Congratulations to my sister who has officially found gainful employment. To find a position in a non-profit in this environment is really very impressive.
That's awesome.
I got to take a quick radio class this morning. It was mosty to review, but also to gain exposure to another radio system that I've never gotten to play with.
It's nice that our basic inter-team radio, today's high speed answer to the walkie-talkie of days of yore, is pretty straightforward.
I don't get to play with it as often as I should. LIke anything else, the skills are perishable. I keep quick reference guides and checklists handy, but nothing relaces just sitting with it and hitting all the buttons, cycling through all the menus, etc.
As for the new radio, it was really a basic familiarization. We don't use it very often, but we also can find ourselves working with a variety of different units that use a variety of different types of radio.
Maybe it's from spending too much time with the Army, maybe it is a general SOF attitude, but my approach is that if everyone else is dead, I need to be able to work their kit. Not necessarily as an expert, but well enough to save my team and myself.
The radio guys gave me a few more checklists and some powerpoints I can review and use to teach my guys back home.
They also gave me an extra antenna that one of them made. The nice thing about it is that is a long, plastic coated wire that can be weaved throught the attachment loops on my vest. That way it is both fully extended but out of the way.
So now my personal kit includes a custom antenna and a communications headset. My unit back home still doesn't have our own radios or the cables to connect my headset to the radio. However, there are radios and cables I can borrow here and that I've been able to borrow for exercises.
Babysteps, I guess.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, apparently having Laura Ingraham debate a founder of Code Pink qualifies as news.
The only way to settle it is for the two of them to fight. Not because I condone violence, but because I hope it would shut them up for a while.
The world would be a better place if Fox News took the batteries out of all of their angry stepford anchors and Code Pink types went back to their hydroponic indoor communes and stopped stealing my oxygen.
It would be a good start.
1 comment:
Have been trying to catch up on your posts. Yes, there were mini-hot dogs aplenty at your cousin's wedding. It was basically her only request. Minimalist, in her own words! Wish you were there to have some. Have lots of pictures you can view online. If you can e-mail, I can send the link.
Love,
Your Aunt, mother-of-the-bride
Post a Comment