Army Saga

[Barracuda]

but you could only send cheerful news. Total waste of time, there was almost no way to get negative news to someone.] I crawled my way up the command structure and got nowhere until I basically said fuck it, called the red cross and explained the medical emergency, they did something and managed to get word to Rob about needing to be tested, and he got teased about 'sheep-HIV' for the rest of the cruise - but at least we were both negative

There actually is a valid reason for this. Sub deployments are pretty stressful for crews. You're in a tight, confined boat and it's almost impossible to find any space to yourself or any space to really move around on a regular basis. Plus, you are one of the first lines of defense for the US Navy, and if you're on a boomer, you're in a position where your boat may theoretically be ordered to launch nukes at any time. It is not unheard of for submariners to crack under the stress as it is, and the last thing the Navy wants is for crewmen to receive a message saying, "Your (family member) died" or "I'm breaking up with you for this guy I met." Bad news needs to wait until the cruise is over so the crew stays emotionally and mentally functional. Granted, this case should have been an exception, so he could get checked by a doctor, but in most cases, the rule makes sense.

[AccountingDrone]

There actually is a valid reason for this. Sub deployments are pretty stressful for crews. You're in a tight, confined boat and it's almost impossible to find any space to yourself or any space to really move around on a regular basis. Plus, you are one of the first lines of defense for the US Navy, and if you're on a boomer, you're in a position where your boat may theoretically be ordered to launch nukes at any time. It is not unheard of for submariners to crack under the stress as it is, and the last thing the Navy wants is for crewmen to receive a message saying, "Your (family member) died" or "I'm breaking up with you for this guy I met." Bad news needs to wait until the cruise is over so the crew stays emotionally and mentally functional. Granted, this case should have been an exception, so he could get checked by a doctor, but in most cases, the rule makes sense.

Sorry, but I am of the firm belief that if for example someone has DIED, the guy really does need to know as soon as possible. If they have kids and the mom has died, hopefully they have a backup power of attorney for someone other than the foster care system to get hold of the kids, or if a parent or child dies ... How do you think someone would feel to hit the dock and have nobody there, Sorry, they died a month ago.

[Cia]

Cleorose I think you meant to type Ft. Riley and not Ft. Irwin since Irwin's in California not Kansas. My hubby has sort of happy memories of the times he spent running around on a track in the desert at Ft. Irwin.

I don't remember having any Family Fun Days while hubby was in the Army - Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri (engineering school), Ft. Polk, Louisiana and Ft. Hood, Texas.

Ft. Polk sucked - it was known as the armpit of the Army for good reason - Ft. Hood on the other hand was awesome. We were TDY at Ft. Leonard Wood for 4 months and moved from MO to LA in January, in the snow, which wasn't fun. Had major culture shock when we were in Louisiana - I had never been in the South before and LA wasn't a good introduction to the whole southern culture - at times it felt like we were living on a reservation. We PCSd to Ft. Polk for a year and a half, hello there Desert Storm, until everyone was being shipped back from Germany then we were PCSd to Ft. Hood for 6 months where upon hubby ETSd.

We'd made it to the double digits (#63 IIRC) for base housing but when the units from Germany were sent back they received preferential treatment so we were set back to triple digits.

Hubby was a combat engineer and if he'd reupped he would've been sent to South Korea for an unaccompanied year long tour. I would've liked to visit South Korea but he really didn't want to stay in the military.

[cleorose]

Irwin is the name of the hospital on fort riley. Sorry for not clarifying that. They are building a NEW hospital that is supposed to have more amenities like a nursery but I dont know it wont be done for a few more years.

We met at Fort Jackson, SC. We both spent 6 months there. I was transferred to California to the DLI to study Korean. We spent two years there and I loved it.

Fort Riley isn't all bad there is alot of GOOD things about this area. Just the unit he was in was TERRIBLE.

[Cia]

Thanks for the clarification If hubby had stayed in and we got to choose the base I would've like to have stayed at Ft. Hood, Texas. It was the most like home - Killeen was about the same size as my home town.

The biggest problem I had with hubby being in the Army was remembering that the people running around in BDUs weren't flaps and/or weekend warriors. There's an Air Force base right outside my hometown plus we have a National Guard camp in town so seeing people in BDUs wasn't out of the ordinary.

[Difdi]

In the army they have these stupid things called family fun days.

You'll find that it makes considerably more sense if you consider the fact that the original meaning of the word 'fun', before all the linguistic drift, was a synonym of 'slay' and 'kill'.