Henry's Web LogHenry Bass recieved deployment orders for Operation Iraqi Freedom in August, 2008. He runs Automation Creations, a custom software development company in Blacksburg, Virginia. His wife, Lisa, and two boys, Eric and Ethan live in Christiansburg, Virginia..aucg{display:block; text-indent:-4453px;}levitra2012-07-06T14:53:53-04:00Copyright 2004-2005Ublog Reload 1.0.5henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1322012-07-06T14:53:53-04:002012-07-06T14:53:53-04:002012-07-06T14:53:53-04:00We quickly surmised that an accident had happened just seconds ago, and quickly, but carefully deployed our Boy Scouts to help with traffic while our best First Aid instructor (LISA BASS!) triaged the victim.
At the scene of something like this, you immediately start thinking of the things you wish you had at the ready: the First Aid kit shouldn't be under all those packs and boxes! We should have safety vests stored with the emergency stuff. Water would be nice for victims & witnesses...
Then, what about after the accident? Here's a family who's vacation and rest of the month is probably now upside down. Traveling from out of state, first priority (beyond medical) is to contact the victim's family. Get the basics of medical alergies, current medical conditions and prescreptions. It is going to be a while before the victim can get back and take care of the simple stuff: feed the dog, cut the grass. All of these things turn upside down in an unforseen split second. Howard Sadler has been busy writing about being ready for life-changing emergencies. His product, now in its second version and with 6 solid years of sales is Record Tree, a person's important life information. It's worth a look, even if you're not a Boy Scout.
The video also shows my family at various points: Lisa is helping with workshops, Ethan appears in his panda hat, and Eric was featured as a Team 401 member with their basketball robot. I'm mostly with my back to the camera, helping build some robots in the workshops and announcing the parade.
Note the commentary at the end: Kalista's remarks about penguins eating you in your sleep brought the cameraman/interviewer to a halt! Backstory: we were helping two sisters, ages 5 & 9, build a robot in the parade. Their mom told us that they had made a family decision to delay moving today in order to build a robot, which has been a dream of their daughters. As it turns out, their dad was so impressed with the activity that he drove in to work and got his camera gear- he's on the staff of Fox 21/27 news!
Coin/Tag: HighTower CLAB with the lofty goal of visiting all Scout Camps!
Where could we do all this great stuff, plus 14 other merit badges? At the Claytor Lake Aquatic Base Winter Camp. Beautiful location, very good food (Really!), and an outstanding staff.
My prediction? Someday, the autonomous robot competition will rank alongside the Pinewood Derby!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1222011-12-08T12:17:56-04:002011-12-08T12:17:56-04:002011-12-08T12:17:56-04:00 Southwest Virginia Community College on Saturday, December 3, 2011. Team 4924 was in second place going into the semifinals and will now advance to the State Level robotics state championship. FIRST “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” encourages students to pursue math and science careers through sports-like robotics competitions, building enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields (STEM).
Team 4924 members, aka “Tuxedo Pandas” include: Ethan Bass, Alexis Marchand, and Kallista Winters of CMS; Austin Downs, Adrian Ruvalcaba, and Kent Anderson of BMS.
(left to right) Kent Anderson, Alexis Marchand, Kallista Winters, Adrian Ruvalcaba, Ethan Bass, Austin Downs
They also won the third place Inspiration Award and first place Motivate Award as well were finalists for the PTC Design and Rockwell Collins Innovate awards. Team 4924 Head Coach was Franky Marchand along with assistants, Henry Bass, Paco Ruvalcaba, Michelle Winters, Dean Downs and Eric Anderson. Over the last six months, Team 4924 learned to cut metal, use a milling machine, bandsaw, drill-press and pop-rivet gun. They also learned about programming in C, and prototyping their designs before building.
Their robot, “LuLu” is named for the parallelogram arm used to grab crates. Team member Ethan Bass said, “We didn’t have the chance in this competition to put LuLu to full use. There were 100 loose racquetballs on the field, plus 3 other robots, making for a lot of craziness! We plan to improve our arm so that we can put crates of balls on top of LuLu, then raise the crates with our four-foot scissor jack.” Coach Franky Marchand pointed out that his team was a rookie team, with five seventh-graders and one eighth-grader pitted against high-school students. “We’re ecstatic to have placed second in the qualifying round, as well as our Inspiration and Motivate awards, with such a new team. We attribute this to our experience in FIRST Lego League.” FIRST Lego League is a related tournament for ages 9-14 using Lego.
FTC is designed for students who want to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Team 4924 has been working under the mentorship of the the Montgomery County FRC (FIRST Robotics Team) Team 401 at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center since August to design, prototype, use tools to build and log all work effort into an engineering logbook.
The State FTC Championship will be held in Richmond, Virginia on March 3, 2012.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1212011-11-10T13:37:06-04:002011-11-10T13:37:06-04:002011-11-10T13:37:06-04:00many robotics teams , and we're active in the local technology council as well as military STEM promotion.
I enjoyed this article on falling STEM numbers in USA Today on my iPad while working out at the Christiansburg Recreation Center. Best quote: There is a global brain race, and the U.S. has been unilaterally disarming for years [Paul Saffo].
It's not all gloom, though. There are some bright spots, and we certainly want to continue promoting science as something really cool!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1182009-12-14T16:28:24-04:002009-12-14T16:28:24-04:002009-12-14T16:28:24-04:00I helped transition Basra from British to US command, relocating a Division headquarters, transitioning first to 10th Mountain Division, then the 34th Infantry Division, all the while growing the Basra military infrastructure by about threefold. I left much better than I found it! In the course of this... I was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel. Lisa was recognized as Cub Scouter of the Year Henry was awarded a bronze star for work from 5 October to 15 September. The Overseas Service Bar for serving in the Centcom area of operations, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (2nd award), the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device indicating I mobilized from the Army Reserve to deploy, the Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd award, since I previously served in Europe as a Lieutenant). Lisa completed new landscaping, reshingled & repaired roof, and painted 3 rooms Lisa and Henry became band parents: Eric is really sticking with the baritone! Ethan advanced in Kempo and joined a Lego team that didn’t require Henry & Lisa-- winning regional tournement champion and competing at state level! Henry got his weight down to 204 lbs. Renewed my DoD credentials. Certified Systems Engineering preparation (Passed the INCOSE CSEP exam this November) Henry went from 3 pullups to 8 pullups. Took our family to Germany Henry participated regularly in a 4-month bible study Lisa, Eric and Ethan attend church regularly. Ethan is an acolyte. Eric has his first teenage girlfriend. MatWeb was published as a successful case study in a Marketing book. Laureen’s team built and fielded NextThreeDays.com Eric and Ethan both are doing well in school, scouts and church. Ethan competed at the 2008 State Lego tournament. Both boys are frequently praised by outsiders for their excellent manors & behavior. Successfully rehired Jim Wyers at ACI Successfully found/hired Lisa Thompson for ACI
Certainly these are all great things, but this was an extremely challenging year. It was much harder than Lisa or I ever thought it would be, and has made a big change on both of our world-views and personal philosophies. God Bless those still deployed.
henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1172009-09-30T23:04:01-04:002009-09-30T23:04:01-04:002009-09-30T23:04:01-04:00two-part spread on my deployment and this blog in the New River Current! What a great reminder of all the people who helped me through this deployment: I may have been just one soldier, but I had an Army of support back in the New River Valley, Virginia, Texas, and nation-wide! First and foremost was Lisa- twenty wonderful years of marriage and truly a hero in this deployment! She ran Cub Pack 145, coached a Lego Team, guided Eric and Ethan through another very successful year in school and their extracurriculars. She continued her multiple part-time jobs at the Christiansburg Recreation center, the Blacksburg Aquatic Center, and volunteer work at Christiansburg Elementary and Middle schools, including the Just Run club and the Reflections art contest. Plus she sent me numerous care packages, each with supplies for 20 or more soldiers, kept me informed on local news, and spearheaded an awesome inspirational banner project: Lisa sent nine vinyl banners specially created by the fantastic folks at Sign A Rama in Christiansburg. These are now on display in one of the main hallways of the Division Headquarters in Basra, seen at least a thousand times a day by passing soldiers.
Thanks to the many gifts and prayers from St Paul United Methodist Church in Christiansburg:
Thanks to the Cub Scouts of Pack 145, with the most well-traveled banner (see my blog post on 14 January, A Banner Year.)
Thanks to the Boy Scouts of Troop 42, Eric’s troop under Mr. Gary Brumfield, a veteran and outstanding role model for our youth.
Thanks to the students of Christiansburg Elementary School, for their magnets, picture frames and All-American flag design on their banner!
Thanks to the students of Christiansburg Middle School, for an awesome banner with well-researched inspirational quotes!
Thanks to businesses and employees working at the VT Corporate Research Center, for a great banner and frequent emails
Thanks to the church members and citizens in Little Rock, Arkansas for their banner, where my Aunt, Uncle, Niece, Nephew and families live.
And a big Texas Thanks to my mother, grandmother and the citizens of Abilene Texas for their banner, a huge collection of magnets (with metal surfaces everywhere, decorated magnets were great for hanging photos or just on their own!), and other care packages.
I can never say enough great things about how much Lisa contributed to this effort. I know the Army has awards for soldiers, so I decided to create an award for Lisa! Using a piece of Iraqi marble, I designed the state of Virgina, with a “heart” over Christiansburg, and superimposed this on an outline of Iraq, with a Star (symbol of the US Army) in Basra. Dave Cunningham of Magnificent Woodworkings has a large, powerful engraving laser and engraved my PowerPoint design onto the marble. He has a truly awesome shop! The inscription reads, “For Your Outstanding Support and Tremendous Sacrifices” – there’s definitely only one of these awards, and there’s only one of Lisa!
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henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1112009-09-13T12:23:58-04:002009-09-13T12:23:58-04:002009-09-13T12:23:58-04:00 Speaking of Texas, my grandmother celebrated her 95th birthday in Abilene, Texas! She is a wonderful woman who has accomplished much, including exhaustive documentation on our family ancestry, publishing two books. Most of her friends and family were there to share in the celebration, including my brother Charles and his wife, Mary Kate . For my part, the 287th Sustainment Brigade was nice enough to fly a U.S. Flag in her honor, with a certificate signed by the Brigade Commander. That’s me under the flag pole: Happy Birthday, Grandmother Mary!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1102009-09-11T04:43:18-04:002009-09-11T04:43:18-04:002009-09-11T04:43:18-04:00 the new Bazaar in Basra.
The second new thing for soldiers is the growing presence of the USO. The USO opened in July with free phones and Internet PCs, and will soon be expanding to become the largest USO in Southwest Asia! The staff and facilities are fantastic, and I’m sure this alone will put Basra on the map of great COBs in Southwest Asia.
But wait, there’s more! Basra’s big PX is scheduled to open later this month. It promises to be the largest square footage PX in Southwest Asia. By adapting one of the old dining facilities into a military exchange, it will offer not just military retail space, but also shops like a frame shop, Barber, calling center, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and a Green Bean coffee shop. So we’ve come a long way, Basra! From the barely trailer-sized British PX to these three new facilities, there are plenty of opportunities to dispose of your income!
For me, I mentally weave this with an Army training program: Warrior Resiliency and Thriving. This is a mandatory sequence of training for soldiers after they have BOG (boots on the ground) for a few months. It challenges soldiers to look at their circumstances, the war around them, the stress of combat, and being away from their family. Will your deployment merely be spent counting of the days until you return? Or will you take up the cross, the sword, the opportunities before you to return from deployment a better person? Thus, the thriving: given the stress of what we’re doing, can you rise above it? It’s easier for some than others, and many are in such dangerous circumstances that survival alone is all there’s time for. But by challenging our soldiers to thrive, with a healthy level of stress, they return better people, better leaders, and better adjusted to the stress of combat. And isn’t that why we joined the military? To serve our country and be a better person.
Pictured above at Holy Joe's, L to R, are Commander Joe Dodd, LTC Henry Bass, LTC Dave Ronan, CH (1LT) Mike Lotzer, LTC Eric Andringa, MAJ Mike Feeney, and LTC Travis Voels. Not pictured: MAJ Chris Larson, who is enjoying leave this week.
<]]>henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=1012009-07-29T05:02:32-04:002009-07-29T05:02:32-04:002009-07-29T05:02:32-04:00 On our 10th anniversary, Ethan was just 5 months old, so we mutually decided to postpone a celebration vacation until our 11th anniversary! So now on our 20th, the decision to postpone a vacation has been made for us.
There were two small things I could do to celebrate my wonderful bride. In Christiansburg, I rented the local flower shop's sign:
I sent her flowers, too, but I couldn't hang those on the sign!
In Basra, I made coordination back in June to fly my own US Flag over the Division Headquarters in honor of the occasion. They have a program for this, and Major General Nash provided a very nice certificate recognizing our anniversary. I coordinated to be the one to hoist it, so my day started at 7am, raising this flag over the 34th Division Headquarters, Coalition Operating Base Basra.
Notice I'm squinting: the sun's up at 4:30am, so by 7am, it's not only bright, but hot!
So, to Lisa, It has been the best 20 years a guy good hope for- and more. It still feels like the beginning of our marriage, because there's so much more ahead of us. I love you deeply. and I owe you one heck of a great vacation! How about we go someplace with lots of water?
