Fiction assignment

For this assignment, I will create a fake blog, which can be summary as:
"a USNavy sailor serves his deployment on an aircraft carrier."
The character is 22 years old, asian descend, enlisted in the United State Navy. This is his 3rd years in the force.
He is a Petty Officer Third Class E-4 (the lowest Non-commissoned Officer rank) in the Navy, recieving his promotion during his deployment.
He is serving a six months deployment to the Gulf in support of Iraq Enduring Freedom operation.
His job in the Navy is a shooter, primarily response for launching aircraft of the aircraft carrier.
His Aircraft Carrier is USS Harry S. Truman, a Nimitz-class nuclear power super carrier. It is able dto carry up to 5000 personels and 100 fighter aircrafts on board. It's a city on a sea.
As a Petter Officer, he is in a leadership position and in charge of 2 sailors under his rank.
This blog is his diary, following him through the deployment. Whenever he can, he writes on the blog about his days, his problems and emotion he faced, through out the 6 months.
Here is the link: erik-chan-diary.blogspot.com

Wiki new post

For the "new post" assignment, I will do a Wiki post on Army Corresponsdence Course. This is an online army education center for army personel.

Wiki major edit - finished

here is the edited version of the AKO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Knowledge_Online
signed and seal at the bottom ^.^

Wiki - major edit

For the "major edit" of a wikipedia post, I will edit the Army Knowledge Online - AKO.
AKO is the webpage for Army personnel, inculding active duty, reserves, national guard and civillian contractors. It contains current information of the Army, also its personel profiles and data. A soldier can access his whole career record through this page. It isto Army personel as the http://www.utah.edu/ Campus Information System for University of Utah student.
The orginial post was typically short, only contain a short history of the AKO, without any references sources.
I will add information such as:
_ Format of the AKO page
_ Improvement since the first AKO design
_ System requirement for access
_ Type of user account
_ CAC login
etc...
here is the original post:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Knowledge_Online
[ Army Knowledge Online (AKO) is the world's largest corporate intranet, and the US Army's single approved enterprise-class web portal.[citation needed] AKO provides secure access to Army web assets, tools and services to Soldiers, Army employees, retirees and family members worldwide. AKO is a driving factor in the ongoing transformation of the US Army into the agile, network based force that is required for today's conflicts. As of this writing, AKO has over 1.9 million registered users, and supports over 314K unique logins and 8 million emails daily.
AKO was established in the late 1990s as an experimental outgrowth of a project headed by Nick Justice in GOMO. This early project led to A2O (Americas Army Online), but legal concerns over this name and the parallelism to other commercial vendors caused the Army Project team to seek a new name. Two very early major Project Officers for AKO were MAJ Charlie Wells and MAJ David Bailey. Each was charged to develop, research and expand the portal to benefit Army Users Worldwide and to grow the system from its less than auspicious roots. Major Wells worked on establishing the NIPRNet (unclassified) version and Mr. Bailey joined the scene later to establish and experiment with SIPRNet or Classified versions. Major Bailey also is sometimes credited with bringing the baselines for both projects together and with fashioning a "leader's dashboard" concept that to date has only been partially realized. The project has run through various incarnations and later project leaders, but still the fundamentals of this system apply...Centralized name spacing of email (with webmail access), white pages, unification of data conduits, central capability of authentication and repudiation of credentials and the ability to remotely access content.
While some features seem unremarkable in today's world, this project was the first, largest and most pervasive of the military's ventures into the web portal space and is largely one of the most successful projects. This project can be credited with providing highly mobile Army users with non-transient email addresses, an ability to allow many web based products to share authentication schema, and with pushing the envelope on disaster recovery planning.
Assistance for the portal is available at https://help.us.army.mil/ and offers self help as well as Live Chat assistance
This portal methodology has been since selected as a key pillar of Defense Knowledge Online.
Related Projects: Army Knowledge Online - SIPRNet, Army Home Page

[edit] External links
Army Knowledge Online
Army Home Page ]

... just a dream ...

JUST A DREAM

song by: Carrie Underwood
video by: Sonoka








i have listened to the song through the radio. it was a good song, but it could just be another song. till i saw the video. it brought me to different aspect of duty that i never wander in or dare myself to think about it.

watching the video plays, every picture speaks for itself, more than a thousand words essay. but, the interpretations of its pictures are different by everyone. to me, it brought me back to my thought of LOVE, DUTY, HONOR and COUNTRY.

i never been to real combat situation. never once was i tested under pressure of life or death. never once i feel the pain of those losing their comrades, someone who are still there talking to you a second ago ... never once ....

but i have seen it. i have seen what it could have been like. i have seen those losing their comrades, someone who they hold dear next to their hearts ... i have seen it ...

however, this song is not bringing me back to that feelings, but it raised a question for me .... and maybe for those of us out there ....

