So far, I've passed two PT tests and two weigh-ins/body fat tests, I've gotten 100% on three academic tests, and I haven't gone apeshit. Good deal. I need to start studying Arabic again, get this academic paper done this coming week, and figure out what to do with myself for the weekend. I need to buy those bunk beds and get them delivered ($900 later), and I still need some other things for the apartment. Geez, I guess BNCOC isn't that bad, I've just got a bunch of other stuff on my ...

They finally took it (fourth time's the charm!) so I don't have to buy a Gortex jacket. I wouldn't really want it, anyway. Don't get me wrong, they're nice, but soon enough I'll be switching to ACUs. SPC Gemstone pointed out that until the wear-out date for BDUs, you can pretty much mix-and-match ACU/BDU TA-50 and accessories. Just because it's in regs doesn't make it right . I clear the unit on Monday, and may also Final Out then as well. Might save it for Tuesday; there are still...

Everything went smoothly.. e-tool repainted, check. Gear laundered, check. But they didn't take the Gortex, even though I had laundered it. "The cuffs dirty, I can't issue dirty like this!" Spray + Wash, sit, scrub with a washcloth... I can't get it any cleaner. Going back for round 3... can't outprocess the unit until after CIF. May not be done until Monday now. Other news: I have a moving van reserved. SPC Whitebread is going to help me out tomorrow and Saturday getting the b...

They only kicked back 1/2 of what I tried to turn in: Gortex Wet Weather Pants Canteen Cover Canteen Canteen Cup First Aid Pouch Kevlar Cover Kevlar (So, I need to replace the webbing?) some other things And I forgot some things: Sweater Field Jacket Liner Pile Cap Coveralls (I have to turn these in?!? There's paint all over them now!) maybe something else And I felt too guilty to show them my Wet Weather Top. I think there's soda all over it, probably a Coke.

Our unit has been trying for awhile to laterally promote several Specialists to Corporal (an advancement which doesn't grant any extra pay, but makes them a junior Noncommissioned Officer). While this isn't supported by our TOE, our commander was able to justify it to higher command. After months of wrangling, it was finally approved for this month. As we sat in a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harrasment) class in the conference room, one of the soldiers slated for recognition approached me...

I'm going to reenlist, possibly this week, maybe early January. It may depend on what the bonuses look like. It will depend on when the re-up NCO is available. Four years should max my bonus at $15k. GAFB, AIT instructor, which should nearly guarantee me SFC (E-7) within three years (as long as I get my records update, but I think Geezer can help me with that procedure). Things look very good for me professionally, and I'm excited about that. SFC Spadde will be ecstatic, but I'm goi...

This is, what, my seventh? In nearly eight years? Initial ETS date. Stop-lossed. Un-stop-lossed. Reenlisted. Extended. Stop-lossed. Un-stop-lossed. Extended (today, to meet the SRR for SSG). That's eight different dates for when I would have gotten out of the Army. I'm already past three of them. I made promotion points for SSG for November 1st. I extended today to meet the Service Remaining Requirement (SRR) for the rank; I have to be in for a full year after I pin on, so ...

I had girded my mind for action, and had prepared myself to extend my time left in the Army so that I would meet the one year service remaining requirement for Staff Sergeant, as long as I was promoted in the next two months. I feel I will get the promotion 1DEC05, so I would add three months to my commitment to the Army. But I talked to the 1SG yesterday, and she suggested that they may not let me extend during an open reenlistment window. I may have to reenlist (minimum three years com...

In my quest to add my Army Achievement Medal to my file to count for promotion points for November, I dealt with personnel both on the Battalion and Company levels. I'm talking about our clerks, here. At the Battalion, the "clerk" is the same rank as me, and has been here long enough that I recall (perhaps incorrectly) that he was a SPC when I was a SPC. (Could be more False Memory Syndrome, though.) Being a clerk is his primary MOS (job) in the Army. He should know his stuff. At th...

Related to: Link From an online conversation with a soldier who works for me. Context is that I chewed him and others out for mistakes they made today, but later told them that it wasn't nearly as serious as I had made it out, and that we were doing fine with the amount of experience we have. pseudosoldier says: You know I don't really hate you guys, that I've just been having a string of bad days with little sleep, and I'm heavy on the "tough love" during training... right? Hal...

SFC (BDE Retention) has fixed my ETS date. She also removed my flag that no one had bothered with, allowing me to go to the promotion board next Wednesday! If that had been in place, PSB might've kicked me out faster than SPC Dougie... Mixed feelings on the board. I'm not too keen on that sort of performance, really. I hope I don't choke too badly. The promotion board will consist of: Command Sergeant Major Somewhat - I've never seen him face-to-face, he has no idea who I am. He's...

[ PAC = Personnel and Administration Center, sometimes also S-1 ] So, I gathered up my paperwork, my last few LESs and my ERBs, some with correct dates, the most recent with incorrect dates, and went to the PLT SGT. Well, not the PLT SGT. The acting PLT SGT, since everyone was on block leave. I had talked to my Squad Leader. Well, not really my Squad Leader, but... well, three of us were kind of a squad triumverate , none of us actually over the other two, but they both knew...

N o one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I realize that I am a member of a time-honored corps, which is known as "the Backbone of the Army." I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service, and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position for pleasure, profi...

This morning, after checking how my stable performed last night on Martial Combat... er, researched vital mission essential information, I checked my AKO (Army Knowledge Online) email (the official email of the USArmy) on a lark. Well, no. On a computer. But, anyway... I received an email, this morning, at ~0600. The email was from the personnel office letting me know that the report date for my PCS (Permanent Change of Station) (the date that I would show up to my gaining unit), had c...