my fiancee is getting deployed ...

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:43 pm

Yesterday her unit told her she was on a "filler" list that would be mobilized within the US for one year. The duties were not yet stated but that the MOS would not matter as they would cross-train any soldier for the mission.

Today while at drill she was told that the remainder of the unit would be deployed for 90 days (tentatively) to Germany as administrative support.

Just now I recieved another phone call from her as I returned home from my office (State Headquarters, where we both work) that she is to be deployed on the 19th of this month to Germany and that now the mission had grown and is expected to last one year.

We are now considering bumping up our wedding plans to perhaps next weekend. The plans were originally slated for October of this year.

Please keep our nations soldiers in your thoughts and prayers.

-lance

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:44 pm

Will do Lance. Im sorry that the two of you have to be apart, but her and the troops will as always remain in my prayers.

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:55 pm

Thanks Roody. My only regret is that she is going while I stay behind. I used to be in a field unit before I got my first degree now I am in HQ and well, it would almost take an act of God to get the AG to let me have more than a week off at a time, let alone get deployed.

I never thought I would be the one staying home while she went off. I got a lump in my throat when I heard the news. I hope she get's back in just a few months though. It was bad enough when she decided to join up and was gone for 4 months. I will go crazy if she is gone for a year.

-lance

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:56 pm

Originally posted by lance-tek
Thanks Roody. My only regret is that she is going while I stay behind. I used to be in a field unit before I got my first degree now I am in HQ and well, it would almost take an act of God to get the AG to let me have more than a week off at a time, let alone get deployed.

I never thought I would be the one staying home while she went off. I got a lump in my throat when I heard the news. I hope she get's back in just a few months though. It was bad enough when she decided to join up and was gone for 4 months. I will go crazy if she is gone for a year.

-lance

Yeah, I can only imagine how tough that will be. My wife and I have been away from each other for awhile while I look for work in another state, but we don't have it as tough as you guys.

Hang in there.

Spicer · Post by **Spicer** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:59 pm

Although I Love America...

Thoughts and Prayers are always with my American friends and family..

Good Luck on the Wedding Plans...I hope all works in your favor..

Spice

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 2:04 pm

Hey, Lance:

Good luck to you and your fiancee. That would really be hard, but I salute you and her for serving this country while my lazy ass sits at home. People like you two are what keeps this nation free ! Just remember that when times are hard.

Just a thought: doesn't being in the service allow you to take free spots on military transport flights? I'm sure the USA --> Germany route is very popular with that being a major hub. Perhaps you can snag a spot there every few months?

Good luck with the wedding if that is what you decide to do. You could always go to Vegas and get married where the former Mrs. Spears-Alexander was wed.

Best regards to you two,

Brandon Wren

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 2:48 pm

Thanks Brandon.

As far as the military hop goes, yes that is true. But with things being as they are it is hard for me to get away from the office for any amount of time. Also, the hop is only one way. Many times flight plans change and you may not have a ride home.

Also I would have to get orders since it would be an out of country flight. I could go civilian but I would have to get a Passport first. If she is going to be gone for that long I will be sure to start the paperwork so that I can fly over to see her at least once.

We should learn a lot more tomorrow once we are back in the office and the Brass is there to find out that she is on the list. Her position is not mission critcal but she is the only one that knows it and there is no time to train anyone. So, the COL will definately make a phone call and try to make different arrangements.

Tomorrow will be an exciting day (not that the past two have not been), that is for certain.

-lance

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 3:58 pm

Originally posted by lance-tek
Many times flight plans change and you may not have a ride home.

And the problem lies where ?

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 6:59 pm

good point Brandon ...

lonewolfz28 · Post by **lonewolfz28** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 11:31 pm

Sorry to hear Lance, but at least she's going to Germany instead of the middle east.

Heck, I wouldn't mind getting deployed to Germany for a change.

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 3:29 pm

well, I may be going back to field unit now too. She is still not certain which deployment she will be on but, it looks like the Port mission (state-side) may have been changed.

-lance

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:30 pm

latest update. She will not be going to Germany. She is on the list for the other mission which is now speculated to last a full 18 months if not 24 months.

She begins the Pre-SRP process on Sunday the 18th.

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:33 pm

Originally posted by lance-tek
latest update. She will not be going to Germany. She is on the list for the other mission which is now speculated to last a full 18 months if not 24 months.

