Back in the Saddle

Wednesday 5 January 2011
1945

Once again, I am back on active duty orders. I am serving as a Training Operations Officer in HQ FORSCOM, at Fort McPherson, GA. I reported in yesterday.

When I went home on 1 November, I was still on active duty, using up all my leave (so-called “terminal leave”). That lasted until 27 December. Although technically still on active duty, it was a completely relaxing interlude, almost like being back into my civilian life. I spent most of my time visiting family and taking care of various items of personal business.

I had spent a lot of time and effort trying to get new orders that would keep me on active duty with no break in service. This was important for a number of reasons, but mainly because a break in service interrupts *everything* in terms of pay and allowances as well as entitlements. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful in this attempt, and had a seven-day break in service until my new orders started on 4 January. I received these orders just before Christmas, so I had enough time to plan my move and get everything organized. Naturally there were some things I didn’t get done, and I’d have loved to have been able to spend more time with my kids, but there is just never enough time to do everything you want to do. :-(

I balanced my time taking care of things during the entire leave, but the real countdown started after New Years, when I had to gather up all my stuff, pack it in my trailer, and head for Atlanta. I left on Monday 3 January, and drove to Knoxville TN where I spent the night. It was a nice drive, tiring but not so long as to be exhausting. I had a nice steak dinner at “Connor’s Steak and Seafood”, and was up early the next day to hit the road again. It was a beautiful drive through the hills, and made me want to get out and spend some time in them on foot.

Because I was taking some of my firearms with me this time, I couldn’t just drive onto Fort McPherson with my trailer. So on Tuesday I drove wearing my uniform, planning to drop the trailer at whatever hotel they were going to put me in, report directly in and start in-processing, and then go back and get it later. That plan worked out very well, despite a Housing bureaucrat who had a very difficult time thinking outside of her process, not wanting to tell me what hotel I’d be at until she saw my orders.

I got to Fort McPherson at lunchtime, and so could not reach anybody in my section. I just started in-processing, and managed to get quite a lot done on the first afternoon. Then I went in to meet them around 1600 or so. They seem like a nice group of people, and it is kind of cool to be working in FORSCOM HQ.

The hotel they have me in is not fancy, but it is adequate. It is a Drury Inn. The room is a decent size, with cable and internet. The room rate includes breakfast in the morning as well as a decent spread of hot food at night from 1730 – 1900. So far I haven’t gone to a restaurant. The room has a microwave and a refrigerator, so as soon as I can get out to a store I can lay in some things for lunches as well as evening munchies (just what I need!). The idea was that I stay here while on the waiting list for a contracted apartment, and move into that when one comes available.

This morning I got up and went in and finished my in-processing for the installation. Garrison HQ, Battalion HQ, Company HQ, security, housing, transportation, Finance, EMILPO, ID/DEERS, TriCare, Medical, etc. All I have left now are the various things to do internally such as getting a phone, computer, and access to various systems. I won’t go into the details of some of the screwed-up-ness during remobilization. It’s familiar enough by now that I just try to ask the right questions and get whatever it is straightened out as soon as possible. But it is the same old story of being a mobilized Reservist, and having your stuff fall through the cracks. The seven-day break in service bit me more than once.

This afternoon I went over to pick up my Jeep that had been shipped from Germany. As far as I can tell there was no damage, although somewhere along the line somebody peeled off (read “stole”) the Swiss Autobahn sticker off my windshield. I was going to leave it on there as a souvenir, but now there’s just glue residue. I wrote a note to the shipping company, but I don’t really expect I’ll get any reimbursement for it.

I still have almost everything to learn about my job, but I have found out some things about it that clarify my immediate future living situation. Since Fort McPherson is closing, everyone is moving to Fort Bragg, NC sometime this year. I will be going to Fort Bragg around mid-March. This means that it hardly makes sense for me to move into an apartment. I talked to housing about it today, and they agreed that it makes more sense for me just to stay here at the hotel until I leave for Fort Bragg. I plan to have my unaccompanied baggage delivered here ASAP. It will be somewhat crowded in the room, but I have to have this stuff so I can pack it up and take it to Fort Bragg.

The main task I have to do now besides learning my job is to get the registrations switched on my Jeeps (I really want to keep the “MCRGO” tag), get a trailer hitch put on the 2008, and sell the 1999. I think I ought to get pretty good money for it, as it has been well-maintained and Jeeps hold their value well because people want them to fix up. I will spend some time over the next couple of days taking care of that, as well as getting my UB delivered. With any luck, by the weekend I’ll be able to get as settled in here as I’m likely to get, and focus on learning my new job.

It was nice to have a vacation, but it’s great to be back!

Mood: Happy
Music: Aerosmith “Back in the Saddle”