My First Week In NJ

I'm up at Ft. Dix, NJ (yes, that's really the name). I've been here since last Sunday for the Management of Aerial Port Operations Course. It's a really good class and I've learned a lot more about why things are done the way they are in not only my career field but in the Air Force and DoD Transportation System. Now I have answers to questions that I asked as an Airman. It's sad that no one would (or maybe they couldn't) explain it to me. Anyway, I've been spending a lot of time studying. I've been out of my career field for a while, so this is helping me to gain more knowledge and acclimate faster. I'm not on track for distinguished graduate, but that's OK because even people senior to me scored less than I did.

OK, so at the conclusion of my first week things weren't going so well. I don't want to go to NYC, I've been there and it didn't impress me much. I could go to Philly, but I feel guilty seeing new things without Erin and Ian. So, I resigned myself to hanging around Bordentown, NJ and studying for my next stripe.

Last night (Friday) I planned on getting some good food, having a few beers and studying. I got a really good veal parmesan with penne pasta and a disgusting soup with chicken and cabbage. This veal parm is the real deal! OK, so I ate, had a beer and put the CD in the laptop. Then I hear a muffled boom, boom, boom. GREAT! Techno music! It sounded like spaceships were invading. I looked out my window and expected to see green men in silver suits with laser guns. Instead I see greasy hair and tight pants. Yes. Guidos. They were here for a party in the banquet room.

So, I try to study, but I cant concentrate over the techno music and the sound of 200 people chomping their gum. I swear I heard Fran Drescher's laugh more than once. I almost went to get an autograph... and punch her in the ear. I gave up on studying and watched some TV. I eventually drifted... OK, I didn't drift off to sleep, I passed out from exhaustion at 2 am when the "music" stopped and everyone spit their gum out. I can still hear the laugh in my head though. It's burned into my brain like a brand in the ass of the veal that I ate.

So, Erin calls and wakes me up this morning. She wasn't expecting me to be sleeping but I dont have any plans and I had to try to erase the laugh from my head. I finally showered and got dressed around 11 and came over to Dunkin' Donuts around noon. I love this place. Chocolate glazed donuts are the best thing since... veal. Maybe they should feed chocolate glazed donuts to the veal calves?

Here I sit, with a few Arab guys that seem to own the place. This area has a lot of Arabs. I'm not trying to be insensitive. I don't know where they come from so I'm generalizing. There was a large family here when I got here. They're the typical loud Jersey family. They were doing NOTHING to break down the stereotype. Anyway, one of them is a 1st LT in the Army. He looks to be a few years younger than I am. He's talking about his upcoming deployment and I glean from their not so quiet shouting match that others are coming from out of town to meet him. I assume he's leaving soon. He's in his ACU's and is feeding his adoring family snippets of info that aren't particularly important. Remember, there are Arabs sitting 12-15 feet behind him. If I can hear it, so can they.

So he's talking about the training that their medics get and how they train on pigs. It's a necessary evil. Nothing too shocking. BUT, he decides to look important and says "don't repeat this, it's kinda classified". No it's not. It's no secret. He just wanted to do some chest beating. He kept saying things like "with my rank, I can..." and "my soldiers know that they cant..."

So I'm sitting here trying to mind my business and enjoy my small piece of chocolate glazed heaven. He started another story with "don't repeat this either, it's classified." I cleared my throat loudly. By loudly, it sounded like a grizzly bear was choking on a rabbit. They all looked at me and I gave a stern look and shook my head. The conversation got quiet and I heard "who the hell is he?" I took out my ID card and held it up. Lt Moron just kept quiet and looked defeated.

We all get briefed about Communications/Operations Security. We're not allowed to talk about things with people that don't need to know. Hell, Erin still doesn't know some of the places I've been or things that I've done. I don't really like it, but it's the way it is. She's accepted it and understands. There are some things we cant talk about and then there are things that we just don't want to talk about.

In hindsight, I realize that this guy HAS to be the stupidest officer in the Army. It's well known that Lt's don't know anything. But I have a pretty short haircut and they saw me pull up in my rental "car". There are TONS of military people staying here because lodging on base is full. They all left, and me and Lt Assclown had a little stare down. He lost.

So now I'm almost finished with my extra large coffee, and I'm sucking the remnants of the donuts from my teeth. I'm going to drive down to a local outdoors store because I saw a big banner advertising a sale.

I may go have lunch at Red Robin. My good friend the Lt mentioned that they are all going there for lunch.