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LOL got me .... but I will leave it as is to show that I don't take myself too serious... I actually looked at it and thought it wasn't right but was too lazy to put that much brain power into it LOL

I enjoy driving it... but I don't get crazy... it would look VERY BAD for the First Sergeant to get arrested for wreckless driving LOL

this is a reflection of the clouds off the paint on the hood...

Thanks, we are having a blast going to Savannah and just cruising around in it on our Sunday drive...

Thanks Sam, Hope things are well with you and yours... I haven't been around much lately due to the job... I miss the camaraderie of this site... just when a short day is 16 hours something has to give... and its computer time... Top

Well I used to have a 95 Camaro Z28 Convertible with a 6 speed for a toy.. it was not in the best shape but it was fun to drive around... then about 3 weeks ago I decided I wanted something that didn't need any work and I could drive anywhere without worrying about it breaking down... well I got this... its an 05 so it was more or less reasonably priced.. and its an auto so the wife can drive it from time to time... the downsize is I work so much I can hardly drive it... it has less than 30K miles but I will be fixing that soon Top

My dad is out visiting so he can attend my Change of Responsibility Ceremonies as I move from one Company to another... so we were able to get out and get some fishing done... he hasn't ever caught a big Bass so the hunt was on... its not a 10 pounder.. but he was very excited to pull in this 5 plus pounder.. he even out fished me size wise! I am very glad we got to do this before he went back to Illinois Top

had to get out one last time while I was on leave... back to work on Wed... so one of my Soldiers and I hit the lake to see if we could catch some more hogs... fishing was very very slow today.. but it still produced Several very decent fish... used mostly trick worms and sunfish... All fish were released to be fought another day... Top

I fished out of Clewiston on the 2nd... it was very low... all we could do was fish the canal and a couple of the inlets.. fishing was still good.. but didn't even bother going into the main part of the lake, the guide said it was WAYYYY too low to go out there due to it being at 10 ft...

typical "crunchie" mentality... *shaking head* apparently we aren't all on the same team... tell you what if I had been there and I heard you and your two buddies talking smack about the non-infantry folks I would have kicked your butts out of the the building... put you at parade rest and kept you three there until your First Sergeant came and picked you up and then he and I had a little conversation... its called MUTUAL RESPECT young grass hopper.. get some. I would be personally embarrassed if one of my Soldiers acted like you did ... frustrated or not.. keep your Military Bearing... nuff said now move out...

Mark King... give me a shout if you want his phone number...

Yesterday a friend and I did a guided trip on Okeechobee. We had an amazing time... the guide was on his game and he put us on some huge numbers... we had between 75-100 bass in the boat... I caught a 6.25,5, and probably 10 in the 2-3 pound range... there were probably 10 triples too.. it was a blast having all three of us hauling in fish at the same time... anyways.. here is a couple of pictures cuz we all know if there aren't pictures it didn't happen.. and my weights are fish tales either... we weighed them to keep me honest LOL..

just goes to prove today Soldiers are just as HOOAH as the Soldiers in the past.. this is in reference to PTSD but none the less put it out there that today Soldier should be given the same respect as any Soldier in any past conflict... war is war no matter how "digitized" a wound is still just that... so this is why we should thank all the Soldiers PAST and PRESENT that have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.. in the past (Vietnam, World War II) casualties were several times higher, but combat was not as prolonged. Thus few troops lasted 200 or more days in combat. During World War II, it was found that 200 days was the average combat exposure a soldier suffered before starting to experience debilitating PTSD. But now the military, and the VA, are finding that some combat events can trigger more, or less, PTSD. Roadside bombs have, for example, caused soldiers problems because the blast can inflict mild concussion on troops who are not otherwise injured. Years later, those mini-concussions can cause mental problems. Earlier patterns of combat were different. For example, during World War II, the bulk of the Allied troops in Europe went in after June 6, 1944. The fighting in Europe ended eleven months later. In the Pacific, the fighting tended to be episodic. A few months of combat, followed by many months of preparing for the next island invasion or battle. In Vietnam, not a lot of people went back for multiple tours, and those who did spend a year with a combat unit, spent less time in combat than they would in Iraq. Even during Vietnam, it was noted that many of those who were in combat for 200 or more days, did get a little punchy. In Iraq and Afghanistan, army combat troops often get 200 days of combat in one 12 month tour, which is more than their grandfathers got during all of World War II. And some troops are returning for a third tour in Iraq or Afghanistan. The army has found ways to avoid the onset of PTSD (better accommodations, email contact with home, prompt treatment for PTSD), but many troops are headed for uncharted territory, and an unprecedented amount of time in combat. Thus the research, and new programs to spot PTSD as early as possible. Things have calmed down since the peak year of combat, 2007, when 904 Americans died in Iraq (and 117 in Afghanistan). In that year, there were about 14,000 American PTSD casualties, while there were less than half as many troops who were physically wounded. It's not the prospect of getting killed that causes the stress, but rather the constant state of alertness required to survive in combat. Death and injury is always a factor in military life. Over the last 25 years, the U.S. Army has always lost one or two thousand dead each year to accidents, disease and suicide (in that order). That meant about two troops per thousand died each year. In Iraq, the risk of getting killed or wounded in combat was 2-3 percent for a one year tour, in the worst years. Since World War II, other factors for PTSD have been discovered. Israel noted, after the 1982 war in Lebanon, that reservists were more sensitive to the aftereffects of combat. The Lebanon conflict used a larger number (than previous wars) of older reserve troops, who tended to be more prone to coming down with stress disorders. This was probably due to the fact the full time soldiers are constantly conditioned to deal with stress. While this is often referred, often derisively, as "military discipline," it has been known for thousands of years that such practices reduce stress and panic during combat. Apparently it reduces the chances of coming down with stress problems as well. Thus the new programs to spot stress related problems, as early as possible, and also develop new treatments. The stress angle has been more intensively studied in Iraq than in any previous war. Naturally, the more you look, the more you find.

That is awesome... enjoy the time with your Son... they grow up so fast... and I am serious... my daughters are 18 and 16 now.. it is times like you are doing with your son right now that will leave them with impressions for the rest of their lives... there are things I did with my kids when they were younger that they bring up that I don't even remember but they do... like the time it started raining and I had told the kids we would make smores.. well we couldn't do it outside so I just turned on the burner on the stove and made them smores ... its the little things brother.. and you are doing it right... congrats.. Top

Thanks Vance... I like to see folks remember why this weekend is being enjoyed... I won't be fishing until after Memorial Day... I have a lot of reflecting to do... Top