Holiday Hero: Care Package Ideas for your Deployed Servicemember

There are few things in this world that knocks the breath out of me more than the knowledge that I will one day have to survive a long period of time without hugging Matt.  It's a reality of this life that everyone who cares for someone in uniform has to come to terms with - and we all have our coping mechanisms.  Most just don't think about it.  Alas, I'm not a fan of denial, and I have always been one to over plan for the future - which, I believe, will be an advantage for us some day.  Thus, since Matt took command, I've spent times when I miss him perusing the internet in search of ideas shared by the experienced military spouses I've come to idolize.  I hide them away on my Army Strong Pinterest board, or amongst my dozens of Pages documents to turn to when times get tough.

For the most part, this is my only crutch to lean on.  I haven't exactly gotten much guidance on how to adapt to this crazy, roller-coaster world, and the fact that Matt and I aren't married eliminates the majority of potential mentorship via degrading looks and the eye roll.  So much for that whole "Army Family" concept?  No.  Actually, not no - but HELL NO.  Through the ups and downs of Matt's current position, we are both taking notes on how we can improve upon our roles in the future, and I have very solidly established my number one priority for the rest of time I spend in love with this soldier - I WILL impart everything I learn.  I WILL help those young wives, girlfriends, fiancees, moms, sisters, and whatever men happen to want assistance as well (despite how they never need help or directions, etc).

ESPECIALLY those who are experiencing their first holiday season away from their loved one.  ESPECIALLY when the majority of the internet rewards your google search with a "Click here to donate $20 for a cheaply packaged, half-assed effort at a holiday gift basket for a deployed soldier!"

Eh-eh.  Your servicemember deserves a personalized, lovingly wrapped, peppermint-scented bundle of holiday cheer.  So, I'm sharing the list I've been keeping under my wing for such a circumstance for myself in the future, established upon research, brainstorms, and personal experiences of holiday care packages to friends in the past.

 

 Holiday Care Package Ideas

DECORATIONS:
    Stocking - personalized (officers can provide stockings for people on their staff)
    Mini-tree w/ included lights (careful about the electricity - you CAN send batteries, just don’t list it on the items when you take it to the post office ;P)
    Yarn/Tape to make a “christmas tree” on the wall, and paper baubles
    Santa hats, reindeer antlers, etc
    A CD of holiday music
    For Officers/Leadership roles: small, cheap, wrapped gifts they can play dirty santa with their soldiers
    Holiday-Scented Candles

   
FOOD:
    Holiday Meal-In-A-Can (non perishables - Spam, Black-eyed peas, Green beans, Cranberry Sauce, Dried Mashed Potatoes, Hot Chocolate, etc.)
    Cake-in-a-jar (lots of recipes for these - make sure it’s air tight) - I think this works for Pie too
    Holiday Candy (of course) - I’ve seen a box that was themed “Blue Without You” with all kinds of blue colored candy
    Beef Jerky, all sorts of flavors. And more beef jerky. (Holiday-flavored beff jerky?)
    Gatorade/Powerade powder packets
    Homemade cookies/treats - in vaccuum seal baggies so they’re still fresh when they get there
    Coffee w/ Holiday-themed creamer (make sure it’s in an air-tight container)

ENTERTAINMENT:
    Water-proof playing cards (more resistant to sweat - gross, but necessary)
    DVDs, puzzles, board games, and books are often provided through Adopt-A-Soldier programs, but if your soldier has a favorite, send it! (Access to electronics like TVs and DVD players depend on your soldier’s location/MOS) -- I’ve heard complete seasons of light-hearted comedy TV series are a big hit for office-focused jobs

ALWAYS NEEDED:
    Duct tape - army green and digi camo are available in military outposts and at office depot, but fun stuff to decorate probably wouldn’t be frowned upon
    Chewing Gum
    Sun Block
    Sun glasses
    Baby Wipes - sometimes its the only shower they get
    Toothpaste, Mouthwash
    Eyedrops (to assist in getting sand out)
    Easy-access medical supplies (Tums, Motrin, Band-Aids, Sanitizer/Antibiotic Ointment, etc.)
    Five-hour energy or similar energy provisions
    Personal Fan and/or hand/feet warmers

DO NOT SEND:
    Alcohol (I’ve heard of people putting alcohol in travel hygiene bottles, but fact of the matter is, they get into TONS of trouble if they get caught drinking over there - so I don’t recommend it.)
    Porn (it’s illegal over there)
    Fireworks (they get plenty already, trust me)
    Big, expensive, shiny gifts - What Matt’s parents did when he was there for Christmas in 2010, is they ordered the gifts early, took pictures of what they got him, and sent him the pictures all wrapped up in a box to open on Skype Christmas morning.  If you want to send him something he needs or something small and cutesy, go for it, and keep the good gift for when he comes home.

