Long Days. Long Weeks. Is it really only the 19th?

It has been a long time since I last posted. I apologize for that. I will try to do better in the future. Last time I posted was over a week ago. That next day, which would have been last Saturday at 0700 I went on duty as the AOG (Assistant of the Guard). I didn't get off until 0700 Sunday morning. It was a 24 hour sleeping post. Basically I sat in a little room below our squad bay at a desk and read or watched movies. Every hour on the hour the armory watch was supposed to do a radio check over the little iCom walkie talkies. Every four hours I would give a deadly force briefing to the next shift of armory watch. Then I would escort them to the armory and conduct a changeover with the current guard. We would count out the 30 rounds in the M-16 A4 magazine and ensure that the oncoming guard understood all orders concerning them. The morning started off with me standing an hour of armory watch while I waited for the higher ups to figure out who was supposed to stand next watch. It was supposed to be for about 15 minutes while they got things straitened out. An hour and fifteen minute later I was back in the duty hut. Welcome to 3/24. The day was exceptionally uneventful. I counted out the bed linens for the incoming Scout and Weapons platoon Marines. Turns out they came in late and all the H & S Marines who didn't have linens scavenged them. Again. Welcome to 3/24. Not enough bed sheets for the Marines. About 2200 the COG (Corporal of the Guard) hit the rack for some sleep. I stood duty alone until about 0330 when I woke up the COG. I was falling asleep in the duty hut and needed some kind of break. I slept till 0600 and resumed my post until I was relieved at 0700. I fell asleep as soon as I got out of my cammies and slept till about noon. I don't exactly remember what I did after that. I was a little hazy. Monday morning, the 11th, we went up to the CP and started to work. Cpl Underwood called Cpl Monroe and Lcpl Shidaker over and informed us that apparently, we were about 30 minutes late for a VEW course. We had no idea we were scheduled for any course, or even what exactly VEW was. All we knew was it was something with imagery. We hopped in the van and headed over to the Air Station across from 22 Area. There we headed up to a class in the training building. Video Exploitation Workstation is a free standing system for video and picture editing. With it we can take patrol videos and edit them with the help of software such as Pinnacle to create an intelligence product. It is a pretty cool system, and has some major implications in the field for intel work. We were the first Reserve unit to get this the newest update of the system. The course lasted 2 days, enough to get generally familiar with the system. The rest of the week was filled with generally productive days. We got a fair amount done. Saturday I had off, so I went to supply and collected the remainder of the gear that I had yet to receive. We have a lot of gear, knee pads, elbow pads, pouches, neck gaiters, waterproofing bags, ballistic sunglasses, ballistic goggles, combat jackets, hydration system, flack, Kevlar helmet, magazines... My locker is pretty darn full. After that I ran by Mainside and got a burrito for lunch. Around two o'clock I got a text asking if I would like to go fishing. Staff Sergeant Barnes was taking anyone who wanted to go out to Oceanside to fish off of the pier. It was quite a process getting to the pier, involving a trip to Walmart where we purchased twenty dollar poles, 30 pound line, hooks and mussels and anchovies for bait. Ssgt Barnes had a difficult time properly referring to anchovies. Usually he called them avocados. That was pretty entertaining. We then headed out to the pier along with Captain Suwa. Apparently even on a Saturday there is traffic on the 5 in California. Lcpl George was driving, and the Captain, who knows the area was trying to provide driving directions. At one point as we were sitting at a stop sign, with George trying o figure out whether he was supposed to be turning left or right. Ssgt and the Captain were arguing over witch way to turn, one saying right, the other left, then switching positions when finally the Captain screamed "Pick one!" at George. He peeled out left. We spread out on the pier and fished. I ended up catching a stingray and six or seven mackerel. Cpl Underwood caught a three foot shovelnose shark. It was a great evening, most of the time I was basically alone and I spent a lot of time praying. Odd as it may sound I started fishing with a prayer that I would catch a fish. Shortly after I caught the stingray. I caught it by it getting its fin caught on my hook as it passed. A "lucky" catch. It got me thinking about how Jesus called us to be fishers of men. My job here, and now is to live my life living for him. At the very least, I should be a light and example here. Its very hard to maintain a good attitude here sometimes. Generally speaking moral is pretty low. We have a lot of dumb things we deal with. For example, we are supposed to have one person on watch at the armory. That is just the standard required procedure. We have two, and when the active duty area guard shows up, we are not relieved. Instead we have a 24 hour watch where 12 hours of it are with double redundancy. Why? no idea. We have random field days, like tonight, where we get yelled at for not having a clean enough squad bay. For the average Marine, we can't help but think of how it sounds for a Staff NCO living in a hotel off base on the government's tab to tell us that our squad bay isn't up to his standards. Its exasperating at times. Some of us never sleep we have to much work to do. Other shops have so many Marines and so little work they sit around all day and do nothing. Both sides are equally frustrated. We just found out that our block of predeployment leave has been shifted to July. Instead of a 96 hour liberty where we could go home, we instead get ten days in July, either over the fourth or later in the month. plane tickets have already been bought, hotel reservations made, and plans ruined. We don't know our mission, we don't have full confirmation on the location of our deployment. Rumors that we will join a MEU and fight Somali pirates have even circulated. We live with uncertainty, frustration and disappointment. In spite of all of this, Jesus wants me to have joy. He wants me to be a light. To have a good attitude, to not complain, to be motivated. How? I am human. I get frustrated. I don't like the way things are or how they are turning out. I, I, I. Me, me, me. He died for me. He submitted himself to even the death of the cross. My life is therefore forfeit to Him as simply my reasonable service. He has saved me from eternal damnation. He is more source of joy. He is my source of strength. With Him, and Him alone I can be motivated. With Him I can be a light. Through Him I can be different. By His strength I will stop swearing and complaining. It is not easy. One of the hardest things I have ever done. Each time I fix my attitude Jesus throws another test at me. I usually don't pass first time around. I didn't tonight. He gives me rest though. Saturday night I had a fishing trip with Jesus. He gave me an opportunity to relax, fishing is very relaxing, to enjoy His creation, and to spend time in prayer and communion with Him. He is good, and He is always with me. Even when I am Debby Downer, complaining and moaning about how unfair it is I have to swab a deck or wipe down footlockers all night. Friday I am scheduled to get liberty for Memorial day. I am going to relax, read some books, enjoy His creation, and Him. Then I will go to ground intel school on Tuesday in 29 Palms for a week. God is good, and He is near. He has tasked me, and as His bond slave I will obey. He has called is to be worthy of His holy calling. We are not worthy alone, but through Him we can enjoy Him. Amazing isn't it? Until next time. Semper Fi. God bless. I love you all.