Computer Problems

This is Andy's mom, stepping in to pass some news from Andy. He is having computer problems. No - the picture above is not his computer, but it did smell hot. Then - the screen went white and now it doesn't work. I sent his reboot discs to him, but it will take about a week to get there and he doesn't hold out much hope for it helping. In the meantime, no more blog updates from him for now.
He did say that it is Monsoon season, so it's raining a lot. He just told me he nearly drowned while out on his run!
Hopefully he will get this computer problem fixed so we can get some blog updates again!

What A Year It's Been

I can't believe it's already been a year. Yes indeed it was 1 year ago today that my life got flipped upside down when I began my U.S. Army career. I have experienced so many things in the last year, I just wish that I could put remember everything and share it all. I know that this gets said a lot, but there are some things that I have experienced that someone not in the military just wouldn't understand.

I began my Army career at Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, SC. I was in 4th Platoon "Night Stalkers", Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 39 Infantry Regiment.

Like most new soldiers I was not looking forward to BCT. It had it's hard times and it had it's good times.

There was hard times

  

But there was also fun times

(pugil training and victory tower)

I even got to eat some MRE's

After 9 weeks of enduring everything the drill sergeants could throw at me, I was ready to graduate. And on September 27, I graduated from basic training . . . 

 

and got to see my family again.

After BCT I moved on to Advanced Individual Training, at Fort "useless" Eustis. Simply for the fact of not making a novel out of this post I will direct you to this post about my time and experiences there.

And that brings me here. On May 7th I began my deployment in South Korea. I have already had many more experiences here which you can read about in earlier posts.

For the most part I have enjoyed the last year. There were points when I had wondered if I had made the right choice and there were times when I just wanted to go AWOL. But I stuck with it and am happy I did.

I am also happy to announce that I am no longer wearing this on my chest

but instead am wearing this . . .

  Yes, I have been promoted to Private First Class. It has a nice ring to it. Pfc Andrew Bruins.

The arms inspection is over. It ended on Friday. I never really had any contact with the inspectors, which was good. Overall my company only got 2 or 3 unsatisfactory ratings which was really good.

The last thing I have for you is that monsoon season has started. It rained Wednesday, Friday and today. There is also a typhoon right off the coast of South Korea that is going to hit us sometime this week. That ought to be fun.

Andy

Hooah! It's an Army thing.

I Am Still Here

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive. I was planning to do a post earlier this week but never got around to it. I do have the results of the inspection along with some other updates. But right now I am going to go to bed. Enjoy your day.

Andy

My Own State Inspectors

You may have read about the recent visits by the state inspectors to the long term care facility where my mother and her friend Nancy work. They always seem to have great stories about the visits they get. Well now I will get to join them with stories about wonderful inspectors. Just not state inspectors.

This last week my battalion has been gearing up for the "arms inspection" which takes place this week. It will basically tell us how prepared we are should we deploy somewhere.

From what I've heard the inspectors, who are going to be Sgts., are going to be coming up to us randomly throughout the week and asking us questions mostly about our battalion Standard Operating Procedures or just general maintenance questions related to armament. I am not really looking forward to it. I guess I just am going to have to make myself scarce or as we like to say in the army "shame" out of it.

Don't worry I will be giving you a update at the end of the week as to how it went.

Culture Night

Last night I was one of the lucky few from the armament shop who was "voluntold" to go the a little event put on here at wonderful Camp Eagle. It was the

It was a presentation of a traditional Korean wedding and a tea party. I know I should be learning about the culture of Korea while I'm here but this was really boring to me. It was really hard to understand the narrator and the people acting didn't really seem to know what was going on. It is cool to see the way that they dress though.

Theses are just pictures of the wedding ceremony. The ones taken in the dark were supposed to be the honeymoon. The last few are from the tea party.

 

 

 

Enjoy your day. Andy

My Weekend

Salutations my faithful readers. I trust you are all having a wonderful day. I don't have too much to say today since I do the same thing every day.

