Rangers…"LEAD THE WAY!"

        So I write on my return trip back to Portland. My first confession is that I wish it was longer. I am so not ready to be back in Portland. I could've stayed a couple more weeks i'm sure. My trip was nothing short of amazing. Yes the humidity nearly killed me, but I made it through with a smile on my face. This post is about the highlights, since I didn't have internet while I was gone.
    Ft. Benning, GA. That's where I've been the past week. It's the Army's main training post for incoming soldiers and the Rangers. The Rangers are elite soldiers. Ever seen Black Hawk Down? Those were the U.S. Army Rangers and on top of that two of those men were Medal of Honor recipients. .My dad became a Ranger there and now he's Battalion Commander at the WTC (Warrior Training Center) at Ft. Benning. He's in charge of a lot of soldiers now. I'm pretty sure this is my dad's favorite job.

    Probably the best thing there was going to the DZ (Drop Zone) and watching soldiers getting their Pathfinder tab parachute from a helicopter. It was so cool!

    My next highlight has got to be seeing my puppy (well, he's a little older now) Charlie. I miss that dog so much. One thing I learned there is that everyone on base has a dog. This ranged from a tiny little yorkie named Boca (don't be fooled, this dog's got an attitude) to Kieole, or Taz as we called him, the Golden, to Max, a German Shepherd/ Great Dane mix that sort of resembled Scooby-doo. So Charlie's got a lot of friends…and enemies (Boca absolutely hates him).
    Then there's Riese, my little brother. Seeing him was awesome. I miss that boy so much even though I probably don't show it. We spent hours playing Lego Batman on his Xbox. It was really fun. (picture)
    Next has got to be the general atmosphere of the place. In Portland, I've learned joining the military is a bad thing, something looked at as giving your life away. Here military pride is the biggest thing around. If you don't know someone in the military or aren't in it yourself people look at you like "What are you thinking?" Seeing the new soldiers just starting basic (Basic Training) and seeing some of the OCS (Officer Candidate School, for people joining that already graduated) guys really made me feel at home. It made me happy to know the military is still something to be proud of. I loved going the PX (Post Exchange, basically the shopping center) and being surrounded by military families. There's pride in being one of them too. I went to the NIM (National Infantry Museum) and it was amazing to see the exhibits. There's so much that the Infantrymen have been involved him since the Revolutionary War. There was also an exhibit about Ft. Benning showing shots of men going through basic and just their general schedule and things.
    Ft. Benning still has a part of my heart in it and so does the military. I think being there woke up that spirit in me again. This does not mean that I will become a soldier but it does mean I will more than happily become an army wife in the blink of an eye. Also, next summer I'm planning on spending the summer there interning.

HOOAH!!!

love always,
Kate