Face to Face

Gary is a fellow blogger. We've known each other for about 3 years now. He contacted me through my blog when I first arrived at Bragg. His son is in 2BCT, deployed to Haiti. When he first emailed me to introduce himself, his son was in Iraq, and his Platoon Leader had recently hit an IED. The PL was in Womack Army Hospital recovering. Though I had never met any of them, I paid the PL a visit.

Now, a couple years since then, Gary happened to be on Ft. Bragg to take care of some business for his son. He decided to look me up by stopping by Division Memorial Chapel where this picture is taken. Gary had been praying for me over the course of my deployment, and we've had regular email contact. So, there was a little emotion involved when we finally met in person.

To my right in this picture, though you can't see it, is a stain glass window with the depiction of swords being beaten into plowshares, from the Book of Micah. On the glass it reads, "neither shall they learn war anymore" (4.3). It was a hopeful reminder to me as I gazed upon it during the last memorial ceremony I attended in there, honoring 4BCT Troopers that were in Afghanistan. Someday we'll all be out of a job.

It was a busy week. When Gary called I was putting on the final touches to some of the prep work for this marriage retreat. When SGT Hobbs and I linked up at the hotel in Myrtle Beach we were given a tour of the facilities. After walking into one of the buildings I noticed some patches hanging on the wall. Like a magnet pulling me I walked over to it. I asked, "What is this?" She said, "Oh, haven't you seen the Hall of Heros?" She then opened the door, and turned on the lights to a very large room full of American military history, especially of the last century. There were many signs and symbols honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They even had replica i.d. tags with names of Bauer and Davis on it.

At first I was pulled to it. But, at that moment I couldn't go any further. I never got passed the door. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and I didn't know where it was coming from. So, I left and came back later. Rev. 21.4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

This weekend was our marriage retreat. We had a great time. There were lots of take-aways for couples to return home and put into practice. It was a blessing for them to have this kind of face time with each other, working together and applying principles to their marriage. Though this life, and even world, is filled with conflict, there is something better ahead. The truth will set you free, Jesus says. And, it does. He does. At the end of I Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter," the Apostle writes, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

Combat Cross-Country Race

"You better finish under 3 hours, Chaplain," said my XO. That was an order. 3 hours is the upper limit to meet the Expert Infantryman's Badge (EIB) standard for a 12 mile ruck march with a 35lb pack.

With permission given I was pumped to run this MWR sponsored Combat Cross-Country Race at Smith Lake, Ft. Bragg.

I had only rucked once in Iraq for training. Before that it was prior to deployment. Then, last Friday, I rucked with my buddy, Tim: 10 miles and 45lbs. We did that in about 2:40, which would have put me over the 3 hours if I were to go an extra 2.

So, toeing the line on Thursday, it sort of felt like the first time I was running a marathon: it was a big unknown, and I really liked that. The course was about 90% trails, about 9% on packed dirt roads, and maybe not even 1% of hard-ball surface. It was mostly sand trails.

Uniform and equipment requirements: 35lb ruck, which officials weighed before and after the race. BDU or ACU uniform (no serious standards though). Soft-cap. And, a full canteen of water. But, we weren't allowed to drink our canteen. They had water stops on the course. I added a few extra pounds to my ruck for good measure while packing, just in case my scale was off. So, with the water bottle my ruck was nearly 40lbs.

I'm not sure how many started the race, but there were 72 finishers. When I arrived to register I didn't know anyone who was running it. Not even on the starting line. And, right off the start there was a huge crowd that began sprinting down the first hill. My plan was to run it until I couldn't anymore. Then fast walk it the rest of the way.

By mile 2 I had been passing by most of that crowd that launched ahead so quickly. I basically ran the whole thing except for 2 very large hills. There was gas in the tank, so I kept going, running it. When I'd pass someone, or they'd pass me, I'd always say something like, "Good job, keep it up." That's how another Captain in the Brigade recognized me at mile 6. Then we exchanged words about how we were doing. And, it was the same in the last 200 meters running next LT Nelson, a Platoon Leader from my Battalion. When I said that, he replied to me, "Chaplain, is that you?" I didn't recognize him in passing until we crossed the finish line.

We finished 21st and 22nd with my time at 2:21:31. It was a lot of fun at the finish to be able to compare notes about the race together over bananas and gatorade. He told me that he had over 50lbs in his ruck. That's about the equivalent weight of what Ranger School students carry, plus their weapon and ammo. In the winter it's much more.

So, I obeyed my XO's order and at least met the EIB standard and ran under the 3 hour mark, which I was pleased. The whole thing was a total blast.

My Garage Gym

I love my garage gym.

If I could teach a class at my college and seminary alma mater, I would make sure I would train students how to be physically fit for life. I've spent thousands of dollars on school books and building a professional library, but I've started late in the game to acquire pieces of equipment for a home gym.

I've been a competitive runner all my life: high school, college, coached an NCAA Div III Men and Women's X-Country and Track Teams, ran 4 marathons (2X Boston qualifier, 1 sub 3 hours), and this week I plan to run a combat cross-country race that is 20K and 35lbs on my back. Having said all that, I love my home gym. I love to cross-train to prevent injuries and be conditioned with my upper body, not just cardio conditioning. I say all this and know I'm still not a PT stud around here.

If you haven't heard of Cross-Fit, it's really worth checking out: http://www.crossfit.com/. Here's an article from them on building a garage gym. It's been a slow process to know what I wanted in mine. Though Cross-Fit recommends high end quipment, I've always bought the cheapo stuff and have never been disappointed.

