The Next Three Years

Six months have come and gone in the very slow and rather protracted blink of an eye.

The two months prior to these last six went by even quicker.

The few months leading up to those two months seemed to take forever...

Funny how time flows, no?  Or, I suppose, funny how it's perceived.

A year ago I was in the early stages of trying to enlist in the Navy.

I was living in Columbus, Ohio, working for a natural gas company - the people for whom I worked were very gracious and supportive of my decision (especially A and T!) and made allowances for when I'd need to go off for an interview or screening with either my recruiter or at MEPS.

Shucks, a year ago I hadn't even relaunched this blog, yet.

Now, in a little over a week, I'll be wrapping up my time at Fort Meade, have a couple weeks to see my friends and family, then head out to my first duty station which is....Pearl Harbor.

Well, Pearl Harbor will be my homeport - I'll actually be working for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command - or JPAC.  I definitely recommend checking out the website, but the short description is they're responsible for searching out and recovering the remains of fallen American servicemembers from past wars. My main duty will be as a photographer.

So that's where I'll be based for the next three years!  It's going to be quite a time of growth, excitement, and travel.

As far as the blog goes, it's taken me some time to rediscover my voice after going through boot camp and then "A" School, but I think it's coming back...  Saying all that to say, I'm not sure what I'm going to do - either keep it going here or start a new one (again).  We'll see...

Off we go!

I Love Armadillo Hide

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we wake up in time to form up in the day room by 04:45.  When it's warm enough - as it has been the last few occasions - we go running as a detachment.

After taking an accountability muster in the day room, we go out and form up in the street for stretches and then get into three ranks and get to it.

Along the way we have someone calling out the cadence.  One of my favorites is "Runnin' Through the Jungle" in which a narrative is told in the first-person about running through the jungle early in the day and encountering different jungle animals.  The animals threaten the runner, but the runner warns each of the creatures that if they don't yield they will each be turned into a battle helmet, a parka liner, a pair of skivvies, or a pair of boots.  Each of these articles of clothing are necessary parts of a sailor's uniform.

With that in mind, not too long ago at church someone mentioned the armor of God and then we went through the different pieces of the armor.  When we got to the helmet of salvation I couldn't help but think of "battle helmet."  I mean, after all, where else do you wear any kind of helmet other than in battle?  In the context of armor, that is.

"Battle helmet, battle helmet," I thought.  The thought was like a mouse with a lit dynamite stick tied to its tail, scurrying around in my mind seeking safety.  And then it hit me: "I looooove armadillo hide!  / Makes my battle helmet fit me just-a right!"

The helmet of salvation made out of armadillo hide?  I hardly doubt that's what Paul was thinking when he wrote his letter to the Ephesians, but what if...?

In the cadence, the sailor is running along on his mission.  He comes across a threat - an armadillo - let's say a rabid armadillo because I don't think armadillos are particularly menacing (and probably not actually found in the jungle), but I digress.

Or maybe the armadillo isn't exactly a threat, but still an obstacle.  So the sailor says, "Armadillo, armadillo, you better move, / before I make a battle helmet out of you!"  Clearly the sailor is without a helmet of his own and in need of one seeing as he is on a dangerous mission running through the jungle.  So instead of quailing at the first sign of resistance, as innocuous as an armadillo could be (unless it's rabid), the sailor soldiers on and takes that obstacle and makes it an asset; what was once threatening to impede his mission is now helping him.

And ain't the spiritual journey of faith just like that?  Are not the trials and temptations we face meant to test us and make us stronger?  Do those trials and temptations then not become assets to us?  We have the experience of getting burned by sin, by pain, by loss but we conquer those trials - by the grace of God - and we are more than conquerors because what once was a threat is not merely removed, it is re-formed into aiding us!  

As we are strengthened by the testing of our faith, does that not strengthen our assurance in our salvation in Jesus Christ?  So doesn't that old armadillo, in a sense, become a helmet that assures us of our salvation?

What if that's what it's like?  We are in a spiritual battle; what if the armor is supplied to us from our Lord via on-site procurement?

Just a thought....

In case you didn't know, an MC (Mass Communication specialist) is the eyes and ears of the Navy.

