2nd COA. My Command Sergeant Major told the crowd that I could shoot off a gnat's puhtoody--a bit of an exaggeration, but well-received praise. While shaking hands with Sergeant Major Fancher I told her the answer to the question: "what are two ways to purify water." I had completely blanked on ALL of her questions during the board. I think she whammied me or something... :p She asked a couple of super-easy ones that I should have gotten and she probably wondered what the heck was wrong with me! I sure did.
It was an honor to be part of this event. In order to be there you had to have won several boards and competitions, rising up from the Company level and through your Brigade. Also, this event was of the highest-imaginable caliber, due to it's organizer, the staff, the sponsors and the motivation of the competitors. ARCENT will have a heck of a time topping this event, if that's even possible. I learned a lot technically and about myself, both positive and negative, but all good. It's good to affirm what you do well and to take realistic stock of your short-comings. I accomplished my goals of finishing the event and not looking (too much) like a jack-ass (I should have said that at the board)!
I want to add, finally, that I had the best sponsor in the whole world. He set the bar high for duty, competency, honor and in many other ways. No where else in the Army do the words "Sergeant's Aide" make sense... :) I owe much of my success to him and much gratitude. It was a much, much more positive event for me because of him. Thanks, Bud!
Link to media:
http://ht.ly/ax8Fn
There are more exhaustive and inclusive photo galleries on my friends' Facebook pages and the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Facebook page, so, if you're on Facebook, add the 364th page and check it out. Unfortunately, I don't think I can link you to my friends' galleries.
If you read this far, you love me or maybe you're just super-bored! :)
Much love,
Mike
P.s. I couldn't have done this without Julie Saltmarsh helping me study at the pool. <3 Wuvayoo, Fween!
I went on R&R and had a wonderful time with family, friends and pets. And music and movies. And a few projects...
Upon flying back overseas I picked up a heck of a cold and was sick with it for around 2 weeks. Shortly before getting over it, an, ummm, less-than-rational (IMO) doctor basically forced me to receive the small pox vaccination, even though I had good reasons for an exemption. I spent about 2 weeks being sick from that. During all that I experienced a typical case of "back in Kuwait blues"... Also during all that, time was ticking down to the Best Warrior Competition...
In preparation, I should have been studying, training and working out like crazy. I did study quite a bit, but didn't have the energy to work out much. By the time I felt good enough to seriously train I had about a week and a half.
Which brings us to...
The competition was 3 days long, plus a day beforehand to travel out to the post it was held at and the awards ceremony was on the fifth day, yesterday. 5 NCOs competing against each other and 4 soldiers against one another.
The competition consisted of:
Day 0
Not much other than moving to Camp Buehring, getting settled in to the competitor's tent (soft shell, plywood floor, cots, reasonably air-conditioned) and a dinner for all competitors, sponsors and staff. The soldier from my unit made a funny comment at dinner, as the competitors were all sizing each other up: "what if this was the Hunger Games?" I responded: "the food would be better." Only a few hours of sleep before the 0400 (oh-four) start time the next day.
Day 1
APFT (pushups, situps, 2-mile run): I did ok at the APFT, considering I had been sick for about a month in the weeks heading up to the competition. My score fell slightly to 285, from my best-ever 291, achieved 2 months previous.
10-mile 30lbs. ruck march: We were flown out to the remote, desert ruck site in Blackhawk helicopters! It is not often that soldiers are treated to Blackhawk rides or that they are used in training, so this was a real treat. I had no desire to try keeping up with the youngins who started out the ruck at a run, considering the difference between first and last place was 10 points in a 425-point competition. I settled in at an efficient pace in 4th place and soon was buddied-up with the only female contestant (and one of the soldiers, and thus, not a competitor to me). We mostly chatted about our significant others, our careers and stuff like that. Before the ruck was even half over it seemed like it would never end. Within a few miles I knew I was developing bad blisters. I failed to remember from my rucks in the past that I needed to wear an extra pair of socks... Dumb. I believe I could have and would have passed up the 3rd place NCO, but my buddy began to develop symptoms of heat illness and I wanted to stick with her to help her (I gave her some of my food and water when she was out) and make sure she didn't fall out--which she didn't (in fact, she took 2nd among the soldiers!) She was thankful and told me I was a great NCO. Awww... Totally worth 2 points to me. Around mile 3, the 5th place NCO had succumbed to an injury he sustained during the APFT and fell out of the ruck and the competition.
Formal Sergeants Major board: By design, we were brain-fried from exertion and hours in the desert sandy wind and sun when we appeared before six of the highest-ranking enlisted personnel in our chain of authority for a formal interview and questioning. Other than blanking on a couple of easy questions and mis-hearing another, explaining a procedure I wasn't asked about, I did ok. Not my best board, but it would have been incredible if it had been.
