This is weird...I'm actually getting pumped up about my Iraq deployment [View All]

[Squatch]

Sure, it's going to suck to be away from my family for a year, but this is what I've devoted the last 10 years of my life to. I am proud to be able to finally pitch in and deploy with my soldiers who I've mentored, trained, and grew with.

I think the current OPTEMPO is going to be good for our Army in the long run. A few years ago, only about 1 in 20 of my peers had any combat/operational experience (Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia), but that has definitely changed. Now, about 1 in 20 does NOT have any practical experience in the application of military science. That flux of experience is going to go a long way toward helping our Army transform from the "legacy" maneuver warfare force toward a more flexible force that can be applied along the entire Civil/Military spectrum of operations.

It's definitely an exciting time to be a part of the military.