Brief bit about my Army time.

Video I made when I was in Iraq. (video)
Some may know, some may not but I served 8 years in the United States Army. Going into basic training during the summer of 1996 at Ft. Jackson, SC, and having my 29th birthday during basic training, I was the 4th oldest in my company. Two other trainees were older, but fell out of basic training. I was even older than some drill SGTS.  Being yelled at from drill Sgts was not  a big thing. I got yelled at growing up from pretty much everyone....hey what can I say, being a sarcastic, smart ass is a gift! (LOL) ANYWAY, I was in charge of my platoon for the full 8 weeks of basic training. First one up, last one out. Being in charge of 80 or so soldiers is not an easy task, especially when you end up with pneumonia and bronchitis. I was not about to give up, or go to a doctor. I was in such bad shape that I coughed so hard and pulled muscles on my left side. Everything I did hurt. From running two plus miles, situps, pushups. You name it.

After basic training it was onto AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Ft. Rucker, AL for Aviation Operation Specialist. And then my final destination, Ft. Campbell, KY. HOOAH!!! I learned a lot during those 8 years. I did various jobs from Aviation Operations, to light wheel mechanic, to being a driver for key Officers. My goal in the Army was to be an Apache pilot and be assigned to 160th Special Operations (The Night Stalkers) The reason that did not happen will be spoken a bit more in private, and it wasn't from my doing. Someone I listened to, and I should not have. But the good thing is that if it did happen, I would not have the lovely kids I have, and the beautiful wife I married. So I am grateful things turned out the way they did despite not becoming a pilot. The military training, lasting friends, stationed in Europe, deployed to the Middle East for nearly two years to search for WMD (seriously??) Nothing was there. (Thanks Bush....NOT!)

I think that was the hardest thing I had to go through. Training was a breeze. Everything the drill sgts tell you is that if you have mental strength is the key to making it in the military. I have seen guys who come in, and boast about how physically strong they are, or they were the best player playing high school football. So? You want a cookie or something? Without mental strength, your physical strength is nothing. I saw these so-called "tough" guys wash out. Cry for mommy at night because they could not handle the pressure.

Now back to what I was saying, being deployed was the hardest thing I had to go through. My wife Adda, and our first child Anya, came back to her country of Iceland as I was shipped to the Middle East. Getting pictures of them, or getting to talk to Adda on the phone or the internet was the highlight of my day.  It's too bad that others who were out there did not care much for their spouses. Husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends found "ways" with others to cope during the deployment. Unbelieveable!  I saw relationships destroyed, and of course I was thinking, would my wife wait for me, and she was thinking the same thing. We held onto the feeling that we will get through this. We will not be destroyed by this.

A homecoming video my cousin made (video)
We were told that we would only be there for 6 months, and that turned into 3 more months, then 3 more months and so on. Then 3 months in Kuwait. It took having lunch with then Vice Presidential candidate Senator Leibewietz (spelling) Al Gore's running mate to get us back. He didn't want to hear from the officers, he wanted to hear from the enlisted soldiers and we told him the things that were going on. A month after that we were home. I could have gone on and on about a lot of things. I just wanted to do a brief (very brief) bit about my Army time. I can elaborate on so much more, but maybe I will save that for another time. So when Veterans Day rolls around, and Memorial Day, give thanks to those service members who leave everything behind, and give thanks to the wives, and FATHERS who are home taking care of the kids and household. Keeping things together. They deserve as much praise as the service members. So too my wife Adda (Arnbjörg) thank you for being there, thank you for sticking with me while I was deployed, and after coming home for the things we went through. I am truly grateful for marrying you, and calling you my wife! I love you!