DA Photo

So when you get promoted to Staff Sergeant, your orders tell you that you have to have a DA photo taken within 30 days. I was in Egypt when I got promoted, so I got a pass on the 30 days. But I should have taken the picture as soon as I got back. Well now it's been 17 months since I got promoted and I FINALLY got around to having the picture taken. 

A DA photo is a Department of the Army official photo. The DA Photo is used to quickly determine a Soldier’s professionalism and military bearing while conducting a promotion board or in a situation where the Solider is not physically present. This picture is supposed to represent how awesome I am without me being there to wow a crowd with my stunning personality. 

And to see if the Soldier is fat. I think that might be the reason the DA photo is most used. 

I had one of my best Army girlfriends help me put together my uniform the night before. If you've ever put all the badges and ribbons onto a female's uniform, you know how time consuming it can be. It's always best to have someone helping you. I think she did a fabulous job making sure my ribbons are placed exactly where they need to be. 

The photo process was quick and easy. And I think it turned out phenomenal. I don't know why I waited as long as I did. Actually, I do know why I waited. I wanted those Air Assault wings in my picture!

Operational Camouflage Pattern

I intended to pop into the Class Six after work to get a case of beer and be on my way home to start my 4 day holiday weekend. But the Class Six is next to Clothing and Sales. I got sucked in, and every time I get sucked in I spend a substantial amount of money.

Catching my eye today, the new Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform. It was actively being stocked on the shelves. Fort Campbell was one of the first bases chosen to stock the uniform. I had not intended to buy the new OCP uniform because the wear out date for the ACU (the current uniform) is still a few years out. But something about Clothing and Sales makes me feel like money is no object. I walked down the OCP uniform aisle and they had my size top! And then they had my size pants! Anyone whose ever bought a uniform knows that getting your size top and pants at the same time is nothing short of a miracle. AND it's the new pattern!? Well, this was a not even a decision anymore at this point: I had to buy a uniform. Two, actually.

 

New patterned uniform means new name tapes, new rank, new unit patches, new deployment patches, new PC (hat), new under shirts, new boots.... Holy crap, the list goes on just to get appropriately dressed for work! I'm not quite ready to transition completely to the OCP. So I only ordered name tapes and purchased rank and my unit patch today. I'll slowly acquire everything needed to create 2 full uniforms and then I'll start integrating it into my Army wardrobe. It'll take time (and a few paychecks) to get everything done.

Luck in my favor, I'll get to have Air Assault wings sewn on this new uniform. :)

Oh, and don't worry, I still made it into the Class Six for my case of beer. Clothing and Sales isn't that distracting.

CWST

I'm down at South Camp again. This time for a whole weekend. I'm going to have 2 whole days to play in the Red Sea at Herb's Beach-- and I'm absolutely ecstatic.

Of course, the official business I'm on is to conduct Combat Water Survival Training (CWST), otherwise known as Splash For Cash. I took it just a step further today, and went ahead and got qualified to teach/observe CWST.

Herb's Beach.

 

I had to swim out to the buoys wearing ACUs and boots and tread water for five minutes, then float on my back for five minutes and then swim back to shore. Then I had to go back out to the buoys again, but I had to drag a person wearing ACUs and boots and a ruck sack with me. It was pretty simple considering something was placed in the ruck sack to make it buoyant. At the buoys, we switched out and I wore the ruck sack and was dragged back to shore. Then we swam out one last time to the buoys, tread water again for 5 minutes, floated on our backs again for 5 minutes and swam back to shore. We did all this without breaks. It was tiring. And it's hard to swim in boots. But now that I am qualified to teach/observe, I never have to wear ACUs or boots in the Red Sea again. When I splash for cash the remaining months I am in the Sinai, I can wear a bathing suit and be barefooted. It's going to be a beautiful thing! Well... maybe not the sight of me in a bathing suit.... but the ease of training will be excellent.

The ACUs available to train in.

 

After we trained this morning, my battle buddy and I decided to stay at Herb's Beach for a few hours and swim around and lay out in the sun. It was absolutely wonderful. I love the beach so much. I had a perfect day bumming around on the beach.

In case you need directions...

 

Living at North Camp is kinda like living in a prison in the middle of the desert... actually that's exactly what it is. So getting to come down to South Camp, which is basically paradise, once a month is a great little mini vacation. Hey, Europeans pay big money to go to the resorts all around South Camp here in the Sinai. You can see the party yachts on the water every night all lit up and bumping music. I'm not used to the Army sending me to a place that is desirable to human beings. So I'll appreciate my monthly vacations to the fullest! 

Cold Weather PTs

It's supposed to snow this weekend.

Yuck.

I understand that there are places in this country where it has already snowed this winter, but for the area of Washington that I live in, this is too soon. Waaaaay too soon, if you ask me.

I'm not a fan of being cold. At all. In fact, I'm a huge baby about being cold. I'd rather be hot any day than freeze. It seems like everything the Army issues for cold weather was not actually tested in cold weather. Or maybe a big fat guy with lots of fat cells to insulate him was chosen to test the gear. But most likely it was a big fat guy testing it in Florida who also zero fashion sense. Clearly (as pictured below) the Army needs a visit from Clinton and Stacey from What Not To Wear.

Not only is it a hideous PT uniform, it's also not warm. And wearing shorts under those pants is a huge pain in the ass because the shorts ride up so it's like wearing a diaper made out of a wind breaker. The pants also run about 6 sizes too small so if you're not careful, they can turn into PT leggings-- which are never long enough no matter what size you get. The long sleeve t-shirt worn under the jacket is actually a turtle neck. Who wants to run in a turtle neck? Who wants to leave the house PERIOD in a turtle neck?

Winter PTs need some serious help.