Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

This blog post will not have any pictures for a total of 3 reasons. Reason 1: There has been too much time inbetween this post and my last one, and frankly too much has gone on to post enough decent pictures to capsulate these past 4 weeks. Reason 2: I am at work standing the 0200-0600 duty, and we can't upload personal pictures from these government computers. Reason 3: I am writing on duty because I was called out for slacking on the blog from Minnesota. How I should have rebuttaled to my friend was inquire why she was so concerned about my blog when she should be concerned with staying warm through the winter. Obviously I'm kidding, and I'm rather flattered that I was called out on it; makes me feel appreciated that there are some people in this world who read it. Moving on...

So there Haiti was, being destroyed by an earthquake. It didn't help that Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, but now it was the largest rubble depot in the world. An estimated 150,000 people are assumed dead with another 2 million homeless. Let it be the US Navy to step up their game and lead the international humanitarian effort. Yours truly happens to be in the navy, but he also happens to be in Japan at the time. Didn't matter, I sent a personal email to my LCPO requesting what I needed to do to get to go help out. I even offered to take personal leave and help out. That email was sent on a Thursday afternoon. By Monday morning the stars aligned and the gods smiled down on HM3 Rastall. Our parent command, Naval Hospital Yokosuka sent out a tasker to send 26 personnel to fly to the USS Nassau and aide in a 3-6 month long mission. Of the 26 people, there was one slot open for a E4-E6 pharmacy tech. Because I showed initiative the previous week, my chief picked up his almighty holy phone and called the Command Master Chief (CMC, highest enlisted and head liasion between enlisted and officer aka very important person) directly to volunteer my name. Everyone else had to turn in a request chit to volunteer from my clinic, but I had to do nothing, it was nice. From that point on I was tasked to go to Haiti.

My world of chaos only began to start. Literally immediately I had to stop what I was doing (which was writing my leave chit to make time for my friend Ryan "Father" to visit in March) and work on my pre-deployment package. I was caught in a whirl-wind of not really knowing anything except that I was going to Haiti, and expect it to be soon. I rush ordered uniforms to be made for me, bought an extra set of boots, and lined up all my legal obligations with power-of-attorney (my apartment went to my friend Darryl and my car went to my other friend Damion). That doesn't count all the medical clearances I had to go through. Anthrax shots really hurt by the way. We had almost daily meetings with the higher-ups, and even had a pre-deployment video tele confrence with the commanding officer in Yokosuka. It was a sure thing.

Things started to drag out, and I was getting more anxious. I had trouble sleeping, and when I was able to fall asleep I would have the most vivid dreams. My dreams would vary from me being caught in a civilian rebellion (desparate people do desparate things), to being a hero and winning some outrageous medal or two. In other words I had worst case and best case scenerios rolling around in my head. In a 7 day span, I overslept for work 3 times. It was a very stressful time for me. I had to stop my PT program with Stew Smith because I was so concentrated and anticipating on leaving anyday. My diet became crap. I was eating all the perishable food items in my home, and ordering out more than normal. In other words I was a mess. Still one week turned into two, and the rumor mill was just a rocking and a rolling as to when we'd leave. Of course I notified my friends and family about my news. I kept a lot of my stresses to myself though saving only a very select few people. What really sucked is I had to cancel Father's trip. He would have been here over St. Patrick's Day. The previous two years I was either in boot camp or recovering from my appendectomy. This was going to be my year of redemption, and I would have done it with one of my best friends. Making that phone call was one of my hardest things I've had to do. I felt so disappointed in myself for some reason. Luckily he was able to get a refund on his plane tickets. Even though I was serving the nation and representing my family, Wisconsin, the navy, and my nation proudly if I was going, I still felt bad that I had to drop all other plans for it.