MCs are documentarians, historians.

MCs are trained in photography, public affairs, journalism, videography, print and design, graphic design, and that's all just part of the basic training we receive to earn the title of MC.  So I'm not just busting out my best Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson impression by referring to MCs in the third-person; I do so because I am not one yet - I have three more months to go.

Training for the MC rate happens at the Defense Information School (DINFOS on Fort George G. Meade in Maryland.  It's located between Baltimore and D.C.

The first half of training is a joint-operation kind of deal.  My class of sailors from the detachment was split into four groups and we were all put into sections with 3-4 members of the other branches excepting the Coast Guard (some of the instructors are in the Coast Guard, though).

The school is staffed by senior enlisted from all of the military branches as well as civilians.  My journalism instructor is a civilian and she was great.  My public affairs instructor was a tech sergeant from the Air Force and he was pretty cool, too.

What's really great about the training at DINFOS is all of the instructors love what they do and enjoy spreading that love via training up the next wave of public affairs and mass comm specialists.  When an educator is actually excited about his or her subject area the students can't do anything but benefit.

Well, a couple of Fridays ago we finished the first half of our training and we've moved downstairs into the Navy-specific training.

First up is photography and it's been great.  The assignments are challenging and the instructors demanding, but it's worth it.  Just today (Monday) we went to Annapolis with the assignment of taking several pictures with different shooting techniques in mind.  It really pushes a person out of his comfort zone, but once you get going it gets easier.

I chatted with the owner of a tobacco shop for the better part of two hours and got some decent photos and then moved over to a coffee shop where I got to know a couple of baristas.  It was cool.

So, in a nutshell that's what's going on - just wanted to catch you all up to speed.

In the coming posts I'll begin sharing some more stuff on the faith/spiritual side of things again and talk more about the MC rate.  Right now, though, I have a lot of plates spinning and I'm working on my time-management skills.

More to come!

Halfway There

Well, it's nigh the end of March. 

I've been at A-School since January 7th and it's scheduled to wrap up June 29th. 

These first three months have had us sailors working in conjunction with members of the other armed forces and it's been pretty neat.  For one thing, I had no idea what to expect.  I've never lived on an Army base, I've never been in the military before, I've never interacted with service members so thoroughly before - mainly just in passing.  But you know what I've learned?

Service members are people!

I mean, duh, of course they are, but up until this point I've always thought they were something more; something like super people, or super human, even (and in regard to toleration of punishment I think maybe the Marines are) but the fact is they all - we all - are just people.  There's not a one of us who is here under the compulsion of another; any degree of compulsion is wholly originated in the self.

How a person goes from being a civilian to a member of the armed forces has always been a mystery to me, but now I've been through the process and the simplicity of it all is simply stunning.

It's a matter of making a decision and following through with it.

Yes, boot camp is involved and along with that no small amount of grief and abuse but that's just there to test your resolve - "Do you really want to be a sailor/soldier/Marine/airman?  Are you sure??" 

And that practice grief and abuse coming from trusted instructors in a learning environment (albeit admittedly harsh, especially from what I hear the leathernecks go through) is merely a taste of what we can expect when we deliberately place ourselves in harm's way.

After talking to some soldiers who've been out in the field for a few years I'm glad I joined the branch that I did.  God bless the infantrymen who see the faces of those they kill, who witness the deaths of their brothers and sisters-in-arms from not a foot away, who deal with death's most gruesome expressions more days than they don't.

I'm reminded that though I'll be on a ship and the likelihood of such experiences is smaller, it's not out of the question.  In October 2000 the USS Cole was attacked and 17 sailors lost their lives.

But that's at least three to four months out for me. In the meantime, I'll get this blog going again.  Among other things, there's a dearth of information out there about the MC rate in the Navy so I'll share some of my own experiences.

If you're an aspiring sailor and are exploring the MC option I'd also recommend checking out this blog: I Am Your Eyes.  And if you're just interested in seeing what boot camp is like, I'll talk about that a bit, too.

Happy Monday!

Prepaaaare foooor the neeeeeew!

