The Life - Military Deployment

Leaving My Second Home

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 11:29:00 +0000

Though going home is definitely an exciting time, there are certain aspects of Iraq that I will miss. This is definitely not a complete list, but it should provide some insight into the parts of Basra that will be hard to leave behind:

The comraderie, friends, and knowing that you are never alone
Structure, schedules, and defintive plans
Free laundry service, food, fuel, pop
Workout facilities, with no monthly dues
No need to worry about what to wear on a given day
Free travel (even though it is only around southern Iraq and Kuwait)
Feeeling of job security
Winter weather, which is quite nice. Note that I will have no trouble leaving behind summer's weather
Sense of purpose
The area in general. Despite being a desert, there are many beautiful marshes, structures, etc., that provide a sense of belonging here
Our Iraqi partners. I know they are in good hands with our replacements, but it will still be bittersweet to know that I may never see them again

Translating Military Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:41:00 +0000

Over the past few months while I was working on my business school application, I ran into a problem that has plagued soldiers since war began: how to translate military experience into terms that would make sense to a civilian.

First of course, is cutting out the jargon. Words and acronyms like collateral damage, NCO, area of operations, XO, SP, CONOP, or commander's intent simply do not mean much to most civilians without proper framing.

After this is the task of relating the experiences of the military in ways that make sense to anyone. A useful way to do this is to use numbers. Though a civilian may not know what the term "Division" means, they can definitely relate to an organization of "16,000 people."

Then there is the issue of punctuation and syntax. The military capitalizes just about everything. However, the rest of the world does not. Further, the military is based around extraordinarily simple sentence structure. It takes deliberate effort to find ways to change from the short, straightforward, relatively boring method of miliatry writing into a more robust and engaging writing style. Rewriting and rewriting are the keys to successfully accomplishing this transformation.

Once it seems as though everything is well translated, it is time to have a civilian read it. Have a friend who is not in the military check over it and let you know which parts are confusing or need clarification. Then continue the rewriting process until your experiences are conveyed clearly and in a way that emphasizes the strengths that you have gained from your service.

The American Insurgency and the Middle East

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:02:00 +0000

In 1775, the British General James Grand had boasted that with 5,000 British regulars he could march from one end of the American Continent to the other. A British contemporary, John Acland, called on Parliament to "recollect the strength, the resources, and above all the spirit of the British nation, which when roused knows no opposition."

People on the other side of the argument, including British Colonel Isaac Barre, felt that the only way to avert "this American storm" was to reach an accomodation just as soon as possible. (McCullough, "1776").

Parliament approved a surge of 2,000 reinforcements, and an Army of 20,000 in America by the following spring. Common sentiment at the time believed there would be no way for the Americans to continue with their insurgency against such a force.

Though it was true that the British had a vastly superior Naval force, a larger number of better trained soldiers, and more financial resources at their backs, the insurgency, as we all know, was a success. The eventual victory, after over several years, was due in parts to local support, foreign support from France and the Netherlands, and intellectual support from Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and others, The concept that Americans were fighting at home and as such did not require the logistical support and the issues that go along with it was also in their favor.

Some lessons that may be implied from our experience on the other side of an insurgency are as follows:

We need to ensure that local support favors Democracy though effective information operations. The British lost this as "Common Sense," "The Declaration of Independence," "American Crisis," and other works were published without effective counters.
Foreign influence must be negated. As we have learned not only in the Revolutionary War with France and the Netherlands, but also in Afghanistan with our clandestine support against the Russians, Vietnam, Iran/Iraq, and the Civil War, support from countries not directly involved can have tremendous effect.
Superior fire power, larger fighting force, more money, or other traditional advantages can be detrimental to counter insurgency operations.

Thankful in Iraq

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:08:00 +0000

This Thanksgiving, there is so much to be thankful for. I would like to begin by thanking each of you that read this for your interest in our cause.

We are also blessed by the support of family, friends, and the American people as we struggle to bring the tenets of democracy to a nation of people so long oppressed. Sectarianism and political violence, though still present, are losing popular support.

