Ooh ooh! Ever want to know how to become a detainee in Iraq? 
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.
PS. That's me. I'm out of the Army and working on my 70s porn star look. Outdoors, I have the mirrored aviators on at all times.
PPS. You're welcome.
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.
PS. That's me. I'm out of the Army and working on my 70s porn star look. Outdoors, I have the mirrored aviators on at all times.
PPS. You're welcome.
More than one week completed as a daddy. 
Words cannot express the pride and joy I feel.
Tomorrow I head to Philly for a few days. It should be productive and it needs to be done, but I'll miss my li'l booger.
Words cannot express the pride and joy I feel. Tomorrow I head to Philly for a few days. It should be productive and it needs to be done, but I'll miss my li'l booger.
The previous nine months were an emotional rollercoaster the likes of which six flags has never seen, but, in the end,
it was worth it.
BTW, up until Jan 29, 2009, I was one of those people who didn't care much for new parents who wouldn't shut it about their kids. Now I've become one.
...and everything they've said is true. Even though I only became a daddy (officially) four days ago, it's like the first 30 years of my life have been wiped from memory.
it was worth it.
BTW, up until Jan 29, 2009, I was one of those people who didn't care much for new parents who wouldn't shut it about their kids. Now I've become one.
...and everything they've said is true. Even though I only became a daddy (officially) four days ago, it's like the first 30 years of my life have been wiped from memory.
Oh my Jesus Christ. I'm going to be a dad this month. They should build a snooze button for that. 
IVAW marched in the Austin Veteran's Day Parade today! We got saluted by some, cheered by some, two turned their backs on us and there were other reactions that we didn't know how to interpret.
There was only four of us because people started chickening out. I almost chickened out too. I didn't know if I should wear a riot faceshield to protect from flying produce but I decided that I'd just dodge the tomatoes and if one hit me, I'd just take it.
So the reaction we got (from the crowd) was mostly positive!
It's just the old ballad of the veteran. If you're prowar, the antiwar crowd will spit on you, if you're an antiwar veteran, the prowar crowd will do the same.
There's no winning, even after the wars are over.
I didn't realize it, but McCain's defeat marked the third straight defeat of a Vietnam veteran for the Chief Executive job. Gore and Kerry were both defeated despite having actually served in Vietnam.
We got saluted by some, cheered by some, two turned their backs on us and there were other reactions that we didn't know how to interpret.There was only four of us because people started chickening out. I almost chickened out too. I didn't know if I should wear a riot faceshield to protect from flying produce but I decided that I'd just dodge the tomatoes and if one hit me, I'd just take it.
So the reaction we got (from the crowd) was mostly positive!
It's just the old ballad of the veteran. If you're prowar, the antiwar crowd will spit on you, if you're an antiwar veteran, the prowar crowd will do the same.
There's no winning, even after the wars are over.
I didn't realize it, but McCain's defeat marked the third straight defeat of a Vietnam veteran for the Chief Executive job. Gore and Kerry were both defeated despite having actually served in Vietnam.
I was honorably discharged from the Army @ 0949 on November 6, 2008 after much wrestling and less than two months after telling my Battalion XO I'd go to jail before going back to Iraq.
It wasn't easy, but when desertion, doing drugs and deploying aren't options I had little recourse but to just stand my ground.
The characterization is Honorable, but it was for "Unsatisfactory Performance." I had my security clearance locally suspended and so I couldn't do my job or get promoted and they used that to justify my release. Funny thing is my Sergeant Major yanked my clearance in April just to be a dick and it ended up the justification for my release. Best of all, it was just a local suspension. My clearance is still valid through 2010.
According to my battalion commander, my division commander (a major general) had gotten involved in my case and was asking for updates.
For refusing deployment, I could have done maaaaybe five years in military prison on the charges of disobeying a lawful order, missing movement by design, and maaaaybe disrespect. I'm not sure the max punishment for disobeying a lawful order (the Army tried to punish 1LT Ehren Watada for this and lost) but missing movement is two years, though the longest sentence handed out during the current war was 18 months and that was for someone who went AWOL to avoid deployment. The shortest sentence for missing movement (this war) was four months in jail.
Instead of a court martial, I got an honorable discharge. It's bittersweet, but better than jailtime.
See? The Army ain't so tough.
It wasn't easy, but when desertion, doing drugs and deploying aren't options I had little recourse but to just stand my ground.
The characterization is Honorable, but it was for "Unsatisfactory Performance." I had my security clearance locally suspended and so I couldn't do my job or get promoted and they used that to justify my release. Funny thing is my Sergeant Major yanked my clearance in April just to be a dick and it ended up the justification for my release. Best of all, it was just a local suspension. My clearance is still valid through 2010.
According to my battalion commander, my division commander (a major general) had gotten involved in my case and was asking for updates.
For refusing deployment, I could have done maaaaybe five years in military prison on the charges of disobeying a lawful order, missing movement by design, and maaaaybe disrespect. I'm not sure the max punishment for disobeying a lawful order (the Army tried to punish 1LT Ehren Watada for this and lost) but missing movement is two years, though the longest sentence handed out during the current war was 18 months and that was for someone who went AWOL to avoid deployment. The shortest sentence for missing movement (this war) was four months in jail.
Instead of a court martial, I got an honorable discharge. It's bittersweet, but better than jailtime.
See? The Army ain't so tough.
My separation keeps taking strange turns. Today I had to be counseled by my battalion commander himself (as opposed to my immediate supervisor) and I've been told that they're going to schedule an appointment with a lawyer for me. My Sergeant Major said that my case has reached "new levels of ridiculousness" and hinted that certain decisions (like my counseling being done by my battalion commander) were coming from several echelon's higher.
Also, whilst making copies of my medical records, I overheard my "supervisor" telling my company commander (the commander between me and my battalion commander) that my case was "high visibility."
Couple this with the strange phone call I got from Representative Jane Harmon's office and I don't know what the hell is going on.
Meanwhile, members of IVAW Fort Hood and Austin conducted a press conference with representatives from Middle Eastern press. Sounds mundane (we talk to the press all the time), but this was sponsored by the US State Department.
High visibility, indeed.
Also, whilst making copies of my medical records, I overheard my "supervisor" telling my company commander (the commander between me and my battalion commander) that my case was "high visibility."
Couple this with the strange phone call I got from Representative Jane Harmon's office and I don't know what the hell is going on.
Meanwhile, members of IVAW Fort Hood and Austin conducted a press conference with representatives from Middle Eastern press. Sounds mundane (we talk to the press all the time), but this was sponsored by the US State Department.
High visibility, indeed.
I have a tentative "out of the Army" date of Nov 11. Bung!
Division Commander asked my Battalion Commander what's the hold up with my case and he was forced into a tapdance situation which is not where a commander wants to be. He yelled at some folk and now I'm movin'.
This "early out" was offered to me by the 1st Cav Commander via my battalion commander so, when the general is pushing for your hasty exit, things tend to get done. I had an appointment of November 6 (the earliest available at the time) get bumped up to October 23rd.
Even my fellow soldiers want to know what I've done.
Division Commander asked my Battalion Commander what's the hold up with my case and he was forced into a tapdance situation which is not where a commander wants to be. He yelled at some folk and now I'm movin'.
This "early out" was offered to me by the 1st Cav Commander via my battalion commander so, when the general is pushing for your hasty exit, things tend to get done. I had an appointment of November 6 (the earliest available at the time) get bumped up to October 23rd.
Even my fellow soldiers want to know what I've done.