So, Boot Camp is over and I've been at "A" school for a week now where I'll be training for the next six months to become a Mass Communication Specialist (MC).  It's a program involving training in basic journalism, video production, public affairs and more.  So far it's been great, but I can't get too far into that until there's something to contrast it with, e.g.: Boot Camp.

For the time being, I'll get a post up at least once a week until I get into a groove with my new schedule.  In the meantime, here's a link to a blog of another MC, specifically to a post featuring another MC in Hawaii and a video he produced in his spare time.  It's really neat, and my people from 907 should check it out, too - y'all know who you are!

"I am your eyes" - Telling the U.S. Navy Story
http://usnavymc.blogspot.com/

Watch this video: http://usnavymc.blogspot.com/2011/04/watch-this-video.html

The video itself: http://vimeo.com/22137955

Alrighty Then!

Well, this is it!

I ship out for Boot Camp tomorrow - Tuesday, Nov 1.

I was originally planning on developing content to be auto-posted in my absence, but in the time I would've taken to do that, well, instead of writing about life and people I love I was spending time living life and being with the people I love.

That being said, I have a hunch that I'll have plenty of material to work with on the other side of the next nine weeks.

Thanks for reading - we'll resume in a short two month span!

Cliff

A Recap of Sorts

So it's just occurred to me via FB and Twitter comments that some folks are jumping in here mid-stream.  Then, looking back at the most recent posts I've realized I haven't even mentioned my involvement with the United States Navy - that's one of the biggest things to hit this blog!

I reckon a recap is in order:

- blog relaunched
- tried some new things
- announced enlistment with the Navy
- went on hiatus
- returned from hiatus

And that brings us up to date!  It's kind of like jumping in during the fourth season of a TV show with an overarching plot.  There's a more holistic experience if you go back to the beginning.

And this concludes your recap of sorts.

===========================================

And who would have suspected microwaves, of all things, possessing such arcane secrets??

Friday's Notes - 3 Is a Magic Number

The Picture Pages Edition...after el yump.

It's The Sailor's Life For Me!

“He curses like a sailor.”

It wasn’t until I started interacting with actual Sailors and future Sailors that I came to see the above is not just a clever saying remarking on a bygone era; it holds true today. 


More after the jump...

The Southern Accent and God is Doing a Nu Thang

Two things I love: the Southern accent and watching God work.

More after el jumpo:

Friday's Notes - Creative Edition

1) The Evangelism Linebacker - oldy, but a goody.

2) A Book That Will Change How You Look at Creativity (if you let it (it did for me))

3) Do Authors Need Blogs? (Do marathon runners need to train?)

4) The Fringe Opening Credits Done In the Style of Firefly  A mash-up of two fantastic TV shows.

It's Friday!  Time for the weekend, time to rest, right?  WRONG.

This is what I'm getting ready for....

Anchors Aweigh!

Remember last week’s post on waiting?  Well, last Thursday I got a text from my recruiter saying that some jobs might be opening up and that I would know for sure on Friday or Monday.  Friday happened, I got down with some friends, but I didn’t hear anything regarding Navy jobs.  Saturday happened, Sunday happened, and while I wasn’t expecting to hear anything over the weekend, doubt still managed to creep in.

Come Monday morning all kinds of reasons as to why I shouldn’t get in or hear anything were jumping around in my head like a herd of poisonous toads.  But then shortly after noon I got the message: “Hey Cliff, you’re on the schedule to process tomorrow.  We just got the word that you’re good to go.”  I just happened to be on a call when the text came through – and no, I don’t make it a normal habit to read text messages while on phone calls, but I was a bit jittery, plus the caller at the time was looking for his bill to give me his account number.

As soon as I read the text I had to suppress a “Whoopee!”  However, what started out as an average, good-natured call on my part suddenly turned into an enthusiastic and exciting experience for my customer.

When break time rolled around shortly thereafter, I made contact with my recruiter and details were ironed out for that evening and the next day: I’d crash at the hotel again and drive over to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) the next morning and since I wouldn’t need to do anything else but process, I’d probably be done by noon.  And by process, of course I don’t mean “dealing with issues”, but rather being processed into the military.

