Written 11 Sept 07
It has now been one week since I stepped foot on Ft. Hood. I do like it here. I am working on the in-processing stuff still and expect to for the next week or so. I must say it is almost a 180 coming from Germany. I was overjoyed to get the news that I was not getting reassigned to a different unit than my orders had set for me. The replacement detachment is known for doing that to people. Actually, this is only day two of actually knowing my section and whatnot. I didn't get out of the replacement unit until Friday afternoon and didn't get to my company until late afternoon. Not knowing where or who exactly I was to be assigned is not the best feeling in the world. Not coming fresh out of training I make every effort to not come across as an FNG (google search for definition, if you must).
I spent most of Saturday walking around getting the feel for the East side of post, my division's side. When people say everything in Texas is bigger, it is true. It is at least a mile to anywhere I need to be and 2 miles to get to the specialty PX or the chapels I attend. I am still looking into the Bible studies where I can get plugged into for the short time I am here. I got a good room, the best type on post from what I have been told. I miss my old room, as sad of a post Storck Barracks were, the rooms were great. Technically there is about the same amount of space; however, there are no storage areas and more walls that take up valuable space.
I am getting plugged into the chapels around here. Granted it is a 2 mile walk to the chapel but I think it is a good thing that there are enough people here to better service the styles of worship practiced. I am currently going to the Evangelical service and the Contemporary service. The Evangelical is a small gathering, I think largely because it is on the 1st Cav side of base and they are mostly deployed. The preaching so far is biblically based with an exegetical style of preaching. The Contemporary service is much larger and well contemporary. The songs are what you'd hear on Christian radio; there was a guest speaker this week so I am not sure how to gauge what the preaching is like. The Evangelical service was more welcoming.
I had an initial scare when I found out that despite my orders, the replacement detachment might have assigned me to “needs of the Army”. An affection term that is full of uncertainty and ripe with potential to get the short end of the deal. So far my new unit is great. I like my company, I am getting to know people. I like my section. I have a lot to learn to figure out what we do and how to do it. It certainly is not a section which I have been in before. It is a small section and I am welcomed with open arms. This is where it gets fuzzy though.
I am not where I want to be. There are several places where my job goes to work at this level unit and I happen to go to the smallest section. The work looks appealing and intriguing but it is not exactly in the path of my trained job. In Germany both my assignments and respective unit levels were primarily administrative type of work. I want to go to a different section to do all the real analysis, which there are several other teams and subsections. I've made it known to my section, I am more than happy to give it a shot but when we leave I really want to get into the thick of it. That won't happen in my current position, I hope we can get a newbie that could take my place and I could go do what I want to do. It is bittersweet, there are so many places I could've ended up but I managed to get to the exact division, battalion, and company I wanted. Transferring within the company to a different platoon is not too difficult, it is just manpower issues.
The other side of it, being that I am in a small section the social aspects of it seems dismal. I like to work with larger groups or have more interaction with people, because work is where you get to know most people. It is small enough and consists of people that it isn't proper to socialize with. I have really been pondering what God has me to consider in this position. Every unit I have had so far my section has consisted of some colorful individuals, in a sense I was very aware of the spiritual warfare constantly. I think in many ways I fed on it, sensing the differing views I was prepared to go to war everyday. This section seems so safe, it is refreshing. I can't help but wonder where or how I am going to get those discussions and get to know people wherever they are in life.
I'm not trying to come across that I feed on conflict or persecution, or maybe I am. I have my goals of material to read while I am deployed, I have that sense in a non-spiritually conflicting atmosphere is this where I learn the disciplines to study on my own or be faithful without the constant battles? I know many people I have encountered that upon hearing what I believe and seeing how I live I think they have thought twice about what a Christian looks like. I can only hope. I am having a hard time seeing how I will be used in this position. That might be just it though, something about letting God lead me is I don't know where he'll take me.
Epilogue: I remained in this position for the first month of my deployment. We didn’t get a new soldier but another soldier was “tasked out” to a different duty making a vacancy for me to do some more meaningful work. It was exciting and amazing, but I still can’t tell you about it for… 18 more years at least.
