Honoring the California Fallen

Army Specialist Matthew W. Ramsey, 20, of Quartz Hill, CA was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY. SPC Rasey died Nov. 29 in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an insurgent attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

Also killed were SFC Class Barry E. Jarvis, SSG Curtis A. Oakes, PFC Jacob A. Gassen, Pfc. Austin G. Staggs and PVT Buddy W. McLain.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Heading into the tunnel at Charlotte Motor Speedway and introducing the "Team"!

The Pit Crew

Victory Lane

Honoring the California Fallen

Marine Lance Corporal Arden J. Buenagua,19, of San Jose, CA, was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Lance Corporal Buenagua died in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

CCC "Graduation"

Today was my last day in San Antonio, TX...well, at least for a while. I completed the 9-week Army Medical Department's Captain's Career Course (AMEDD CCC). It was an administrative type class setting (insert my bored face here) but we managed to make it fun.

We had our last PT (physical training) session the week before on a cold, cold, cold Texas desert morning at 0'dark 30. Crossfit while different and fun at first didn't really inspire me...

Then came time for graduation. My Aunt Tammi flew in from North Carolina to attend my graduation and to help me drive to her house for Thanksgiving. We hit up the Alamo and Riverwalk when she first got in. Then came early Tuesday morning: packing the car at 0615, breakfast at 0630, drive to Ft Sam Houston 0700, and graduation rehearsal at 0730. Graduation itself was only about 45 minutes long so we were able to hit the road about an hour earlier than we had anticipated...

Graduation Speaker: COL Whitaker, Dean AMEDD C&S

Small Group 1 Instructor CPT Doug Herrmann with myself and my suite-mate CPT Elena Sequeira.

And of course my own Flat Stanley along with CPT Christina Lunsford, adorable me, and CPT Elena Sequeira by the AMEDD Crest.

Classwork

Yup, that's right!

I have been taking this class really seriously...

Today I successfully completed my oral presentation of my small group's medical planning brief in relation to stability operations. Translation: how we would set up medical assets during a stability operation (like in Iraq) in a make believe area supporting make believe troops and host nation civilians. My presentation, to include the instructor's questions, took less than 20 minutes! It was interesting to learn how to think big Army and not just my little bubble of the ICU...

Honoring the California Fallen

Army Staff Sergeant David P. Senft, 27, of Grass Valley, CA, was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY. SSG Senft died at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

Weekend in Houston

Started out my weekend in Houston by seeing Cirque du Soleil at the Toyota Center.


Then went to NASA Space Center just south of Houston.
Toured the facility and then met a retired astronaut.

My last evening in Houston was spent at 9 to 5 The Musical.

So much fun!!!


I finished ff my weekend with a 22.9 mile ride for local Wounded Warriors. There were roughly 250 riders there. While was a pretty cold and wet morning but once we got going life was good!

Honoring Our Veterans

Frederick Lyall Lambing, 60, died peacefully Oct. 24, 2010, with his family by his side.

Mr. Lambing enlisted in the Air Force in January 1970 and was stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan. After 18 months in Japan, Mr. Lambing was stationed at Altus Air Force Base, OK. After leaving the Air Force in May 1976 he enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard in the fall of 1978. June 1993 brought another move, this time to Wasilla, AK. While serving in the Alaska Army National Guard full time, Mr. Lamming worked as an instructor at the Alaska Military Academy, readiness NCO for 297th support BN and Intelligence Sergeant for 207th Group. In 1997, Mr. Lambing was named as the Alaska Senior NCO of the Year. After 33 years, Mr Lambing retired from military service.

He is survived by his wife, Marie; son, Shane Lambing (Kristi) of Portland, Ore.; daughter, Carrie Lambing of Wasilla; son, Wade Lambing (Annadeidra) of Wasilla; daughter, Misty Neisen (Peter) of Boise, Idaho; his mother, Joy Lambing of El Dorado, Kansas; and father- and mother-in-law, Hugh and Eleanor Ingalls of Mud Butte; his sisters, Cynthia Ketcham (Phil) of Brazil, South America, and Sandra Borne (Rodney) of El Dorado; grandchildren, Kelli, Kyrstin, Elizabeth, Daniel, Joseph, Katherine, Ashton, Dakota and Seth.

Thank you for your leadership.

I promise to continue striving to meet the standard you have set.

From the Anchorage Daily News

Moving!!!

It is official!!! I am moving to Ft Lewis in Tacoma, WA this winter!!!

I am still in TX finishing up some training but will soon be returning to Walter Reed AMC to finish a few shifts in the ICU before packing up and heading out. If all goes well I should be officially signed out of Walter Reed mid-January. It will be a bumpy road as I start the process of leaving Walter Reed but I will have to try to stay calm and just get everything done.

There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel...and this time it is not an oncoming train!

Combatives

My suite-mate took me down!!!

Well, only sort of. During combatives training this morning we did all-out 90 seconds all out bouts. We were roughly matched up by skill level and then went at it. I can toot my own horn just at little as I got pretty close to choking her out but she did get the final laugh when we got back to the hotel and I saw the cut on my face from her sleeve.

Honor The Fallen

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Earl R. Scott III

CWO Scott from Jacksonville, FL died November 8, 2009 in Tikrit, Iraq of injuries sustained when his OH-58D helicopter crashed.

CWO was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI.

CWO Scott is survived by his mother Sandra, brother William, and girlfriend Tara.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew C. Heffelfinger

CWO Heffelfinger dieg November 8, 2009 in Tikrit, Iraq from injuries sustained when his OH-58D helicopter crashed.

CWO Heffelfinger from Kimberly, ID, was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI.

CWO Heffelfinger is survived by his wife Tanya and their two children.

Komen Race for the Cure

Today my suite-mate and I ran in the Komen for the Cure 5K in Austin, TX. We were just two of over 25,000 people there with hopes of making a differene. We had a blast talking with fellow runners and some of the Survivors. Breast Cancer Survivors are AMAZING!!!! Thank you for the courage you have shown in your fight.

Thank YOU for being my daily inspiration!!!