Preparations and Personal Thoughts

So with State Active Duty, sometimes referred to as Home Station Training (the military loves fancy sounding terms I've noticed over the years) just around the corner, members of the Unit are preparing in a variety of ways. Many of us have taken extra time off of work to spend with family, friends, and loved ones. Some of us have been attending last minute training to further be up to speed in our assigned specialties. A few are even just enjoying time to themselves to gather thoughts and look toward the future. As a group we all legal paperwork to do, personal business to take care of, things to arrange for while we are away. Parties are occurring with more frequency, gatherings with those who are important to us are occurring almost literally every day now.

Some of us are even granting interviews with the media to help share our stories. I find myself one of those people, not only granting interviews but conducting and/or filming them as well. Its my hope that I will be able to post some of the material here in the very near future.

As far as myself, along with interviews some of my preparations this past week have included packing both my military and personal gear, finalizing my Will, arranging a Power of Attorney and Guardianship for my children, ensuring my financial matters are taken care of, double checking my video equipment for "bugs", some house work (I must admit I procrastinate on that one a bit much), spending time with my kids, and spending time with co-workers and friends...it always seems like no matter how much time some of us spend together, its never quite enough. Oh, and I've tried to eat as many corn-fed Iowa steaks as possible...one can never eat too many of those.

The weather lately has had me a bit "down". The cooler temps, cloudy skies, occasional rains are far from the sunny skies, warmer temps that I love around here. However I am fortunate to have three people in my life that make everyday seem sunny (my two children, and a young lady who knows who she is), and I did find out last deployment that I miss the change of seasons in Iowa, so I am grateful to be able to have one last Fall before returning overseas.

So, that's the status of things with me right now. According to the tentative plan I should have some footage of one of the first interviews I conducted posted on here by Monday morning, with at least two more in the following weeks. Hope you stop by to see them!

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