Tuesday morning my roommate and I woke up at 4, went down for breakfast at 5, then I followed the bus to the MEPS at 5:30 and I was ready to rock and roll by 6.  All I needed to do was wait to clear up a couple issues with the security clearance folks (pay your parking tickets on time), then wait to meet with the job classifier.  I was ready to rock at 6AM.  By nine, my enthusiasm had wavered just a bit – but I was able to watch some fascinating programming on tanks, submarines and jet fighters on the Military channel in the lobby.

About 9:45 I was called back and got the security clearance issue cleared up (pay your parking tickets immediately!  It will come back to haunt you!), and was told that if the job classifier didn’t call me back by 10:30 to go get some food in the cafeteria.

10:30 rolled around – I was hungry.  I went and got some food in the cafeteria.  Now, heh, they say it’s free.  They say that staying at the hotel the night before, the breakfast and then lunch is all free.  I appreciate the idea, I do, and I like not having to fork out five or six bucks at a time or whatever it cost to stay at the hotel.  However, I pay my taxes every year.  If you want a return on that investment, join the military. ;)

But I digress…

By 11 I was back in the lobby waiting to hear from the job classifier – well, one of two classifiers.  What would happen would be I’d go back and talk with her about the available jobs and see which ones would be the best fit based on my personality inventory, job history and ASVAB score.  It was about 1:15 when I was called.

There were no options.  Well, I should say we didn’t discuss any options because the job I was hoping to get was available.  I’m going to be a journalist for the Navy.  I actually get to use my original degree in Communication (media production and such) for a career!

By 2PM I was sworn in as a sailor for the United States Navy.  I ship out for nine weeks of basic training in November followed by six months of training in my specialty.  And that’s that!  God’s been working every step of the way.  I was not expecting things to happen so quickly.  But I see the delay from last week as a chance to take care of those parking tickets (pay ‘em!) and get everything squared away before the whole process would engage.  When it’s time to move on God’s schedule, things get crackin’!

So what does that mean for the blog?  For the time being, nothing.  I’ll continue along the normal schedule.  I have ideas for stories and things to share which I’ll have posted in my absence during basic.  Of course, at that time I won’t be able to respond, but I’ll see about having someone moderate comments and such on my behalf.  Plus, a couple of folks have said they’d still be interested in writing guest posts so you’ll get to enjoy the likes of Danny from Connective Tissue, Sharon from She Worships, and more (definitely some more Grady Nutt – his talks are just a gold mine of good stories!).

And I reckon that’s all I have to say about that.  Happy Wednesday!

Ready?

Finally – it was time for the physical.  …and I was not ready.

Y’see, with all the apparent “false starts”, when even a glimmer of hope would appear for resolution to one of the roadblocks, I didn’t want to get my hopes up for fear they’d just be disappointed again.  So in the weeks leading up to the green light, I had quit running, I had quit trying to eat as healthy as I had been; I had just stopped trying.  But clearly, God had not given up.

When I did get the green light, I weighed myself and realized I would not meet the standards for my height and weight.  I was either going to have to grow a few inches or I was going to have to bust my butt for a week to try and drop about ten pounds – and I am fresh out of accelerated growth hormones.  Now, I’ve dropped weight like this before – about ten years ago. 

Over the course of four years in college I gained 60 pounds more than what I had weighed my senior year of high school.  About a year or so after graduation I was introduced to Dance Dance Revolution; it was love at first step.  So, I bought DDR Maxx and then DDR Maxx 2 for the PlayStation 2 and for about three months just busted it.  I was also more mindful of what I ate and in three months’ time was about five pounds away from my high school weight.  However, I didn’t keep it off.

That’s another thing – I find it difficult to change my lifestyle sometimes.  Anyone else have this problem?  Like with the weight – or with money.  You get yourself into a pinch, you work it out with some blood, sweat and tears, then after a few months you’re back in the same old patterns.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  Can I get a witness or is it just me?

Anyway, in times since, whenever I’ve needed to drop some poundage I’d just cut out sweets, dance it up, and about a week later I’d be ten pounds lighter. 