FUN THEMES:
    25 days of Christmas - I’ve seen someone take a small door organizer and theme it by stuffing it with small gifts and labeling each pocket for the 25 Days of Christmas (or the 12 days - whatever)

PUT EVERYTHING in plastic baggies!!  Use Flat-Rate shipping boxes if you can!  Baked goods should go in Vaccuum seal baggies!
WARNINGS: Chocolate will probably melt, so make sure it’s in a baggy by itself if you use it. Soda also has the risk of exploding from extreme heat/cold, so stick to plastic bottles.
REMEMBER: Holidays aren’t just a number on the calendar.  Give your soldier the best Christmas you can over there, then have another one when he or she gets home.  One of the best parts of this life is that you can have as many holidays a year you want.  And if you have kids, how stoked will they be that they get to have Christmas twice??

And of course, to get it there on time: Check the post-it-by deadlines

Happy Holidays!!


SOURCES/OTHER IDEAS:
USAA
US Air Force
SpouseBuzz.com (military spouse network)
My Army Strong Pinterest Board - for other ideas on making lemonade out of the Military Life

Food Photo Games: Roasted Cauliflower Soup

CONFESSION: I haven’t blogged in seven months.  *hangs head in shame* The truth is, I sat down at least a dozen times trying to think up something warm and fuzzy to write about.  Alas, this summer was a hideous black cloud of rain.  Literally.  Fort Lewis is no tropical paradise.



Still, I’m perfectly aware that I’m probably one of the luckiest people on the planet.  I have wonderful, caring parents who are endlessly supportive, and a boyfriend who makes me laugh (mostly at him) and reminds me of the joy in every day.

I know, I know.  Finish your barfing noises and come back when you’re ready.

Good? Good.  So the above portions of spectacular support and love birthed this beautiful baby - a brand spankin’ new camera.  Which I had to play with.  Immediately.   Which means whatever is available to me must fall victim to the glass.

Since Matt has two states of being - (1) at work and (2) catatonic, and he wouldn't appreciate me posting a million photos of him zonked out, this means the only available victim is food.

I’ve had this recipe floating around from this blog I read, Two Peas and Their Pod.  The writer/cook/spectacular food photog swears up and down that people who don’t like cauliflower will even like this vegetarian soup she made - out of cauliflower.  I was skeptical.  But, I have been trying to give people the chance to pleasantly impress me.

And she did.

Guys.  This soup.  Whole.  Ee. Crap.  Creamy, warm, comforting, cheesy goodness.  Of course, Matt and I aren’t vegetarians.  And I’m pretty sure that at the very least, if I tried to convince Matt to go vegetarian with me, he might trade me in for a new car.  So I made some alterations.  But I’ll have you know that the original is hers.  And you can find the vegetarian version here (she actually measured mostly, which I don’t do.  It’s a hereditary problem.  We’re allergic to measuring utensils).  Mine is NOT vegetarian-friendly, and I used what I had on hand - translating to no fresh herbs.

MY version will embark very vaguely, with the wonderful low-light capabilities of my shiny new Nikon D600.  My flash is, of course, broken.  And our apartment complex doesn’t believe in things like windows and happiness, so the fact that the D600 can manage a 2000 ISO without submitting you to a horror of grain just makes me so happy I could go help myself to seconds.  I still claim no glories of having any variety of talent in the way of food photography. Some day, when the man I feed is actually home during daylight hours, and when we live somewhere with windows, I might put a little more effort into the sect.  Until then, hire me to take photos for you so I can buy a new flash (smiley face).

I started out with some on-super-sale steamer bags of cauliflower (four of them).  I tossed them onto a baking sheet (raw), sprinkled with olive oil (I really wish I’d had some PAM olive oil on hand - that would have been so much easier), thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and garlic powder.