She begins the Pre-SRP process on Sunday the 18th.

That's good news, right?

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:35 pm

Is that bad that I kept reading that you guys are dealing with going to GENMAY ?

Sheesh. I need to get off the net.

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:55 pm

well it is bad news for us. She was hoping to get the Germany deployment because it was only supposed to last till early April.

We are full time National Guard soldiers. Deployment in the National Guard is a big thing because we are supposed to be here as homeland defense when everyone else is gone. It has not worked out that way at all.

Far be it from me to say that all National Guard members do not want to see some action. But many, like my fiancee, are not prepared enough (emotionally) before they are sent off.

50% or our members have been in for over 12 years. 15% have been in for over 18 years. Of these two groups 98% have never been deployed anywhere. And that is how the National Guard is percieved. Homeland Defense and not much more.

She is willing to server our country by any means necessary. However, she was told a week before leaving that she is going to be deployed. Now she learns that she is getting deployed across the nation for potentially 2 years. It is a bit disheartening to her as the mission appears to be taking her battalion and using them as drivers. Where in her unit they are mostly administrative personnel.

You are trained and trained to do your job and do it the best so that when your country calls on you there will not be a question on how to do the job. It is motivating in a way.

And then you are told your practice and training were for nothing. Go get in a 5 ton and drive stuff around.

THat is like being Special Forces and being assigned to scrape up roadkill. All of the training and the talks were for what? Not talking crap about it by any means but, they have yet to tell the soldiers any details of anything. We only know so much because of where we work. These soldiers think they are going to do some real business. Imagine the morale when they are told what they are doing.

I am a 74B (computer programmer) and the only person in the state qualified to do my job. We have over 11,000 troops that I am responsible for. Officer, Warrant Officer, and Enlisted alike. It is pretty esteemed that one person has that kind of responsiblity. So, how about I go out and make sure that all of the vehicles in the parking lot have ample air pressure in the tires?

Do you see the confict here?

-lance

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:59 pm

It sounds like we are lacking troops.

ScottE · Post by **ScottE** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:02 pm

Originally posted by Joint Chiefs of Staff
It sounds like we are lacking troops.

They put a stop loss in effect so...

mountainman · Post by **mountainman** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:12 pm

Originally posted by Joint Chiefs of Staff
It sounds like we are lacking troops.

Draft?

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:26 pm

Originally posted by mountainman
Draft?

If something else major breaks out across the planet say in N. Korea, I would think so.

ScottE · Post by **ScottE** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:31 pm

Originally posted by mountainman
Draft?

F that. If they ever institute a Draft. I'd just go and enlist. Navy or Coast Guard. I'm a sea faring man always have been always will be.

That being said there was some talk of having a draft... and having the drafted soldiers serve as a "police force" or peace keeping force. In Iraq... and elsewhere. And using the regular army as the fighting force.

For me personally I'd rather fight than partol the streets. That's me though...

The whole Idea of stop loss and the draft is just bad IMHO. It defeats the purpose of a volunteer army, but what do I know....

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:33 pm

We have been lacking troops for years. That is a big reason for the Armed Forces having bonuses and education benefits.

As for the Stop loss that was put into effect about 16 months ago.

We are not stretched so far that we (US armed forces) can not do our jobs etc. It is that many of our resources are being allocated where they may not serve as well as they could have elsewhere. I am not just referring to personnel.

If a little more planning and attention were given to many areas. We would find that we are wasting resources as well as money and time in many areas.

The military needs to assess itself as though it were a business. If it isn't able to do what it should do then replace it. Don't keep fixing it.

As far as soldiers, if they can't perform the duties they should be able to perform then they need to be put somewhere that they can fulfill the full duties of the job or be retired. If they are being able to stay around because of the required 20 years of service for retirement, but are hindering us still then the 20 year retirement idea needs to be reassessed if the military is responsible for the soldier not being mission capable.

ooooo I am on a rant now ...

ScottE · Post by **ScottE** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:38 pm

You should read Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace

It will piss you off even more.

lonewolfz28 · Post by **lonewolfz28** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 7:21 am

I could get into the whole service before self thing, but I'm sure you've heard it too many times before Lance. It all boils down to you do what is needed to be done at the time.

