Dear friends and family,
This is it--the last blog of my Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation New Dawn (OND) deployment. Tonight I will be home. Tonight I'll see the pleasing and familiar sights of Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains. Tonight I'll see dear friends and family. I'll play with my pets, both familiar and newly acquired (thanks to a tricksy wife)... I'll sleep in my own bed.
It's been a difficult, but blessed year. I've gained a lot of valuable experience, both technically in terms of the IT field in which I work and also in leadership, endurance, perseverance, patience and in many other ways of the soldier.
One of the most blessed things that occurred this year was that I was recently accepted in to the Army Signal Warrant Officer Corps as a Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC). That would not have been possible without this deployment, without the medals and awards, recommendations of my leaders and the support of many colleagues, friends and family. Once my active duty orders expire next month I will attain the rank of WOC, which I will hold until I complete WOC school (probably early next year), at which time I will be a Warrant Officer 1 (WO1).
There have been many challenges, including a leader who wanted to hold me back and sought to do so more and more actively (read: career sabotage) as the deployment went on. I have a tip for anyone reading this: be wary of outshining a superior. In certain ways this couldn't be helped this year, though I tried to keep that sort of thing to a bare minimum and never lauded it. Still, a certain individual turned spiteful and unprofessional toward the end. Fortunately, I had favor with senior leaders, who helped to mitigate the damage. In the end it only reflected poorly on that individual and I believe I learned and grew a lot through the experience. Sometimes effort, talent and accomplishment is rewarded with evil. But the one thing I believe most solidly about God is that He is the Master of turning evil in to good. Through many times I have felt His guiding, protecting hand on me during this year. I lastly need to thank my many friends and my family for all their dutiful, loving hours and hours of prayers on my behalf (and that of my deployed friends and colleagues) during this trying adventure. I'm amazed this year has gone so well and that it is about to wrap up in a few hours.
Sergeant Vieira out.
This is it--the last blog of my Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation New Dawn (OND) deployment. Tonight I will be home. Tonight I'll see the pleasing and familiar sights of Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains. Tonight I'll see dear friends and family. I'll play with my pets, both familiar and newly acquired (thanks to a tricksy wife)... I'll sleep in my own bed.
It's been a difficult, but blessed year. I've gained a lot of valuable experience, both technically in terms of the IT field in which I work and also in leadership, endurance, perseverance, patience and in many other ways of the soldier.
One of the most blessed things that occurred this year was that I was recently accepted in to the Army Signal Warrant Officer Corps as a Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC). That would not have been possible without this deployment, without the medals and awards, recommendations of my leaders and the support of many colleagues, friends and family. Once my active duty orders expire next month I will attain the rank of WOC, which I will hold until I complete WOC school (probably early next year), at which time I will be a Warrant Officer 1 (WO1).
There have been many challenges, including a leader who wanted to hold me back and sought to do so more and more actively (read: career sabotage) as the deployment went on. I have a tip for anyone reading this: be wary of outshining a superior. In certain ways this couldn't be helped this year, though I tried to keep that sort of thing to a bare minimum and never lauded it. Still, a certain individual turned spiteful and unprofessional toward the end. Fortunately, I had favor with senior leaders, who helped to mitigate the damage. In the end it only reflected poorly on that individual and I believe I learned and grew a lot through the experience. Sometimes effort, talent and accomplishment is rewarded with evil. But the one thing I believe most solidly about God is that He is the Master of turning evil in to good. Through many times I have felt His guiding, protecting hand on me during this year. I lastly need to thank my many friends and my family for all their dutiful, loving hours and hours of prayers on my behalf (and that of my deployed friends and colleagues) during this trying adventure. I'm amazed this year has gone so well and that it is about to wrap up in a few hours.
Sergeant Vieira out.
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