Memorial Day Thoughts

Taps

Fading light dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright;
God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night.

In remembrance of our fallen brothers & sisters in arms, I drink to thee.
For those still in the fight, I still serve by your side.
For those still enduring the burden of protecting our way of life I cherish thee.

Happy Memorial Day. Remember that us Warriors, Marines, Airmen and Sailors sacrificed ourselves so others can sleep peaceably at night. Buy a round tonight if you see us at a restaurant bar or bistro. Thank a service member or veteran at least.

Bureaucrats, ba humbug!

I'm feeling the effects of the Post 9/11 GI Bill... at least I have a rainy day fund. But come on CA really a tutition hike for UC and CSU? Education is the sector that can pull us out of this budget crisis. Matter of fact we are the bottom 3 in the US 48 and we have 1/3 of the nations deficit and what? we let special interest groups run us over like they own the place.

Its too early to be cynical but come on Do we need one of those corporate flippers to slap us in the face to restart CA?

Education opens a new perspective for people.

I know I'm not too fond of our President's ideas but I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, but I digress.
I mean to say that our president actually has a great point on education, I may be paraphrasing but here is what he said that sounds logical: "Quitting high school is quitting on your country" from the 2009 SoU Address (click here if you avoided it or missed it should actually read it, its worded greatly but lets see the action and results too not just a ego pleaser.)

Anyway so far it takes 8 weeks for the VA to acknoledge your attending said school thus its 2 months back pay so to say.

Just hope if your still on Active Duty consider your options first and thoroughly think before going from the Montgomery GI Bill to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and weigh in your options like cost of living and expenses. Its even better if your unit let you get a head start on college before you get out so you can save on money. DeVry was cheaper and better for me than having attend a California State University. That weird considering DeVry is a publicly traded customer oriented University, always adapting to the market to better sell itself.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions. - G. K. Chesterton

When will the crazy holiday shopping stop? Not to imply but the US was founded on Christian Values. Christmas has been on going, but since when and why have we become politically correct. Yes there are a multitude of religions practiced as with the respective holidays, but being political correct about Christmas and all is absurd. Yes we are a multicultural society, but to imply that we should be holdiay neutral is athesistic. I implore that although freedom of religion was one of the founding reasons of the United States, do heed and not read too much into such laws.

Since when did the US lose its thick skin and cater to the underdog? We use to be isolationist pre WWII and have become more diverse decades later. We have lost sight of values in the way of life leading towards over production, out sourcing, and the idiocrancies just don't add up.

Our lives are corporate and media driven we are sheep in game of greed and manipulation. How have we become the UnAmerican-American?

I end with,

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

btw this is just a random opinion of mine I am still reading both sides of the story as I've only browsed the talking points in the past. I am not going to jump to conclusions just yet. Whats with the hostility?

Also a Rasmussen Report on the term Merry Christmas here.

Yay finally got a school date.

No its not that kind. I finally have a tenative schedule of when I can finally reclass to Military Police. Although its not the best I will embrace the suck as it seems its hard to get a slot for a school at the unit. 1 month in San Luis Obispo, CA I'll think of it as the field problems I've had on Active Duty that were probably worse. (No cellphones, ipods, dvd player etc... well execpt for the TOC and S Shop guys...) Anyway I welcome the fact that I plausibly do the job I (re)enlisted into (I enlisted into the Reserves 6 months before I got out its difficult to explain). Afterwards all I want is Air Assault School, good leadership and not having to deal with the suck anymore. I think I still owe some on Murphy's Law. Karma is either going to catch up or be left in my dust trail.

Oh well SPQR my friends.

My first woes of the Fiscal Year...

Theres Smart, then theres Army Smart, the latter got the better half of me when I enlisted in the Reserves, and luck would laugh at me for being stuck in an office job again...

I recently got an email stating my reclassing slot was canceled a third/fourth time...

I am in a Boat unit that has a Staff Sergeant MP slot that I currently am in. Of course that being I am a Specialist its odd, although my contract has a paragraph and line number for me to be in that slot? Any how I've been doubting myself as I always get the Office type job and seriously lose touch with my original job training. In the coming months if I can I think I will try to transfer from this Aquatic Transportation BN and go to an MP company and earn my way up, instead of almost being guaranteed my 6... (sadly most my friends are E6(s) while some how my lack of leaders leading me has left me behind...) Partially its my fault, but nows the time for me to rebound.

I also am starting to miss MOUT, Stress fire and all the other Combat Arms type training I took for granted. My current unit doesn't do live fire shoot houses, maybe a glass house with blanks with old ALICE gear and A2 rifles...

I digress, I just want to reclass smoothly and want to do the job I signed up to do for once. Not to be like the coffee/typing guy in Blackhawk Down.

Spendatures...

Historically since the 1940s and the Great Depression, Tax Breaks and less spending worked.

California, This is all I want done at least for FY 2010...

