Javelin Thrust 2009 (JT09) was a huge success! The Marines of Det 2 Allentown completed their mission, directly aiding in the overall fulfilment of the operation. Comm Company maintained their systems with nearly 100% up-time and quickly resolved any and all issues that arose. We spent the "down time" providing and receiving training on our equipment and the equipment of the other communications company that was present. Marines received instruction on proper radio procedures and customs, set-up and operation of the RSAM and other switchboard related hardware, and the set-up, maintenance, and troubleshooting of the Support Wide Area Network (SWAN) satellite suite.
During the operation, we had the opportunity to qualify for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) grey belt, learn proper foot patrol techniques and operations, take an instructional course on IED recognition and attack prevention, and also receive our Combat Life-Savers' Certifications (CLS).
After completion of the operation, Marines received improvised Professional Military Education (PME) on a variety of subjects including future weaponry and warfare, Operational Risk Management (ORM), and wilderness safety.
-Josh (Cpl Burky)
Showing posts with label josh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label josh. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Pre-Birthday
Today was an absolutely great day, spent entirely with the most wonderful woman in the whole world: my wife Jenn. We started off the day at my parents house, mostly because we passed out there around four A.M. after watching "Matrix Revolutions" with my brother Jon and our friend Luke. My parents have a nicer TV and bigger couch than we do... Anyways, after breakfast the wife and I came home to get ourselves ready for the rest of the day. Jenn's plan was to have me drive us around to mystery destinations that she had already chosen (and stored in the GPS) to celebrate my birthday.
Mystery Destination 1 was K-mart where we picked up a kite and frisbee for "later". On the way out the door we also grabbed (and paid for) a pizza. After that, it was back to the truck and off to Mystery Destination 2.
MD2: Shanks Park. We had a nice lunch together under the shade of a tree then spent some time just talking together. Of course there was absolutely no wind, so the kite never got flown. And it turns out that we got an alternate lifestyle frisbee 'caus we never did get the stupid thing to fly straight... but it was still fun and we enjoyed the time together. Once we determined that the frisbee was busted and the wind was not coming, we headed off to MD3.
MD3: Challenge Family Fun Center. Next on the list of places was CFFC, part of Indian Echo Caverns in the Hershey area. 22 holes of rather difficult bet very enjoyable mini-golf. Jenn and I managed to end the game with a tie, and even tied on the front ten too. Overall, we finished four under par, not too shabby! The highlight of the game was Jenn's "slo-mo" hole-in-one on hole 11. The shot barely made it up the one side of the bridge then slowly rolled down the other side, caught the edge of the course - barely staying on the green - which made the ball arc hard to the right, ending with a dramatic slow-crawl right up the the edge of the cup before finally dropping in. Nice shot Jenn! After the game we headed in to the arcade because we had a coupon for some tokens. Lots of fun games there, including Cyclone, Big Bertha, Duck Pins, Skee-Ball, and some FPS game, Time something II. We had lots of fun and ended up winning 500 tickets which we then traded for two foam finger-launch rockets, two punch balloons, and four airheads. We really wanted the inflatable snake-swords, but they were all out. Again, lots of fun, but it was time to move on the MD4.
MD4: dinner. At this time it was only three P.M., to dinner was put on hold and we decided to detour to Target to pick up my birthday present and to waste some time. En route to Target, we ran into some heavy traffic and a very horrible accident.
Detour 1: The motorcycle crash. Driving down 322 toward Harrisburg, traffic suddenly came to a screeching halt. We sat in traffic for over half an hour, only to find that a portion of 322 was closed off. We detoured to a side road that fed into another road, running parallel to the highway. From there we could see a little bit of what was going on. There was a motorcycle in the middle of the highway, and it looked like it had just survived a tour in vietnam. Also present was the coroner and the forensics team: not the people you want to see on a crash site. We saw later - on the return trip - that the wreck stretch about 500 yards dow the highway, starting with the front tire lodged under a guard rail and ending with the remains of a motorcycle. Needless to say, that put our day at a pause for a few minutes as we reflected on the tragedy that occurred and thought of the family and friends that mourned the loss of Antoinne Brown.
Detour 2: Target. Once we arrived at Target, we spent about an hour walking around and just hanging out. We picked up my present - a logitech wireless mouse and keyboard set - a card for my dad's upcoming birthday, and a scale (because I need to get in shape). It was really nice to just walk around with Jenn and spend some time doing "everyday stuff" together. Probably one of my favorite parts of the day. After Target (and the return trip back to Hershey), we finally got to MD4: dinner.