*Rant on*
I'm a 15 year USAF TSgt with 15 years on F-15 aircraft maintenance with 4 years of teaching and 4.5 years of inspection dock experience on the same. I've done maintenance on parts of the aircraft that 95% of our current mechanics have never seen, much less repaired. I've held qualifications that SSgt's these days have only heard of as part of the "old school" days.

You know what I did for 6 hours of a 12 hour shift tonight? I drove a floor scrubber and cleaned a hanger. Why, because that's what needed to be done and I wasn't about to pull some young airman off of a maintenance job where they were learning their primary job. Sometimes you just have to suck it up to allow others to do what will be more of a benefit to the military in the long run.

You do what needs to be done or you join the private sector. The military life has cost/inconvienced me more than I wish to think about (que sappy country and western song here), but I wouldn't ever change my decision to join. I've seen more, done more and learned more than a lot of people will in their entire lifetime. For that, I am thankfull. *Rant off*

It sucks that the military is inconviencing you and your fiancee by sending her across the country to drive a truck (I've got a GOV license for a 29pax bus, R-11 fuel truck and forklift, besides the vehicles I need for my routine job). I feel your pain. Really, I do. I've lost one wife, two fiancees and too many serious girlfriends because my military life got in the way.

But look at the bright side, at least she isn't being sent to Iraq for 6+ months, she isn't being given a M-16 and told to patrol a perimeter in Afghanistan and she isn't working 13 hours a day on her feet waving people people through the front gate to an USAF base in Alaska because most of their SP's are rotating into Iraq or Qatar for 90-120+ days at a time.

Sorry, but it sounds like light duty compared to what some others are being asked to do.

lance-tek · Post by **lance-tek** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 6:03 pm

O don't disagree with you on the aspects of duty and the risk of the mission.

Suck it up and drive on!!! That is the first thing the military teaches you, probably in all branches. It is not that she is going to drive a truck or that she is loosing her job (tech temp status that was going to be renewed but, obviously not any longer). It really boils down to a lack of planning. This mission was known about for a good 3 weeks prior to the unit notifying the soldiers.

We have no gripes about duty. The gripes are that the mission, is wasting ability. And the biggest part of it is that it was known about at higher levels and they did not put out the info till the last minute. Now she has to drop her life and go.

Had she been able to plan for this we would have a totally different perspective. If the mission were at a higher level of importance and they notified at the drop of a hat it would not be so bad.

What it boils down to is taking care of the troops. If someone had pulled their head out of their rear-end and said "hey, we know it is going to happen let's notify the soldiers so they can prepare in case they are called up" then it would all be different. But what happened here is that they sat back and waited to tell em at drill. less than one week out. These are weekend soldiers for the most part. She has a few buddies whom are taking serious hits on this now.

In our state the number one mission is Retention and Recruiting. NOT Recruiting and Retention. When you piss off one soldier, you are not just losing one soldier, you are blocking yourself from gaining a few as well. You need to take care of your soldiers to keep them. Not bend em over ...

Like I said these are National Guardsmen. Not full time soldiers. They know it is possible to get mobilized and they accept that. But, like anyone else they would like the courtesy of someone thinking of them and their families and giving them some kind of warning prior to mobilization.

Here is the kicker. These National Guardsmen still do not have orders for a mobilization that is to begin in less than 36 hours. Do you think that they are going to have orders before they mob? So, they tell their employers that they are being called up by their country and the company says fine. But, if I don't have your orders in my hand and you miss three days of work and you will loose your medical benefits. Meanwhile PV1 Joe Snuffy's child get's the flu but he doesn't have orders so Tri-Care won't pick up the bill. What about taking care of that soldier?

It isn't about the mission or the inconvenience. My biggest thing is taking care of the soldiers. As an NCO I think you can understand that lonewolfz28.

If not please give me a rebuttle.

-lance

lonewolfz28 · Post by **lonewolfz28** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 4:22 am

Yes, they could've at least given a courtesy call (I'm sure you have recall rosters). Unless there is some reason for secrecy, they could've at least given you at least a little more warning.

The orders issue isn't just limited to your guard unit. I've had/seen the same issues over and over again, especially as an instructor. I've had entire classes graduate with no idea where they were going to be stationed. The next class knew before they even started class.

Yeah, there are flaws in the system and folks that don't give much of a ____ about what effect their actions have on those below them. All I can do is stay current on current events and keep a handle on what's going on so I can ask questions of the higher ups and hopefully get an idea of what's coming so I can prepare myself and my troops. Not a perfect system, but what can you expect from people that make rank more on what blocks they filled than what they actually did while filling those blocks?