I popped them in the oven at 400 for 25 minutes, checking on them halfway to make sure they were browning evenly.  Then I pulled them out to let them cool a touch.


Meanwhile, I cooked a half of a diced yellow onion with a LOT of minced garlic (I use the stuff in a jar) in a pretty healthy-sized pot (it needs to be big enough for all that cauliflower patiently waiting for your attention.  I’m guessing it was probably about a teaspoon and a half.  Once it was cooked through, I turned off the heat and threw in some more rosemary, thyme, and pepper.


Then I scooped up those gorgeous brown-edged roasted pieces of white mystery and tossed them in the pot, poured some low-sodium chicken broth over the top until about 3/4s of the flowers were covered.  Pop on a lid and tucker up the heat.  Then I sat easy until it boiled ferociously.  It didn’t take long for the cauli to be cooked through - fork easy.

If you have an immersion blender, I’m jealous.  I had to scoop them suckers (onions, garlic, cauliflower, and broth) into a blender in parts, blend it on low until smooth, and pour it back into the pot.


Then I let it sit pretty, pouring in chicken broth to thin it out a touch more as necessary, and letting the spices marry into the flowers and broth.  About a half hour before I was ready to die from starvation, I grated half a brick of white cheddar cheese (about a cup, shredded) and stirred it into the soup, saving some to garnish with later.  Then I tossed some sliced fungus onto the same baking sheet I used for the caulis with some chopped turkey bacon and roasted them at 400 for 10 minutes with some olive oil, garlic powder, and rosemary.


Let me tell somshing to jou! - Garnishing with a scoop of roasted mushrooms, a spoon of bacon, and a wee pile of white cheddar took a beautifully delicious soup to another level. 

Seriously, guys.  Go to the grocery store and buy some cauliflower (I never thought I’d say that).  I gotta admit, somewhere in the blending process, I was doubtful the pale creamy substance would be worth the effort.  But I’m definitely making this again.



After I buy an immersion blender...

Tutorial Times: Graphic Novel Effect

I've managed to stay functional all week, but I'll admit I continue to battle the frustrations of cabin fever.  I try to chain myself to the apartment, my budget as challenged as the fiscal cliff, I attempt to limit my spendings on groceries and absolute necessary purchases.  Of course I justify perusing the thrift stores - thanks to my new shopping techniques adopted from Beka (nothing is worth spending more than $5), its not the jump in logical explanation that the government is providing for cutting tuition assistance for our troops... (pardon my political commentary).  After all, I have a summer internship coming up in Tacoma, WA, where the average temperature ranges from 40 - 60 degrees.  I need layers, dammit!

As it turns out, I'm still forbidden from hitting the pavement as I battle a floating/wandering bone in my feet, instead limiting myself to strengh-training, yoga, and drooling.  Thus I also can't permit myself to wander the streets of Augusta with a photo challenge.  I can walk, and spend time on my feet, but I can't - in good sense - justify the risk when I don't feel I could outrun the criminals that inhabit Augusta's less savory areas. I must find other activities to occupy my time.

This week, between baking health-conscious muffins for Charlie Company's BK-dietitians/addicts and hunting for a green shirt to force on Matt for tomorrow's family St. Pat's dinner at my parent's house, I entertained myself with a few tutorials in photoshop.

One was an Avatar tutorial, which was in Spanish.  And, as it turns out, does not work so well with a non-professional photo.  Since I do not have permissions from people to publish altered photos of them, I was left with photos of Matt and myself to play with... which are not professional quality.  So... I didn't finish it because the direction it was going in, as you can see, was very... off.  Still, I'll link the tutorial I used.  A forewarning, though, it requires you to hunt down your own tattoos and avatar eyes.  Which I'm pretty sure is copyright infringement, but hey, don't use it for financial gain, and I won't tell, ok?

Originally, my idea was to black out the back and edit our clothes to look kinda bohemian, but the faces started to freak me out, so I abandoned ship mid-project.

Anyway, what I did enjoy, and I believe turned out quite well, was a cartoon/graphic novel effect I kind of threw together myself.  Per the usual way, I created my own technique the same way my mom creates her "recipes:"  Take three or four different ways, and twist them together into your own creation.  I'll link the tutorials I used below.