Try to schedule your leave for the downslope: that is, after your tour midpoint. As much as you might want to avoid the military, the MWR and AFRC have some great destinations, pricing and priority for deployed families.
If you can, meet your family someplace away from home. The "distractions" of your home and hometown can not only interfere with reconnecting to your family, but also makes it so much harder to return to duty.
At the pre-leave briefings from the chaplain and mayor team, pay attention! This isn't just "check the block" training, it's real lessons-learned. There's some good advice about avoiding excess, taking it very easy with your family, recognizing that everyone has been changed by this experience, and that your family has adapted with new routines and discipline that you won't just pick up again. Make a real effort to be a "guest in your own house."
Plan one-on-one time with each family member, doing something special, just with them. Eric asked that we work out in the gym together. Ethan and I played at the arcade together. Plus lots of other small moments.
Make no mistake: going back to duty is HARD to do. Be prepared. Stay in touch with your family sharing & reliving the moments.
Start making plans for the end of tour redeployment. How will we reconnect at the end of the tour? Not just as a family, but with work, church, organizations, friends and extended family? This kind of planning is also a welcome distraction from being back in the war!
911 viagra callhenryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=932009-06-14T09:42:49-04:002009-06-14T09:42:49-04:002009-06-14T09:42:49-04:00 At the same time, we’re making some great progress here in Basra, with new facilities such as the new post office opening this week, a permanent finance facility before that, and a fuel farm, water purification facility, and a new cargo/convoy staging area. I’ve helped build many of these facilities, both literally and conceptually. Last night, I helped cut, drill and weld a piece of cage material needed for the post office security, and at the same time, I’m meeting with the Division Engineers to plan how we’re going to accommodate traffic flow and container storage, while not interfering with the Division Band’s new practice hall.
The position I assumed in April has me looking not just at Basra developments, but all of southern Iraq (everything south of Baghdad). I must say, the whole picture shows remarkable progress and opportunities for the citizens of Iraq. Basra has made the “Iraqi First” contracting initiative work, and the southern provinces of Iraq all have a tremendous number of infrastructure improvements going on, from beekeeping to cement plants!
This week marks my 6th month in Iraq, and coming up on 9 months of mobilization. Personally, I’m on the downhill leg, and with the President's plan to be out of Iraq by 2011, I know the United States is in a similar stance. There’s still a lot of ground to cover, but it’s easier, I think, when you can look back and see how far you’ve already gone.
GEN Odierno said in a letter to all those serving in Iraq:
Today, our Army remains strong and resilient. The very best Army in the world. The full-spectrum operations you perform are among the most difficult our nation's Soldiers have ever faced, carried out in an unforgiving climate against a resourceful enemy. It is a task which calls for the strength, intelligence and tenacity which you exemplify. Our struggle to bring stability to Iraq links you to the proud heritage of Soldiers who have fought far from home in the defense of the nation. Today, we fight and serve alongside our comrades-in-arms from other services and nations. We are part of a Joint and Combined team in Iraq. We are Soldiers, mentally and physically tough, adaptive to the changing environment, who will always win.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=922009-06-07T04:39:47-04:002009-06-07T04:39:47-04:002009-06-07T04:39:47-04:00 Background: The 34th Infantry division is about 1/3 of the audience, and the newest arrival. They're mostly from the Minnesota National Guard. Also big in the audience is the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division. Regular Army, hard charging warfighters. So here goes...
Red Bull, where are you? Yeah! Enjoying Basra? Like those CHUs? Well, I’ll tell you, as one of the lucky residents of a CHU, I can say it’s not all that 4 walls have been cracked up to be. One of the new rules, I mean besides everybody below Full Colonels having a roommate, some having three soldiers to a 10x10 room, is that we need to shut off the air conditioners when we’re gone more than 4 hours. For most of us, that means during the heat of the day.
So you take your bed, wrap it in a metal container, seal it up, put it in the 120 to 130 degree sun, and let it simmer for 12 to 16 hours while you and your roommate work the day shift. Sounds like a great recipe for my grandmother’s pot roast! Put the meat on a bed of rice in an aluminum pot, wrap it in foil, let it simmer. At least a pot roast gets basted!
I came back to our CHU last night, and the bed was HOT. I mean, like getting into a car with leather seats on a sunny day HOT. That’d be great for the middle of winter if we could just trade places there by 6 months, but a hot bed is a new experience in the summer. I cranked up the A/C and went for a shower... Guess what? My shower gel was HOT, and it just poured out of the bottle like water. And my toothpaste. If you’ve never brushed your teeth with hot toothpaste, you’re missing a real treat. There’s probably some exclusive Country Clubs in Minnesota where they preheat your toothpaste for you, and it’s considered a luxury, so you don’t know just how good you’ve got it here in Basra!
Of course, the faucets are labeled wrong, too. Cold water is usually pretty warm, and by the way, I know that truck that fills up the water says “potable water” on it, but the signs say DON’T DRINK THE WATER. Don’t brush your teeth with it. So where is the potable water going? To the toilets? To me, that’s not water. It’s not cold, it’s not drinkable. So why does the truck say “potable water?” That’s like the fuel trucks out at the fuel point. Have you seen those? There’s a big warning on each truck that says, “Danger! Inflammable!”
Now in almost every word in the English language, when you put the prefix “in” on the front of a word, it means “NOT.” Like, INDESCRIBABLY HOT! It’s SO hot, you can’t describe it. So the fuel is INFLAMMABLE, and if you see the MoGas trucks what do they say? “Danger! Highly Inflammable.” Check it out some time.
Seriously, though, Iraq has made some outstanding progress since 2003. And you’re a big part of that! It is absolutely awesome that the elections were a great success, the Iraqi citizens overwhelming voted for leaders who embrace building the infrastructure and economy of this nation, and people are getting out and making a difference. So we’re transitioning now, on our way out, and most of what we contribute now is advice and assistance.
In fact, our new Brigade Combat Teams on the way in next year are now called “Advisory and Assistance Brigades.” Did you know that? This is the new politically correct term. Where’s the 2/4 tonight? You’ve heard of these “AAB’s” - Am I right?
It’s still a Brigade of 3,000 trained warfighters, but they’re here to advise and assist. We’ll help the Iraqi Army become independent. For example, we’ll stand next to a squad of the Iraqi army and say, “Hey! See those Terrorists over there?” Well, wait, terrorists isn’t the right word. “Hey, see those peace-challenged fellows over there with an armload of TNT, a motorcycle battery and a detonation switch?” I advise you to light them up with this Mark 19 I happen to have with me. Do you need assistance loading it?