"CAN IT BE JUSTIFIED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR LOVE AND YOUR DUTY?"
"IS IT JUSTIFIED TO DISHONOR THE FALLEN JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN YOUR COUNTRY OR THE WAR?"

in this war, all soldiers are volunteers. no one is made to join. many felt the urge to join from the September 11th, 2001 attacked. others join because it is their dreams, to better themselves, to better their families' life, or it's in their blood. it's my dream to join.

... i still remembered ....

it was a rainy day. our drill sergeants were different. no one could reason why.
we were gathered into formation. under the rain, our first sergeant told us ...

"Privates, today is a sad day for all of us. Our former company commander Capt. [Captain] Norman has been killed in action."

he paused, turn around to whip his eyes. he continues ...

"All of you might not know who is he, but to all Drill Sergeants here, it is personal. He was our commander for 3 cycles. He has served 1 tour in Iraq before he was assigned to this company."

"He volunteered for another tour without hesitation, when the brigade is in short of officer for its deployment. "

"For that, he knows his family is safe at home. For that, he will never return home. He has served his country with honor and die for it without a regret."

the rain was still pouring, keeping everyone soaking wet.

yet, it was not bothering me standing in that cold, skin breaking raindrop. my mind was in a traffic of thinking.

to me, every rain drop was a tear from the sky for the fallen soldier.

for the first time, i faced myself with the reality of combat. joining the army, not many knows what is ahead for them, including myself.

for the first time, i had to accept a reality that not everyone will return from their combat tour. many will die so their comrades may come home.

for the first time, i faced my ethnic dilemma ... to die for my country or to come home to my family.

one day, i might only choose one ...

... to be continue ....

this is the end of my blog, but it is not the end for you. ask yourself those questions, so that you might hold your love one dearly, as one day, they might not be there with you again.





References:

from the picture: son, Christian, received the flag from Lt. Col. Ric Thompson at his father funeral. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Marcus Golczynski killed in action on his second tour of duty.

in his last letter home before that day:

" I want all of you to be safe. And please don't feel bad for us. We are warriors. And as warriors have done before us, we joined this organization and are following orders because we believe that what we are doing is right. Many of us have volunteered to do this a second time due to our deep desire to finish the job we started. We fight and sometimes die so that our families don't have to. Stand beside us. Because we would do it for you. Because it is our unity that has enabled us to prosper as a nation."
Staff Sergeant Marcus Golczynski
B Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment
United States Marine Corps
KIA March 27, 2007

Discussion from Hightech blogs:

[As one would expect, many of your readers were touched by this incredible picture. Staff Sergeant Golczynski had previously served one full tour in Iraq. Shortly before his death on March 27 he wrote to his family that he had volunteered to do this a second time due to our deep desire to finish the job we started. In his letter he said, “We fight and sometimes die so that our families don’t have to.” Tragically, Staff Sergeant Golczynski had only two weeks remaining on his second tour. We look at the photograph of Christian every day. It is displayed prominently in our home. Our hearts ache for Christian and for all those who have lost loved ones in this controversial conflict.]

[When looking at the face of Christian Golczynski I am reminded that doing what is right is not always easy and doing what is easy is not always right. Christian’s dad knew that too.]

[Our country is free right now due to the heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifices when their country called them to action. Many great wars ago or even the most recent ones, it never mattered to the men and women in uniform when the call was made. What mattered was the honor and devotion to our great country. We should never let our guard down to anyone who wishes to take from us our most prized possession; freedom. Many have fought and died for that one goal, to defend our country, one nation, under God and never allowing our freedom to cease to exists.]

James Drescher
Franklin, TN



"I am an American soldier
I am a warrior and a member of a team
I serve the people of United State and live the Army value
...
I am a guardian of freedom and the America way of life
I Am an American soldier."
the Soldier's Creed

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag
Who serves beneath the flag
And whose coffin is draped by the flag
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
- CHARLES M. PROVINCE

Duty: what one feels bound to do. Duty is what one performs, or avoids doing, in fulfillment of the permanent dictates of conscience, piety, right, or law
dictionary.com

Honor: probity, uprightness. Honor, honesty, integrity, sincerity refer to the highest moral principle.
dictionary.com

SOURCE:

from BLACKFIVE Forum

from Hightech blog

Conversation

Revise - writing from Observation

The Objective is clear. "Gathering all intelligence from the enemy main post."

My Commander has stated clearly. I repeated the order than off I went.

