Army Sailor -- War in the Sandbox...
The Adventures of a Sailor in Afghanistan...

Well, I have been home since February and things are going pretty well. I made Chief, I re-enlisted for six more years and I accepted orders to a ship in Mayport, Florida. Things are moving along smoothly, and in exactly the manner I had hoped. There have been a few minor challenges along the way, and a few unusual developments, but such is what keeps life interesting.

I will continue to look back on my time in Afghanistan and my time with the U.S. Army as a defining point in my career. I can not think of any 18 month period of my life that has changed me more as a person than that period. I do not regret a single moment of it, and I have to admit, I would go back in a heartbeat, especially if I could go back with the same folks. My willingness to go back is not so much a statement of support for the politics or policies behind it all, as it is a statement of support for my fellow service members. I miss the camaraderie that I experienced there, the bonds forged by war between two souls are unlike any other.

However, I am ready to move on. I am looking forward to my new role as the Chief. I am completely committed to my sailors, and I look forward to doing all I can to get them to where they need to be, just as so many great Chiefs have done for me. I must never forget that the anchors I wear are not my own, they belong to my sailors. My career no longer matters, only the careers of those whom I have the honor to lead matters now. I intend to prepare each one of them to replace me one day, I only hope I can succeed.

It seems very fitting to me to write this final post on October 13th. It is the 232nd birthday of the United States Navy, and it is my 29th birthday. I have always thought it was a sign of something that I was born on the Navy's birthday. Now that I have committed myself to being a career man, I know that it is in fact a sign. I consider a sign of something that was meant to be, because the fact of the matter is, that no matter how much I may sometimes bitch and moan, I do love this shit. I love it with all my heart, and I believe I am exactly where I belong.

Semper Fortis!

NOTE: This only marks the final entry to this blog, it does not mark the end of my writing by a long shot. In time I may start another MilBlog, and no matter what I will continue to write and express myself in some forum. Keep an eye out for my future writings. Be sure to check my MySpace Profile for announcements.

To see pictures of my Chief's Pinning, CLICK HERE.

It's official, the Chief Petty Officer results have been released, and after only a short delay.

The great news is...

I MADE CHIEF!!!

I was selected for promotion to Chief Petty Officer! This is easily the happiest day of my naval career. I simply don't know what to write right now... I can not explain my reaction in words, this is a dream come true.

I am not a Chief yet, I won't be until I get pinned in September, but now I know it's coming. Now I need to start working on my re-enlistment. This is going to be a busy period for me, but I can't wait.

I will post more later. Thank all of you who have given me so much support over the last two years. I especially have to thank Master Chief Betterton, Master Chief Nolan, Master Chief Harlin, Sergeant Major Pyle, Sergeant Major Jetty, Lieutenant Commander Carlson, Chief Woehnker, Chief Bechthold, Senior Chief Franklin, Chief Fraser and all of the other wonderful people in my career who have mentored me each and every step of the way, my success is a testament to your hard work, and I will be eternally grateful.

Next stop... Senior Chief...

Take a look at this Tribute to Chiefs who gave their all in the service of their country...

Well, I finally got my hearing aids. I suppose I never realized how much sound I was really missing before. It's kind of crazy because I can now hear all sorts of sounds I never heard before. They are definitely a good thing. They are also much smaller and more comfortable than I imagined they would be. The funny part is that it is almost a bit disconcerting being able to hear as much as I can now. I heard the sound of a tree rustling and it was amazing, I had forgotten just how noisy a simple tree could be.

It is certainly going to take me some time to get used to wearing these things, but I can see that overall they will improve my quality of life. Best of all, they are almost completely invisible, so I don't feel as though I look like an old man.

Now I just have to figure out if TriCare will pay for the hearing aid batteries, or if I am going to have to take that on as an out of pocket expense.

We met with the NAVSUP Command Master Chief today, and he gave me some insight as to what was holding up the board results. Whereas it doesn't make me any less anxious, it is good to hear from a reliable source what the hold up is all about, I will share more details later, for now I am off to the gym.

Note the mention of the Civil Affairs personnel who are also always there...