1. Start with a high - contrast image.  If your image isn't high-contrast (ie: significant light vs. dark), you can doctor it with an Adjustment (using Curves or the Burn/Dodge tool), but it probably still won't look particularly amazing.  The computer needs significant contrast to create an outline, much like your autofocus on your camera needs some contrast to set a focal length.



2.  Duplicate the layer.  (Right-click on the layer and select "Duplicate Layer" from the drop-down menu).  Make sure the foreground color is black and the background is white. With the top layer selected, go to Filter > Sketch > Stamp.  Play with the Light/Dark and Smoothness levels until you get something you're happy with.  Click OK or Apply.




3.  You should now have a black and white rough outline of your image.  With this layer still selected, change the Layer Blend to "Multiply."  This will mostly eliminate the white parts so you have a black outline over your digital image.  I erased elements I thought took away from the image, like excessively baggy under eyes or phantom shadows.  The finished product looks ok, but not really like somebody drew it.





















4.  Select the bottom layer (the original digital image).  What I usually do when applying filters is make sure I always have the original still available in case I don't like my end product, so duplicate the layer again an rename the bottom-most layer "Original."  Click the eye next to it so it becomes hidden and out of the way.  Select the unnamed layer, rename it "Palette Knife" and go to Filter>Artistic>Palette Knife.  Play with the settings until you get something you like.  I'd suggest enabling the Preview so you can see it behind your black outline.  Click OK/Apply.

Pay attention to what kind of detail you want to carry over in your effect.  I'm paying attention to Matt's eyebrows and the color intensity/ brightness of his eyes.

I did this with a few different images, trying it with both Palette Knife and Paint Daubs effects to see which was more appropriate.  I found Paint Daubs left more detail in the textures, where Palette Knife put more vibrant color in, so I think it just depends on what image you're working as to which effect you want to use. (Surprisingly, Watercolor just looked like a mess, which was the first effect I tried.)

For this particular image, all the detail Paint Daubs effect gives me is held up with the stamp, so I ended up using the Palette Knife in my finished image.

In all of the images I played with, I made several effect layers to test Palette vs Paint.  The layer that held the detail I wanted is the one I kept.

5.  Voila!  Easy, quick, cartoonized graphic-novel effect.

















Check it out: (Sources)

Avatar Tutorial - It's in Spanish.  Why I chose to follow the one in Spanish is still a mystery, but I do think I'll end up trying it again when I get some good shots of people and get permissions to transform them into a fictional alien creature.... with my own twists/shortcuts, of course.

Cartoon Technique #1 - TechGuyTales, Youtube.com - This was the foundation of my technique.  This guy goes into some intense color-over detail, but I wasn't particularly that patient at the time.*

Cartoon Technique #2 - PhotoShopDudes, Youtube.com - If you have the patience to stick with this guy through his oopsies, by all means.  I can't blame him, but this is exactly why I don't make video tutorials.  Joking smiley face.*

*Both of these tutorials use vaguely similar techniques, hand coloring in with paintbrush.  Which I find to be a complete waste of time.  If I wanted block color, I would use the Pen tool and create a Clipping Mask.  Alas, Photoshop is a miracle time-saver and can do the coloring for you.  So... why waste the time?

Cartoon Technique #3 - via Illustrator - Jesse Hora Dot Com via VectorTuts.com - This is the old, traditional way I have done cartoons in the past, it's more free-form, hand-drawn computer-style... if you like hyphens.  I used this technique in my Senior Portfolio, and it turned out pretty well.  This guy is a lot better.

Self-portrait circa 2011 for my Senior Portfolio (Free-hand with photo reference in Illustrator), with one of my favorite quotes from my favorite book in high school.

Photography Philosophy: A Lily in the Storm

I had trouble falling asleep last night.  Matt had conked out by 9:30, having battled fatigue all week long as he hammered away at the pile of legal messes his soldiers had created for him. He snored not-so-lightly as I waited for sleep to come, finishing out a disc of How I Met Your Mother, and mind wandering to and fro, comparing the person I was two years ago to the person I am now, how different I thought my life would be now.  At some point, I gave up on nodding off to one of Barney's long lists of rules or 83% statistics, and rolled onto my side, closing my eyes and willing the sheep to fly across my cranium.  I dreamt I was photographing a large plain, a wide expanse of tall grasses, a storm raging in the distance.  For whatever reason, the spot I set up my tripod was right in front of a callilily.  Must have been a stubborn little bastard to survive in a dry plain, but who's to question the wanderings of my subconscious?  I saw the expanse as if through a camera lens, adjusting the depth of field and allowing the autofocus to confuse itself between the darkness of the storm on the horizon, and the white of the calilily in the foreground.

