In Memoriam

Army Staff Sergeant Shannon Smith
September 8, 2009


Army Specialist Thomas Lyons
September 8, 2009

Army Specialist Zachary Myers

September 8, 2009

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Heffelfinger
November 8, 2009

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Earl Scott

November 8, 2009

CPT Martha Serbus in Maxim

Captain Martha Serbus just returned to Walter Reed AMC's MICU/PICU after a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan. While there Maxim Magazine came to do a story on our DUSTOFF Medevac Mission. While Martha is not mentioned in the article, she is in one of the pictures. Click HERE to read the article. Martha is the Captain second from the left.

photo borrowed from the Maxim article

Saying Goodbye

Thanks for the good times Lucy!!!

You were a great four-legged friend!

Lucy (dog on left) was the adopted fourth child by Adrienne Carlson and her family.

The Random UA

The Department of Defense requires all Active Duty Military Personnel to undergo a minimum of one random urinalysis each year. The DoD labs test approximately 60,000 samples each month.

The process:

1) receive notification around 0530 the morning of the test

2) sign-in at desk of testing location (at Walter Reed)

3) wait your turn for an observer (that's right, some one to watch)

4) return to desk to turn-in sample

5) verify personal information and sign for "deposit"

And my job is done!

The sample will then be taken to a DoD lab for testing. All samples are tested for marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines. Other drug testing occurs but is done at random. If a Commander needs steroid testing then the samples are sent to UCLA's Olympic Testing Lab.

If a Soldier tests positive (after repeated testing of sample to confirm) he or she can be court-martial under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, receive an Article 15, or undergo an involuntary discharge.

So, how did you spend your morning?

A Cold Night of Training

I have 10 modules of online training to complete that we call "Phase 1" of the US Army's Captain's Career Course. Each phase has anywhere from 150-700 slides to click through and 10 tests to take. In our break room at work our windows are pretty drafty and it was a might cold outside ("cold" to a California kid). So there I was in the wee hours of the morning (I am currently a night-shifter) bundled up getting some training done. I was a sight to be seen!!!

Nats vs Braves

Tonight was a great night for baseball. The weather was perfect and being a school night there wasn't a huge crowd or any long lines. One of my co-workers and I went to the first game of the series between the Nationals and the Braves. At times it felt like a homerun derby as 7 of the 9 runs were solo shot homeruns. (One even landed in the third deck!)

I love going to baseball games!