MD4: Isaac's Restaurant and Deli. We picked Isaac's because it was close and they have really good food. I got a "Twisted Chicken" (Grilled premium chicken breast, cheddar cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes with dijon mustard and mayo) and Jenn had the Rainbow Parrot (Corned beef on pumpernickel with melted Muenster cheese, crunchy cole slaw and fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce, all topped with Thousand Island dressing). And, yes, I did just copy and paste the descriptions from the Isaac's website. And what dinner is complete without dessert? A cheesecake with brownie chunks and whipped cream, topped with caramel, to be specific. Oh so very good. After the very filling dinner we stopped by my parents place again to pick up some "camping chairs" to use at MD5.
MD5: Shanks Park. Wait, Shanks Park? Wasn't that MD1..? How coincidental and quaint that the adventure should start and end at the same place. Turns out that Shanks hosts Turkey Hill's "drive in" movie night on the first weekend of every month. The flick was "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa", which I love. "Like you love the beach, or a good book. Or the beach." My family came as well and we had a fun evening watching a movie together.
Now the day is over and I have to say that it was one of the best days ever. I am so thankful to have Jenn as my wife. She definitely went out of her way to make sure that we had a great day together and spent I-don't-know-how-much time researching and planning to make everything happen as smoothly as it did. I don't deserve to have such an amazing and giving wife, but I am so glad that I do. Who knows where I'd be without my precious Jelly Bean!
Its off to bed now, the wife is starting to fall asleep. Goodnight and God Bless!
-Josh
Mystery Destination 1 was K-mart where we picked up a kite and frisbee for "later". On the way out the door we also grabbed (and paid for) a pizza. After that, it was back to the truck and off to Mystery Destination 2.
MD2: Shanks Park. We had a nice lunch together under the shade of a tree then spent some time just talking together. Of course there was absolutely no wind, so the kite never got flown. And it turns out that we got an alternate lifestyle frisbee 'caus we never did get the stupid thing to fly straight... but it was still fun and we enjoyed the time together. Once we determined that the frisbee was busted and the wind was not coming, we headed off to MD3.
MD3: Challenge Family Fun Center. Next on the list of places was CFFC, part of Indian Echo Caverns in the Hershey area. 22 holes of rather difficult bet very enjoyable mini-golf. Jenn and I managed to end the game with a tie, and even tied on the front ten too. Overall, we finished four under par, not too shabby! The highlight of the game was Jenn's "slo-mo" hole-in-one on hole 11. The shot barely made it up the one side of the bridge then slowly rolled down the other side, caught the edge of the course - barely staying on the green - which made the ball arc hard to the right, ending with a dramatic slow-crawl right up the the edge of the cup before finally dropping in. Nice shot Jenn! After the game we headed in to the arcade because we had a coupon for some tokens. Lots of fun games there, including Cyclone, Big Bertha, Duck Pins, Skee-Ball, and some FPS game, Time something II. We had lots of fun and ended up winning 500 tickets which we then traded for two foam finger-launch rockets, two punch balloons, and four airheads. We really wanted the inflatable snake-swords, but they were all out. Again, lots of fun, but it was time to move on the MD4.
MD4: dinner. At this time it was only three P.M., to dinner was put on hold and we decided to detour to Target to pick up my birthday present and to waste some time. En route to Target, we ran into some heavy traffic and a very horrible accident.
Detour 1: The motorcycle crash. Driving down 322 toward Harrisburg, traffic suddenly came to a screeching halt. We sat in traffic for over half an hour, only to find that a portion of 322 was closed off. We detoured to a side road that fed into another road, running parallel to the highway. From there we could see a little bit of what was going on. There was a motorcycle in the middle of the highway, and it looked like it had just survived a tour in vietnam. Also present was the coroner and the forensics team: not the people you want to see on a crash site. We saw later - on the return trip - that the wreck stretch about 500 yards dow the highway, starting with the front tire lodged under a guard rail and ending with the remains of a motorcycle. Needless to say, that put our day at a pause for a few minutes as we reflected on the tragedy that occurred and thought of the family and friends that mourned the loss of Antoinne Brown.
Detour 2: Target. Once we arrived at Target, we spent about an hour walking around and just hanging out. We picked up my present - a logitech wireless mouse and keyboard set - a card for my dad's upcoming birthday, and a scale (because I need to get in shape). It was really nice to just walk around with Jenn and spend some time doing "everyday stuff" together. Probably one of my favorite parts of the day. After Target (and the return trip back to Hershey), we finally got to MD4: dinner.
