Reality Day

Today I talked to two close friends today and had one of those reality checks only real friends will give you.  The first conversation was about racing, the second about writing. 

On the subject of riding, I am way behind in bicycle racing fitness.  I know it sounds cool that I rode 5000 miles in Iraq and a total of 7000 miles last year, but nearly all of it was what racers call "junk miles."  I rode to and from work on base.  I rode ten-mile laps around the base, but never pushed myself in the way that riding with other racers pushes me.

Anyway, I told my friend about having the PA Senior Games as my goal for the year and the National Senior Games as my goal for next year.  He thought that was a good plan.  Between the reduced amount of training I do compared to before deployment and the "year off" riding in Iraq, he was sure there was not much chance I would be competitive in licensed races anytime soon, maybe not for years if at all.  Comebacks are not easy at 57.

A few hours later I talked to a good friend who is an excellent writer.  I said. "Maybe I am wasting my time riding 10 or more hours a week to get back in shape when I have the opportunity to write a book."  He asked me what I could get from a book.  Clearly not money.  Every author I know personally writes for money to supplement their incomes.  Then he talked about audience.  He reminded me that the people who most admire what I did want me to stop talking whenever politics comes up.  And the people who agree with my politics think I am certifiable for going.  He's right of course. If I had a Big Idea, maybe, but for right now I just have a title and a lot of stories. 

Even More Pictures from the Welcome Home

Maj. Joel Allmandinger, battalion commander, Mechanicsburg Mens Club, event sponsor.

SPC Aaron Trimmer with his daughter

                                         SPC and Mrs Matias

Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the ceremony

Some members of the Family Readiness Group

More Pictures from the Welcome Home

I have enough pictures from the Welcome Home Party that I will post them a half-dozen at a time for the next several posts.

 SFC Melanie McCracken and SPC Andrea Magee

Capt Nate Smith as emcee

1LT Marquardt with his wife--who is taking a picture of me taking a picture.

Chief Witmer organized the party beginning back in Iraq--with Donna Brown and the FRG

Task Force Diablo Company Commanders

Mechanicsburg Men's Club sponsored the party

Back to Training--On the Road

Tonight I rode the city training race in Philadelphia, three laps of the east and west drives along the Schuykill River.  I got dropped from the main pack on the 2nd mile.  We were riding 30-33mph on a flat road and I was wheezing in seconds.  I ended up riding with five other dropouts in a pace line.  We were taking turns at the front for a while then two of us started taking long pulls at the front.  We were riding 24-26 mph so I have a long way to to go to get competitive again. 

Tomorrow I am going to run.  The Tough Mudder race is less than two weeks away and I need to put some miles in before the race starts.  I have been in the gym three or four days a week, not quite as much as Iraq, but its all I've got for the Mudder race.

Two other members of Task Force Diablo are doing the Mudder, so if I end up doing terrible or dropping out, I can still write about them.  They are Major Joel Allmandinger, our new commander, and 1st Lt. Carolina Kelley, our new intelligence officer.

Celebrity in MY House--Janelle Stelson

WGAL TV, Channel 8, in Lancaster PA is interviewing soldiers who recently returned from deployment in Iraq.  Today Janelle Stelson went to Philadelphia with me on the train and interviewed me about life in Iraq and about coming home.  At the end of the day, she and the cameraman, Dan Maddox, were back talking to my wife and my son Nigel.  The story is supposed to air in May. 

Janelle Stelson co-anchors "News 8 at 5:30" and "News 8 at 11" each weeknight.

The recipient of several Associated Press awards for reporting, Janelle joined WGAL-TV in 1997. Her 17 years of broadcasting experience include covering stories both nationally and internationally.

Janelle's first job was writing speeches at the Embassy of Egypt in Washington, D.C.Her journalism career began at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, as a general assignment reporter and weather anchor. In 1989 she moved to Miami to work for WPLG-TV, where she covered hurricanes, Haitian riots and one of the biggest drug busts in U.S. history. Janelle returned to the Susquehanna Valley to anchor the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts for WHP-TV in Harrisburg.

She also worked with WITF public radio, hosted a statewide public television broadcast with the governor of Pennsylvania and anchored "Computer Chronicles" on PBS.Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, Janelle grew up in the Seattle area of Washington state.She graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a bachelor of arts degree in politics and government. She also studied international politics and advanced German language at the Austro-American Institute in Vienna, Austria.

Janelle flew to New York City with National Guard troops a few days after the Sept. 11 attacks, for a story on delivering supplies to the World Trade Center recovery site. She also recently interviewed First Lady Laura Bush and hosted an event with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.Janelle's strong commitment to the community includes speaking to numerous groups and serving on the board of directors for the Humane League of Lancaster County. The annual reader poll for Senior News of Lancaster County and Dauphin County named Janelle "Best News Anchor."

Change of Command, Battalion and Brigade

This afternoon, both the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade and 2-104th GSAB (Task Force Diablo in Iraq) got new commanders.  The links are to previous posts with stories about the incoming and outgoing Task Force Diablo Commanders.

Brigade Change of command formation in main hangar at Fort Indiantown Gap.

 MAJ Joel Allmandinger takes battalion flag from LTC David Wood, 28th CAB commander.

MAJ Allmandinger in front of battalion formation.

LTC David Wood takes command of 28th Combat Aviation Brigade.
 

LTC Wood with Brigade flag.

LTC Scott Perry with his wife Christy after the change of command.

Welcome Home Party

Tonight we had our official welcome home party at the PA Farm Show, the same place we had our going away party 15 months before.  This time we wore civilian clothes even though we were getting paid.  this weekend was the first weekend back to drilling since we got back from Iraq.  Tomorrow we will report in the morning in ACUs and really be back to Army weekends.
Tonight was a lot of fun seeing people I had not seen since January.  Here's some of the photos:

1LT Joel Candelario asked his fiance to marry him during dinner--it was a surprise that Andrea Magee almost gave away ten minutes before Joel popped the question, but it was a big surprise.

The other over-50 soldiers from Echo Company.  SGT Bruce Reiner is on the right with his wife.  SFCs Glen Valencia, and Larry Christman.

Several sergeants in Delta Company made flowered shirts the uniform of the night.

Nigel and Jacari found a new friend with a game console.

Joseph Weese and Tood Tarbox of Echo Company.

Kauffman and Thompson--serious about dinner.