GAS GAS GAS!!!!!!!

Yes here I am, still here, still alive. Its been a very interesting few months. I would say I haven't blogged because I'm too busy. But its more like too lazy......that's close don't you think....you know.... too busy not doing anything like write a little blog every now and then.

Every once and a while the powers that be whom are in charge of the Army decide that there hasn't been enough fun yet for the year and choose to give us opportunities to get some extra excitement. This weeks version of awesome fun was a chance to experience chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile. Yes I know Awesome!!! Right?? Now before you all go to the store and get some of you own your going to need a couple things a nifty suits called JSLIST or Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suite Technology. The other nifty thing that you will like to have is a Pro Mask or gas mask for people who speak human not Army. When you combine them all you'll look like this.



Here is the order of events. First you get your gear all together, put it on, and make sure its all sealed. Then you all shuffle into a room (gas chamber) and fill the room with the chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile or CS Gas after witch you stand around making sure your mask and suit are working correctly with no leaks and things like that. After determining that your mask works and will keep the nasty...but awesome.... gas out of your lungs and eyes you do this.


Yes you take the mask off. The reason being how can you possibility appreciate how awesome CS gas is or how well your mask can keep the awesomeness away from you unless you take off the mask?



After a few seconds you start to have a new understanding of how much more comfortable regular air is to breath instead of the chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile. One problem I have when breathing the CS gas is I have a hard time thinking of much else other than how awesome the gas is. Knowing this a kind fellow walks around asking you questions of things we should know like name rank and all that jazz. Unfortunately my memory is a little shoddy to begin with sometimes so this is what you end up getting when you combine both the gas and a bad memory.




In the end you can't spend all day having all the fun. Other people need there chance to join in. So we all file out and have nothing but awesome memories to remember the whole experience by.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Presenting a classical rendition of well wishes for Grandpa Wilkinson by Alec and Cora.

W'hell'C

Well once again its been a long time since I last put anything on my blog. Some day I was just bound to get around to it. Other than my wife telling me that its my manly duty I'm writing today about something that I have been putting off for the past year or so. Its called WLC or warrior leadership training course. Basically if you wanted to break it down. Its a two week opportunity to be treated like you are back in basic training. Fun right?

But it could be worse it used to be about 30 days long but the Army reduced it down to 14. So all went well I made it through all the fun and excitement and now I'm back. Some of the things they had us study were: how to teach a class in a military manner, how to conduct a physical training session, land Navigation and tactical leadership.

I would have to say that the thing I enjoyed the most was the land navigation exercise. Basically they give you a map and a compass then stick you in the middle of the woods and make you find four points that they give you via an eight digit grid coordinate. Then you have to find your way back to the gathering area. They also required that we wear a whistle and our cell phone because people have gotten lost in the past. Fortunately I know how to use a map and compass so I didn't need to use the whistle or the cell phone.

Unfortunately I don't have any sweet pictures from any of the actual training that I did mainly because digital camera wasn't on the "approved" packing list. But Tobi did get a few pictures of the graduation.


(Me getting my diploma from Commandant Fernando Rodguezramos and Sergeant Major Peter Ladd)


We did however have one celebrity in attendance The Princess Peapod!!