So, my in-processing of Fort Hood officially commenced today. If there’s one unsexy part of the military, it’s the monotony of in-processing. At Fort Hood, most of the process is automated and centralized. We all sit in a big, stuffy room listening to lecture after lecture about post services. Granted that most people there were first termers who had just joined the Army (more on that later) and done for their benefit, but I always try to find something I can get out of each briefing.
The briefing that stood out the most today was the briefing from the Preventive Medicine Clinic. We got to learn all about STDs today. So much so that I’m not sure I ever want to have sex ever again! To her credit, the briefer didn’t make light of the subject matter. When talking about the friction caused by bumping uglies while wearing a thin, latex condom she didn’t skip a beat and ignored the snickers in the room without so much as a giggle herself.
She brought along with her one of the most graphic slideshows I’ve ever seen on the subject. EVER! I’ve seen more diseased genitals than I ever care to see again. For good measure, a few were even thrown in of STDs transmitted through, um, same sex “relations.” If anyone is interested, I can attempt to obtain a copy of it after my eyes have recovered and the bile has been washed from my mouth. It’s amazing how some of these things migrate to various places on the body from head to toe.
In-processing is a long procession of filling out paper and getting handouts that will most likely end up in the trash within minutes of release. Briefers are filed in like cattle at an auction one after another in an orchestrated dance of long-winded presentations about the great programs the Army offers (and I mean that sincerely).
My favorite is always the finance portion because that’s where I get paid for traveling between duty stations and get reimbursed for hotel expenses and mileage. I learned long ago that the only advance one should take on a military move is the Dislocation Allowance. It doesn’t varied is a benefit of military service. It’s expensive to pick up one’s household and relocate it to another place. You have to pay for deposits on everything from gas and water to cable and rental deposits. The DLA helps offset those costs.
During every move I ALWAYS do a partial Do It Yourself (DITY) move. Every Soldier has to carry some baggage and Army gear from duty station to duty station. Setting up a partial DITY at the losing unit ensures that the Soldier gets paid for the added weight being transported in his vehicle. I don’t let the Army pack my guns, motorcycle or some collectibles. They simply mean too much to me to risk being ruined. Soldiers are able to get an advance on the estimated weight of these shipments, but if you’re wrong you end up dishing out a LOT of money to pay the Army back. So, I just wait until I get to my new unit and then file the paperwork to get reimbursed. It’s more accurate that way and I am guaranteed not to get charged for anything.
As I said earlier, many of the Soldiers in-processing are coming to Fort Hood after just graduating from boot camp and their advanced MOS training. It’s encouraging to see these young, fresh-faced patriots that volunteered to defend our Constitution and the American way of life. As I sat there spacing out during some of the briefings, I couldn’t help but silently thank each and every young man and woman sitting there in the same uniform I have worn for the past 15 years (setting aside that I’m wearing a different uniform than I wore 15 years ago) and that they joined knowing they may get sent to combat. It was encouraging to see that some of our youth aren’t as selfish as we like to label them.
I made an effort to talk to as many as I could, especially the ones that looks like a deer in headlights. I explained that sometimes being in the Army will suck but that they can find humor and joy in EVERY assignment if they just keep that mindset. I helped them fill out their forms when they seemed confused by a surprisingly rushed presenter. All of them were eager to get to work doing what they had just been trained to do. And I felt honored to be among them.
Tomorrow, we get briefed by the Fort Hood commanding general, LTG Robert Cone, and Command Sergeant Major, CSM Coleman. I’m interested to see if they talk at all about the terrorist shooting here a few weeks ago. I’m curious as to why I can’t keep a weapon in my car during the day, even if I register it on post. It seems to me that the lack of weapons readily available is what enabled Hasan to successfully kill and injure so many Soldiers. I may try to set up an appointment with LTG Cone for an official interview or invite him to our show to talk on this subject. I’ve also heard rumors that leaders here refuse to call Hasan a terrorist, but I haven’t encountered that attitude yet.
Post policy prohibits me from defending myself on my way to or from post outside the gates because I can’t legally carry a weapon in my car during the drive. I have a 30 minute minimum commute each day from Temple to Fort Hood and anyone wishing to do harm to a Soldier knows that if he’s coming from post, he’s supposed to be unarmed. I’m not saying that LTG Cone or Fort Hood policy is necessarily wrong or that I disagree with it, I’d just like to know the logic behind it especially considering recent events. Of course, it may be that their hands are tied since the law passed during the Clinton years to disarm troops on military installations (the irony is astounding). I’ve seen images and read history books where Officers and NCOs always wore a sidearm on them on post.
Anyway, I’m excited about being on one of the largest and most historic military installations that is home to some of the best units in the Army. And I can’t wait to get to work myself!
This coming Monday, January 18th at 8:00pm (EST) I will interview three co-authors of the new book in the series, Stories of Faith and Courage from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Take a moment and read about the authors below. Their backgrounds are very diverse.
Jocelyn Green
Jane Hampton Cook
