Sleepless In Uijeongbu

Once again I find myself on Staff Duty. The first, (and most certainly not the last by any stretch) of the new year. The previous year has seen me through many life changing events, experiences, and memories. The current tour of duty provides an excessive amount of time to reflect; Marinate if you will, on all that has transpired. It has indeed been an emotional year.

I have done a great deal of growing, both personally and professionally. I have been physically and emotionally drained, morally tested ( apparently I have none and I am the devil) and professionally challenged. I have managed to come through these things with no permanent harm done, however I still have not completed my novel...

The novel project... I am currently in editor/revisor's hell. Not from any outside source mind you, but of my own making. Novelist and perfectionist it would seem is not at all a winning combination. When re- reading and revising my novel I am convinced at this point that I could easily be diagnosed as being schizophrenic, or as having Dissociative identity disorder. I have never been cussed at so much as I have when I am doing it to myself. Just the three of us; Me, Myself, and I.

That's all I have to say about that! I have spent the past couple of weeks attempting to get my military records in order for the upcoming promotion selection board, and perhaps if I cross all my fingers and toes, and burn incense at a Buddhist shrine I will be selected. (I wont be holding my breath) Promotions are extremely hard to come by in my field at my level.

I was finally able to rid myself, and the United States Army as a whole of one impossibly incompetent and horrible soldier. This has relieved a great deal of stress on the entire command I'm certain. I know I sleep better at night. Good luck, you know who you are. I'll be very surprised if McDonald's will even hire you for any length of time.

It appears as if the Iraqi military and law enforcement agencies are finally getting their collective asses together and unfucking themselves. Perhaps soon we will begin to see OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) begin to wind down, and fewer Americans being placed in harms way on missions that the Iraqis can and should be handling.

I think if those people (the Iraqis) would find in themselves and their country a little pride on a larger scale, it would go a long way toward securing their country and their future. I guess that is what thirty years of corruption and oppression does to people. They seem to be catching on rather quickly, Iraq appears to be the latest and greatest investment and stock market hotspot. Their market and economy is growing at a geometric rate, terrorist incidents notwithstanding.

Let me toss a rant in here about my current country of assignment. South Korea. Specifically the curfew and battle buddy policy. Both of these policies are counterproductive, disingenuous and largely ineffective. Both of these policies are cited as having been created as "Force Protection" measures, with the curfew policy also cited as being implemented to control human trafficking.

Lets outline these policies beginning with the "battle buddy" policy. Currently in Area I of South Korea (controlled by the 2nd Infantry Division), the policy states that soldiers in the grades of E6 and below are required to have a "battle buddy" from 1800 hours until curfew, and those in the grades of E7 and above are highly encouraged to have a "battle buddy" from 1800 hours until curfew.

Looking at this as a reasonable and seasoned NCO, with 13 years of military experience, and factoring in the "Force Protection" angle, the policy makes no sense.

If I was a terrorist or other subversive, would I be more likely to target lower ranking and less knowledgeable personnel for kidnappings, killings, intelligence gathering, and mayhem? Or would I be more likely to target the higher ranking more senior and mission critical personnel? Those personnel who have operational knowledge and critical information, and those that ARE the command structure? Hmm, seems like a no brainer.

If there was some sort of anti American demonstration or protest and I found myself suddenly in the middle of it with no chance of escape, does being in the grades of E6 and below:

A. make me more or as equally likely to get my ass beat by a mob as an E7 or above?

B. make it somehow more obvious to said mob that I am an American and need to have my ass beat immediately?

C. make me incapable of identifying the imminent danger and trying to escape, or otherwise unass the AO?

D. make me more susceptible to a kidnapping while walking alone, as an adult male (or female) 31 year old E6 with 13 years of experience, than say that 22 year old 2nd lieutenant with 6 to 8 months of experience? Or that 27 to 40 year old E7 through E9/O10 (depending on MOS, and for USFK branch of service) with anywhere from 7 to 30 years experience?

E. make Korea somehow more dangerous for me than say, walking through Detroit or Harlem, East Los Angeles or Germany (where there HAVE been attacks on American service members) where there is neither a curfew nor mandatory battle buddy policy?

If I am in the grade of E7 or above and traveling alone in Korea, and find myself in an untoward situation can I:

A. use my magical E7 and above secret decoder ring to extricate myself from said untoward situation?

B. use my much more refined political oratory skills to negotiate myself out of an ass whipping by angry American hating mobs?

C. shift out of phase with this reality again expertly employing my super secret E7 and above decoder ring and club card, thusly causing a kidnappers hands to pass harmlessly through my body foiling the attempt?

D. use my superior senior leaders E7 and above physiology and ability to prevent excessive alcohol from clouding my judgment and decision making, and thereby protecting me from all harm, since my more experienced mind and drinking ability and higher tolerance for alcohol will always prevent me from screwing the pooch while downrange?

E. flash my E7 and above ID at would be threats to Americans and soldiers, thusly stopping these threats dead in their tracks because by the very nature of my grade I have a protective energy field, and these threats know it?

I do believe that the readers that visit here will be able to see through my heavily veiled sarcasm and realize that the policy is not just and fair, and not consistent with the cited intent of the policy which is "Force Protection"

A policy which is not in fact mandatory, but "encouraged" by the Commander, USFK. Does it even matter that the U.S. State Department lists Korea as one of the safest countries that U.S. citizens can travel to and visit?

The policy is degrading and shows me as a professional NCO that my leaders have no faith in my ability to conduct myself in my personal time, my exemplary service notwithstanding. Erstwhile while on duty I am charged with the responsibility of caring for the very lives of a squad, and often platoon of soldiers, and nearly 2 million dollars of government property, along with the training of its use, and mentoring and shaping subordinates below me to become leaders.

But I cant go grab a bite to eat or a beer by myself after 1800 hours? Nice, I think I'll stay in till retirement.

Stay tuned, In the next post Ill outline the USFK Curfew policy for your review. I think you'll find it informative to say the very least.