Juicy?
Well I am not sure this is juicy but it's a warm fuzzy part of the bigger story which I will tell later (I am still giving the general a few more days to respond). So as you know I live on a military post. I try to be involved as much as I can and keep up on issues and events going on in our area (as every good military spouse should do). Anyways in my attempts to do this I went to one of our town hall meetings. If you have never been to one, I highly recommend it. The officials of the post attend this meeting. people like the LTC of the division, the DeCa guy, the AAFES guy, the provost marshall, housing manager you get the idea. They get the head of whatever facility where they anticipate the issues will come from. Great plan if you ask me. They also give out door prizes in an attempt to get more people to attend. The Army is awesome! They really want us to be there and tell them what's on our minds. So at this particular meeting the issues were mostly about the new traffic pattern necessary because of renovations being made at the main gate. So people had the opportunity to say what was bothering them because of this change, for instance one lady lives near the smaller gate opened to let people off post and she has observed vehicles speeding and not stopping at stop signs. She was concerned for her children's safety. So the MP guy said no problem we'll get a few patrol cars out there and enforce the speed limit and rules more. (and sure enough the next day I went out that gate twice and both times a patrol car was sitting there with a radar gun I smiled and thought now that is awesome, after I slowed down of course)
So another lady had an issue of troops doing PT in her front yard. Physical Training is done on post M-F mornings from 7-7:45 am. Every soldier, which is alot, has to run around and exercise. Mostly they run, but they also do sit ups and ruck marches or even play football. They mostly do this in big groups, units or battalions...whatever. They also call cadence when they run. These cadences are songs that keep them in step and build up excitement I guess. When you have a ton of guys singing it can be a little loud and sometimes a few obscenities fly here and there, not surprising it is the Army ya know. So this woman was upset that she had smaller children who didn't have to get up for school and these soldiers were waking her and her children up doing PT too close to her home. So the LTC said well, they shouldn't be doing PT any earlier than 7am, shouldn't be in a housing area so let me know after the meeting where you live and I'll go out there figure out who it is and get it right for you. That sounded awesome to me and thought it was the end of that well she kept griping about it, got disrespectful to the LTC and was just rather unsatisfied by his solution. So he took some other peoples questions and then came to this other lady who stood up and said: "um yeah I just have a comment for that other lady...I live about 20 feet from Area X ( a range I guess) and I hear all day nights and weekends too mortar fire, gun fire and the dude on the loud speaker calling out orders...is it annoying? Sure it is. But I deal with it because I know I want our soldiers to know how to shoot and I know I want them in top physical condition so I live with it, knowing it makes our homes safer everyday. You live on a military post for the security it provides and then bitch because that security training is too loud in the morning that you want to sleep in?? GIVE ME A BREAK!!! wow! I couldn't have said that better myself! I wanted to go hug that lady! We all just clapped for her as loud as we could!! Right on sister! you get it! you really do! I am glad I am not the only one who is grateful to live here, respectful of our soldiers and leaders who sacrifice everything to go defend us and our country. I don't even know that woman, I tired to find her after the meeting but she had already left. I wanted to shake her hand and thank her for having the courage and saying something we all wanted to. Thank you whoever you are!
5 Comments:
Oh I like that person! I was thinking that the whole time I was reading!!! Woo Hoo for people who have brains!
That complainer lady should find a hobby.
Or she should MOVE off post.
Tanker
Huh- you learn something new everyday. The Town Hall meetings make a lot of sense, especially since there are senior people there to really take actions.
I am so glad that the lady near the range stood up and sounded off. Good for her :-)
I agree..I dont think I would of got up and made such a fuss about PT at a town hall meeting. I think running is fine, but I dont think they should yell cadence right behind housing units.. but it reminds me of this one lady that lived in my circle.. she would talk about how this other lady and I were always out talking at the school bus stop and her window was up and it would wake her up while she was still sleeeping at 8 something in the morning, when she should be up anyways..hmm who could that be??? hee hee.... havent seen your blog in a while and thought I would say hi.. :)
YES!! That woman is my role model.
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