While deployed Liz started taking Spin Classes at a local gym off post. For a guy, riding a stationary bike for about an hour with techno-music, and someone encouraging you like a new age guru up front, to me, it sounded pretty gay. But, Liz insisted I attend a class with her when I got home, which I did. I'm NOT hooked, but we did pick up a Spin Bike over Christmas after I insisted. I've learned more than a thing or two about it for cross-training purposes. And, it's a great workout.

On days when the weather isn't the best I'll ride the bike for an hour, and then hit the rest of my equipment: pull-up bar, bench, some free weights, mats for abs, etc. Being deployed with Infantry, going to the gym was like making sure you slept sometime during the day. I'm definitely not a gym rat, but I love my home gym. I could easily spend 2 hours there working out. And, I don't pay a fee.

Last August when I came home on R&R Liz picked up a book about how to do 100 push-ups. When she started she could barely do 3 crooked ones. After I arrived home from deployment she said it was time to do her push-ups. She did about 4 sets of a dozen push-ups. Then she banged out a set of 40! I couldn't believe it. My 30-something wife, mother of 4 knocking them out like a man. Why do I say this? Don't let fear "that you can't do it" hold you back. You can do it. Just do it! Start small if you have to; that's o.k. Be fit for life, and I recommend over a long period of time building a home gym. You'll love it.

So why do it?

1. For your health. It beats being unhealthy any day.
2. Being fit feels great.
3. Further, the endorphins. You feel good doing it.
4. It combats stress.
5. How about looking good?
6. For a Christian, I believe maintaining your body's health glorifies God.

Paratroopers train for upcoming mass airborne jump in Iraq

With Iraq winding down to a slow pulse for American forces, this is some great training. ~pl

by Spc.

Michael J. MacLeod

1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. PAO, USD- C

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq — “Black hat” instruc­tors from the U.S. Army’s elite Advanced Airborne School refreshed the parachuting skills of paratroopers here Friday to prepare them for a tactical airborne exercise soon to follow.

Three j umpmaster instructors from the Fort Bragg parachut­ing school recently trav­eled to Camp Ramadi, where they taught a one­day, basic airborne skills refresher course to paratroopers of 1st Bri­gade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

“You want to knock the dust off (airborne) skills and bring them to the level of proficiency where they need to be,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Shultz, air movement operations committee chief for the Advanced Airborne School and lead instructor conducting the training at Camp Ramadi. “It’s a perishable skill, like marksmanship or physical training. It’s something you need to be on top of all the time,” he said.

Instruc­tors led the paratroop­ers in a series of exercises, simulating every move­ment that a paratrooper must make before, during and after a jump to exercise muscle memo­ry, said Shultz.

Paratroopers practiced parachute landing falls — a way to safely roll when landing to dissipate the energy of impact. They also received a brief on how to exit the aircraft under various scenarios, and then practiced mass exiting from a training apparatus; designed to simulate a C-130 aircraft.

The last skill paratroop­ers reviewed was rigging their packs with a har­ness that allows them to lower their packs to the ground before they land, thus preventing injury and protecting equip­ment.

“To get these guys out here touching their equipment, rigging their stuff up, putting their parachute on, makes them feel like paratroop­ers again,” said Schultz.

“They’re out here (in Iraq) doing different things.”

Sgt. Brandon Reynolds, a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 504th Para­chute Infantry Regi­ment, said he is looking forward to the jump. A paratrooper since 2006, Reynolds said he loves being a paratrooper with the 82nd because of the high standards of soldier­ing they uphold.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to come out here and jump and show the Iraqis exactly what an airborne division can do,” he said.

The legacy unit of 1st BCT, 504th PIR, has five jumps into combat zones under its belt, including four during World War II and one into Panama in 1989.

If executed as planned, the 1st BCT training exercise could be the largest mass parachute jump into a combat zone since the paratroopers of 173rd Airborne Brigade dropped onto Bashur Airfield in northern Iraq March 26, 2003; a combat jump known as Opera­tion Northern Delay.

According to the 173rd Web site, nearly 1,000 paratroopers took part in that operation. More than 500 devil paratroopers are expected to jump at this one.

photos by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod/1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. PAO, USD-C

Staff Sgt. Victor Vasquez , a jumpmaster instructor with Fort Bragg’s Advanced Airborne School, describes how to properly fit protective padding in a paratrooperís helmet prior to jumping Friday, during a basic airborne skills refresher course he and other instructors are teaching to paratroopers with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Camp Ramadi, Iraq. The paratroopers are preparing for an airborne training exercise later in February in Iraq.

Closing Chapters

This post represents a closing of our deployment to OIF 2008-2009. Before we left for Iraq the Battalion Commander publicly spoke about holding a memorial ceremony and adding a memorial paver stone at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville for those in 2-Panther who would die on the field of honor. That day happened last Saturday at the Hall of Heroes on Ft. Bragg because of inclement weather. Families and Battalion Leadership are shown in the first picture.

We also celebrated the end of the deployment with an All Ranks Ball that took place on Wednesday evening. The first two pictures were downloaded from the 82D, 3BCT FB page.

This morning I was blessed to have Kevin S. over for breakfast. We attended VFCC and ran Cross-country together. He just returned from Afghanistan. I'm incredibly honored to have Kevin as a friend since the early 90s. He is a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) in the 20th Special Forces Group. He's been serving as a long-tabber since his college days.

I told Kevin that I will be coming down on orders soon, moving to the other side of Ft. Bragg into USASOC. He said to me, "Welcome to the community." It should be an interesting change. I can also see the day that I welcome Kevin to the Chaplain Corps.