Leader Lessons Learned...

Here are some of my leadership lessons learned for today:

1. You cannot expect of a subordinate that which you do not specifically task him with. For example, if I do not tell Private Snuffy to clean the latrines, I cannot blame him when the latrines are not cleaned.
2. It doesn't matter how many times you tell someone to do something, someone will not do it. Inspections are the only way to ensure what you wanted to happen happened.
3. Lunch can be eaten in ten minutes or less...

enough already...

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I was laughing at Sen. Craig. After a quick thought, I realized I wasn't laughing. How many Social Conservative Republicans have to be "outed" as closeted homosexuals before we come to realize that the whole anti-gay movement is just a front for self-loathing homosexuals to project their insecurities onto the rest of society?

I really don't care if Sen. Craig is gay or not, what is that for the last twenty plus years, he has been one of 100 people in our country who has a vote, who can change things for the rest of us. How has this man who tries to have sex with strange men in airport bathrooms voted to change America? Let's see:

1. He has supported a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
2. He voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages and prevents states from being forced to recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples legally performed in other states.
3. He voted against expanding the federal hate crimes law to cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias.
4. He voted against a bill that would have outlawed employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. (this bill failed by one vote)

Because of men like Craig and Mark Foley and others, gays and lesbians in our country can't marry, pay higher taxes, can't serve in the military, aren't protected in elementary, jr. and high schools and can be denied services by any public or private organization that wishes. This is why it's not funny and instead angers me.

Military Intel and West Point...

Military Intel school isn't what I'd expected...at least, not yet. Then again, at my age, you'd think I'd have realized long ago that nothing is what you expect. In any case, I did enough sit ups this morning (not by choice) to leave a nice little open wound right on my tail bone. When your job pretty much consists of sitting all day, that's not a pleasant thing. Overall, it's nice to be back in the MI world again. After being at West Point so long, where if you're not in the Infantry, you might as well just stamp your head with "second class," being around other officers, soldiers and NCO's who are all "MI professionals" (which is, I think, what I am becoming) is nice.

There are a few other Lieutenants here that aren't from West Point. It's really kind of fun to see how we react to things differently. The ROTC guys aren't all that much different from the West Pointers other than they tend to have better party and football stories. The OCS guys, at least, the few I've met here, are interesting as they come in two breeds. The first is the prior service guy who then commissioned. He (or she) has been in the army for seven, ten, fifteen or more years and has a lot of experience. The other type is the direct commission type. They have been in the army as long as it takes to go to basic training (9 weeks), OCS (18 weeks), BOLCII (8 weeks) and now here. My roomate at BOLC II was one of those types. They tend to be far more motivated than anyone else to do the things no one else wants to do. I guess it's the novelty of the thing?

I wear my ring still. A lot of my classmates don't as they don't want people to stereotype them...but, I figure 1. it reminds me of Pat and Davey 2. I paid far too much in blood and treasure for it and 3. I'll be damned if I don't want people to "think differently" of me for going to West Point. The way I see it, people can stereotype me all they want, but if they see how I am and what I do (which is, I hope, all good) then maybe I can change their perception of West Pointers instead of changing myself?

Speaking of rings, the class of 2008 got theirs on Friday. Congrats to all of them, especially my old pleber Ms. Sherwood (they grow up so fast don't they?) I'm actually looking forward to going back for Davey's wedding over Thanksgiving. It's funny...I knew how important West Point would be to me while I was there, and I think I was cognizant of how big a part of my life it became, but now, just a few months after I graduated, I still sometimes can't believe it. I find myself smiling and laughing just enjoying the thought still--considering how far fetched the idea was just six years ago that I would be an Army Officer and West Point Grad. I'll stop now. I'm both rambling and getting nostalgic.

I'll hopefully post pictures of how beautiful it is in Arizona soon, and of my forthcoming birthday trip to Las Vegas for Labor Day.

living in Arizona

I think I like living in Arizona. It is hot, but it's dry heat, and that's not too bad. The scenery is beautiful (mountains surround us and the sky is blue and spattered with white fluffy clouds). Every night, there is lightning, but no rain and the sky at dusk is blue, red, purple, yellow and black. Tucson is only an hour away and, while I don't get to love off post, I live in a hotel on post (which means I get my bed made and clean towels every day). If I had a stove, I'd be perfect!

can't sleep...

So, I've compiled a list for anyone who might want to date me of my pro's and con's...from my point of view:



PROS

• I have a decent job
• I read/write well
• no back hair
• interesting (this one I think is true...at least, no one's ever told me to my face I'm boring)
• I'm pretty willing to try new things
• not too high strung
• not an angry drunk
• family oriented
• I like all kinds of music
• I can cook

Pro/Con (these can be both depending on the situation)

• I like to drink
• I enjoy politics
• I have a tattoo (my dad's initials, back of the right arm)
• I'm in the Army

Con

• I am financially irresponsible
• I procrastinate
• I lost interest easily
• I have low self-esteem
• I tend to think I'm better than other people (this doesn't negate the previous one...it just means I think very little of other people, especially if I don't know them)

To go along with this list are two photos of myself. One where I think I look decent, and one where I do not (kind of like a pro and con in visual format).

random photos.

Most American Fourth of July...ever.
This is what you do on a Friday of BOLCII. You grow a dumb-ass mustache, drink wine from styrafoam cups and watch the office.
More mustaches.
Kristie's 30th Birthday...the Mikey-o-meter reads "drunk".
There she is...My sister, in all her thirty years of glory.

the last two months...

Some of you may have noticed a lack of recent updates. As things go, I have been in Oklahoma. I will not take the time to recount what all I did over the eight weeks, but trust me that they were a long eight weeks. Luckily, Pat and Mikey were in Oklahoma with me, so we had a good time whenever we weren't training (and we could pull Mikey away from his cell...)

After training was over the three of us drove down to Houston to see Kristie. It was her thirtieth birthday and we celebrated in a fashion appropriate for our last night together. Some years ago, Kristie lived in San Francisco. Me and some of my Army friends drove to see her on Easter and another weekend and things were tense. Her husband wasn't all that interested in seeing us and things were just overall awkard.

Now, five years later, a new city, a new husband, and a new set of friends and things could not have possibly been any less awkward. It seems that sometime over the last few months, all the worries I had about my sisters and mom have passed away. They can take care of themselves (and are doing so remarkably well)...now, if only I could grow up and start making proper adult decisions myself, I'll be set.

I would write more, but after the eleven hour drive only to have my car break in the last five minutes, I'm tired. Wish me luck tomorrow in the hopes that the car is drivable and cheap enough for me to pay to have fixed.