My Better Half

Let me start by saying how much I Love my wife Catrina.
God bless her for having to deal with me!!!
Catrina is a very unique woman.
She is a great mother.
She is an awesome cook.
She loves watching football with me and usually is a lot more vocal than myself.
She loves to read and listens to a unique range of music.
She really enjoys letting go and relaxing (Unfortunately it doesn't happen enough to ease all the stress she has to deal with)
She is not a shopper and does a much better job maintaining our money than I could.
She can see through any story or expression someone is trying to put on her.
She is very straightforward and says exactly what she means.
I cannot communicate very well and when I do I usually say the wrong thing.
First of all let me say I was supposed to and promised her I would talk to her before I joined the military. I didn't!
I am, as a husband supposed to hold up and support her, I don't.
I am, as a husband supposed to treat her with respect and dignity, I don't.
Our future isn't very solid. I'm really hopeful we can, together dig ourselves out as I am just caving in the walls of the hole we're in instead of digging.
Prayers at this point..... are probably..... the only thing holding our thin facade together.


Hopefully I will get back on track with a little counseling

Real Re-Entry

Where do I begin.... how about I'm in the Army now!!!
I would like to say it was a great experience and it was if you don't mind sleep deprivation and starvation. The training was great and could have been better if we could have gotten enough sleep to learn more.
I now know I should have come in as a sergeant instead of a staff sergeant. I was out too long for that pay grade to really be valid. As First Sergeant Torres said "you're fast trackin now"
I really appreciated his confidence in me. That experience should help me prepare for my new position with the 974th.
"Fort Sill sucked" there is no other way explain it. Knowing that I would have to go there and the experience I had I would never have gone in, period.
Sante Fe was OK but just not enough sleep to focus on the lessons and trying to stay awake and not disrespect the cadre was a major issue in itself. The food sucked but that was to be expected.
The training was good and the cadre were knowledgeable and for the most part very respectable.
Camp Stallion began my undoing, there wasn't enough time to handle all the responsibilities that were demanded of the student first sergeant. Motivation is one of the major issues I had, as time went on and the lack of sleep and food built up, I was physically dragging. It seemed that some instructors enjoyed forcing the last group out of the d-fac early. If I wasn't at the end of the line every time this wouldn't have added up on me as it did. The last 2 weeks I was starving at chow time, I walked out of chow hungry 3 times a day.
White Sands was OK if not for the issues above which again contributed to not being able to motivate everyone else especially on the field exercises. I feel someone else younger may have handled it a little better but that is all behind me now. I am definitely glad to be home 20 pounds lighter than when I left. Now on to the rest of my training.