Thank you America, and good night

Well, I am not signing off forever, just for the next 19 days or so. I am getting ready to head out on my last National Guard 2-week annual training. With the additional day to load, and giving myself an additional day at home reuniting with the family, it will be a little while. ;-)

This will be at least my 22nd two-week stint since I joined back in July of 1986. I plan on picking up like 10 of those disposable cameras! But as I am preparing to go I can't help but remember some of the past stints.

My very first AT was in August of 1987. We had a fly away out to "Death Valley". Why is it that the Air National Guard goes to places like Puerto Rico, and the Army goes to "Death Valley"?!? I had volunteered to go out on advanced party for the extra money. When we arrived the barracks were literally WWII era - but it didn't matter. I was only able to stay there for a few nights until the main body caught up. Once they arrived me moved out to the training area. I remember training in a placed that had been exposed to heavy amounts of CS (think tear gas) and my nose ran like a faucet. I thought I was going to get dehydrated right there. But the best part was when I was given the opportunity to perform an 'air mobile' operation for a visiting VIP. My first exposure to Air Assault operations. What a rush! My adrenaline was pumping. We flew pretty low, landed and the three of us in the anti-armor team jumped out and ran across a ground hog heaven. I must have tripped three times. Each time the computer module for our anti-tank system slammed into the back of my helmet. We got in position, did our thing, packed up, the helicopter came back and picked us up. I was so excited I didn't even feel me tearing both deltoids! The next day I couldn't lift my arms past my waist! Still - it was a great time. By my third week my platoon sergeant came up to me to ask me the last time I had "taken care of business". I thought that an odd question, but as I did up the math in my head I realized it had been about 13 days! He hands me a cup of MRE (meals ready to eat) hot chocolate (and it was welcome, because those mornings were chilly). I drank it down, then he hands me another, and another. Thirty minutes later I was running to the "portapot"! Ah memories. I could go on and on, and that was just about my first one. I have at least twenty more such stories.

Well, I hope to have some pictures to post when I get back. Please bear with this old soldier as he remembers the "good old days".
Verse for today:
1 John 5 : 13-20, ESV
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God [1] will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.