Henry's Web Log

Yesterday's waiting started at 5:30 am in the chow line, then a dark bus trip to the main post. Visits included immunizations with 5 shots for me, and appointments for more shots on Wednesday. And Monday night started a fast for me, since I'll be needing the complete, over-40 physical. Yeah, the one Bill Engval relives so vividly. I must say, however, that the numerous stations and briefings have been relatively relaxed and respectful: we're not new recruits, but experienced veterans. They have rented two or three reasonably comfortable tour buses to move 46 of us around, and they do their best to keep us fed, healthy, outfitted, and properly moving through this pipeline.

I went for a 3-mile run on my own and found the PT track, some of the National Guard training area, and an after-hours club called the "Impact Zone"-- but it's only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They have a better wifi than the barracks, but I'm thankful we get any kind of Internet on post at all. Ft. Dix had zip in 2007, and a flaky setup at best this past summer. My arms are sore from the shots! In the dark!

Day 1 of inprocessing camp. Monday. I've already finished the novel I brought. It occurs to me that the popular Army warrior exclamation of "hoo-ahh" is quite possibly an acronym, properly spelled "HUAW." Can you guess?

It's "Hurry Up And Wait." And wait. I bet you thought from the title that I must be really motivated. Well, I am enthusiastic about serving the military. But that's not what's happening yet.

I started in uniform, the digital ACU (Army Combat Uniform) because I have mine up-to-date from recent camps, ROTC functions and generally staying involved. Probably 60% of our class doesn't have uniforms at all because they've been out of the Army too long. There are 46 of us starting off. I've been warned that maybe half will be REFRAD: released from active duty for various issues. But it's a pretty fit looking bunch of us. Lots of senior NCOs and field-grade officers: folks who've been in the military for almost 20 years.

I'm at 19 years myself, 1 year before being eligible for retirement benefits. I'm not thinking about retirement right now, but open to possibilities that develop over the next year.

Thursday was an ACI covered dish lunch, Friday the President's Council hosted what may have been the first gathering of all 3 groups for a sendoff lunch. Both days were interspersed with "final" client and employee meetings, since there's always just a few more things we need to take care of. Kevin Litten's article about this deployment and its effect on our business appeared in today's Virginia section of the Roanoke Times. The online edition put it under business. It was a great ink, got everything right, and captured our sentiment: this is a challange, but we're up for it and all of us (family and employees) see this as a patriotic responsibility.

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.

The NewVa 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.

With Lisa, I visited her grandmother Ilse today, in the Blacksburg Kroontjie care facility. She's wonderful, a German immagrant who gave birth to Lisa's mother in the middle of WWII. In a German brewery during a bombing raid, according to Lisa's mother. Wow.

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!