I could write a six page philosophy about life and tie it to photography any day of the week.  I'm a master of babble (suck it Mumford and Sons!)  Not so surprisingly, I frequently think of at least a dozen philosophy of photography posts to write about simply while running through my facebook feed, or perusing the headlines every morning.  Granted, I would probably get off a wee bit off topic and at some fateful moment, wander back into the oblivion of a "point" before, oddly exhausted and satisfied, click "Publish," lean back onto the couch and sigh... before then going back to re-read and edit the post six times to make it worthy of linking to Facebook and Twitter.

Hiking in the woods of the South Carolina Foothills, Thanksgiving 2011. © Heather Cortright 2011.

Lately, I've been trying to limit my blog posts to something more essential, and, because life has been batch after batch of lemonade in the last few months, it's been difficult to focus outside of my own struggles with this whole "positive attitude perspective."  It's not that I've allowed purple dinosaurs to take up residence in my brain, with singing Koom-bye-ah and holding hands and hugging trees and whatnot; it's just that life is a little easier to pursue when I'm finding the silver linings, and being happy with the simplicities that make every day a little easier.  The less-is-more concept.  So every morning, when I get angry reading the ignorance and close-minded posts of my peers, when I'm forced to change the passwords of my e-mail accounts, and monitor my bank accounts because some bored selfish computer nerd in Romania decided to invest time in breaking into my computer so they could spam my friends and family, I start to rant, imagining a post stretching into a rambling abyss, angry at the world for it's idiocy, etc.

The eye falls on the brightest part of an image.  Rites of Passage Ceremony, Fort Knox, KY, July 2011.

Then I have to calm myself down.  I have to focus on the good things, letting my depth of field slip outside of the limited range of negative space, and refocus on the beautiful detail in the bigger picture.  Readjusting the aperture to let the negative space blur.  See, one of the beautiful things about photography is that you can control where the eye falls.  You can decide, as the photographer, what the focal point of the image is.  In my dream, I could have picked up the tripod, moved it a foot to the left, eliminating the flower from the frame, and focus a long depth of field on the approaching clouds.  Or, I could shorten the depth of field, allowing the haunting light of a wide aperture illuminate the bud, the darkness blurring into a beautiful contrast behind it.  Or, even still, I could set up a fill flash on the white petals, close up the aperture, and click the shutter, capturing this gorgeous scene of a single soldier of nature, standing out before a horrific tempest.  In the latter option, it doesn't matter that the entire shot is in focus.  The f/22 stop would give the viewer all of the information necessary to take in the whole story, yes, but still, the eye falls to the light part of the image.  It's a rule of visual communications.  A light spot surrounded by a dark contrast will be the focal point of the image.  Our eye, with the big, dark, looming negativity in sight, will find the lily to be the most important piece of information.

And, that, friends, is why photography is so beautiful.  It illuminates the human nature in us to withstand the cold.  To focus on the positive space, even amidst the storm.

Big Things Part 2 - My mom is usually right

DISCLAIMER: This post is to inform family and friends who had heard rumors about my "new job" about what's going on.  I don't particularly enjoy re-telling stories.  Those of you who are just happening across it, I hope what you take from the following is positive.

This morning I deleted the post I had been working on announcing my new job to family and friends: Public Affairs Specialist in the South Carolina National Guard.  It still stings to think about the choice I was faced with, but, to assure all of you now, I know it was the right one.

Two months ago to the day, I got a call from SFC Cashion, an incredible NCO-IC (Non Commissioned Officer In Charge, ie: the boss-man of the enlisted side) of the Public Affairs team at the South Carolina National Guard.  This guy had been fighting to get me on his team for months, and they had finally received word that one of their journalists was leaving, and I was the first name to mind as a replacement.  I went in two weeks later to meet his CO (Commanding Officer) for a final interview, where they officially offered me a job, put me in touch with a recruiter, and introduced me to my future co-workers.  Over the next three weeks, I filled out paperwork, met with recruiters, and started studying to prepare for Basic Training.  My enlistment date was set for Jan 30.

