Appalachian Patria

Appalachian Intellectual. To me that means plain thinking. I am A Non Commissioned Officer in the Army Reserves. Let me say...My views expressed here are mine and not those of The U.S. Army, Army Reserve or my fellow brethren in The National Guard. This is entirely Sua Sponte. This is My Thinking. I'm single and in my mid 30's. Politicaly, I'm a Libertarian. (Again, Sua Sponte.I do not represent the Libertarian Party.)I love my native Appalachia, Rock n Roll and...I love God.

Name:
Location: Brevard, North Caroilina

I started blogging for two reasons. I was concerned about the changes to the area I live in, Southern Appalachia and I was about to go to the war. I was in Iraq in 06 and 07 and now Kuwait in 11 and 12. Blogging was a means of documenting my experiences and hoping it would help gain clarity. I don't feel that way about it any more. It's said people write blogs because they are frustrated, that's why people read them too. That makes us sound apocalyptic. Are we? Let it be said, what I say here is of my own thinking. This is entirely Sua Sponte and not an official representation of the U.S. Military or the U.S. Government as a whole.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

There Is No Appropriate Title


Ill Be You - The Replacements
I'm not bored. Far from it. I've got Drill this weekend...Three days of it. Me and my Commander have to brief the Brigade Commander on our Company's Strength, Schools and AT Plan. Three hours from our Reserve Center, Weapons Qualification, PT Test...And brief the Colonel...I've spent allot of my breaks at work trying to get things lined up the last couple of weeks. A little of it was productive and some of it was spinning my wheels. Oh well, I've busted my ass...They could bend my dog tags and send me either back to Iraq or to Afghanistan, and I'd pass my Replacement and his bent dog tags on my way back home, LOL. No, actually Alpha is not in bad shape considering our circumstances.

Sometimes I don't know if I'd want to shake Bill Gate's hand or kick his ass for his contribution to the computer world. Yeah, he helped make it possible to blather our opinion, get news on demand, surf for porn and dig up obscure 80's bands. But computers also convinced the Army of their fantasy of putting 10 lbs of shit in a 5 lbs bag. They knew they could do it somehow. It just took the right civilian to make it possible.

Next week I'm off...Off to blow the world off and Bear Hunt. I packed for Drill and consolidated some hunting gear. Honestly I would like to be in bed. Sunday, after I get in, I'll fix something in the crock pot to eat for the week, last minute fixings on my gear. The shock collars are charged, I'll throw new batteries in my flash lights and load the cooler with snacks. The Rifle is ready, the HT(Hand held radio) and spare battery is charged up. The Dogs are healthy and anxious. We're going to run 'e like we're running in our last race...

The Appalachianist

7 Comments:

Blogger Hannu said...

Yes, the YTB (yearly training brief) I remember those moments comparing notes with the CO to make sure we are on the same sheet of music.

When cell phones and personal computers made their way into my Army Reserve days, (one weekend a month and two weeks a year was not quite accurate)

Have a good hunt. Gonna post any photos?

10:01 PM  
Blogger Murf said...

What does bending dog tags mean?

And for the love of God, why can't you make that song stop playing when I visit here? ;-)

5:43 AM  
Blogger Hill Billy Rave said...

Murf, it's just a figure of speech. It's going to keep playing until enough posts are done to take it off the page. It will take me a while at my posting rate to do that.

Sotamies, you know the deal. Thankfully, it's not the full YTB. I just have a cadre company, I can imagine the full Company.

I may get some pictures posted, I can't promise. I can try though.

9:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Murf, I'm gettin' use to it . . . and as I am reading along I am saying yeah to this and yeah to that as I read along listening to the music, and then I came to the part that said, ". . .computers . . . convinced the army of their fantasy of putting 10 lbs of shit in a 5 lbs bag." I laughed and laughed and laughed . . . another piece of pithy insight by the Appalachianist that is right on . . . hunt those bears and let the dogs run . . . its comin' and I can't wait to read the stories. Got a call from Jerry Hardister and was very glad to hear from him. Take care. Bill

6:01 PM  
Blogger sage said...

have fun hunting and may your miltary rituals not be too bad, such stuff would drive me crazy

10:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In Where the Red Fern Grows the young boy kowing he is about to leave the rural country where he lives for the city and a chance to go to school takes his two dogs, Little Ann and Big Dan, to the woods, and he says something very much like you wrote in your last paragraph . . . "We are goning to run'e like we're running in our last race. . ." Bill

12:38 PM  
Anonymous Siding Contractors Topeka said...

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10:00 AM  

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