The leadership in today's military does an outstanding job in supporting the common soldier's welfare and well-being. Even halfway across the world, most soldiers have some opportunity today to celebrate Thanksgiving in some way.

Thanksgiving falls this year at the same time as the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, or "Festival of Sacrifice," which commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham of the Old Testament) willingness to sacrifice Ismael. Muslims traditionally sacrifice their best livestock and give the meat to those who are in need. The fact that these two holidays coincide during such a period of flux as this helps to demostrate that despite any differences between the east and west, there are common bonds of humanity that bind us.

Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:31:00 +0000

Now that it's November, the weather in Basra, Iraq has turned. The air has cooled and the dust storms of the summer are a thing of the past.

Blackhawk rides have become bearable, not leaving you sapped of energy and sweating through all the layers of your clothing and body armor by the time you land.

Waking up at 0330 to go running this morning was actually a bit chilly with the temperature around 60 degrees. The entire 23 mile run while watching the glorious Arabian sunrise coming over the sands and oil-field fires stayed comfortable, with the muscles getting tired before heat injuries occurred. That would have been a rarity during the summer months when it felt as though you could reach out and touch the scorching sun. Now sweat stays on clothes and your shoes stay wet for hours instead of seconds.

The skies have cleared up as the dust seems to have cleared out. Orion and Gemini are among my companions on the walk home from work many evenings. The cool breeze contrasts the former hot winds and sometimes I just stop and pause to stare out amongst the stars as I dream of home.

One season closer to getting back.

The Berlin Wall and Iraqi Election Bill

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:18:00 +0000

With the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Iraq passing their Parliamentary Elections Bill within a day of each other, it is certainly a time to rejoice in the power of Democracy.

Even with violence, claims of corruption, lack of basic services, favoritism, sectarianism, and other issues looming, the people of Iraq will have the opportunity to participate in an open election providing the same promise that it does in America...the hope for a brighter future.

It was this same hope that certainly the people of East Berlin felt as the wall was opened 20 years ago. The hope that someday, through some method of their own doing, their children would live in a better time.

It is times like these that we remember the value of the something we often take for granted...Democracy.

Hobbies

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Hobbies are a great way to brighten the day and to grow as a person. If nothing else, hobbies provide a method to productively take your mind off the stresses of work, school, family, or life.

Sometimes when we think of hobbies, we only think of them in the narrowest fashion. Sports, art, music, or other passions that people spend years practicing and require often a great deal of time. However, hobbies can be seen more broadly through a variety of other pursuits as well. Reading, food, exercising, writing, games, and more can all fall into the category of hobbies if used correctly.

For example, on this deployment I use food as a hobby. No, I am not a chef. Far from it. However, I do spend a good deal of effort in eating according to a certain dietary standard. Some of my friends eat similarly, and we discuss it and use it as something to talk about and focus our efforts on. This takes away a little bit of the stress of letting our minds wander and dwell on some of the more demanding aspects of deployment.

Another way I use food as a hobby is that I try to invent new ways to eat food. For example, almonds are a very nice snack, but after a while they can get somewhat monotonous. So when some of my friends sent me some "Frank's Red Hot" sauce, I began mixing it with almonds to create a new snack I call "Almond Wings." Now after every mission, I make some almond wings and share with people. Another invention I made is "Spicy Salad." This consists of romaine lettuce, olives, tomatos, onions, vinegar, jalapenos, tabasco sauce, and a little cheddar cheese. It takes away the calories that come with salad dressing, but still packs tons of flavor.

So despite not being a chef, I still use food as a hobby and focus some of my thoughts on ways to innovate with food. This relieves me from some of the constant pressure of the tempo of deployment. Other hobbies I use include writing (this blog for instance), reading, running, climbing (just over T-walls and bunkers, no equipment or training required), biking, weightlifting, basketball, memorizing things, and making funny captions for pictures. The key is, no matter what hobby you choose, try to excel.

Little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:26:00 +0000

The difference between first and second place in a race is often less than a second. In golf, it may be an inch on a putt that makes the difference between the winner and everyone else. Yet the reward for being just slightly better is often several times as much as it would be for coming in second. Reading the green correctly and making that extra one inch on a putt could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The little things, the details, are so crucially important in life. In the Army, those details can mean the difference between life and death. The term "Attention to detail" can be heard on any American military post several times a day instructing someone to remember to pay attention to the little things.