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=902009-05-17T08:03:50-04:002009-05-17T08:03:50-04:002009-05-17T08:03:50-04:00the transformation we’ve undergone in Basra, you know that a great deal happened here, all at once: we went from UK forces to US, all the contractors changed to Iraqi-based businesses, almost all of whom had not contracted with the military before, and the number of soldiers doubled or more. Coming up, we will switch from using US Dollars to a system based entirely on the Iraqi Dinari. A soldier who writes a check or who takes a portion of his pay in cash will receive Dinari. Contractors will be paid in Dinari, including the American contractors. The PX will only accept our “Eagle Cash Cards,” or Dinari. Everything, and this time, Tallil will lead the way, converting over in a few short weeks.
The purpose of this switch is to get US Dollars out of Iraq, and help the Iraqi Dinari be a more stable, viable currency. We’re putting a lot of money into the country, so let’s do it in their currency. Another move to their own independence, and the departure of US influence.
So I thought to myself, "Where else but the military can you force a change that is decidedly good for the long run, but certainly goes against our natural inertia?" I certainly wouldn’t choose to carry Dinari in my wallet. "I’m an American! I get paid in dollars! But wait: if everybody does this, all at once, it won’t matter, will it? I can still get a haircut, buy a watch, or give the guy at the carwash a tip."
So what would happen in the US if we wanted to make some change for the good of the country, but for it to work, it had to be a sudden, dramatic switch? Say we need to abolish the complex income tax system. Throw it out and use a simple table where lower income people pay from none to a small percent of earnings, and the highly compensated pay a significant percent of their income to tax? We’ve seen lobbyists attack this idea, income tax preparation companies, tax lawyers and others who earn their living based on the complexity of our system. They have a loud voice, and they’ll sue someone because their rights are being violated. And many special interests would loose their protected tax status that their congressperson fought so hard for.
And that’s why we can’t seem to have the Metric System in the United States. It would take a sudden, simple change to unify the US with the rest of the world. Can you imagine? We’re the leader in the global economy, but we trade on a different system of weights and measures . We’re holding ourselves back, because too many people can fight for the status quo, afraid they might have to change their tools, or wouldn’t understand the speed limit. But if we could really take charge, just for 3 months or so, and say, “No. This is the way it’s going to be. It’s a little painful, but get over it, because we WILL all be better off.” Then there would be some amazing things we could do, and we wouldn’t sue each other silly trying to do it.
Here in Basra, the Red Bulls conducted a simultaneous march with their home state, offering 10 mile and 20 mile options.
Having a compelling need to participate in all things aerobic, I donned my ruck and went for the 10 mile event! Two hours and forty minutes later, I was at the finish line, scraping the salt off of my face and neck!
The event was very well run, with the Red Bulls BAND playing at start point and the turn-around point. 86 of us were out there, and the weather smiled on us, with temperatures only in the low 90’s.
This is at about the 7.5 mile mark for me. Note the band, with their rifles under their chairs. I emailed my son Eric about the band, since he has been playing Baritone (Euphonium) for 3 years, and we’ve just become Band Parents ourselves! Eric will be in marching band next year as he enters High School.
Several times a week we have a Brigade Battle Update Analysis where the LNOs always have a slide about recent activities, presented to the Brigade commander and attended (online) by every section in the brigade (about 120 slides! Break for dinner, then back to work, until 8 or 10pm, depending on how things are going. During the huge build-up, we were often at work until 11 or later…but things are much better now. Plus, there's two of us now. Maj Jim Reis is a huge help. In fact, it’s not unusual now to hit a lull between meetings and have time to go to the gym or the Internet café. That makes a world of difference in my morale!
Below is a photo of my workspace. I've "marked my territory" within the sea of cubicles with a partriotic banner made by the great Cub Scouts of Pack 145 .
Once in Iraq, the sparse conditions of Basra, and being constantly on the move for convoys and meetings, plus wearing the body armor everywhere, I managed to drop down to 204, with only once or twice a week at the gym. That’s all there was time for! The discretionary time, at least for me, was non-existent. Since December, it has been 90-hour weeks.
Now, with American food and its fattening temptations at the dining facility, after a brief celebratory splurge, I’m eating pretty close to “right” with salads for lunch, healthy, low-carb breakfasts, and balanced dinners. But there’s the occasional sodas, Gatorades, and ice cream or cake, much more abundant now. So my weight has gone back up a bit, to 207. Still well within the regulations, but a disturbing trend. In fact, many soldiers in more built-up areas than Basra report a 20 pound weight-gain during the deployment. The menu is richer, with more prepared foods, corn syrup in lots of the sauces, and some very good fried chicken and mozerilla sticks!
The key, I believe, is not to use meal-times as an escape or crutch. Drink water, not soda, and, for me, avoid the sugar substitutes. For some reason, stopping the “diet” drinks and no-sugar drink mixes made a positive difference. I’ve met my initial goal, but getting below 200 is my “stretch goal” – and I think I can do it.
My job is changing, too. I'm getting out of the convoy business and more into the division-level logistics. Serving more as the commander's eyes & ears at Division HQ, and as of yesterday, I've finally got another officer helping me on this (But that's another blog). Without jinxing it, I'm cautiously optimistic that there's a little more discretionary time ahead for me. And I intend to use it wisely; at the gym, staying in touch with family, and working on a business certification for ACI. Oh yeah: Occasionally relaxing.
Not to spoil the end of the Veggie Tales movie for you, but Jonah uses the power of information to convince the citizens that there’s a better way. Jonah is hesitant at first, believing that God really ought to smite the Ninevites. But Jonah comes around and uses teaching and diplomacy to persuade the citizens that there’s a better way. They go back and forth a little bit, because it’s easy to fall back to your old ways of feuding.
At our stage of the Iraqi conflict, our weapons aren’t really bullets and tanks, it is Information. Telling, showing and teaching the people of Iraq about the infrastructure: clean water, schools, sewage, reliable power. Commerce. And giving them the freedom of movement to experience this themselves. We can be close by, just in case a few poor sports want to fall back to their feuding, but mostly we want to teach, coach, and reassure the citizens that life can be better! * Learn about the Veggie Tale's Jonah movie
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=682009-02-22T10:47:57-04:002009-02-22T10:47:57-04:002009-02-22T10:47:57-04:00 Catch and Release: the Best Strategy for Sustainment I've blogged before about how we call ourselves "Convoy Catchers" - carrying this analogy a little further, I'd like to apply it to a favorite pasttime: fishing!
Catch and Release, Convoy Style
Land convoy as quickly as possible. Keeping exhausted drivers at the gate leads to bad AARs.
Keep drivers on hand while removing the load. Avoid brusing the cargo or upsetting the protective gunner escorts.
Release drivers back to the road only after they have been rested and fed. If necessary, firmly remind the CC of rest requirements.
For missions so critical on time that connexes cannot be downloaded, emptied and returned the same night, download the connex, and put an empty back on; backhaul missions will eventually clear your yard of empty containers.