I notified my future command that I was in a relationship with an Active Duty Officer, a Captain stationed at Fort Gordon, as suggested by Matt. He had already reviewed the AR (Army Regulation) four or five times to confirm that it wouldn't be an issue, but it's always a good idea to keep your command informed, just in case.  The following Monday, Matt sat down with his own command to let them know I was enlisting.  That's when the first shoe dropped.

"It shouldn't be a problem, as long as the two of you don't contact one another while she's in training," they said.

We chalked it up to being an illegal relationship because Matt was going to be commanding Trainees (brand-new soldiers, still in initial training to become full-fledged soldiers), and decided that since my training would only be six months, vs a lifetime of opportunity opened up for me, it would be worth it (our chalk was uninformed).  But, just in case, I wanted Matt to check with JAG (military legal professionals) to be sure that it wouldn't have any long-term harm on his career if we were in contact at some point.  While he tried to pin down some straight answers, I moved forward with filling out paperwork and background checks.  Luckily, due to getting hit with a vicious cold virus, my enlistment date was pushed to Feb 1, a 24-hour period that may have saved us from a huge mistake.

On Jan 29th, Matt finally snagged a meeting with a JAG officer.  He called home directly following the meeting, and with a grave tone in his voice, informed me that our relationship would be deemed illegal anytime I was called to Active Duty.

For any other National Guard unit, this wouldn't be a big deal.  But for the PAO (Public Affairs Office), who are activated frequently (roughly 3-5 days every month, sometimes more) for missions both interstate, and abroad,  who were due for a nine-month deployment in January of 2014, who are activated for any natural disaster (like Irene, Katrina, tornadoes in Kansas, etc), or any national interest (half his team were deployed to New Mexico for a nine-month mission covering border control), it's a big deal.  Any and every time I was activated, we would be risking not only Matt's military career, but also his capacity to pursue a civilian career afterward due to putting him on the line for a dishonorable discharge (for an "inappropriate relationship between enlisted member and an officer"), and becoming unemployable.  We did everything we could to find a loophole.  My NCO consulted his JAG officers, Matt spoke with two more JAG officers on multiple occasions, I delved through dozens of legal briefs my recruiter e-mailed to me.  The regulation was black and white - our relationship would be deemed illegal for the whole of my eight years serving as an enlisted soldier with the National Guard.  It didn't matter that it was a pre-existing relationship; it didn't matter that we wouldn't be serving in the same units; the bottom line was that, not only did his command already know we were together, but his JAG office knew.  All it would take is one slip-up - one wrong Facebook post that the FRG (Family Readiness Group, made up of military wives) saw and questioned what I did for a living, one awkward moment at an event where someone asked Matt where I was if I was on a mission or deployed, and he hesitated how to answer, one devious or vindictive coworker reporting us - and my dream job would challenge Matt's entire career, everything he has worked so hard for.  It would challenge us, as a couple.

Sure, we had other options.  But they were limited - 1) Break up or 2) Turn down the job.  The Army was, for all intensive purposes, asking me to choose between the best thing that has ever happened to me, and my dream job. 

Courtesy of Mr. Vaughan, Matt and I at his Battle Buddy/ our best friend's Change of Command ceremony last November.

Well, breaking up wasn't even on the table.  For either one of us, we didn't even discuss it.  I had just moved in with Matt on Jan 12, we were (and are) infinitely happy together.  And I had always believed that if you were doing something you had to hide, than you shouldn't be doing it.  We didn't want to hide.  And with literally no precedence to refer to on how harsh the punishments could get if we got caught, risking Matt's career just wasn't worth it.

So a very difficult, very late night discussing our options, with (I'm a journalist, so I'll tell the real story how it happened) several tearful moments buried into Matt's chest, I called SFC Cashion at 9:30 AM on Jan 30th (my original enlistment date), and told him I could not accept his offer.

Headed out on the town on our first weekend away together, in Charleston, SC.  September 2012.