Every shot when qualifying on your weapon could mean the difference between being promoted that year or having to wait until the next year's promotions come up. Small mistakes can be career-enders when you are dealing with large equipment, deadly explosives, and complex machines. In artillery, moving a howitzer to the left just one degree would make the round land 500 meters to the side at max range. Not properly clearing a weapon could lead to a negligent discharge and kill a fellow soldier.

Oftentimes it's not doing the big things right that really counts, it's doing the little things right.

Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Just to add my view to the plethora of knowledge concerning motivation, the Army provides an interesting study in how people can be motivated.

During a deployment, given that most people have no chance of changing rank, how does leadership continue to motivate people?

Whether you work your hardest, or barely show up at all, you make the same amount of money. Further, all of your peers at your pay grade who have been in for the same amount of time make the same amount of money. What is worse, people who have been in longer than you, but do far less work and are far less proficient, may make much more than you. There are no performance-related bonuses or incentives. So money seems not to be a factor in motivation. If anything, it takes away motivation, as people who are otherwise motivated see the discrepancies in pay based on value added.

Further, I know that after this deployment, my military career will be over as I am not re-enlisting. Therefore, any desire for advancement cannot be a motivating factor for me.

So if money and advancement are not used as an incentive to get people to work harder, than what else could there be?

There are several things that motivate me each day to wake up early and either drag myself through the desert into an office or out onto a flight line to go somewhere and work a long, tiring, and sometimes monotonous day.

The first is a sense of mission and ownership of my job. I know that the actions that I do have a direct impact on other people's lives. If I thoroughly plan, I know that things will go much better for my bosses, my fellow soldiers, and the people we interact with.

Recognition is another motivator. People can see that impact that I have, and they acknowledge it. People come on missions with me, and see the extent of planning, preparation, and confidence I have in my tasks, and note their approval. Little statements such as "you think of everything," "wow, how did you know that would happen," etc go a long ways. This confirmation by peers of a job well done is an extraordinarily strong motivator for me.

Pride and self-actualization are other motivators as well. Seeing my own work and knowing that it was the best I could do is a wonderful feeling. However, without the previous motivators this one could easily fall by the wayside through becoming discouraged.

So if these motivators can make a person strive to achieve excellence in a job as demanding as a deployment to a combat desert environment, imagine what they could do in many other industries.

Poem on Uncertainty

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:19:00 +0000

"Dreaming about Providence,
And whether mice and men have second tries."
-Switchfoot

Uncertainty
Eight months into this,
So far five months in country,
And four months to go.

A looming mortgage
Ten percent unemployment
And no job back home.

But it's balanced by a college degree
Unquenchable ambition and an inimitable work ethic

As I prepare to dive into the sea
I hope that I can swim and preparation brings its effect

Breaking Large Events into Milestones

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:02:00 +0000

A deployment (or college, distance running, distance biking, saving for a house, weight management, or any other number of long-term goals) takes a very long time. Unless you have been through it several times in the past, which most of us have not, it is hard and frightening to try to comprehend the enormity of the challenge lying ahead.

Luckily we have the ability to break down these larger goals into smaller more achievable and easier to comprehend milestones. When I go running, I keep the end goal in the back of my mind. However, foremost in my mind is what pace I am keeping for the next mile. I know how far miles are, often I can even see on the road in front of me when that mile will be, and therefore I can take action to pace myself correctly and finish that mile at the given pace. Before the run, I planned out what pace I would like to keep through each mile in order to generate a coherent plan around the entire run. This makes the complex long run into a compilation of many understandable individual miles.

The same is true for larger goals, such as finishing the deployment. The entire year-long deployment could be broken down into three major eras: "Mobilization," "Time Before Leave," and "Time After Leave."

These eras could be further broken down. For instance, I just entered "Time After Leave." As such, I have it broken down into goals I am looking forward to that have been yearly traditions since I was born. Those are Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Year's, and then coming home.