IED reaction lane: One by one, each contestant was given 3 soldiers to lead through a training area, known as a lane, to try to identify IEDs and react appropriately. The soldiers would do as you told them, but take no initiative, so you had to direct everything. You had to find the IEDs, get your soldiers back to safety while checking for "secondary" IEDs, cordon and control the area, then call in a 9-line UXO (unexploded ordnance) report. I missed one IED and didn't do the greatest job establishing a cordon, but did ok overall.
We had quite a bit of down-time after dinner. I brushed-up on some land nav knowledge and tried to get some sleep. This proved a little difficult, but a couple of softer Phil Keaggy albums (Beyond Nature and In the Quiet Hours) helped get me to sleep between midnight and 0100. I think there was an 0730 start for Day 2 (wouldn't want to start when the day is too cool...)
Day 2
Land Nav(igation): The clock started ticking down the 3-hour time limit. A written exam proceeded a 5-point, open desert course. We were given a topo map, a scale, a compass, a DAGR (defense advanced GPS receiver) and a list of 5 points we had to plot, then find. Shortly before finishing my plotting, I realized that my tummy was in trouble and I'd have to do something about it... or else... I had been struck by the Kuwaitee Krud for the umpteenth time on this tour. I told my sponsor, and after giving me an "are you serious???" went to find a driver for a bus to take me to find the closest possible latrine (plastic box of death). Good news is, we found one. Bad news is, it no longer had a toilet. I had to grip the door handle and, well, I think you can imagine. Gotta do what you gotta do. About 20 minutes later I was back in action. I had never been trained on a DAGR, but was told if I just left it on it would always give me my present coordinate. Too easy, were that the case. Wouldn't even need a compass or map! Just make sure that the coordinate numbers were ascending or descending, depending on what the coordinate was for the next point and I'd get there! Well, the thing went in to "standby mode" and would no longer display the current coordinate. After fussing with it for a few minutes, the best I could figure out was that if I powered it down and back up, it would give me my present coordinate before going immediately after into standby mode. This meant I could find my points "the old way," then confirm them with the DAGR by powering down and back up. Good enough. The points were any where from 1000 meters to 3000 meters apart--far enough to not see them from each other and to stumble upon wrong points if you weren't precise with your navigation. Due to the time constraint and my setbacks I ended up running thousands of meters (on blistered feet), but I found all my points and made it back to the waiting proctor with 3 whole minutes to spare!
Weapons qual(ification):
I had kind of an off-day with the M16. My last qual was a 37 out of 40. This time I shot around 30. I was pretty disappointed and didn't count exactly. Just turned in my card and headed for the 9mm range... There my fortunes turned and I shot a 35 out of 40, even though I'd never tried to fire a pistol from the prone, squatting or kneeling positions nor had ever had to fire within a time limit, including magazine changes. That may have been the best 9mm score out there. Not sure, but most of the other contestants expressed some dismay over their shooting.
Top Shot competition:
We were given 10 9mm (nine-mike-mike) rounds and 10 5.56 (five-five-six) rounds and 2 minutes to pop as many balloons (out of 6) at short range with the M9 and score as many bull's eyes at long range with the M16 as possible (2 targets that could be struck 5 times per). I quickly popped all six of my balloons with 7 shots, then proceeded to put my 5.56 rounds down range. I only hit a couple of bull's eyes, but the other contestants didn't do nearly as well with the balloons (and I didn't hear about anyone hitting more than 3 bull's eyes), so I thought I might have won that event, but the event organizers didn't say (they were hush-hush over the standings for the entire event). Word spread fast that I had got all of my balloons and a lot of cadre (staff) and my sponsor were pretty excited. That kinda pumped me up. I felt good to be good, maybe the best, at something!
A second Blackhawk ride, this time with the doors open (!) brought us back to Buehring. We had quite a bit of down time after a Sergeant's Major-sponsored and cooked BBQ and a faily late start of 0630 (oh-six-thirty) the next day.
Day 3
CLS (mass casualty rescue): One by one we were ushered in to a nearly pitch black (except for explosion and muzzle flashes) building. The blasts were not quite deafening, but made it very difficult to hear. This was a very stress-inducing, distracting and confusing environment. Strewn about were bodies, which had sustained various levels of damage. Some were dead. Some were amputees. You had to try to find one that needed urgent help, administer life-saving aid, then move on to another, saving as many lives as possible within the 15 minute time limit. I attended two casualties, checking for and treating MARCH (massive bleeding, airway, respiration, circulation and head injury). I elevated limbs, applied bandages and torniquets (including marking the forehead with a T and the time in blood), loosened clothing, reassured the victims and just did what I could think to do. The dummies were equipped with pneumatics and could breath (either normally or abnormally) and move their eyes.
