The Christmas Gift

Gift giving has gotten out of hand I say.  Yes it has says I.

Why do we empty out our wallets to give gifts to others, who rarely appreciate it, that only make us more in debt?

Is this what Christmas is really all about?

I think not.

Every year I give less and less.  I make more of the gifts using my talents that I've learned over the years.  This year my husband made gifts too.  If they aren't appreciated then so be it.

Christmas is a birthday.  Do you give gifts to the birthday person or get them on their birthday?  I give them when its a person's birthday.  So in this case who would I give the gift to?  What is the price limit?

I find that I would rather give of my heart, my time, and give from my talents in crafting to others.  I would rather buy American made when possible so that my gift buying gives the gift of jobs.

This year my husband and I have set a $100 limit of gift buying for one another.  All but one gift I purchased for him was made here in the USA.  The cheapest gift was made in China but I spent less than $10.00 on it so really that isn't too bad.  I've asked him to do the same and try to buy mostly American made gifts for me this year.  Its a real challenge.

However, what I really want can't be bought.  It can't be wrapped in pretty paper or tied up in a bow.  It won't fit under the tree, on a shelf or in a keyhole.  No what I really want this year is the gift that once given shouldn't be taken back, can't be exchanged, and will grow with time.  I want undying love.  The kind that will still be there even after I've shucked off my mortal coil.  I want respect and I've earned it.  I want kindness that all we humans deserve but so often forget to give to one another.

My gift wish list is long this year.  You can't buy what I want.  But you can give it freely.

Rendering Proper Respect To The US Flag

Recently an article was posted yet again in our local post newspaper entitled, "Take a minute daily to render proper respect to flag".  I say posted again as last year at about this time another article was in our post newspaper on the same subject.  While I'm really happy to see these articles in our newspaper I'm not very happy when I see folks disrespecting our flag by not following those rules.  The post newspaper is free, its delivered once a week to all residences on post and to the AAFES shops on this post.  So why aren't folks following these simple rules?

First off folks if you live on or work on a military installation you should, when retreat is being played, stop what you are doing.

Here is what the paper had listed as the proper respect.
" When the first note of Retreat is sounded, come to attention, face the flag (or the direction from which the music is coming) and render a salute (soldiers) or place the right hand over the heart (civilians).

For those individuals in vehicles, the following courtesy is to be observed: Cars (and motorcycles) are to STOP, and individuals are to DISMOUNT and SALUTE.  sic( civilians are to place hand over heart)

All of the same courtesies apply when wearing civilian clothes except for the placing of the right hand over the heart as opposed to saluting."

For more information on this topic please see Army's Field Manual 7-21.13 Chapter 4.

By the way, if I'm in a vehicle during retreat you can bet I'm going to be pulling over or telling the driver they need to pull over.  Oh, yes I've told someone who had no clue, an Army wife at that, that she needed to pull over now and why.  She, American born and raised, was shocked that we actually had to do this and not just the soldiers.  Its our country too and we should show our respect to the American Flag!

DRASH Blunder

Please note this is not an actual photo from the training site, I'm not that stupid to post one.

Okay yesterday went well for the most part.  After my husband I finished our counseling with the Chaplain we were running short on time to get him back to the training site.  He and I both figured that driving right to the site would be a good idea.  I being handicapped, no cell phone, and without a camera am of little threat to a training site.

We arrive and I secure permission to enter the premises.  I did my part.  The DRASH was being taught by civilians and one of the instructors gave me the permission.  Not one NCO objected to my presence.  Or so I thought.

Today my husband gets chewed out by one of the NCO's for having me there.  He said I should have stayed out in the cold car and waited the 1.5 hours until the exercise had finished.  Well okay why didn't this particular NCO tell me to my face yesterday to leave the training area?  Better yet, why didn't he tell my spouse yesterday?  I would have had no problem in driving over to the mini mall and doing some shopping or browsing until I knew they'd be done.  I was already figuring on doing just that when I was allowed entry to the site.

Same NCO yesterday berated a male soldier for getting a cut and wanting to clean out the wound.  He called him several names corresponding to female body parts.  Is this what we are allowing in the military for NCO's?  Sure let the guy get an infection and it will come back to an Article15 for not taking care of military equipment, namely himself.  Yes they do give out Article 15s for getting a sunburn as you are damaging government property.

Yesterday I witnessed a different NCO not doing his job.  I could plainly see, past the two female soldiers who weren't helping out with the set-up but just standing around talking, that there was a trip hazard.  I told the two female enlisted soldiers about the trip hazard.  They told the NCO, who had put the beam directly behind my husband's heels, to let my husband know about it.  The NCO was told twice.  He finally responded when my husband did trip a bit on it.  Luckily the beam was moved and no one was hurt.

NCO are supposed to be professional, there is the NCO CREED, that they are supposed to follow.  I wonder if most of them can remember the words to the NCO Creed.

"No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.
Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.
Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!"

So there it is.  From what I saw yesterday the NCO's weren't doing their job.  I can only hope it was a bad day of training for them.  I stayed out of their way.  The instructors liked the questions I asked of them during their smoke breaks.  Heck, they liked me enough that even today they were asking about me and if I was ever in the military myself.  Not me, but I've been around enough military for the majority of my life to show the respect that is due to the soldiers.  I'm curious so I ask questions.  But I won't get in the way.