So right now I am just making it until Halloween. As such, I have runs, trips, workouts, and other smaller goals that take me to that milestone. Each day I can clearly see my progress towards one of these events. This makes the larger goal of finishing the deployment as productively as possible into a compilation of many simple tasks. It's much easier to take the next step forward when you are working towards a simple, though perhaps difficult, short-term goal.

My First Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Saturday 12Sep09. A relatively easy day with 2.5 hours in a helicopter, two hours of weightlifting at the gym, and 8 hours in the office. The plan after work was to run 16 miles at a sub nine-minute pace due to the relative coolness of 93 degrees. Previous farthest run was 15 miles.

At 2116 (9:16pm) we began our run, and found exceptionally ideal conditions. We ran a 5-mile loop, a 7-mile loop, and another 5-mile loop. Finishing these at a 8:57 pace, my friend and I were quite happy. Displaying a slightly confused perspective of distance, I said, "Let's just keep running, we're almost at a marathon." My friend disagreed and went back to his CHU to sleep, but I decided it would be worth it to keep going.

I ran another 3.5-mile loop, which covered 1/3 of the remaining distance, and realized just how far there was yet to run. However, since I had told my friend that I was going to run a marathon, I knew I had to finish it.

Becoming more mentally impaired and hitting a wall at around 21 miles, I slowed down considerably and began taking breaks every mile or so for a minute or two. My stomach was churning in pain after I would run for about a mile and forced me to stop for a bit for it to recover. I was now only running a half-mile loop around our living area over and over to make sure that if I did trip or pass out, I wouldn't be too far from home or from people. Without anyone else around, I resorted to praying and talking to myself to pass the time.

Finishing at 0219 (now 91 degrees out), with 4:32 of run-time and 31 minutes of total stop-time, I cheered for myself and then walked over to a colleague's CHU to drop off my Garmin for him to use the next morning. Feeling pretty fine, I went home, told my roommate who was still up watching movies, and then walked to the shower trailer and got ready for bed (noticing in the shower I was still talking to myself, I think that I need to eat more during the next time I run something like that).

Asleep by 0300, I slept in until 1300 for the first time on the deployment. On waking up, I felt fine and went into work. That evening Tom and I ran a 5k in 26:15 (8:13 pace) and are now training to run a marathon in the future a little faster. I figure if I am lucky enough to be in the shape I am without injuries right now, I have to take advantage of it and try as hard as I can to capitalize on the opportunity.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." -Colossians 3:23

Leaving Home Again

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Sitting at home on the last day, watching the hours and minutes slip away as you inch closer and closer to the inevitable.

Staying up all night to try to get as much time as possible with loved ones. Being tired, feeling drained, and having the weight of five more months ahead of you as you arrive at the airport.

Seeing the pain in your loved one's tear-filled eyes as you give her one last hug and kiss and walk into the terminal.

Leaving home yet again for the Army, hopefully for the last time, was just as excruciating as every other time.

Stockholm Syndrome

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:44:00 +0000

On my way back to Iraq, I noticed that I kind of missed some of the things in Basra. I missed the workouts, friends, job, schedule, travels, laundry service, food, culture, and more. My friend on the trip claimed it was Stockholm Syndrome, in that I was looking forward to certain aspects of my semi-captivity in the military. I guess it can happen to anyone.

Things We Take for Granted

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:05:00 +0000

While I am on leave, it is interesting to note the things that I had taken for granted as a civilian. Some of these are:

Having a bathroom (when I wake up in the middle of the night and have to pee, I can simply walk to the bathroom to do this. No getting dressed, putting on shower shoes, and walking 50 yards to pee)

Grass everywhere

Food choices (I have had Mexican, Asian, European, and American foods in this two weeks of leave that soldiers do not have in Iraq, much less the average citizen in Iraq)

Clean air (There used to be seven days on average of dust storms per year in Iraq. This year we have sometimes seven days at a time of dust due to the droughts and deteriorating environment. Dust storms have caused hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to be hospitalized this year, and it gets worse each year. We are very lucky in America to have air that we can breathe)

Not carrying a loaded weapon around everywhere I go

Taking a shower and being able to keep the water on while I soap up (in Iraq we get wet, turn the water off, soap up, then rinse. Maximum of 1 minute with water on)

Trees

American civilians (it seems so weird to talk to so many normal people not wearing Army uniforms, many of whom openly admit to voting liberal before determining that the person they are talking to also voted liberal)

Drinkable water from sinks

Ability to wear whatever clothes a person chooses

American television and radio

Though these are the things that I noticed that I miss, there are many other parts of life that we take for granted each day. I hope this helps us each remember how special our lives are.