Better education benefits for Veterans,
=>Programs like free college for vets like in Texas, Illinois and Oregon.
=>Treat the National Guard better at least pay them on time and give them better benefits.
=>Stop ridiculous pay raises and create a salary cap.
=>Higher education by the state should be unbias and free from opinonated views
=>If you want to take it out on something at least not on the troops, we sacrifice more than our own time and freedom so one can voice their own opinion, have some courtesy and respect please.
=>Reform CALTRANS some high use city streets have been poorly regulated and repaired...
=> Stop sending state budget money toward interest groups and fix the state first.

Transitions, Trials and Tribulations

I had my 3rd Drill earlier this month and come to think of it I have about another 3 weeks or so til my next drill. I'm not too sure if the Reserves act this way nationwide, but I've had my school canceled and reinstated followed recently by an email telling me that there were no slots? available... Originally I was not due to reclass to Military Police until July '10 but whatever first excuse was incorrect phone number listed for me... This devious error just prolongs my promotion and gets in the way of my career progression. I wish I was still active duty some times, I still don't miss the insanity I had put up with. I don't even pride myself on the 7 years luck I've had not deploying, I only lost 3 friends in theater, but still that doesn't warrant the fact that I should be stuck in a staff position my whole career. I feel like Captain Nixon in Band of Brothers... I know I'm losing out on some life experience. I distaste having a lucky strike, I've seen much corruption in Recruiting, put up with lab coats and their antics and wish things could go my way for once. In the end I guess somebody is looking out for me...

To my friends on active duty, I feel for you.

BTW how the hell did I end up in a staff position again and explain to me how I ended up being nondeployed in my 7.5 years on Active Duty?

The 2010 FJ Cruiser vs. 2010 4Runner

Well I've been eyeing the Trail Teams Edition FJ Cruiser for some time now. Come to think of it I stopped by the local dealer and found out the color looks like its going to be sandstorm. Then again on youtube Toyota has sprung out videos on the 5th Generation 4Runner, redesigning it and giving it a more off road/ trail look. The other SUV I'm interested in is the 4 Runner Trail Edition (Thats if a TRD off road edition is unavailable) For the features 4 Runner seems to be the one, but then the price for the full load options is roughly $5,000 more. Versatility, 3rd party customiziation and full offroading has to be the FJ by far. I'll just have to wait for the SF Auto Show to happen late November to see then test drive the new 4 Runner. I still prefer the FJ Cruiser hands down. Oh the waiting... so much waiting for so long, what can 2 months wait do? It can't hurt that much.

btw; I've already drove the H2/H3 for work, I've rode in the Wrangler(s) before and by far nothing beats the FJ or late 90's Land Cruiser. Land Rover is out of my league I think.

San Francisco International Auto Show
4 Runner
FJ Cruiser

Update 1:
Also there is a TRD Edition FJ Cruiser. Iceberg White

So its TRD FJ vs TT FJ vs 4Runner Trail Edition... FML the researching, the choices, all this waiting...

Reclassing

So henceforth I'm still a Scout, but I will need to reclass to MP soon. I'm in a SSG's position and I'm only a E4(P). My units training nco tells me its a 2 phase school (I know its OSUT) but its broken down to phase one being 9 weeks and phase two being 10 weeks. I'm thinking its the 10 week portion I attend. Remember I've been through Basic Training and my Job Training, so I should be coming in like any other prior service (Army). Other than that well I've been slacking on my European trip photos. Should be a while.
Army's Definition of 31B Military Police. In the meantime I'll just browse a forum and try to find the answer there.

The fun

I leave my last unit and amidst the drudgery my cohorts find ways to entertain themselves. Seems as though they're having fun. I must warn, if you are offended by vulgar language DO NOT click play.
field testing body armor

A short post

Since I'm using a satellite feed off a docked ship I'll keep this post brief. Turkey was fun and this river cruise is drawing to the end. One week til I'm stateside. Viking River Cruise that I'm on has a lot of retired people 5 people under 30 I think. I'll post pictures when I get stateside.

Auf Wiedersehen from Passau Germany.

Happy Independence Day!

I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be. ~Thomas Jefferson


Let us not forget how we earned our freedom and for those who sacrificed their time and lives so we can be who and what we are. Thank a veteran, Reservist, National Guard and/or a serving Service Member. Its not too late to adopt a deployed Soldier/Sailor/Marine/Airman at Soldiers Angels.

It is the Soldier who lets the public speak its mind. It is the Sailor who fends off those who oppose freedom. It is the right of the Marine to deliver a swift foothold in Freedom. It is the Air Force who helps pave way for the Soldier to fight so you can speak your mind.

I would celebrate 4th of July, but I got to catch a noon flight, as today I am flying to Istanbul, with a layover in Germany. Six days in Turkey then I head to Bucharest Romania for the first leg of a river cruise.

Let Freedom Ring.


Toujours Pret.

Tyler

adjustments

Like this new layout its kinda like retro San Jose Sharks. In the meantime busy week, packing and getting ready to fly out to Europe. Follow me on twitter to find out where :p.

A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future. - Sidney J. Harris