Sounds like shooting may be his forte.!!

I'll include his blessing in my next prayers for accuracy, and maybe when he gets back you should send him on a little excursion to visit me for a meat gathering adventure!!

Best of luck young Schony!!

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"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young

Let us know if Drum is where he's going.


Tell him if he can get out ot Huachuca he's got WNY people here.


And you know I'd look out for him.


J

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Godsmack's posts are often made with little thought or consideration of others. If you find yourself offended please go to the end of the cubicle, and there you will meet Carol. She has diabetes, high blood pressure, and is a Ducks fan. She will automatically assume you are full of shit and send you away. Or you could realize that he is just a sarcastic, mean little fucker, and he rather likes it that way. Please feel free to bust his chops back. Stay Classy San Diego.

I've heard nothing more since last week when he told me Ft. Drum will be his duty station. The only thing that's changed is my roller coaster emotions in the last 48 hours.

He seemed to have a great weekend and sent a few pics early on Sunday



He's passed all his written tests, driving tests, final PT, and will be coming home on 12/17 or 12/18. I don't know how long he'll be here. It's weighed heavily on me since hearing the words "Ft. Drum" as this is a rapid deployment station.

I had already looked up the Dep't of Defense announcements from last summer and Combat units from Ft. Drum were scheduled to go to Iraq from fall 09' thru spring 10'

Thinking something might change after Obama's speech last week, I figured my son would be "safe" as one, we're not really going to Iraq anymore and two, he drives trucks. Surely that fell under a category other than "Combat".

He's so excited to come home next week. I received this picture a few hours later entitled "Packing". I haven't seen him smile like this since the Cheese Goldfish



I spoke with him Sunday evening and found out he was packing early because they were leaving at 3:00 a.m. to go on a 20 mile ruck (non stop march with gear) then sleep in a trench and return this Friday.

Just before he went to bed, he texted me one more picture of his new patch



As soon as I saw the word "Mountain", my jaw dropped.

Being a civilian and not completely familiar with Military lingo, the one thing I did know is that it was the 10th Mountain division to be deployed from Ft. Drum. I knew he had to go to bed early, so I'm text speaking as fast as I can asking " ?? did u get patch? U have div #? Is it Mtn?"

He texted back; "Why RU freaking out. Div 10MTN. GTG XXOO"

Not sure how many have heard the news yesterday/today.

10th Mountain division (Ft. Drum) is deploying 3500 to Afghanistan in April.
You got it. Motor Transport falls under Combat Services - Support Battalion This is going to be one rough Christmas.

10th Mt. division is one of the most hard core there is. I thought they had to do high altitude, cold weather training for that though.

However this should help you feel better...part of the main problem with Afghanistan is there are no real roads so our military has to air drop everything in the field. That should keep your truck driving son a bit out of harms way

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Hold my beer and watch this...

The reason for the Mountain tab is beacuse of the mountainous area near by and beacuse Drum and Alaska are the ONLY 2 cold weather training sites in the military. Drum for humid, Alaska for desert.


As for Driving............Schony I understand why you would hope that and God knows I would too..........We have Truck Drivers to move the equipment so we can keep the majority of other soldiers on their jobs. Wouldnt be good to have truck drivers only driving on the FOB and Infantry guys driving, looking for IED's and prepping to roll out of the truck.

I hope to meet him while home. I can give him alot of background info on Drum (if he hasnt been there) and get him some ideas about the "REAL" Army not the school side of it.

As for his Drum orders, they can change at any time. He also has a possibility of swapping with someone else of the same rank (or one up or down), same marital status and they both have to want to. It CAN happen, but isnt guarenteed.

Email me or call me if you need to talk about some further details.


J

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Godsmack's posts are often made with little thought or consideration of others. If you find yourself offended please go to the end of the cubicle, and there you will meet Carol. She has diabetes, high blood pressure, and is a Ducks fan. She will automatically assume you are full of shit and send you away. Or you could realize that he is just a sarcastic, mean little fucker, and he rather likes it that way. Please feel free to bust his chops back. Stay Classy San Diego.

I get this random text from my son tonight (when I know he's out in a trench and shouldn't have a cell?) All it says is: "Call u in 45 - important"

I'm trying to breath....

I text back; "I no. 10th Mtn Ft. Drum = Afghanistan 4/10."