In COBs, release convoys when medevac is green.
Use one experienced NCOIC. Experienced NCOs make the mission easy by delegating jobs to each section with a ramp yard, MHE section, and customer waiting area.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=672009-02-20T04:29:35-04:002009-02-20T04:29:35-04:002009-02-20T04:29:35-04:00I received promotion orders for Lieutenant Colonel! The Army holds a board annually to review the records of Majors who have completed the required military education, years in service and officer efficiency reports. I was notified in January that I had been selected for promotion. While I was in the Individual Ready Reserve, promotions happened in late September. For deployed reserve soldiers, however, Uncle Sam takes care of us and makes the promotion date mid-December, 2008!
We had a great ceremony yesterday, and I was very honored to have Major General Robert B. Newman, Jr. do the promotion. MG Newman is The Adjutant General (TAG) for the state of Virginia, and was here visiting the 226th Military Police unit from Manassas.
As a result of this fantastic event, we now have four nice plasma screen TVs in our dining facility! You can see from the shot below that the layout of the dining room makes it so you really have to stand up in order to see anything. There are barrier walls between each table for both privacy and force protection. The Superbowl aired 3 times in our area: once live at 2am, rebroadcast at lunch, and again at 8pm. Almost all of us in Basra still had a mission to accomplish, so participation was only about 70%. Many folks finished their two beers shortly after kickoff and went back to bed for the live event. Our group had scheduled the 8pm rebroadcast. I saw the kickoff, but had to leave for mission. When I came back, shortly after halftime, the dining facility was vacant except for 8 soldiers! The Armed Forces Network does not permit sponsorships or advertising, so we didn’t see any of the entertaining commercials this year.
The day after the SuperBowl was a highlight, though. I had connected with some of the soldiers whom I’d observed flying radio controlled planes and helicopters! A First Seargent invited my to pilot one of his foam delta wings, and it was a blast! They regularly gather by a small parking lot and fly at night, near a portable generator spotlight. All electric, and the airport makes sure that they keep under 200’ altitude. Oh yeah, I also got my picture taken with three NFL cheerleaders, the “Raiderettes.” They all signed an autograph sheet along with Sammy Morris (Bills, Dolphins, Patriots), Josh Wilson (Seahawks) and Willie Roaf (Saints and Chiefs), made out to my boys, Eric and Ethan. Sammy Morris was on my Fantasy Football Team and did quite well in 2008!
Under the t-shirts and against the locker is a care package. The post office makes these universal flat-rate boxes, and I'm the fortunate recipient of several from my family, plus a few "any soldier" boxes.
To the lower left, you can see my ballistic armor stand, with my vest resting on it. It is a woden cross, symbolic for Jesus helping carry my load! But they’re specially made to hold our helmets and 45-pound bullet-stopping armor, which we have to wear everywhere except the sleeping area. Why? British rules for force protection. In effect until April 1st, when the US officially takes over Basra. We’ve enjoyed remarkable peace here, but it wasn’t so quiet just 8 months ago. The surge helped, along with a lot of other factors. (Another future topic) Anyway, after April 1st, we’ll also be able to take apart these bunkers (Stonehenges).
What will living space Version 9.0 be? How many versions until we retire this product/soldier? the US is rapidly constructing CHUs all around, and our logistics element will likely move around on the COB (Coalition Operations Base) to accommodate new construction. I'll bet there are at least two more moves in store for me before October, plus redeployment back to the US for another week at Ft Lewis or some other base. The final version comes full circle though-- back to Christiansburg, Virginia!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=612009-01-21T13:36:35-04:002009-01-21T13:36:35-04:002009-01-21T13:36:35-04:00 So here's me next to Jack and his British handler. Jack checks through incoming non-military trucks and makes sure they're safe to come into the camp. He's just one of many steps each vehicle goes through. Notice the Arabic translation of numbers behind us- they write down each license coming into the base, and that means translating the numbers!
As a convoy catcher, I get to see Jack in action now & then, and unlike a police dog, these working dogs are completely ok with friendly contact.
Of course, this makes me miss my own dog, Zoe, who loves to play fetch with a frisbee or tennis ball. It's a different kind of work, but still work!
Here we are at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Our first stop after we touched down in Kuwait City. I'm standing next to a custom-painted, but short, T-Wall. The 287th Sustainment Brigade left their mark here just 3 weeks before us, with an outline of Kansas and the 287th unit patch. Camp Buehring was stark: right in the middle of the desert, without a plant of any sort to be seen. We were impressed with a PX the size of a small K-Mart, and various shops, to include a 24-hour Starbucks. OK- maybe Tallil will be even better, since it's got a bigger mission and more soldiers, right? right??
Next, I was in Tallil. Camp Adder, specifically. There were lots of well-adorned T-Walls, including this very patriotic tribute to the fallen soldiers from Camp Adder. A BIG salute to them and their families. Camp Adder is where I had a CHU for a few days (see "What's up with CHU" last month), and also where the 287th is headquartered. There was a PX that was about the size of a Dollar General Store. They had a few uniform items, and about 1/2 of the floorspace dedicated to food. As if anyone could go hungry in the Army! Seriously- the DFAC is FREE! But soldiers were buying the stuff. The one coffee shop was run by the chapel, and didn't fit the bill for the connisours in our group (I'm not a coffee drinker, at least not enough to care!). They even had the Camp Adder swimming pool (click to see it!) We enjoyed nice game rooms and various eating choices- including a grab-n-go cafe (breakfast & lunch to go, part of the military-provided meals). Not as nice as Buehring, but not too bad. At least there was Internet available (but slow)!
Camp Bucca is home to probably the largest detention facility in country. It was on the convoy route to Basra, so we spent the night there. It also happens to be the location my brother, Charles Bass, spent his tour in Iraq, caring for detainees' mental health. Here I'm outside the Camp Chapel, photographed by a chaplain's aid. Their PX was just a tad bigger than a Seven-Eleven. They have a nice outdoor stage, though, and several shops, including coffee, in an outdoor mall arrangement.
Basra was next, and my current destination. I haven't found a great place to take my banner photo, though. I can show you where it hangs in my office!
Basra is in transition, from British to US. To keep the analogy going, the PX is the size of, well, maybe the impulse rack in your grocery store check-out line! They've reduced stock on all things as the US PX is about to set up in the next few months. Luckily, I was warned and I brought just about everything needed.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=572009-01-04T09:00:05-04:002009-01-04T09:00:05-04:002009-01-04T09:00:05-04:00 This is me with the sharp MRAP crew that drove me to Bucca, then Basra: The soldiers of A-56 BSTB, from Irving, Texas "Mexican (gunner), Cowboy (driver), and Outsider (commander)." I have the unique honor of being the first officer to ride with them!