So then this prospect of joining the Navy came up.  I got the green light for the physical.  Hoo boy, my metabolism ain’t what it used to be.  And my body is not 21 anymore.  When I first started jogging back in March, I had epic shin splints – after only about five minutes of jogging – not even half a mile.  When I knew I’d be going in for the physical, I started running again; two, sometimes three times a day; about 1.6 miles a shot according to Google Maps.  I cut out all junk food and drink.  Did the Slim-Fast thing for a few days.  I mean, I ate; I didn’t starve myself, just drastically reduced portions and only healthy food.

I started this process on a Wednesday and by Saturday I was down five pounds.  Woohoo!  Five more to go in just a few days!  Well – I believe I hit what you’d call a plateau.  And by Saturday, I was tired.  So I didn’t really do much Saturday or Sunday.  On Monday, I was weighed at the recruiting station – four pounds over.  ARGH!  Well, I still had that evening to bust it out.

Now, a curious thing: before you go off to have your physical or be shipped out with the military, they have you stay at a hotel the night before.  So a bunch of us were sequestered at the Crowne Plaza in Columbus.  They had a workout room there with ellipticals, treadmills and the like, but on my way over, I had a brainwave.  I stopped by a grocery store and picked up some Ex-Lax.  I mean, seriously, why not?  There is a difference between weights pre- and post-toileting.

Thing is, those little chocolate, Ex-Lax…tablets?  Whatever – they’re small.  They’re infinitesimal.  They’re tiny.  The box says take two daily.  I’m thinking, really?  So, I took four.

That night I went for a jog around the hotel’s vicinity; spent some time on a treadmill; and then had an unpleasant experience around 1AM – and we had to wake up at 4.  Post-unpleasant experience I was more or less fine; but there was a lingering pit in my stomach that I knew didn’t come from nerves – I know what that kind of pit feels like.  Thankfully, by 6 it had disappeared.

So, then…!  The time came for weighing in; I stood nervously on the scale – had it all paid off?  I glanced at the scale reading and my heart leapt to my throat.  The gentleman in charge scribbled something on my chart, handed it back to me and said, “Just be sure to stay in shape.”  I was walking about a foot off the ground the rest of the day.

Now, that’s great.  It was quite an experience, but it made me think: what if I had been jogging regularly and eating healthily all along?  Even though I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, I had enlistment as my goal.  Instead, I frequently lost faith and dropped the ball, picking it up barely in time.  There were moments, especially in looking back now, where I sensed this is what God wants for me, this is His plan; but I was not acting in faith, I was not planning ahead and acting accordingly.

It made me think of the parable of the ten virgins.  It also made me think of every other Scripture verse I’ve read where we’re told to keep watch, or be ready for Jesus’ return.  I mean, y’know, that’s really going to happen.  Yeah, it’s been so long and there have been several “false starts” that it’s easy to get discouraged, but it really and truly is going to happen.  I reckon the question we all oughta ask ourselves is: do I only believe when His return feels imminent or do I believe all the time?  Am I a fan only when my team is doing well or do I root for ‘em even if they’re having an awful season?

Will I be preparing myself even when it feels pointless or will I try to cram a lifetime of faithfulness into ten minutes?

Anchors Await

Sometimes it seems as though my life can be characterized by the lyrics to Fugazi’s “The Waiting Room:”

I am a patient boy
I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait
My time is like water down a drain
Everybody's moving,
Everybody's moving,
Everybody's moving, moving, moving, moving
Please don't leave me to remain
In the waiting room

In a cultural context and personal mindset attuned to instant gratification, waiting can be torturous.  I had to wait four years to get a college degree; two years to get my teaching certificate; three years to learn to deal with emotional baggage; two years to date a girl; thirty-one years for my life to begin, and so on and so forth.

The job I mentioned in Monday’s post is part of a process as well (and I’ve discovered it’s actually been closer to three months rather than five months (my b)).

It was late April/early May when I approached a recruiter about joining the Navy.  I thought it’d be as easy as walking into the office, saying I want to enlist and then in few weeks’ time I’d be shipping off to basic.  Well, that was early May, now we’re in late August.

