And the army goes rolling along...

It's been 4 1/2 years now on active duty in the army. We've been stationed at 2 posts that are highly active in training activities. Suffice it to say that tank crossings, helicopters in flight and striker convoys and have become a part of daily life, but I still find it totally awesome. Last night we went for a little drive around post. We drove over to "Tickle Bump Road" (self-explanatory) per the boys' request. It was pitch black outside so we couldn't see much, until we suddenly came across an enormous convoy of army vehicles heading out into the "box" for training. Here at Fort Irwin soldiers from all over the country are trained to go to Iraq/Afghanistan before they deploy. They put them in "real-life" situations--they have entire towns complete with butchers, hotels, Iraqi citizens, mosques, etc. out in the huge expanse of desert known as "The Box." Soldiers permanently stationed here act as insurgent fighters. So the trainees bring all their stuff (vehicles, weapons, etc.) out there and are faced with true-to-life situations for a week. They react as best they can to surprise mortar attacks, people burning American flags, people screaming at them in Arabic, car bombs, kidnappings, etc. They even have people handing out death cards meaning that person is now dead. I mean, they throw everything at these soldiers that they can. And they really do blow the cars up and stuff--fire and all. After the grueling week with no breaks, they are "graded" on how well they performed. That is a VERY brief explanation as compared to all that goes on here--it truly is an amazing place to be. Anyway, back to last night--as we were driving we happened across a huge convoy headed out to the box. We parked and watched as they all passed. I wish I had my camera--they were crossing right in front of an actual "Tank Crossing" sign (see the picture). There are several of these all around here, but wouldn't it have been a great shot to get an actual tank in the shot too? Oh well. We saw some of the biggest tanks I have ever seen, armored humvees, medic tanks, supply trucks, more tanks, strikers, and on and on. There must have been a hundred vehicles. As I watched them pass at first I though about how excited those soldiers must be--not happy excited but adrenaline rush excited. To go out and actually apply all that you have been trained to do. Then, as I sat and watched, my heart grew full of appreciation for these men and women. They sacrifice so much to keep our country safe. I thought about them, their families, their wives and children, and how much they all give to serve America. There have been annoyances about being in the army, but I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I cannot express my gratitude for these soldiers. Before I lived in the midst of this, I would go about my daily life and vaguely think how I appreciated their sacrifice, but it never really sunk in. Now, I see them, I know them, I know their families, our children play together, I play Bunco with their wives.... they are real to me now. Real people with real lives. We are so lucky to have so many good people who are willing to give so much. So thank you to all the soldiers out there, thank you for being willing to serve, thank you for being willing to sacrifice so much. We should all remember what they have done for us, not just on Veteran's Day, but everyday.

In closing, my heart goes out to all those affected in the Fort Hood shooting. We were actually stationed there for 2 years before we came to Fort Irwin. What a tragic thing to have happen. It is sad that one crazy person can do such great damage to so many people's lives. I hope that those families are blessed with as much peace as possible in these times.