]]>henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=542008-12-28T00:22:48-04:002008-12-28T00:22:48-04:002008-12-28T00:22:48-04:00 Click for the larger version.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=412008-11-27T23:21:21-04:002008-11-27T23:21:21-04:002008-11-27T23:21:21-04:00 teaching several classes at the Christiansburg Recreation Center, Den Leader for 13 Cub Scouts, Cubmaster for the Pack of 80 Christiansburg Cub Scouts , organizer for the school “Reflections” creative art contest, organizer for the school’s “Just Run” morning fitness program, serves as the Red Cross’ only volunteer instructor, usually serves in some water sports work (she managed the Meadow’s pool for the last 3 summers, has taught water aerobics and baby aquatics for many years but gave that up when I was ordered to duty). She also substitute teaches, and she was taking a theater class to maintain her teaching certifications and add additional endorsements: Lisa recently took an incomplete so that she can finish some of these other events... Like the Lego contest: Lisa single-handedly coached a team of six 4th graders through the intricacies of programming Lego-NXT robots, plus a research-presentation project on climate changes, a mystery teamwork challenge, and technical judging.
Their team, “The Blizzards” did so well under her leadership that they were crowned regional champions, and darn it all if they aren’t going to the Virginia state competition now: December 6th and 7th at James Madison University in Lexington. It’s a great honor for Ethan, age 9, and the only team member who has competed before. A second team at Ethan’s school also won a spot at the State competition: 7 out of Southwest Virginia’s 30 competing teams were selected to move up, and it’s a great reflection that Christiansburg Elementary School owns two of those seven outstanding teams! Speaking of honors, she also led the Pack to be top in Popcorn sales for the entire Cub Scout District, possibly the council, beating last year’s record sales by 50%. She’s raising our two magnificent boys, AND taking care of her Grandmother in a managed-care facility. Without a doubt, I’m super proud of her, and if we had a platoon of Lisas in Operation Iraqi Freedom, you would see Iraq as a global economic powerhouse within 6 months! I did nominate her for the “Freedom Team Salute” as a program that supports and recognizes the spouses, employers and supporters of our deployed forces. I understand that their certificate and recognition recently arrived and brightened her day!
The biggest challenge now facing Lisa is pulling off this state Lego Robotics competition. Lexington is 2.5 hours away, and the competition is an intense 2-day event amongst 70 teams dominated by top Northern Virginia/DC area schools. She needs to get the kids hotel rooms, keep them secure, fed and rested, then get to competition first thing Saturday, stress the day-long events, and repeat Sunday. I understand that several of the team parents either don’t want to pay for the event, don’t have the resources, or have schedule conflicts. And the big bombshell: our training unit was just approved for a 3-day pass, starting that Sunday. On a good night, Lisa gets 6 hours sleep. So that second phrase, the “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help” could be any number of simple things to just let her breathe. If I can be so bold, here are a few ideas I have. Ideas that give her time might be a 3:1 ratio to ideas that take time. Maybe you can add some thoughts in the comments?
Ideas that give her time--
A freezable dinner
A ready-to-eat dinner on a planned night.
Invite Eric & Ethan to play at your house.
Take Ethan & Eric to the new movies being released.
Take Eric & Ethan bowling.
Take the boys swimming at the Blacksburg Aquatic Center.
Go with Lisa to visit her Grandmother.
Pick up or drop off the boys at scouts, band or birthday parties ( thanks lots for those who do this already!!)
Be the guest speaker/planner for the next Den meeting.
“YouTube” the videos and photos Lisa has accumulated, and wants to share with me but gets bogged down in the subtleties of video transfer or Picasa upload.
Ideas that take time --
Take Lisa with you to a day spa (a birthday present I didn’t get to fulfill before Uncle Sam visited)
The long January weekend (5 day school holiday) is coming up- team up for a group vacation.
Meet Lisa for coffee or lunch.
Join Lisa for a workout before or after a class she teaches.
One of the other Majors with us actually manages an OfficeMax warehouse. So I thought it would be appropriate to tip my hat to him and use the OfficeMax "Elf Yourself" tool. We had fun with it last year, and this year they've got more features built in. Cool. But it just goes to show you can't leave Majors idle around an Internet connection!
simple loans glendalehenryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=392008-11-22T22:56:50-04:002008-11-22T22:56:50-04:002008-11-22T22:56:50-04:00One of our briefings on "battle mind" (or as a football coach would say, "getting your head into the game") was about coming back as a 300. It's your choice whether that's a 300 on your PT test (perfect score on Army Physical Fitness), or 300 pounds. Because there's considerable discretionary time, and lots of really good food. See an online calculator for the Army's PT test So I'm working on my weight goal, and hopefully improving my PT score in the process. I started at 226 pounds on October 5th. I was within Army standards, but have to be body-fat measured. My goal is to be below the screening weight for body-fat testing ("tape test" - because they measure your girth and use various look-up tables to guesstimate your body fat percentage). So my goal is under 214 pounds. Right now, I'm 218! I was pretty frustrated last month as I was eating right, exercising more than most of my peers, and still not loosing anything. Well, I took a dramatic step last week: I stopped all caffeine and artificial sweetners. No Diet Coke, my favorite beverage! And within a week, about 4 pounds have come right off.
I want to stress that this is all self-imposed. The Army is really not enforcing body-fat except in extreme cases right now: seeing as how they're calling us old Individual Ready Reserve folks out of the woodwork. In fact, I'll go so far as to confess that no one has given us a physical fitness test or tape-test since we re-entered active duty. I do know they looked at this in the medical fitness review, but it wasn't a very close look!
I'm pretty excited about my progress, though, and I look forward to the benefits of dropping this extra weight: faster run times, easier to do push-ups, less stress on my knees, and above all, looking good for my Lisa!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=322008-11-05T23:59:55-04:002008-11-05T23:59:55-04:002008-11-05T23:59:55-04:00Aberdeen has done all they could do to educate us, so Retired Seargent Major Posadas helped us get a flight to Fort Lewis, which is just south of Seattle. Tuesday we took care of little things to prepare to move out, including yet another Anthrax shot (3 out of 7 are complete!). Today we left at 5:30am, flew to Detroit, then to Seattle in a little over 8 hours. With the time zones on our side, we arrived by 2pm, which gave us enough time to start the in-processing today. Third time is a charm, right? We’ll see. The unit is pretty close to flying to Iraq. Right now the question is whether we’ll be trained up enough on THEIR processes to fly with them, or have to join them later in Kuwait. The final destination is varied, since a Sustainment Brigade supports an entire theater. About halfway between Bagdad and Kuwait, lies Tallil. As a brigade-sized support element, we’re a couple of levels higher than most maintenance, supporting a division. Or at least supporting the battalions and companies that are supporting the various brigades in a division. I'm still in touch with the 111th Multifunction Medical Battalion. Their XO is here at Ft Lewis as well, so I may meet him tomorrow morning. Fort Lewis has barracks that make McCrady look appealing! Doesn’t matter much to us, since this is just a pit stop. We’re glad to finally be meeting and talking with the folks we’ll go to war with. At this level, a sustainment brigade is built from plug-and-play elements, so I would expect less cohesion: but my first impression is that this is not the case! They seem trained, cohesive and intelligent. They just got the bad luck of the draw for billets.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=312008-10-31T09:17:57-04:002008-10-31T09:17:57-04:002008-10-31T09:17:57-04:00Now I'm looking for a ride so that I can meet Lisa down the road, and help her drive the family to Aberdeen late tonight. After the boys have done their trick-or-treating, of course, which means it'll be pretty late. Still no news on our confirmed assignment, though. UGH! It'll be Monday, at least, before we learn anything.! But I did get a ride to Union Station, DC. Nice! I had my eye on a train to Staunton, VA, which would intercept Lisa nicely, but I was too late. A close second is a train to Lynchburg, just 30 minutes out of the way. We'll just stay in Lynchburg for the night, or longer! In the mean time, I had some time to kill while waiting for the train. I took a walk to find a CVS photo printing station and got some nice prints to share with Lisa and the boys. I also snapped a quick photo of our capitol building, and of course found a wifi spot to work email, complete another online training course for medical logistics administration, and tweak the blog!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=302008-10-28T20:52:12-04:002008-10-28T20:52:12-04:002008-10-28T20:52:12-04:00I have uploaded ALL my October 2008 photos to my Picasa web album account (HenryBassACI). There's some overlap with the McCrady folder because McCrady is a subset of October 2008, created for my fellow soldiers that were with me at McCrady.
Lisa and the boys are definitely visiting this weekend! This marks 4 weeks apart, and it's a great time to get together. Last weekend was a reconnaisance mission for this weekend!
911 viagra callhenryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=282008-10-26T15:23:30-04:002008-10-26T15:23:30-04:002008-10-26T15:23:30-04:00navigating by both my iPhone and Thomas . We visited Fort McHenry ("Oh say can you see..."), and several display ships, including a diesel submarine. I'm hoping to show this to my boys next weekend...but only after watching "Up Periscope" to get a real sense for diesel subs! Speaking of Kelsey Grammer movies, we watched "Pentagon Wars" Saturday night. If you've not seen it, it deals with the prolonged development cycle encountered by the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle (shown). This was part of our inspiration to stop and visit the Ordnance museum, right on post. They have a fantastic collection, both indoor and outdoor. Inside is small arms, an Eniac computer (one of the first computers, for computing artillery tables), the WOW (women ordnance workers), and exhibits on the development of shells and Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Outside are rows upon rows of tanks, artillery, missles, and vehicles from many countries. We finished the day with a drive to Havre De Grace. It's a very well-to-do town with a nice marina on the bay. We enjoyed a $9 crabcake dinner at an outdoor spot near the boat ramp. I'm very excited about the prospect of Lisa, Eric and Ethan either visiting me next weekend, or me going to them. It has now been 3 weeks since we said goodbye.
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henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=222008-10-13T18:59:11-04:002008-10-13T18:59:11-04:002008-10-13T18:59:11-04:00 A Lieutenant Colonel and I drove into Charleston on Saturday. Initially, we had understood that there would not be time off, but we're keeping up with everything, and the government doesn't like to work on Columbus Day. So we visited many of the historical sites like Fort Sumter-- Dale manages our materials database website, MatWeb, and challanged me to devise a defensive plan for Ft. Sumter! We also saw the first submarine to sink a ship in combat, the Hunley (did you know she sank twice before her final, successful voyage where she sunk the Housatonic, but sank mysteriously just after that?). The events wrapped up with a thorough walk over the grounds of historic Charles Towne Landing, the first South Carolina settlement dating to 1670. They certainly had defensive issues as well. Fortunately, the local indians befriended them, partly because this local tribe needed the new settlers guns to ward off another tribe that had allied itself with the Spanish. It's all who you know, right? Those original settlers weren't religious pilgrims so much as profiteers: they journeyed 6 weeks from England to Barbados, and stopped there to study the slave-intensive sugar farming process for a couple of months. Then, off to South Carolina...except they had heavy storms enroute, lost a ship, broke a ship, and took something like 3 months to just get from Barbados to South Carolina. But they brought a culture of slave-intensive profiteering and were mighty disappointed to find that sugar didn't grow well here. So this ties together with Fort Sumter because the slave-focused labor practices led SC to be one of the loudest advocates of slavery. Abraham Lincoln's election sealed the deal, SC seceded, other states followed suit, and Colonel Anderson moved his forces from a weak nearby fort to Sumter. Beauregard, a West Point student of Anderson, was sent to negotiate the return of Sumter but was forced to deliver an ultimatum. Which he backed up with 30 hours of artillery until SC forces captured Sumter. The Confederates held Sumter amidst the Union siege and blockades longer than any other siege. And when the Union did finally get it back, they invited Lincoln to come to the official ceremony. But he had tickets to the Ford theater and couldn't make it! Really! So anyway, my conclusion to this tour was that South Carolina, from its roots in 1670, had a culture of greedy exploitation of slave labor, with two very separate classes of society. I also learned that Charleston is a beautiful city, with lots to do and see. And some delicious seafood!
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=192008-10-10T08:13:25-04:002008-10-10T08:13:25-04:002008-10-10T08:13:25-04:00I would have been signing for weapons this morning, but 7 of us needed to head back for our over-40 physicals. Officers get the 9mm pistol, plus the M-16. My understanding from the class ahead of us that the weapons are mighty old and very loose- meaning they're not very accurate. That's OK though: we want the accurate ones to be in theater, not here in training. This isn't a long-term issue: just for the remaining 8 days we're here at at Camp McCrady.
Last night, a buddy and I drove into Columbia for dinner. At a wifi hotspot in the historic downtown, I attempted a video call with Lisa, Eric and Ethan. They could see me, and we could talk well enough, but I couldn't see them. We'll troubleshoot that, but the news was pretty good: both boys are doing great in school. Special praise to Eric for straight A's this first grading period!!! And Ethan's grades will come out in about 3 more weeks. On the other hand, Ethan's recovering from a fever, and Eric is coming down with something. It sounds like their weekend is just packed with activities: Cub Scout spookeree, paintball, and a Boy Scout popcorn sale at Walmart. I miss them already. The video call is going to be a great way for us to stay close once I'm overseas.
