Straha

Just received a letter from the Marine Corps updating my awards to show that I rated a Naval Unit Commendation and an additional Reserve Good Conduct Medal. Both were left off my DD-214 when I got out in 2006.

I also have my Marine Corps retirement points, which now need to be added to my Army retirement points. I should be checking out of fort Lewis next week, and will update everything at that time.

This resolution should be accomplished by the time I get home. However, since the military is really little more than a giant unorganized bureaucracy, maintaining your records is almost a full time job. 18 hours ago

My cheer giving count just reached 9842, which has me very happy. Not only will I complete this goal very soon, but I constantly find tons of goals I want to cheer.

You keep setting and completing goals, and I’ll keep cheering them. 1 day ago

Did my first beach fire pit at Bear Lake in Utah back in 1986. We (high school friends) spent the day playing in the water and floating around in an old rubber raft. That night we had a nice fire and just hung out - it was great. I really recommend water, sand, and fire any and every chance you get.

And if you include some beer, even better. 4 days ago

I still haven’t purchased anything off ebay. I have done some browsing, but the S&H on most things is still too high.

And it does mushroom once you start buying. It is easy to get caught up in the idea of getting a deal, but ebay deals are really few and far between.

Found another two pennies while walking in the parking lot today. Not a major score, but every little bit helps towards completing this goal. 1 week ago

As of 01 May I have 276 completed hours of Army Correspondence Courses completed. I easily have another 76 hours of testing, then I am done until after 01 October. Once the fiscal year start, I will complete another 100 hours before 31 December, and that will max me out on retirement points (combined with drill) for the 2014 fiscal year.

Once I hit 350 hours, I’ll send the paperwork in for the ACCP credit, then apply for the two Associate Degrees through a community college. It never hurts to have a little more education, and who knows how it will help in the future? 2 weeks ago

I have given blood several times. The military actually has the Red Cross come to Units and do blood draws from soldiers. My first time was back at boot camp (Parris Island). We went in, gave blood, and were then given juice and cookies.

Since then, the Red Cross has shown up at different units I have been with and drawn blood. It is a good program that saves lives, and you won’t regret doing it. 2 weeks ago

Just reached 9643 cheers and counting. I am really enjoying this goal, because it forces me to reach out on the Zeitgeist option to encounter new 43Thingers. It never ceases to amaze me when I see all the cool things you guys (and gals) are up to. 2 weeks ago

They make a good burger, and the fries are pretty good. That being said, I think these guys really benefit from excellent marketing. If the food was as good as the marketing, the food would be the best in the world.

Rating: Good food, cool retro vibe, and nifty shirts. 3 weeks ago

So Friday was a high “spoil” day. First we went to a Himalayan themed restaurant for lunch, and it was awesome. The food was good, and the decor was really cool. It was a great experience.

Later that night we went to a 40/50s themed dance. The music was good, and we danced a slow dance. I really couldn’t do a lot of spinning and stuff. because of my injuries. But next year…..

Spoiling my wife is fun, because I have a great time when we do things together. I love working on this goal. 3 weeks ago

Aside from 43Things, this is all I do. I am really focused on knocking out as many hours as I can before leaving. Other soldiers are watching me, and starting to ask for help. They see the benefits in making the most of what the military has to offer.

I am going home on pass this weekend, but come Tuesday I will be knocking more classes out. 4 weeks ago

Put some time in yesterday and today, and broke to 188 hours. I’ve been studying, and plane on doing a “marathon” session tomorrow. I should break the 200 hour mark tomorrow.

What was good about today was that I completed the first ACCP class I signed up for. It was an 8 hours course on the Stinger Missile Weapons System, and it was all new information. Anyway, I tested it today and am done.

Anyway, tomorrow I’ll tackle some Military Intelligence classes and a History of the Army Band class. 4 weeks ago

Very educational and sad. When you read Anne’s diary, and see where she was hiding, the tragedy of the Second World War really hits home.

She represents all the amazing talent that was wasted by stupidity, bigotry, and hatred. 4 weeks ago

My cheer total given for 2013 is 1141, which is pretty good. That brings my 43Things cheers given total to 9503. To reach this goal, I only need to dish out 497 more cheers.

Since there are so many motivated goals to cheer on 43Things, it shouldn’t be too hard to do. 4 weeks ago

After taking a week break, I printed out some study guides and worked through them. I have over 90 hours worth of testing that needs to be completed. I can do most of it this week, because I really don’t have much to do until Thursday.

Once these classes are cleared, I’ll sign up for another 15 classes, the majority of which will be military intelligence. I can complete most of these by 01 May. I hope to be around 275 to 300 hours done by then. 4 weeks ago

Just completed the Hollywood 5K today, and have a cool shirt and nifty finisher medal for the effort. Because of my Afghanistan boo boos, I mainly walked. However, I did jog the last half mile.

I am going to start working out more, and hope things go well for the Portland 1/2 Marathon next month. 1 month ago

I am really moving on this goal. I have 147 hours completed, but it s literally all I do. Also, the fact that I have prior knowledge in some “big hour” courses really helps.

For example, the geology class s worth 9 hours, and is difficult. Lucky for me geology is a 6th grade teaching standard, and I have taught it a few times.

It only took me about three hours to complete. Another class is basically Army writing, which is worth 10 hours. It is basically grammar, and I’ve taught the subject more times than I can count.

I am taking a 4 day pass to go home for the weekend, but come Tuesday I will again start hitting this goal really hard. would like to be at 250 to 300 hours by the end of April. 1 month ago

Worked all day on classes, and have tested/passed 118 hours of Army on-line classes. The majority are for military police, which has been very interesting. The classes are actually high quality, and the tests are fairly rigorous.

Once I have completed all the military police classes, I will start doing the Military Intelligence classes. The goal is to complete every class, which (thankfully) isn’t as many as the military police.

Time to watch the season finale of The Walking Dead, then get a good night’s sleep, and start again tomorrow. 1 month ago

I just completed and tested a 3 hour class, giving me 100 hours of military credit for the month of March. I also have five completed classes I need to test for this weekend.

I have put a lot of effort into this goal, because I really want something to show for my time here. I now have only 350 hours left to complete this goal, and since my schedule for April and May is open, I am pretty sure I can make it. 1 month ago

After a long change finding drought, I found a quarter today. 1 month ago

Just completed an additional 18 hours training, which puts me at 38 hours complete. I also completed the required coursework for 50 more hours of classwork. I need to study, but should have these tests completed at the end of this week.

There are a couple of more classes I will sign up for, but by the end of March I should have 100 hours on online classes completed.

They key is staying focused and motivated. I have watched very little television since starting this goal, and spend a lot of time working at the computer.

It kind of sucks, but at least I have something to show for it 1 month ago

I have been talking with several soldiers who are bitching about not having anything to do, so I’ve been preaching Army online training. I have pointed out the benefits, and some are receptive.

A lot of guys have taken some online Army classes, but didn’t realize they could transfer them to community college classes. All military certifications have civilian college credit to an extent, but you won’t get shit for them if you don’t do the research on how they apply.

The short of it is some guys are now taking classes instead of sitting around playing video games (mother f#@king video games). Other guys are printing what certifications/hours they have, and getting them ready to transfer for credits.

They are also looking at their other Army Schools (MOS, WLC, BNOC, and other stuff) and seeing how they apply to civilian educational credit.

Military people out there (current and prior) all the training Uncle Sugar gave us counts, and has civilian application. Get out there and see what it counts for. 1 month ago