I didn't do much to celebrate the 4th. As I mentioned before all the fireworks and parties took place on the 3rd. On the 4th the armament platoon just got together for a few hours and grilled some hot dogs and hamburgers. Then one of my friends and I watched a movie on the big screen tv on our floor. All in all not a bad day.

Saturday I slept in and then went to see the new movie Wanted in a local theater with another one of my friends here. That was a good movie. Lots of action.

Sunday and Monday (for those of you who don't know I had a four day weekend for the holiday) I just relaxed and hung out. Which leads me to the next topic.

The guy that I went to see Wanted with is leaving for his next duty station within the next month. So he is packing up and getting ready to go. He mentioned to me that he had a computer monitor that he didn't want to take back with him and wondered if I would like to buy it. He only used it once and the place he got it form wouldn't buy it back. So I was only to kind to take it off his hands.

 

It is a 22" flat screen high def monitor/tv. It was a great deal since the one I was looking at at the px was about $1oo more and not as big. I am very proud of it.

In other news it has gotten extremely humid here. Just by stepping outside you start to sweat. And of course your out on the flight line all day, which is one giant slab of cement. Yea, not fun. But soon the monsoons will begin and it will be flooding and I will get to swim to the hanger.

That is all for know. Carry on.

Andy

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July. I hope you all enjoy it. I don't have a lot of plans today.  Last night Camp Eagle had some fireworks that I watched. Other then that not a whole lot going on.

Enjoy your day. Andy

This Guy . . .

saw this on another web site today and saw this. I figured I would fill it out so that some of you who don't know me too well could learn a little more about me.

Name: Andrew

Birthday: 5-21-88

Birthplace: GR, Michigan

Current Location: Wonju, South Korea

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Red

Height: 6'0"

Right Handed or Left Handed: Left

Your Heritage: Dutch

The Shoes You Wore Today: Combat Boots

Your Weakness: Ice cream

Your Fears: Carnies

Your Perfect Pizza: Pizza Hut stuffed crust meat lovers

Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Get my two mile run time down to 14:15 and overall pt score to 250 out of 300

Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: yeah

Thoughts First Waking Up: Stupid clock it's not time to get up yet. Quite playing silly clock games with me.

Your Best Physical Feature: I really like my left pinky finger

Your Bedtime: When I'm Tired

Your Most Missed Memory: Is it possible to miss a memory? Doesn't that mean you don't remember it?

Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi

McDonalds or Burger King: I haven't seen one of those in two months

Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Aren't they pretty much the same?

Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate

Cappuccino or Coffee: Coffee

Do you Smoke: No

Do you Swear: I won't lie and say no but I really try not too

Do you Sing: If I did I sure wouldn't be in Korea right now

Do you Shower Daily: Honestly, do you think I live in a cesspool of filth. Of course I shower daily

Do you want to go to College: Yes

Do you belive in yourself: I hope so

Do you get Motion Sickness: Not really

Are you a Health Freak: Not extreme but I eat healthy

Do you get along with your Parents: There the reason I am in Korea. Not really, I love my parents.

Do you like Thunderstorms: Yes

Do you play an Instrument: Refer to the question asking if I sing

In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: No

In the past month have you Smoked: No

In the past month have you been on Drugs: I got a whole bag of no's here

In the past month have you gone on a Date: Yes - with Uncle Sam

In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Yes a Korean mall called Home Plus, A giant Wal-Mart

In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: Yes - Laura from a guy, a girl, and a Sofie made me

In the past month have you eaten Sushi: Yes although at the time I didn't know it was sushi. It was in soup

In the past month have you been on Stage: I'm not an actor

In the past month have you been Dumped: No, Uncle Sam is holding on to me tight.

How do you want to Die: Of old age or in a tragic blimp accident

What country would you most like to Visit:I know it's not a country but I want to go to Hawaii

Have a great day, and remember stay agile, mobile, and hostile. Andy