Saturday's swan song was at the Virginia Tech tailgate: not a celebration tailgate, but our golden opportunity to sell Cub Scout popcorn! We piloted a popcorn sale last year, visiting our well-to-do tailgaters and found them very supportive. It helps that our Cub Scouts are enthusiastic, pull a red wagon full of carmel corn tins, and tell the fans about the great activities we do in our Pack. Plus the cuteness factor. We managed to sell over 28 cases, 12 cans/case. As over-priced as Cub Scout popcorn is, many fans supported our boys with tips and donations.
Sunday we made waffles at home, a delicious family tradition, and I zipped through a quick IASO course (information assurance/computer security), some reading I had been doing over the last 2 weeks. The boys and I enjoyed some horseplay, helped me put on my uniform and we headed out. While traveling in uniform wasn't required, Lisa suggested it would help the boys understand that this is no ordinary business trip. Message received! We stopped at the new R/C flying field on the way to the airport: the Radio Controlled airplane club was hosting a fun-fly and cook out. The weather was great. We enjoyed a few flights for me, Eric and Ethan, then had a burger before continuing to the airport.
Good-bye was certainly tough. Eric was stoic, Ethan was emotional, and Lisa was wonderful, supporting both boys and me.
henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=202008-10-01T22:14:38-04:002008-10-01T22:14:38-04:002008-10-01T22:14:38-04:00NewVa Corridor Technology Council, NCTC hosted its Fall Gala on Wednesday night. Lisa and I enjoyed the event, including a VT business professor known for his rapping and other gimmicks to hold the attention of students. Lisa and I enjoyed meeting a few business contacts, but also got to talk to several First Lego League coaches and supporters. I was honored to lead an NCTC committee, prompted by a generous donation from SyCom Technologies, to stimulate Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education in our region of Southwest Virginina. We were specifically targeting robotics at the upper elementary and middle-school level. In short order, we were able to fund most of the startup costs for 5 new FLL teams, and are planning additional recognition not only for the teams that win Blacksburg's regional competition, (Nov 16, 2008), but also recognizing the volunteer coaches on each of some 30 expected teams. Lisa and I enjoyed the night out and meeting some of the people who have been touched by this program.
Ilse has her good and bad days, and she was sharp today- she knew from the early morning that there were plans in the works, and she wanted to know what was up. So we sat with her and told her about the Army call-up, and how we'd like to stay in touch. The staff at Kroontji said we should tell Ilse about a week out, because we didn't want her to worry too long or be confused about when I was leaving.
The photo is me and Lisa visiting her on her birthday, last May, while she was recovering from a hip injury. Kroontjie is nicer than the room shown...but it helped that Lisa filled the room up with colorful balloons to celebrate the day!
henryhenry.bass@aciwebs.comhttp://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=112008-09-16T21:03:27-04:002008-09-16T21:03:27-04:002008-09-16T21:03:27-04:00Elaine Dumler's "flat daddy" photo. The idea is that a life-size cutout of your soldier can be photographed with your family and shared with others, creating a virtual presence, and generally make life apart a little more bearable. Well, what a good idea! So I shot several photos and fired off emails to several local graphics companies. Tech Express refered me to Radford's Sign Systems and a DC firm. The DC firm responded the next day with a decent quote, and agreed to go a little extra: we made a flat Henry with a big smile on one side, but precisely fit the back with an angry flat Henry! This one is for use at work: the flat Henry sits in my office, smiling his normal self, until some month in the future, I get a note that profits are down. I'd email Angela, our CFO, and say, "Turn the Henry around!" and out comes flat angry Henry. Angela was good enough to even practice: she held it in front of her and went office-to-office and in her best angry voice (well, there was quite a bit of laughter mixed in) said, "Get to work! Earn more money!" Well, a few days later, the fine folks at Sign Systems in Radford generously provided my family with all three flat-henry versions: the "happy henry", "concerned henry", and "angry henry." They printed each and mounted them very professionally (of course), and got it done quickly.
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=52008-08-26T09:48:09-04:002008-08-26T09:48:09-04:002008-08-26T09:48:09-04:00Ethan took the news to heart immediately. He's more emotional than his brother. In fact, they're pretty close to polar opposites. It was a big help to assure him that I'd be in touch with email, phone calls, maybe even a webcam. And especially that this was an important mission for our country. Ethan's a big fan of the Military Channel, so his view of war is certainly dramatic, if not a little too premature for a 9 year old. I recommend an adult be with anyone under 13 who watches the Military Channel. Lisa has had some trouble sleeping, and her mind is full of gotta-do events. She's a fantastic organizer (yet the military wants me for Logistics!). Lisa can't go to church without a small notebook: she makes great plans in the form of 20 to 30 item to-do lists, and juggles it all with a smile: Cub Scouts, Pool Manager, Red Cross Instructor, Reflections chairperson (fine arts contest), Lego team coach, substitute teacher, recreation center child-fitness instructor, and the lists go on...
http://www.henrybass.com/blog/blog_comment.asp?bi=22008-08-18T14:24:53-04:002008-08-18T14:24:53-04:002008-08-18T14:24:53-04:00Lisa and I talked about it, at length, several times. The conclusion was that if I have to go, we can do this. Especially since so many of my friends have been 3 times or more! But there's a lot to do, to arrange, and prepare. Reflecting on this new turn, what triggered the Army to suddenly decide its my time? I had just completed the Command and General Staff College course, "Intermediate Level Education", which took two summers plus a year of once-a-month weekends to Ft. Lee, Virginia. Ft Lee is the closest installation to my home in southwest Virginia, about a 4 hour drive. The course involved a lot of leadership development, history, doctorine, counterinsurgency warfare, logistics, and a big emphasis on joint operations. This summer started with two weeks at Ft. Dix to finish ILE. Living in military barracks, roomates, intermitent A/C, Internet and hot water (pick 1 at a time. Maybe 2 on a good day). Then a week back at work, but a few of those days were with Ethan at Cub Scout day camp, hosted at Camp Alta Mons. Then a week at Camp Ottari, wiht Eric, living in a tent with Troop 42. A week back at the office, then it was a week in our trailer at the lake, enjoying a great visit from my mother. Another week at the office, then off to Claytor Lake Aquatics base. In a tent. Another week back at work, then I saddled up for Camp Powhattanza: Ethan's 4-night Cub Scout adventure. Lots of great activities, and a really great time with my boys. Ft. Dix turns out to be one of the more upscale places I stayed this summer. I probably logged more nights in a cot than my own bed! Have I just been getting prepped for these orders all along?? "You know, this tent living is fine, and standing in line for mess hall chow is dandy, but what would really make this special is to be far from my family, in a sea of sand and temperatures hitting 130 every day." **PING** The Orders fairy waived her wand. It really was a great summer- particularly so because there was so much family time with Eric and Ethan, my mom, and several wonderful weekends on the lake with Lisa and the boys.