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Olympic 98 - Issue #4, 30 Aug 98
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Rear View Mirror
By MAJ Philip Logan
Soon, the sights and sounds of Clallam County will fade into the distance, and "Oly 98" will come to a close. Oh... but the memories will live on as Neah Bay fades into the distance: the beauty of the ocean, the friendliness of the people we’ve met, the droning of the media helicopters...
I hope you have enjoyed the ‘Olympic 98’ newspaper. During our time here we attempted to reach as many soldiers and airmen as possible through these pages. Hopefully we’ve been successful, and were able to capture some of what you experienced during the mobilization. Thanks to all of you for the support.
The 122nd MPAD produces the ‘Evergreen’ magazine, which hasn’t been printed for a time due to deployment and difficulties with the print contract. Soon, you should see it again. Let us know what you think and how we can better cover you, the soldiers and airmen of the Washington National Guard. Additionally, check out the Washington National Guard homepage at: http://washingtonguard.org, for more stories and photos of Guard units in action.
At any rate it should be about time for the closing ceremonies of ‘Olympic 98’. Good job, and be safe heading back to your families.
Doesn’t Get Any Better! Camaraderie, Friendships, Bonds...
By CPT Johnny Fisher
Like most of you out there, I lose a lot of money coming to drill and miss out on lots of fun engagements because of drill or deployment. I used to think when my commitment is finished and when this (the Guard) stops being fun I’m quitting. Now that my commitment is fulfilled and when I start thinking it’s no fun anymore, I start remembering all the experiences and friends that it has added to my life.
Two perfect examples of this have occurred recently. The first one happened a couple of weeks ago when I went to the field with my old unit - D Company, 1st Battalion, 303rd Armor, to watch them shoot Tank Gunnery Table XII. Seeing my old soldiers and how they had moved up was like coming home. They all treated me like I’d never left and all asked when I would be back again.
I remember when I first left that unit thinking, boy it’s sure nice not to have to go to the field. Now I realize how much I miss it.
I miss the camaraderie - you create friendships and bonds with people that you live and work with in the field. It’s a type of bond that I truly believe most civilians can’t understand. I miss the sense of accomplishment from working as a team from 3:30 a.m. to midnight and not even realizing what day it is until it’s almost time to go home. I miss sleeping out under the stars and actually seeing every last one of them without the city lights. And of course let’s not forget the witty banter that only occurs when you’re tired, dirty and hungry in the field with soldiers that you are close to.
The second example occurred during this deployment to operation Olympic ’98. For this operation, I brought out 4 soldiers who essentially have never been truly tested in this type of environment with their new equipment and watched them do wonderful things. That proud feeling I get knowing that I had some little part in their growth as soldiers and professionals makes all the time and effort worthwhile.
The strange thing about being in the Washington National Guard is that just when I think things stink and I want to get out, something always happens which reminds me why I got in and stay in.
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Cooks Coming Together For One Cause, Operation Olympic ‘98
By SPC Jack Eden
Almost no one likes getting up at 'oh-dark-thirty', but at Operation Olympic ’98, the cooks start preparing their food at 5 am sharp. Two meals are served every day - a hot breakfast and a hot dinner. Lunch has been Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) throughout the deployment. But breakfast and dinner are another story. The food is not typical Army 'warm-it-up-in-a-can' food. It’s made with "A" rations (that means the cooks use real food). When they make potatoes, they cut up potatoes. Eggs are cracked from their shells, and the soup is made from scratch.
"I told the mess sergeant that the food was really good," said SGT Fred Newcomer of the 122nd Public Affairs Detachment. "The SOS (creamed beef) was spicy. Usually it comes out so bland. That SOS was the real thing!."
The dining-facility cooks for Operation Olympic ’98 come from several Guard units, including 3-161st Infantry, the 1161st Transportation Company, and the 898th Engineer Battalion. The cooking area is always a whirlwind of activity when all the cooks come together with the same goal – to serve the masses.
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Physical training is for the field, too
By SPC Jack Eden
There’s no doubt about it. SPC Kenneth Alford is serious – and strong! Even on deployment, SPC Alford brings his free weights, and he uses them. With a folding chair for an exercise bench, he works out during his free time. He lifts weights outside under a blue sky, within speaking distance of his job at the company’s supply van. He is a tall man, measuring 5 feet 11 inches, and weighs 220 pounds. He can easily lift twice his own weight, pressing 400 pounds sky high on the average day and 500 on a good one.
SPC Kenneth Alford, HHC, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry, is not deterred from working out by being in the field. He feels that it’s important for everyone to keep physically fit. He attributes his athletic prowess to a constant training schedule. He works out for two hours a day, five days a week. "As soon as I get off work, that’s my PT before I get home."
The National Guard is one of his reasons for the intensive workouts. "You’ve got to have a good civilian life to be prepared for the Guard, and exercise is important," said SPC Alford. "If I stop exercising, I’ll lose out. That’s why I’m bringing my weights out here with me. A lot of people work out, but they don’t bring their weights out here with them."
SPC Alford is an ambitious man. "There’s a training camp in Idaho; they teach you how to fight, tumble and find an agent." The school, as it turns out, trains professional wrestlers. "Those guys are 6’2", 6’3", and weigh 260 (pounds)," said SPC Alford. I’m trying to weigh at least 240 pounds."
"A lot of those guys are on steroids though," claims SPC Alford. "I don’t want to cheat myself that way. I’m trying to do it the right way. You’ve also got to have something else, too. You’ve got to have enthusiasm, and they can’t teach that at school. I think I got enough of that in the Marines."
For the immediate future, though, SPC Alford is working full time as a technician, doing supply work at the HHC, 3rd Battalion, 161st Infantry armory. He is trying to become an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) soldier.
SPC Alford, who hails from Albany, Ga., joined the Marine Corps in 1993. He enjoyed being stationed in Washington. After his discharge, he stayed here. "I liked the relationships I found between the various races here," he said. "People here can still work hand in hand on a common cause and even though they are different races, they don’t let it get between them. It’s different here than Georgia." He joined the Washington Army National Guard last year, but he says he still feels like a Marine. His enthusiasm keeps him going - working out and staying strong, even in the field – and the Guard benefits from that.
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