My deployment changed my plans around totally. Father was supposed to visit in March, Joey was thinking about coming in August, and possibly Mollie would have come in October. The deployment changed things. Not only would I cancel their plans, but after a life-changing experience like I knew I had to go home. My intentions were to go come back from Haiti, finish my EOD package, and then take leave to come home. Probably around my birthday. While in Haiti I would have worked out with a co-worker from here, Don Saylor (yes, his last name is Saylor and he is in the navy), or some marines to get fit.

While I was waiting though to hear official word as to when I was leaving I had to continue to live my life as close to normal as possible. That's why I ran in the half-marathon. It was some cooky idea that Darryl thought of, but I also ran it with the OIC (CDR Service) and his wife Tara. Tara and Darryl took off like a bat out of hell, but CDR Service stayed with me the entire way. I am very thankful for that seeing he could have set it a higher paced cruise than me, but he was with me the entire way. The 13.1 mile / 21.1km run was finished in 2:21.40. This was without training for it and wearing my civilian tennis shoes (my running shoes were in my locker at work). Could not have been a better day to run a race like that. Needless to say I was very sore afterwards, walking was next to impossible. I was sore though for only the next 2.5 days afterwards, and thank God for naproxen.

There was one blessing for me not leaving earlier than I was supposed to, and that reason was Lynn. Lynn and I went to high school together, and were friends through our friend Chelsea. Though Chelsea has lead a very different life than us, Lynn and I have always kept in touch through the years. She has been in China for the past 18 months teaching English at a forestry uninversity (she is a geology major from UW-Eau Claire). Well, Lynn's business visa was about expired and it had to be renewed outside of China. She could have done it at the consulate's office in Thailand or Korea where the airfare was cheaper, but she wanted to visit me since I was her closest friend in 15 time zones. She asked if she could crash with me for 6 days at 11pm on a Friday night, and I picked her up at the Fukuoka airport at 2pm the next afternoon.

Now Lynn has a rather serious boyfriend back in China, so it wasn't "that kind of visit" at all. She stayed in the guest room, and the "dirtiest" thing that went on was doing the laundry. Let that be known and on the record for everyone. She is a very adventerous girl though, and I had many first time experiences in her visit. I took my car over 120kph for the first time, went down roads in Sasebo that I never would have thought of, ate at resteraunts I normally would not have eaten at, learned a few Chinese characters (many of them are used in Japanese), went on a run on a path I have always meant to try out but never got around to it, turned on my seat-warmer on my toilet (and figured out how to work the bedit), and got lost in Nagasaki.

Let's talk about Nagasaki for a minute. Very cool city, and I'm not sure why I never went sooner. It's relatively close, only about 50 miles and a lot cheaper toll road-wise. It's huge compared to Sasebo, and it has the atomic bomb peace park. I can't lie, it was a very humbling place especially since I was not only an American, but in the military. It sparked a healthy debate between Lynn and I about whether it was right or wrong to drop the bomb(s). My mentality really changed from before I arrived to the park and afterwards. It didn't help that we arrived right at 11:02am, the same time the bomb was dropped. I enjoyed the many malls there (though nothing still fits me, I checked), and the a pair of Levi jeans are outrageously priced (about $190 a pair, no joke). There are like 3 universities in Nagasaki and it was crawling with people my age.

We went to Nagasaki for one specific reason though, and that was to visit the Chinese consulate's office. That was where Lynn had to renew the visa. Our original plan was to drive into Fukuoka and do it, and that would have been exponentially more expensive / a lot harder to find since it is Japan's 4th largest city. Every worry and fear Lynn had concerning the consulate's office was unfound. Her visit could not have gone any smoother for her. Makes me think she is a spy just reporting back to commie China. That's why I admitted to her that if she really was a spy she was trying to get information from the wrong person. Not only am I too low of rank to know anything really crucial, but I was onto her. She would skype her boyfriend every night and sometimes they would speak in Chinese to each other. That's when I knew it was time to go to bed or write a letter. No use being around when I can't undertand what the Hell they were saying.

