Once again I need to apologize for not writing for a while.  After writing the last part it was difficult to put myself through remembering the circumstances of our first trip to the hospital in Suwon.  I will try my best to fill in the rest of this story in short order and finish this difficult tale so that I can move on to better and more entertaining posts.  Everyday I think of something I’d like to blog about, but for now you are stuck with this.     ...

The next few days were a blur      The next few days were a blur, I was newly married and preparing to leave my new wife for the first time.  As part of the Army Logic I was forced to return to the states on their buck.  I didn't really feel any need to make this trip, as I was planning to stay in Korea, but alas I had no say in the matter.  So, there I was four days after my wedding heading to another country.  While it was good to see my parents, I was desperate to get back "home...

        So, everything had been decided, I was headed out of the Army door.  I have to tell you, when it comes time to clear an installation, being on terminal leave is the way to go!  If I didn't feel like doing anything, I didn't really have to as I had plenty of time.  Getting married, on the other hand was quite a rush job.  We had been working on the paperwork for a while, but didn't think there was a big hurry, until it was decided that I would be leaving the Army.  Getting married here...

Here's a shot of me after I cut off the ponytail, before I shaved my head and grew a beard.

     Roll forward a bit and I find myself in a unique situation.  My ETS (Estimated Termination of Service) Date is right around the corner.  Ok, not exactly right around the corner, but it takes longer to get ready for than you might expect.  I honestly had no intentions of staying in the Army, I was sick of the pathetic leadership and meaningless crap I often had to put up with.  Other than that, the Army was an experience I will forever be grateful for.  Please don't misunderstand; I am ...

     We spent the next few years just being a family.  It was great, and I miss that feeling of connection.  My unit treated Chong Mi and I like we were married, although we had both decided long ago to simply enjoy our time together and that when it was time for me to go back to the U.S. things would end.  We told each other that lie for a long time, I'm not sure if either of us believed it, but it did keep us from having to make any decisions on the matter!  It was to the point t...

Things went along fine after I returned from my TDY      Things went along fine after I returned from my TDY. I was happy to be back, and to straighten out my troops that chiprj had managed to corrupt while I was gone. During this time, I spent a lot of time flying at night and sleeping during the day. This would define the next 3 years of my life, to this day I have trouble sleeping when it is dark! Often I would get home around four in the morning, and once when I got home I foun...

Absence makes the heart grow fonder      Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  This was proven to me during my lengthy TDY back to the states.  I mentioned before that I really didn't want to leave, and I will emphasize that now.      I DIDN'T WANT TO GO!!      How's that for emphasis?  I was really enjoying my girlfriend, and was anxious to unpack and settle in with her.  (To this day I still can't find some of my stuff)  I also didn't want to spend that much time away from...

Sorry I haven      So, we went to Steve's barbershop girl's house and partied with them for a while before we all racked out in the communal bedroom.  I have distinct memories of waking up with a 2nd degree burn on my right thigh.  Traditionally Korean homes are heated by forcing hot water through pipes in the floor.  This makes for a nice warm floor to sleep on if you use a traditional Korean sleeping mat.  That is what Chong Mi and I were sleeping on, but Steve's ...

New Page 1      Sorry I haven't written anything in a while, Mr. Daniels wouldn't let me.          So, there I was in Korea, in a bar I was very comfortable in, drooling over a bartender who was VERY sought after.  How could I possibly compete?  Some of these guys have known her for years; I'm the new guy in town.  Sure, it is my second tour to Korea, but I only spent two or three weekends in this area during my last tour.  I know what I can do...be l...

New Page 1     I was fortunate to be a part of a new platform in Korea, ARL-M. This was definitely a unique experience for me and several other linguists. We had absolutely no reason to be assigned to this unit (it turned out), as the mission was wholly an imagery mission. I still believe that if it weren’t for the linguists and signals analysts that were assigned to the platoon the place would have fallen apart early on. Several people that I knew from DLI and Goo...

    In 1992 I joined the Army, ostensibly to earn money for college. I still haven't gone, although I've been to a few college parties. Not really knowing what I was getting into I ended up as a linguist. The Army didn't tell me what language I would be learning until after I had completed Basic Training and was signed in at the Defense Language Institute. They told me I would be learning Korean. I remember my response was something along the lines of "What language do they speak i...

OK, I finally broke down and decided to stop lurking and start my own blog. For those of you who know me this may be a pathetic waste of time, but if you don't know me I can assure you this will simply be a waste of time. I have no plan for structure, much like my life, just from time to time I will pop out a rant about how everything sucks. I really was a nice guy, but everything has changed. I went from being the nice kid to a founding member of "The Wrong Brothers" through a ser...