First thing I did after the initial paperwork was take the ASVAB – that’s a test you take to get a general idea of what ratings (jobs) you’d be suited and eligible for in the Navy.  My score lets me choose basically whatever I want so long as there isn’t an age limit (such as a nuclear tech for which the age cutoff is 25, or the SEALS in which I would surely die just in their warm-ups).  So that was encouraging; but I wouldn’t be meeting with the job classifier for some time.  There were some items in my medical history that needed addressing first – and herein is where I really have seen God work.

Since I was in counseling for 3 years, the Navy wanted to be sure I was mentally and emotionally “there” and, sure, I can say that, but any reasonable employer would want confirmation from the counselor in question.  So I needed to get a letter from my counselor explaining all that, and she complied – easy enough.  But then…

Ten years ago I had a kidney stone.  It was the worst physical pain I have ever (and hope to have ever) endured, but I passed it and haven’t had any problems since (drink lots of water everyday, kids!).  However, of course, Recruiting Command wanted documentation confirming that.

So, I contacted the hospital of the emergency room where I was treated and requested the records.  It took about a week, but all the records were found and faxed to my recruiter who then sent them to Recruiting Command.  Smooth sailing now, right?  WRONG. 

A little over a week later a letter came back essentially saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.  We might reconsider if you get a letter from your physician showing you were released from care and a test showing your kidneys are clean.”  At first I was a bit discouraged, but I did not succumb thanks to some encouraging words from my dad and Mrs. Incredible.  This part I talked about in Monday’s post: “I would need…a procedure I’d think would cost thousands of dollars….”  Which, of course, wound up only costing $30 (Thanks, Dad).  So, then, I needed the records from my follow up doctor.

I was able to track down and contact the practice I went to for my follow up, but since it was ten years ago they’d need a couple of days to dig up the records.  A couple of days later the records were exhumed from the off-site archives and faxed to my recruiter and sent to Recruiting Command.  Smooth sailing now, right?  WRONG.

A message came back essentially saying that though these were records of release, there was no explicit “release of care” instructions in there.  So again, a little discouraged, a little resentful – I was thinking, this was over ten years ago!  What’s the deal??  Well, it’s easy to just write it off as bureaucratic red tape, but I don’t think that’d be accurate.  If I were out to sea and had a vital job to do, the Navy would prefer that I be unable to perform a vital function because I was injured by gunfire rather than a medical condition they could have saved money on by not hiring me in the first place; if it’s a foreseeable liability, practically speaking, particularly in our current economic environment, who would hire such a person?

So, then I got over myself, again, with words of encouragement from friends and family, and I tracked down the specific doctor…who had retired a few years ago.  New discouragement: here was the possibility this really might not work out.  But then, Mrs. Incredible just so happened to be seeing her doctor the day I learned this and he just so happened to mention that he was a medical officer in the Navy.  She jumped on that like ants on honey and explained my situation to him.  He said to talk to another doctor in the practice I went to, a chap who was there ten years ago with access to the records, and see if he’d be willing to write the necessary letter.

It took a couple of phone calls, trying to explain the situation, but he’s clearly a decent bloke, helping a fellow out and whatnot, and he wrote the letter on my behalf.  It was faxed to my recruiter who sent it off to Recruiting Command and…yesterday I had my physical for the Navy.  Now that’s a story for another day, suffice to say that I passed.

There was some doubt – and again, that’s a story for another day – but I saw God work in the littlest, yet most significant of ways and I passed; all clear.  The gentleman who interviewed me for my security clearance said I’m “more than qualified.”

So, smooth sailing, right?  …wrong.

There are currently no jobs available.  However – at the first of each month a report is put out indicating what, if any, jobs are.  Plus, the new fiscal year starts in October.  So, I could know next week, next month, possibly even next year.  The point is: God’s in charge of all this.  If I had gone charging off a couple of months ago, I would not have been ready.  Why I’m all clear but still not able to go in?  I don’t know.  “But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”  Right now, I wait.

But I don't sit idly by
Ahhh...
I'm planning a big surprise
I'm gonna fight for what I want to be
I won't make the same mistakes
Because I know
Because I know how much time that wastes
And Function
Function is the key
To the the waiting room

Lyrics reprinted without permission; copyright 1989 Dischord; written by Ian MacKaye