20 Minutes later he calls and I'm like WTH, you're supposed to be on a 20 mile ruck and in the trenches till Friday.

His reply: I got pulled out by my Sgt. and thrown into the back of a truck. Mom, I was looking at looking at nothing but tampons and I looked up and saw three girls. I thought I was dreaming ( )

<I didn't know if I should laugh or cry>

MOM! R U there? Yes! (tries to breath let alone talk)

"Mom, they pulled the 4 of us out for our marksmanship awards and told us we're going to Camp Casey in Korea - not Afghanistan. We get to sleep in our beds tonight and have to re-join the "ruck" tomorrow. For tonight, I have a pillow"

I just want to cry... tears of joy ...or something.

I breathe easier for a bit.

I don't cry EVER............... but I am right now

Happy/sad. I have no clue

Thanks J

ETA: You were right J - they changed it. That's why I sit here with bated breath every second of my waking day.

I had someone at work ask me the other day (mind you, he is a Nam Army Vet) if I would have anything to do when my kids were all gone? I think that pissed me off. Maybe I talk about all of my kids too much? They're my life. Isn't that what being a Mother is all about? Two out of my three boys are already gone.

WOW.. TANGENT/RANT OFF. That's why this is MY thread

XXOO

That is wonderful news Schony. I'm very happy for you and your son.

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Wheelhouse

My friend just came home from Korea (he is in the army also). He loved it over there.

Good thing he's not a Marine or he'd bring back a Korean wife

Those guys just can't help but get married.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Thanks Beth!
I passed that info along to him and he seems to be in good spirits.
I received a text from him today that was so long, it came through in TEN segments He's still in the barracks and not back in the trench because he received 15 inoculations today. I have to read them all again to make sense of them, but suffice to say he brought up smallpox, yellow dust from China, and monsoons. I have to read it again Thanks

Hey you need to make sure I meet him. I have some of my soldiers going to Camp Kasey and would be happy to have someone to help him out there.

And its not just jarheads who come back with korean wives. Its damn near everyone.

And its easy as shit to get in trouble too.

They say the easiest way to make Sergeant in Korea is to Go there as a Staff Sergeant.

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Godsmack's posts are often made with little thought or consideration of others. If you find yourself offended please go to the end of the cubicle, and there you will meet Carol. She has diabetes, high blood pressure, and is a Ducks fan. She will automatically assume you are full of shit and send you away. Or you could realize that he is just a sarcastic, mean little fucker, and he rather likes it that way. Please feel free to bust his chops back. Stay Classy San Diego.

J - He'll be home on 12/17 and it sounds like he'll be "home" for at least 2-3 weeks before going directly to Korea from Buffalo. I'll pm you.

He also said something in his lengthy text about trouble in the area. He referred to it as one of the worst human trafficking and STD ridden places on the planet. Lots in that text.

What a learning and growth experience for both of us

That he would be correct on. They have shit there that if you catch you will not come home with. By that I mean your staying in Korea. No pills, no options, nothing. You stay there for life.

And that sounds good to me.


J

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Godsmack's posts are often made with little thought or consideration of others. If you find yourself offended please go to the end of the cubicle, and there you will meet Carol. She has diabetes, high blood pressure, and is a Ducks fan. She will automatically assume you are full of shit and send you away. Or you could realize that he is just a sarcastic, mean little fucker, and he rather likes it that way. Please feel free to bust his chops back. Stay Classy San Diego.

Congrats Schony, glad he is doing great.

I'd much rather be in Korea than Afghanistan also.

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Thanks Sky.
He knows it. I know it. I'm am so thankful I have good kids.
I've worked with kids that are 16 and are crack addicts
I'm blessed that my three boys are whom and what they are.

The only time my oldest ever gave me shit, I threw a Mighty Taco at him. That was blasphemy right there What a waste of good nutritional food

My Army son would really like to meet a lot of you. He's knows of this thread although he has never read it.

Let me see what I can do for New Years Day to watch the Winter Classic.

Stay tuned.

Well he is my age, but he sure would be able to kick my ass.

I'm a small person.

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Home at last! Till January 2nd. He doesn't even look like the same kid. Actually, he doesn't look like a kid at all anymore

Did I mention I ran into Jay at the airport?! That was funny

Yay!
I just saw that pic on facebook
Awesomeness!

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Welcome home, son.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?