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

Well it is official, I have graduated the U.S. Army 'Combat Life Saver' course. I learned a lot of valuable information, and a lot of stuff to help keep wounded soldiers alive on a battlefield. I certainly hope I never have to use any of the skills I have developed. I am not really sure how I can describe exactly what a 'Combat Life Saver' is, other than to say that it is a very rudimentary emergency feild medic.

My goal as a 'Comabt Life Saver' would be to keep a wounded soldier or sailor alive and stable until a medic can assit them, and/or until a MEDEVAC can be brought in to get that wounded person to the rear as quickly as possible. It is very empowering to know that I now have the minimum skills required to be able to help save a persons life on the feild of battle.

Yasmeen laughed at me because I called her and was very excited about the fact that I had successfully given my first IV ever. She's a nurse, so to her giving an IV is about as difficult as tying her shoe, but for me a was a pretty cool experience, and I feel fortunate that I had comrades brave enough, and patient enough to allow me to practice on them.

My first few attempts were on an infantry Major, good thing he was a 'tough guy' because I had to stick him four times to get it right... But then my Yeoman let me stick him and I got it right the first time. It was awesome. Of course, turn about is fairplay, so since I stuck others, I also had to allow myself to be stuck, which surprisingly was substantially easier than it was to do the sticking.

In any case, all of this stuff would be much more difficult to do in a combat stressed situation and I hope that I never have to try. Mission number one is making sure that I and all of my comrades-in-arms come home, alive and well.

Sorry I don't have any good pictures to share of the training... I should be getting some more pictures up real soon. I have been exceptionally busy lately. I actually can not wait to get over there, so that we can get this mission started. The sooner we get there and get started, the sooner we get home, and the sooner I can get on with my normal life. I have a lot to look forward to.

It feels like a warm summer night here. It's really beautiful. The only thing that makes this night really odd, is that it is the middle of January, and we should all be freezing...

There is a storm front rolling in from the southeast, and it is being carried in on a warm Caribbean breeze. As I stand on the second floor fire escape and stare out into the night sky I can not help but think about how much this feels like a night underway on a Caribbean sea. It is one of those moments that would be absolutely beautiful if I were sharing it with Yasmeen. But instead the air carries an eerie feeling of solitude, and I am feeling very lonely. I'd give anything for just another night with the woman I love.

I have not written an update in a bit because I have been busy making my final preperations for my departure. I bought a new laptop and some other much needed gear this weekend (ammo puches, flashlights, a knife, some pens, notepads, a tactical back pack, a large travel trunk, etceteras). I spent a good bit of money.

I spent the rest of the weekend preparing training on Digital Photography that I am to give on Friday to the batallion. I have been asked to compress an entire one semester course into a single four hour block of instruction. I am doing my best. The compression of the subject is made substantially easier by leaving out all the artisitic stuff. Of course, that is also the most fun stuff.

Given the recent official inquiry made about my war blog, I have decided to work on hosting it in it's own directory, that way it will not be included in my 'All Blog Synopsis...', and whereas this may be inconvienent for those of you who subscribe to the RSS feed of the synopsis blog, I feel it will best protect my 'All Blog Synopsis...' from any scrutiny by the DoD. This will keep my War Blog (http://www.armysailor.com) completely seperate from my personal blogs. Although the DoD can set forth guidance related to my War Blog, because it is directly related to my military service, they can not censor my personal blogs so long as it is clear that they are my own opinion and in no way related to my military service. I have gotten a bit of correspondence from people concerned that I am being censored, or that I am being told what I can say. This is not the case. The rules only prohibit me from posting any potentially sensitive information. I also may not post any information on my War Blog that may be perceived as being disparaging to the administration. However, you can rest assured that I will continue to bring you accurate information from the front lines of the 'War on Terror', and as many pictures and updates on the good, the bad and the ugly of the war.

It seems someone in the DoD has discovered my Blog (not that it's hard to find), and they were displeased with a few aspects... So I had to make a few changes to bring my Blog into compliance with all DoD regulations, instructions and guidance. Many of the lines regarding military blogs are still hazy...

