20 Years ago today...

20 Years ago today my U.S. Army career began as I started Basic Combat Training in Missouri. While there I suffered the eye injury that would end my career with a forced medical retirement just six years later.

During those six very-short years I was blessed to be able to serve around the world; though I was never in one place long.

- Delta Company, 3rd BN, 10th Infantry Regiment at U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood starting on August 3rd, 2000

- 309th Military Intelligence Battalion at U.S. Army Fort Huachuca

- HHD, 498th CSB at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea (after four years of learning German...go figure)

- 2nd ACR (now 2d Cavalry Regiment) when they were at JRTC and Fort Polk

- Lackland Air Force Base, Texas where an United States Air Force surgeon rebuilt my eye and put it all back together with a zip tie (scleral buckle)

- Brooke Army Medical Center in beautiful San Antonio, where I stayed for part of my recovery

- Baghdad, Al Kut, Ad Diwaniyah and Nijaf in Iraq with the 2D ACR

- Aboard the USNS Antares who brought me back from Iraq during an amazing trip around the world with a stop in Durban, South Africa

- Back at JRTC and Fort Polk to help stand up the now inactive 4th Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division which took the place of 2D ACR when they were transferred to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) to transition to a Stryker unit.

- U.S. Army Fort Huachuca again; this time with the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion helping to develop training scenarios for young MI officers based on what we saw in Iraq.

- Fort Bliss NCO Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas for what is now the Basic Leaders Course for Sergeants.

- MacDill Air Force Base working for U.S. Central Command in a building without windows

- Fort Hood, Texas for a Medical Review Board because an Air Force officer in Florida decided you can't serve with a detached retina...even though I was Army and had already served in Iraq with the same damn eye

- U.S. Army Fort Huachuca again, this time in a holding pattern pending my Medical Retirement which happened September 6th, 2006.

I miss the travel; but I am getting up there in years and the family probably wouldn't enjoy me dragging them around. That and I have a pretty decent gig with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport.