FT. HOOD AND COUNTING

Well a lot has gone on since my last post. The main thing is that I am back in the USA! I left COB Speicher early morning January 27 and through many canceled flights and space A accommodations arrived Ft. Hood Saturday the 30th about noon. What a wonderful feeling being back.

Settled into my room, not bad, a room for two by myself, desk, bed, kitchenette, and bathroom. Eating at the DFAC, funny, maybe just because I was use to it, the food seems better in Iraq. Maybe I need counseling, LOL! Started out-processing Monday, everything going smoothly. As of Tuesday evening had most everything done except three things. I have hearing changes, so I have a follow up Friday, injured my shoulder when I fell in December, need an MRI, and ortho consult, the earliest appointment for MRI is February the 14th, not good. Will be working to find out how to get it sooner if they have cancellations. Really not wanting to stay that long, but if I have a serious problem need it taken care of on the Army’s time, not mine.

Since I am getting extra leave time for the long deployment, it takes 5 days to get a letter from HRC. So the earliest I would have left is Friday if the letter came. So depending on how the MRI turns out, I will be only a week or so longer. I really want to get home of course. It is a little frustrating having to wait so long for the ortho consult. There are about 4 of us here just starting to demob, there are about 8 demobing but broken, have health issues they are trying to get fixed to go home. The Army is really messing with some of them, they should be taken care of no questions asked.

One Soldier is 19 and has pre-cancerous cells in her cervix, since she is not 20 they won’t do anything. She has a family history of this type of cancer. Welcome to socialized medicine. Her civilian physician was going to remove them but she did not have time before she was deployed. Moreover, our Congressmen and President want this system for all of us.

Another Soldier has back injury, needs plate and screws, they are wanting to send him home and let the VA handle it, not fix him here. What a joke, of course it is cheaper that way because if he went to the VA, he would not be on orders, which means he would be on his own time. The VA would pay for the surgery but the recovery time would be on him. Cheaper for the government that way, welcome to socialized medicine!!

No TV or internet in my room. There is a day room with TV and cable. Have to go to the USO to use internet, they have wireless and pretty fast. Need to go to the PX and get a good book or two. I sent all my movies home or could watch some on my laptop. I am so tired at night. Going to bed about 9:30 to 10:00, wake up about 3 or 4 thinking of things. Other than that things going well.

Things are looking up, have my MRI appointment Friday at 1800, then Ortho consult Monday at 1300. Will know then if I get to final out and come home!!! Thursday just hang around, make accountability formations and eat. Friday will be busy with hearing and MRI. If shoulder okay may be home weekend of the 13th.