Matt and I have a back-up plan for my career, which we're currently working on pursuing.  Yes, we. (And to clarify, I'm not giving up on my dream, we're just finding another way to achieve it.) And no, I'm not ready to talk about it yet.  I'm tired of publishing my chickens before they hatch, so please respect that.  For the record, though, I've known since Day 1 that falling in love with a military man would require it's sacrifices.  This is one of them, and though I can't say I was happy to do it, I am happy that I can say with all confidence that Matt is just as invested in my professional success as I am in his.  We will get there, and we will do it together. And I find that I am ridiculously proud of him, what he does, and who he is, every single hour of every single day.  I do not, nor will I ever, regret this decision.

Perhaps right now you're criticizing me; perhaps you think me naive, or immature; perhaps you think I've made a mistake.  And that's fine.  You're allowed.  But, as my mom said in the midst of this whole mess: "Anyone who has seen you and Matt together would understand."  And my mom is usually right.

Source: imgfave.com via Maiysha on Pinterest

Big Things Part 1: Matt's Change of Command

I realize I've been silent for the past six weeks, and I apologize (mostly to myself) for it.  I won't go into all of the details just yet, but on top of the frustrations of getting kicked on my butt with a vicious cold virus, continuing to struggle with healing my feet, and frantically preparing for Matt's Change of Command, I got a job offer that also required an enormous amount of attention.  I was keeping it close to my chest during the process because this is a job I had been unofficially offered before.  I made a big to-do about it back then, and it ended up falling through.  This time, the offer was official, and literally two days before I was scheduled to sign on the dotted line to accept it, I had to turn it down.

There are a lot of reasons why I decided on that route, and, like I said, I won't go into all of the details just yet.  All of you who are shaking your fists at me and calling me an idiot, slow your roll.  A lot of big things have been in the making, and I'll get to it. The point right now is that, thus far, 2013 has been very hard on us (us being Matt and myself.)  Up until yesterday, we didn't have a lot to celebrate, just a series of disappointing news stacking up on top of each other.  But, yesterday, at 8am, Matt accepted responsibility of 300 AIT soldiers. (AIT = Advanced Individual Training.  This is where soldiers learn their MOS or their job in the Army.  Kind of a college crash course. Matt's company is full of computer guys.  Their jobs will basically be the IT guys of the Army.)

Every day for the past two months, Matt has had a daily quota of saying "I can't wait to take command."  A quota he has dutifully fulfilled, I might add.  He's spent his time after graduating the Captain's Career Course on staff of his future battalion, meeting colleagues, taking notes, and getting a feel for how things function on the ground. ("On the ground," by the way, is an Army general phrase for "in the area," or "in training." ie: Matt was getting a feel for how the unit functioned as a whole.)  In the long run, I kept reminding him, it would be to his advantage, but I know he was eager to put all of his training to the test and flex his CPT (Captain) muscles.

The eventful day dawned cloudy, slightly breezy, and dreary as hell.  It's been raining in Augusta since Sunday, and they decided bright and early in the week to move the ceremony indoors.  To my grave displeasure.  With funds running freakishly meager, I decided not to waste gas money on renting a lens for the occasion and just hope with every fiber of my being that the weather would heed my call.  To no avail.  So I packed up all my less-than-worthy zoom lenses and hoped for the best.  The pictures did not turn out to my standards, and I'm not pleased with them, but I remind you (and myself) that I was seated as part of the family of the new commander, and didn't precisely have the freedoms to wander around snapping my shutter like the three PAOs I enviously observed circling INSIDE the formation (ugh!).  Captions explain what's going on in the shots.

The company Matt took over dubs themselves "C-Rock."  C standing for Charlie Company, and The Rock (like from Fantastic Four) being their mascot.  The Spartan helmet represents the Battalion - 447th - "The Spartans."

Captain Daley, who received the guidon (the flag) from 1SG Johnson (the commander of troops; ie: the company commander's right hand man, he executes the orders), hands the guidon on to his battalion commander, LTC Ruder.  During Change of Command ceremonies, the handing of the guidon signifies the flow of responsibility.  Commander of Troops to Outgoing Commander to Battalion Commander to Incoming Commander back to Commander of Troops, it goes up the chain of command, and back down again.

I'm still surprised he managed not to grin when LTC Ruder handed him the guidon.

After the handing of the guidon, the speeches begin, starting with the battalion commander.  LTC Ruder talked about how Matt was "chomping at the bit," to take command, and even mentioned how I "confirmed his suspicions" that Matt was ready to get out of Staff Duty and into the boss-man role.  (Oops.)