CBRN/E (see-burn-ee): Survive and save lives during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive attack. Upon leaving the CLS building, we were ushered to the CBRNE lane. Each contestant was surprised when, coming around a corner (one by one, of course), distracted by a chatty cadre, there was a man writhing on the ground, gagging and foaming at the mouth. I immediately put on my gas mask, tightened it, cleared it, pressure tested it, then called out "gas, gas, gas" while rushing to the downed man. He was pretty well out of it, but semi-conscious. After helping him don his own mask I injected him with an antidote (simulated) and waited a few seconds to check for better responsiveness. He showed marked improvement, so I didn't hit him with shots 2 & 3, though, for the grader's sake I loudly proclaimed this to be an option. When the grader gave the all clear I proceeded to decontaminate (with a kit) our garb and gear, then we unmasked. I was told by the instructor that I should have decontaminated sooner (with which I disagree) and that I'd receive only partial credit for that, but it wasn't a big deal to me. I think it's retarded to decontaminate while contaminants are still in the air, which can then recontaminate you. I'm not alone in this opinion, but there is no arguing with a higher-ranking person holding a Power Point slide!
MOUT (urban warfare): Possibly the most fun of the entire competition and a great finale. You were given 15 minutes to lead 3 "dumb privates" (helpers who would do everything they were told but precious little else!) through an enemy-occupied building to seize weapons and intel and save a hostage. I received the OPORD (operation order), then "sandtabled" my guys, assigning them each a position and duties and creating a loose plan, before "stacking up" on the building and beginning the assault. We cleared the building from room to room, engaging in several firefights, killing all the enemy, seized the weapons we found, treated the hostage, loaded "him" on to a litter, called in a 9-line MEDEVAC and hightailed it to the LZ (landing zone). Moments later a Blackhawk appeared on the horizon. I "popped smoke," (a green smoke grenade) marking the landing site for the chopper. We loaded the casualty at the direction of the flight chief while pulling security.
We assembled in the VIP room of the DFAC (dining facility) for last words from each sponsor and speeches by the Sergeants Major and Brigadier General Ives, who had observed much of the competition on the third day.
Finally, we were (coincidentally) treated to a Toby Keith concert. I have been familiar with several of his songs over the years (thanks to my time serving in the military), but didn't know who the artist was: American Soldier, Made in America, Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue and I Love This Bar. He played all these and quite a few other songs. One was about an ugly female MP, which went over well, though there was an ugly female MP who didn't seem to enjoy it much. "Get Out of Your Clothes or Get Out of My Car" was enjoyable and memorable for various reasons. "I'm Runnin' Block" (a ode to "wingmen" everywhere) was a personal favorite.
We then made a late-night move back to Arifjan, where I spent the next day and then some cleaning gear, unpacking, cleaning my quarters and trying to rest and recover.
Awards Day
Somewhere in that time frame was the award ceremony, which featured a video that had been shot over the course of the 3 competition days. There it was revealed that the two infantrymen from Task Force Sinai (stationed in Egypt, in coalition with about 7 other countries, to keep the peace between Israel and Egypt) were the winners. This was as I had privately predicted (when all was said and done--I tried to stay positive during the competition) and I believe the best warriors won and are now proceeding to the next level of competition. They were awarded with ARCOMs (Army Commendation Medals). The rest of us received COAs (Certificates of Achievement--worth some promotion points, so hey, not too shabby, eh?) After these awards were presented they announced the winner of the Top Shot event, which, was me! I went onstage to receive a 2nd COA. My Command Sergeant Major told the crowd that I could shoot off a gnat's puhtoody--a bit of an exaggeration, but well-received praise. While shaking hands with Sergeant Major Fancher I told her the answer to the question: "what are two ways to purify water." I had completely blanked on ALL of her questions during the board. I think she whammied me or something... :p She asked a couple of super-easy ones that I should have gotten and she probably wondered what the heck was wrong with me! I sure did.
It was an honor to be part of this event. In order to be there you had to have won several boards and competitions, rising up from the Company level and through your Brigade. Also, this event was of the highest-imaginable caliber, due to it's organizer, the staff, the sponsors and the motivation of the competitors. ARCENT will have a heck of a time topping this event, if that's even possible. I learned a lot technically and about myself, both positive and negative, but all good. It's good to affirm what you do well and to take realistic stock of your short-comings. I accomplished my goals of finishing the event and not looking (too much) like a jack-ass (I should have said that at the board)!
I want to add, finally, that I had the best sponsor in the whole world. He set the bar high for duty, competency, honor and in many other ways. No where else in the Army do the words "Sergeant's Aide" make sense... :) I owe much of my success to him and much gratitude. It was a much, much more positive event for me because of him. Thanks, Bud!
Link to media:
http://ht.ly/ax8Fn
There are more exhaustive and inclusive photo galleries on my friends' Facebook pages and the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Facebook page, so, if you're on Facebook, add the 364th page and check it out. Unfortunately, I don't think I can link you to my friends' galleries.
If you read this far, you love me or maybe you're just super-bored! :)
Much love,
Mike
P.s. I couldn't have done this without Julie Saltmarsh helping me study at the pool. <3 Wuvayoo, Fween!