I think I was overly sensitive to your post because I hear, time and time again, folks that say they only joined for the educational/medical benefits or bonus so they can get their degree and get out ASAP( unfortunately, a high percentage of those were guard and reserve). These are the folks that always have an excuse on why they can't go TDY, work late or deploy. That just increases the work load on those of us that are willing to do what's asked, when it's asked. It doesn't matter if you're guard, reserve or active to have seen those types.

I actually had a kid tell me that he wasn't going to do jack because he'd have his college degree before I could build a big enough package to get him booted.

No sweat. He's now on a different shift and had to drop his classes, we don't have the manning to allow him to take classes from 5 to 10:45pm two nights-a-week and he needed to go to that shift to continue his upgrade training. Oh, you weren't planning on upgrading. That's failure to progress.

I take care of those that get the job done. I accomodate those that put forth the effort to get the job done AND take classes or do the single parent thing. If they get an attitude of just using the military as a stepping stone while shirking what needs to be done or burdening those around them with no remorse, then I have no heartburn with interrupting their plans.

Damnit · Post by **Damnit** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 9:40 pm

Originally posted by lonewolfz28
I could get into the whole service before self thing, but I'm sure you've heard it too many times before Lance. It all boils down to you do what is needed to be done at the time.

*Rant on*
I'm a 15 year USAF TSgt with 15 years on F-15 aircraft maintenance with 4 years of teaching and 4.5 years of inspection dock experience on the same. I've done maintenance on parts of the aircraft that 95% of our current mechanics have never seen, much less repaired. I've held qualifications that SSgt's these days have only heard of as part of the "old school" days.

You know what I did for 6 hours of a 12 hour shift tonight? I drove a floor scrubber and cleaned a hanger. Why, because that's what needed to be done and I wasn't about to pull some young airman off of a maintenance job where they were learning their primary job. Sometimes you just have to suck it up to allow others to do what will be more of a benefit to the military in the long run.

You do what needs to be done or you join the private sector. The military life has cost/inconvienced me more than I wish to think about (que sappy country and western song here), but I wouldn't ever change my decision to join. I've seen more, done more and learned more than a lot of people will in their entire lifetime. For that, I am thankfull. *Rant off*

It sucks that the military is inconviencing you and your fiancee by sending her across the country to drive a truck (I've got a GOV license for a 29pax bus, R-11 fuel truck and forklift, besides the vehicles I need for my routine job). I feel your pain. Really, I do. I've lost one wife, two fiancees and too many serious girlfriends because my military life got in the way.

But look at the bright side, at least she isn't being sent to Iraq for 6+ months, she isn't being given a M-16 and told to patrol a perimeter in Afghanistan and she isn't working 13 hours a day on her feet waving people people through the front gate to an USAF base in Alaska because most of their SP's are rotating into Iraq or Qatar for 90-120+ days at a time.

Sorry, but it sounds like light duty compared to what some others are being asked to do.

I could not agree with you more, I don' think anyone joins the military to go to war. A few people may but most don't but when the calls you need to suck it up and do you job no matter what it is. I was in the Army at Ft Bragg......I can't tell you the dumb stuff I did that never had anything to do with my job in the Army but I still did it with pride.. That was my job and when I got deployed that was my job I accepted it.

I don't believe the Military is show on personal.... Of course since 1990s there has been a decrease in the troops. At this time there are 16,000 more troops in the military due to the stop loss and deployments.
For once they are actually doing their job and being used for real world missions. I dont see a problem.

And.........saying national guard should not be deployed.......I have a friend right now in the middle of Baghdad..... he is in the national guard. He gets shot at everyday when he goes on patrols..... 3 people in his squad alone has been sent to the rear due to battle wounds......2 of the guys got shot.......one of them lost both of his legs........and the 3rd got stabbed.........He has been deployed since last January.
Last year he was going to school and not thinking about being deployed. He busy was enjoying the free college money from the military. National Guard can get deployed just like anyone else.

I am not being mean in anyway but most people don't think about the duties they will need to perform when they join the military. It is a lot of sacrafice but it is a duty you volunteered for. Don't believe everything the recruiter told you there is a real world out there with real problems

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my fiancee is getting deployed ...

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