Tidbits

Thursday 11/2/06
2015

Today was a normal day, so just a few tidbits rather than my usual wordy dissertation. :-)

John Kerry’s comment is all over the news (well, all over Fox News, at least). This photo was getting forwarded all over the place here in theater. I imagine everyone’s seen it by now, but I wanted to save it in context for my future self:


Brevity is the Soul of Wit
Originally uploaded by hkp7fan.

I sat at lunch with a sergeant who was mobilized from the National Guard to come here. She has two mechanical engineering degrees, but is over here doing this job, making less than she could at home. I can tell you she didn’t appreciate the snide remark, nor did most of the other people I heard talking about it. He is not held in high regard, to say the least. At least these soldiers (whoever they are) have a sense of humor!

One of the traditions I remember from when I was an active duty officer before is the expectation that we do not publicly express partisan political views, and certainly do not lend the uniform nor the authority or prestige of our position to any particular political candidate or party. We serve the USA and defend the constitution, and the political authorities chosen by the democratic process are our leaders, regardless of whether we agree with them or not.

I remember this really bothered me as a young officer, particularly during election season, and especially when the choices were as stark and clear as they were in 1980 and 1984.

Now it doesn’t bother me as much, even though I feel no less strongly. But you won’t see any overtly political remarks here, or discussions of this candidate versus that one. Frankly, I’ll be glad when the election is over, because a lot of the commentary I have been hearing on the war is just inane. You don’t get results overnight in this kind of war. But that’s all I’ll say on it for now.

I do think, however, that it’s appropriate to post something like that photo – when someone (anyone) disparages the intelligence and professionalism of the military, I think we have a right to respond publicly. I think the picture above speaks volumes, and makes extensive comments superfluous. Seeing the soldiers in that picture with their sign reminds me of the compliment that the famous orator Edward Everett (who spoke before Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address) paid to him in a letter afterwards: "I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

Other tidbits from today:

I had several packages delivered to me – two holsters and some magazine pouches I had ordered, as well as some things I had packed beforehand to have sent to myself (vitamins, toiletries they don’t sell here, etc.). Also my chiropractic pillow. I sorely miss my memory foam bed, but at least I’ll have my pillow. (If you didn’t think I had it soft before, now I’m sure you think I’m a total pogue).

This morning we played volleyball as a unit. I ran to the gym beforehand and made sure to stretch thoroughly, including a good three minute bridge and some behind the head leg lifts. I was concerned about all the jumping around, since playing softball at CAX last summer really did a number on my legs for several days, with seriously pulled muscles and the concomitant pain. Volleyball was a lot of fun, especially since our commander was using it as a kind of low-key professional development opportunity. According to him we were playing by Sun Tzu principles – find the weakness and exploit it. Teamwork, communication, and a “push forward” orientation were emphasized.

It’s fun to play a game like that in the company of people with shared values and a shared professional orientation, because you can make jokes that everyone understands. It’s been a long time since I felt that kind of professional camaraderie. Having worked by myself for three years (and for many years before that in the company of people I neither understood nor could really relate to), it's a breath of fresh air. I ran back to the billets afterwards as a warm-down. I was pretty stiff all morning, but by afternoon everything was fine.

I have watched two really wonderful movies in the past two days – “Wimbledon”, a happy-ending story of love and athletic achievement, and “Million Dollar Baby”, a not-happy-ending story of love and athletic achievement. Both are well worth watching.

And finally: apparently it’s “Native American Month”. Someone drew a picture of an American Indian on the mess hall menu board announcing this fact, and underneath was written:

“Homeland Security since 1492”.

Mood: Happy
Music: North Sea Gas – "Hector the Hero"