Lynn left on a Friday. I enjoyed her visit, she was a pleasent guest, but it was nice to have my apartment back to myself. There is something about being able to walk around in my birthday suit or go to the bathroom with the door open that can't be replaced. Before she left she was talking about a Korean trip in 3 months to renew her visa again, and for me to meet up with her. Time will tell on that one.

While she was here in Japan though the official word came out when we were leaving...and the official word was the mission was told to stand-down. In other words, we were told that we're not fucking going anymore. I was mad, but happy at the same time. Mad because I had to tell everyone back home who I told I was going that I wasn't anymore, but happy because I could resume my life to the way it used to be. Finally I was stress free of my anxieties and I could work out again, get back on a healthier diet, and just get back to normal again.

I am still planning on coming home in August, but it will be later August, cause I need to be around in the states for Labor Day weekend. My BFF, Rich, is getting married in Fort Eerie, Canada to his fiance, MJ. Weddings are always motivating, but this one is especially important since I am his best man. Pretty sure a main reason why they rescheduled the wedding was because I am coming home. This is a serious honor, and unless I'm deployed I will be there. Mom says I shouldn't take a date with me, and I should take her "sage old advice," but again time will tell on that one. I need to ask some more mentors, Rich, and pray a little about it first before I extend any invitations.

We had a swim meet while Lynn was here too. Sadly Kristoph was in Virginia on TAD orders/back home in the Bahamas on leave so he couldn't make it. I will say it was a good time. We had 2 race winners, some decent times, but it really showed me what the kids are really struggling in, and that is the basics. We were able to put in a lot of meters, but our starts, turns, and speed training was lacking. This past week I had the kids write me an essay as to why swimming means to them. Most essays were fine. Some lacked what I really wanted to find, others were too gracious of their coaches, some were funny to read, but there was one that stood out among the rest. It was from a 10 year old girl, Joelle. It was so good, I now have it taped to my fridge back in my apartment, it was that motivating.

Today at 1300 there is a huge meeting with the OIC, CDR Service. The meeting will center around my future career plans concerning EOD. Before I went to bed, I wrote a 7 page letter to a friend, Katie (to be discussed in bit) explaining the importance of this meeting. In essence, I need CDR Service's blessing to make my journey to what I want to do with my life a helluva lot easier. Time will tell on the outcome on this developing story.

So there is Katie. Usually I don't talk about women in my blog for a specific reason, and that's because I don't like other girls being jealous even though there is 99% times no need to be jealous, but in her case is an exception. By technicality I have know Katie since 3rd grade, so like 13 years. We are all aware of the Big brothers / Big Sisters program, right? Well, Katie is the neice of my big brother, Bob. Story gets more twisted. My parents used to rent in the apartment above another set of aunts and uncle's of Katie's. Story may get better. Bob and his wife, Sara, would always joke about how Katie and I would make a good pair, but we were young and thought they were always saying that to see us get razzled. My family moves to Tennessee and I quickly lose touch with Katie, and soon Bob and Sara. Moved back to Wisconsin, went through hish school, college, and I was finally looking on facebook one night in Virginia when I noticed "remembered" her, and I added her. To my surprise she remebered me too, and we exchanged a couple of messges of the whole "what have you been up to" line. I move to Japan, been here for 8 months, and see her on facebook one evening (it's 3am in Wisconsin), and I instant-chat with her. She was like "what are YOU doing up so early?! It's like 4am where you are!" She thought I was still in Virginia! Needless to say I had to explain my story, but more importantly is I find her rather motivating. Kinda a small world if we think about it.

That's about it for now. I hope you all enjoyed this lengthy email, and now I can go back to looking at thechive.com Morale is high despite my recent written counceling earlier this week. I was being an asshole to my department head, and as much as I would rather not admit it I deserved it. The fact that enlisted have to be "submissive" to officers is still completely bullshit and one of the things I really hate about the military. Just a part of the game I suppose. Either way it put my "military bearing" (another phrase I can't stand) in check. Have a fine day folks and stay moto.