MD4: Isaac's Restaurant and Deli. We picked Isaac's because it was close and they have really good food. I got a "Twisted Chicken" (Grilled premium chicken breast, cheddar cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes with dijon mustard and mayo) and Jenn had the Rainbow Parrot (Corned beef on pumpernickel with melted Muenster cheese, crunchy cole slaw and fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce, all topped with Thousand Island dressing). And, yes, I did just copy and paste the descriptions from the Isaac's website. And what dinner is complete without dessert? A cheesecake with brownie chunks and whipped cream, topped with caramel, to be specific. Oh so very good. After the very filling dinner we stopped by my parents place again to pick up some "camping chairs" to use at MD5.
MD5: Shanks Park. Wait, Shanks Park? Wasn't that MD1..? How coincidental and quaint that the adventure should start and end at the same place. Turns out that Shanks hosts Turkey Hill's "drive in" movie night on the first weekend of every month. The flick was "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa", which I love. "Like you love the beach, or a good book. Or the beach." My family came as well and we had a fun evening watching a movie together.
Now the day is over and I have to say that it was one of the best days ever. I am so thankful to have Jenn as my wife. She definitely went out of her way to make sure that we had a great day together and spent I-don't-know-how-much time researching and planning to make everything happen as smoothly as it did. I don't deserve to have such an amazing and giving wife, but I am so glad that I do. Who knows where I'd be without my precious Jelly Bean!
Its off to bed now, the wife is starting to fall asleep. Goodnight and God Bless!
-Josh
Friday, May 1, 2009
A Settled Dispute
A Soldier, a Sailor, an Airman and a Marine got into an argument one night about which service was the best (go figure, right?). The arguing became so heated that none of the four servicemen saw the truck that was barreling down the road towards them. The driver failed to see them, and all four of them were killed instantly.
Soon, the servicemen found themselves at the Pearly Gates of Heaven. There they met with Saint Peter, and, figuring that he would be a good source of Ultimate Truth and Total Honesty, asked of Peter: "Saint Peter, which branch of the United States Armed Forces is the best?" Saint Peter replied, "I can't answer that. However I will ask God what he thinks the next time I see Him. Meanwhile, thank you for your service on Earth, and welcome to Heaven."
Some time later, the four servicemen see Saint Peter and remind him of the question they had asked him when first entering Heaven. The men asked Saint Peter if he was able to find the answer. Suddenly, a sparkling white dove lands on Peter's shoulder. In the dove's beak is a note glistening with golden dust. Saint Peter says, "Gentlemen, here is your answer from The Boss. Let's see what He has to say." Peter opens the note, and trumpets blare, golden dust drifts in the air, harps play crescendos, and Saint Peter reads the note aloud to the Servicemen:
MEMORANDUM
FROM: The Almighty One
TO: Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines
SUBJ: Which Military Service Is The Best
1. Gentlemen, all branches of the United States Armed Forces are honorable and noble. Each serves America well, and with distinction. Being a Serviceman in the United States Military represents a special calling, which warrants special respect, tribute, and dedication.
2. Be proud of that!
Semper Fidelis,
God, USMC (retired)
(Taken from Sgt Grit's weekly newsletter)
-Josh
Soon, the servicemen found themselves at the Pearly Gates of Heaven. There they met with Saint Peter, and, figuring that he would be a good source of Ultimate Truth and Total Honesty, asked of Peter: "Saint Peter, which branch of the United States Armed Forces is the best?" Saint Peter replied, "I can't answer that. However I will ask God what he thinks the next time I see Him. Meanwhile, thank you for your service on Earth, and welcome to Heaven."
Some time later, the four servicemen see Saint Peter and remind him of the question they had asked him when first entering Heaven. The men asked Saint Peter if he was able to find the answer. Suddenly, a sparkling white dove lands on Peter's shoulder. In the dove's beak is a note glistening with golden dust. Saint Peter says, "Gentlemen, here is your answer from The Boss. Let's see what He has to say." Peter opens the note, and trumpets blare, golden dust drifts in the air, harps play crescendos, and Saint Peter reads the note aloud to the Servicemen:
MEMORANDUM
FROM: The Almighty One
TO: Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines
SUBJ: Which Military Service Is The Best
1. Gentlemen, all branches of the United States Armed Forces are honorable and noble. Each serves America well, and with distinction. Being a Serviceman in the United States Military represents a special calling, which warrants special respect, tribute, and dedication.
2. Be proud of that!
Semper Fidelis,
God, USMC (retired)
(Taken from Sgt Grit's weekly newsletter)
-Josh
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