Jacksonian America and Present Day Iraq

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:16:00 +0000

There are some interesting similarities between the 1820s-1830s American political scene and today's situations in Iraq. Here are a few:

1. President Jackson believed that all Indian actions were cause by English or Spanish guidance in an attempt to destabilize the American Government. Today, the Iraqi and American Governments both often blame insurgent activities on regional influences.

2. South Carolina wanted to nullify laws and possible secede from the Union, with Calhoun and Hayne arguing for the states' rights over Federal Government laws. Lingston, Jackson, Webster, and Van Buren argued for the consolidation of power in the central government and the presidency. Jackson was often portrayed in the media as being a King and a deposit.

South Carolina's arguement for nullification parallels in some ways the current Kurdistan Regional Government in its attempts to act independently of Baghdad's rulings, especially on issues such as oil and security. Talabani, the President of Iraq, is Kurdish, just as Calhoun was the Vice President from South Carolina before resigning to be able to openly oppose Jackson. Prime Minister Maliki, paralleling Jackson, is often accused (whether fairly or unfairly) in the media of centralizing too much power, and potentially turning into another Iraqi strongman.

3. Political followings in Jackson's era was in some ways similar to the sectarian strife that afflicts Iraq. Though it was not based on race, ethnicity, or religion, the partisanship of 1820s America often come close to violence in terms of people's loyalty to their state, region, or national party. Civil war was a real threat, though it was abated for several more years. Today many politicians, media personnel, and others believe that Iraq may be nearing Civil War if certain issues go unresolved, and are claiming that certain people may be simply waiting for Americans to leave before initiating violence. Whether these claims are inflated or not is not certain, though it does lend to the same sense of strife that seems to have occurred in Jackson's time.

(Sources: "American Lion" by Jon Meacham, various news reports)

Hills and Valleys in Iraq

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:09:00 +0000

"Some things just make it all worth it." -Anonymous

To which I replied, "True, that was amazing. Not many people, especially Westerns, can say they've seen Babylon."

This was definitely a day when I felt on top of the world. There are a lot of things that make it all worth it on deployment, too. A letter from home, unexpected note from a friend, shared laugh, good book, full night's sleep, fast run, word of encouragement, new experience, or so many other things can lift you out of a valley of monotony and remind you how wonderful life is.

Not Enough Time in the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:16:00 +0000

How wonderful it is to each day feel like there was not enough time to accomplish everything that needed to get done. The morning starts, and before I realize it, it's time to go home (15-18 hours later).

The larger issue with many less fortunate people that are deployed seems to be boring, monotonous, or simply too few tasks. This serves as a helpful reminder that challenging work that seems fulfilling is much better for morale than any of the incentives or special morale boosters that leaders can employ. People like to be productive. [Theory Y (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_X_and_theory_Y)]

Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:01:00 +0000

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." -Thomas Paine

As the accused occupier, from a former colony (America), in a former British Mandate (Iraq) on a recently transferred base (from British to American control), in a province filled with heavily persecuted Shia who have had the water drained from their marshes, their families killed, and their lands filled with mines; it is all too apparent the fatigue of supporting freedom.

The good news is that it is worth it.

Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:21:00 +0000

"All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible." - T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

On such an important milestone as the U.S. withdrawl from the cities of Iraq, I am blessed to be in a position that gives me unwarranted access to act out my dreams with fully open eyes.

The access to knowledge and opportunity afforded me weighs heavily as I strive to make the most of it and to not squander the moment.