CPT Daley (Jeff), the Outgoing Commander, had trouble getting through his speech as he thanked all of the people who helped him through it, including his wife and children for being so understanding in how they had to "share daddy with others."

CPT Daley left Matt a present on top of his speech - a diaper, to tease him about his youth, just as Matt had teased Jeff about his age.  Matt is the youngest Company Commander in the Battalion, possibly even the Brigade, as most before him were "prior enlisted," meaning they had been soldiers before becoming officers.

Matt's speech was short and sweet, at less than a minute.  He set a precedence for himself that he tends to keep.  "I hate when a brief isn't brief," he told me later that night.  He kept to his word this morning during his first safety brief of his NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers, the soldiers who execute his orders and oversee the AIT soldiers), and intends to continue doing so through tonight's safety brief of the trainees.

Matt salutes his commander, LTC Ruder, as Ruder leaves the formation, and thus leaves him in charge.

Matt and his "Battle" (a term Army uses to officially refer to a colleague.  In casual terms, it tends to refer to a strong friendship with someone who has been through battle with you), Beka, who took command of a company last November, and has been Matt's best friend since they graduated from West Point in 2008.

Matt and his mom, who drove eight hours down from Fort Campbell in Tennessee to be here.

Matt and his parents.  Mr. Sinda is a technology teacher at a high school in Michigan.

Matt's family, who rarely get an opportunity to all be together.

Matt's sister, Taylor (on left) and his brother, Shane (on right).

Matt and Beka with their Brigade Commander, COL Elle, a friendly and efficient boss.

Matt's XO (Executive Officer, generally held by a 1LT at the company level), comparing his photos with who I assume to be the Brigade PAO (Public Affairs Officer - ie the photographer who not only covers Matt's company, but all the companies and events two levels up from his command).

Matt (I'm going to try to fix his eyes so they're open), his brigade commander, his battalion commander, and his battle.

It's tradition to give roses to the closest female of both commanders at the beginning of the ceremony.  Red for the outgoing commander's lady to signify the loyalty and devotion of the command to the lady, as well as the sacrifices she had to make to support the commander, and yellow for the incoming to signify a warm welcome and friendship the command extends to the commander's lady.  Matt shook up tradition by asking for two bouquets of yellow roses, one for his mom, and one for me.

As soon as Matt found out he had gotten the position, people started asking me how I felt about never seeing him again for the next two years.  Knowing how much Matt loves his job, and how protectively hard he will work to make sure his soldiers are ok, I decided to ensure Matt remembers not to work too hard, so I got the picture below framed, and the graphic below printed on a mousepad for his office, to remind him there are things waiting for him at home.  I doubt I needed to do it though.  This morning, Matt told me he made two reservations tonight for our Valentine's dinner - one for if he manages to get off of work on time, and one for if he has to stay late.  So I think we're prepared to make things work.  I'm ridiculously proud of his accomplishments (though I can't claim I had any part on helping him reach his goals - yet), and I'm ecstatic that he's doing a job that he loves.  I know he'll feel the same when my chance comes.

Matt and me before one of my best friend's weddings last November.

 

A graphic I made for Matt when he and I had first started dating to show off my photoshop skills.  (I drew all of it using various effects and techniques.) Irene is the name of his car and is his most prized possession.

For the ceremony, Matt's family all traveled many many many miles down.  They also have had a rough year, so the opportunity for all of them to be together for a couple days was a rare treat, and Matt was stoked he got to have them here.  (He tries to deny it, but the boy is a family man through and through.)  Fourteen plus truck-fire-traffic hours from Michigan (where his dad teaches, and his sister is prepping for PA school in May), and eight hours from Tennessee (where his mom is helping his 1LT brother through a rough health problem), both parties arrived safely Tuesday evening.  This was my first time meeting them, so, considering my severe lack of experience being acquainted with "the parents," I was a mite nervous.  Me being me, I was worried - well, that being me and speaking my mind - would end up with an offense or something. As far as I'm aware, things went well and we all emerged from the week drama-free. They all headed back home this morning.


In other news, now that I have a little more time on my hands, I will try to make sure I post more consistently.  With my feet finally on the mend, I can start venturing forth for more photo adventures and find more excuses to re-attach my trusty Nikon to my palm. Babbling complete.