I have removed all solicitations for donations from this blog (accessible at http://www.armysailor.com ). Donations will not be accepted at this blog, and any and all donations previously received will be refunded ASAP.

I have removed my article about IEDs from this site. It seems that the DoD were concerned that some of the data in the article could have been classified. If you are interested in any information on IEDs, it is all readily available through a Google Search or by visiting a site such as Global Security.

I will refrain from making any political statement on this blog. I can and will freely express my political opinions elsewhere, but because this blog is centered on my military deployment it could give an inappropriate appearance to express political opinions here.

Finally, as I am sure everyone was already very well aware, but I want to make perfectly clear... THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL MILITARY SITE! The views expressed on this blog are my own and in no way reflect any official views or the opinion of the Military or any part of the U.S. Government.

That being said, please continue to visit my blog, keep an eye out for plenty of pictures and stories in the future. And though I will be well within the guidelines set forth by the Department of Defense regarding blogs, and information that is disseminated, you can still count on this blog providing you with a truthful view from the front lines of the War on Terror!

Semper Fortis,
Anthony McCloskey

The military is a very unique experience. Anyone who has served for any appreciable period of time will tell you that it is not just a job, it's a way of life.

One of the most unique things about life inside the military is the bond it creates. The comaraderie. I can think of no civilian circumstance where I could know someone for just a few weeks, and be willing to entrust my life to that person, and ask them to entrust their life to me.

We train together. We eat together. We sleep together. We shower, shit and shave together. We share almost everything. We are brothers. We learn each others strengths and weaknesses. We learn each others likes, and dislikes. We learn each others quirks.

But CA/PsyOps operates in small teams. Small teams to cover large amounts of territory. Half of us have trained to to deploy to Iraq, the other half have trained to deploy to Afghanistan. Our slow separation, and trickling deployment to our individual Areas of Responsibility (AOR) adds to the stress of waiting to go. Watching friends leave, wondering if I will ever see them again is tough. I hate to say goodbye, I rather say 'Good luck, keep in touch', although I know they likely will not. How can they? There is no time, we have jobs to do and when we are keeping in tou ch with people our first priority MUST be with our loved ones at home. It's strange. To become attached to someone, but coldly accept that you may never see or hear from them again.

I have come to the point where I can not wait to get in country. It's not that I am eager to go so much as I am eager to be there. Separation from my family, and my loved ones is easier when I am at sea or overseas. It's harder when I know that they are only 700 miles away. Once I get there my primary focus will be on the task at hand and on survival. Our training here is basically done, we are getting more and more down time. Leaving more and more time to sit an think. To miss those I love. To wonder if my mom is ok, and what Yasmeen is up to. To think about the fact that I am going to miss Ashley's graduation. I can't wait to get there, because the sooner I get there the sooner I will get home. I am eager to go, to complete my mission, and to return home to those I love.

2007 seems a long way away.

It was great being home on leave for Christmas and New Years Eve. I spent Christmas with my mother and my neice and shared a nice quiet day together and had a traditional dinner. Yasmeen had to work Christmas.

For New Years Eve Yasmeen and I went to a local Bar / Restaurant called North-by-Northwest with my neice (Ashley) and her boy-friend, Justin ('Brother Love'). We ate, we drank, we were merry. And though it was a bitter-sweet moment for me, and though I am not really looking forward to 2006 at all, we did all have fun, and we enjoyed the time spent together.

I have a Feeling that 2006 is going to be a major turning point in my life. I know that my experience in Afghanistan will change me. Whether that change is for better or worse, major or minor, only time will tell... I also know that I will face some major decisions in 2006, as will Yasmeen. I have a feeling that this year is going to have a very serious impact on my future. When I come home from Afghanistan I hope to be able to take the next major step in my relationship with Yasmeen... But only time will tell.

For now I cherish the time we have been able to spend together, and I am grateful for every moment I have. I can not wait to come home and start my life fresh.

Enjoy the pics... I will try to post more as time permits.

Yasmeen & Me

Yasmeen and her sister

I gave Yasmeen an Unexpected Happy New Year kiss... She doesn't look too thrilled about it does she?

Ashley & Me

Ashley and her man... 'Brother Love'

The two women in my life... together.

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