Being in this place at this time is quite a stroke of luck; now I must capitalize on it. I am certain that throughout a lifetime, there are several such opportunities. The hard part may often be in realizing them.

Sandstorms

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:38:00 +0000

On a recent trip north a few hundred miles, I was delayed from coming back slightly by weather. Back home in Minnesota, snow delays are quite frequent. Here, although it was a sand delay, it felt in many ways very similar....

As you step out of your room in the morning it seems as though you put on orange-tinted glasses. Similar to the white-wash effect of a snowstorm, the sand and dust in the air makes everything appear orange.

Stinging the eyes and lungs, you walk out to the shower trailer to clean up. On the return walk, you are covered in sand again anyways, but at least it was a new layer.

Driving requires windshield wipers and headlights, as visibility is about 10 feet in front of you. Navigating through this dark and unfamiliar landscape is eery to say the least. Seems like an apt start to a horror movie.

If you wipe anything off, it just gets covered again in minutes. The Sun is blocked out, making it seem like dusk all day long, and making the darkness of night as thick and black as the oil that's in the ground around you.

But, just like snowstorms, it's only temporary, and you are able to come back home, or to the base you call home, a few days later.

Haze

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000

A word that comes up more often on the weather forecast than "cloudy" and almost as often as "sunny" around here.

Formed through a combination of dust, heat, smoke, pollutants, and the interesting geography of being near the Gulf, the haze here comes thick and often.

It settles down onto the Earth like a cotton and down blanket. It blurs the eyes, fills the lungs, and slows the movement. Feeling like you are walking through a mist of semi-liquid air, the haze envelopes your body in its warm familiar embrace.

The dust that floats carelessly through the haze turns to a thin layer of mud on the evanescent beads of sweat on the skin. It forms into gritty slime on the teeth while it slowly fills the nose and ears.

The streetlamps at night throw their glow into the haze to no avail. The light is stopped before it touches the ground, and a large globe around the bulb is formed from the haze, looking solid enough to touch. Like giant balloons or suckers lining the streets.

The haze is a fact of life, and something that will be odd to live without.

Children of War

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Smiles hide the scars of hardship
Turned hard from loved ones lost
Each day that passes breeds fear and anger

Innocence robbed by explosives
Stolen by lawlessness
As were so many lives and sunny days

Not knowing of security
But only of hatred
Growing into adults that bring the same

Have and Have-Nots, or the Perception Thereof

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:41:00 +0000

In most groups or organizations, there appears to be the Haves and the Have-Nots. They could also be referred to as the in-group and the out-group, or any other number of names. The key is that their is a perception that certain members have special privileges that others do not.

Some examples in the mililtary:

Pay
Haves: Officers
Have-Nots: Enlisted

Duties/Details
Haves: Could be Section Sergeant, Officers, etc. Basically, anyone who in the particular group who feels that they do not have to help in the cleaning and other details that everyone else does.
Have-Nots: The people doing the work

Perks
Haves: People who get to travel (instead of being stuck on a FOB), people who get time off, or any other number of things that create inequalities
Have-Nots: Those watching from the outside while others travel, get time off, etc

These differences can cause a great drop in morale for the have-nots, or they can also sometimes be used as a motivator. Any of the Have-Nots should theoretically want to move into a position of the Haves. If there is a clear path for any Have-Not to be able to perform exceptionally and therefore become a Have, it can create a reward system for exemplary work. However, if there does not appear to be any correlation between performance and position, then all that these perceptions do is create distrust, resentment, and frustration.

Training in Adverse Conditions

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Hedlund) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:08:00 +0000

A wonderful way to train is to do it when conditions are the worst. This way you have no excuse for failure when the time comes.

For example, at Fort Lewis, running on the coldest and wettest days ensured that when the PT test came around, I'd be ready for it no matter the weather.

In the desert, I run during the hottest part of the day. This way when I am out doing something in all my gear, and that sun comes around for the afternoon, I know that I'll be able to stand the heat.

Practicing a chip shot out of deep sand by stepping on the ball to get it in there will make sure that most chips that come up will be far easier to hit out.

If ideal conditions exist when the time comes, and you have been training during some far less ideal times, then you will be prepared.