So this sound like I'm in somewhere of a war zone, ready for a dangerous mission. It's almost like this, except this is a war game. My company has been ordered to attack an enemy base. composed by another company in our battalion.

The order is still popping up in my mind while I'm laying in the bush, on the opposite site of main gate. Between us is a small, dusty supply route for supply and troop transfer. The gate is the main way to lead to the enemy FOB (Forward Operating Base). It's guarded heavily as we [my battle buddy lay next to me, and of course "moi"] expect. Here is what I record into my little note.

1/27/2008
20:30. The sun is coming down, putting the end to another day in this cold, loosely wood. There is still a little sun shine left, not enough for the enemy to see us through the bush, or our movement. It's enough for us to observe them. We're in our position: approximate 15m from the main gate, across the main supply route. Binocular is also ready for closer, up closed look.

20:35. Looking through the leaves. There are 5 guards at the gate in this moment.
They all wear a red banner on the left arm, dictate that they're our opposing force [enemy].
2 guards are on the overhead tower. One is guarding the M249[a medium machine gun], while the other equipped with a standard American issued M16a4. They are talking to each other.
The main gates is instilled with a barricade of bared wire. It has 3 layer of bared wired that are nailed to the ground, zic zac it ways on the main entrance to the check point.
2 soldiers are standing in the check point, each on one side of the bared wire that constituted the gate. They have their M16a4 on the hand, on guard, finger near the trigger.
1 soldier on the fortified tower behind, on the right side of the entrance. The tower is filled with sand bags, and camouflaged leaves. The soldier is guarding with a SAW [Squad Automatic Weapon, small machine gun].


20:38. A truck is approaching from the main supply routes. It has about 10 troops on the back.
Their clothes are wet, dirty. Their eyes are closed. Their rifles are filled with mud and snow. As the truck aprroaching, the overhead tower guard soldier looks at the truck, with their eyes focus. The truck zic zac its way through the bar wired, then stop at the front gate. The fortified tower soldier point his gun at the truck. The two soldiers at the check point are approach the truck. One stay behind, shift his rifle to a low ready[a position of rifle holding that you can fire at moment notice]. One approaches the truck. He talks to the truck driver. The truck driver hands him a small item, look like an ID. He walks around the truck, look at its corners. Then check the back for the soldiers, counting. He hand signals the standing soldier. The soldier moves the bar wire barricade. The truck disappear into the base. All soldiers are back to their normal routine.

20:43. A squad of enemy soldiers emerge from the main route, walking toward the entrance. The soldiers in the tower shift their attention to the squad. One soldier give a hand signal to tower. The soldiers in the tower shift their attention back to the route.
The squad of 8 approach the check point.
A soldier from the squad talks to the guards. The guards open the barricade as one by one soldier from the squad clear their weapon in a barrel. They walk in, the barricade closes again.


bravo company picture

writing from Observation - a mission

The Objective is clear. "Gathering all intelligence from the enemy main post."

The order is still popping up in my mind while I'm laying in the bush, on the opposite site of main gate. Between us is a small, dusty supply route for supply and troop transfer. The gate is the main way to lead to the enemy FOB (Forward Operating Base). It's guarded heavily as we [my battle buddy lay next to me, and of course "moi"] expect. Here is what I record into my little note.

1/27/2008
20:30. The sun is coming down, putting the end to another day in this cold, loosely wood. There is still a little sun shine left, not enough for the enemy to see us through the bush, or our movement. It's enough for us to observe them. We're in our position: approximate 15m from the main gate, across the main supply route. Binocular is also ready for closer, up closed look.

20:35. Looking through the leaves. There are 5 guards at the gate in this moment.
They all wear a red banner on the left arm, dictate that they're our opposing force [enemy].
2 guards are on the overhead tower. One is guarding the M249[a medium machine gun], while the other equipped with a standard American issued M16a4. They are relaxed, talking to each other. Their faces don't expess an intense look of a soldier in the battlefield.
The main gates is instilled with a barricade of bared wire. It has 3 layer of bared wired that are nailed to the ground, zic zac it ways on the main entrance to the check point.
2 soldiers are standing in the check point, each on one side of the bared wire that constituted the gate. They have their M16a4 on the hand, on guard, finger near the trigger.
1 soldier on the fortified tower behind, on the right side of the entrance. The tower is filled with sand bags, and camouflaged leaves. The soldier is guarding with a SAW [Squad Automatic Weapon, small machine gun].


20:38. A truck is approaching from the main supply routes. It has about 10 troops on the back.
Their clothes are wet, dirty. Their eyes are closed. Their rifles are filled with mud and snow. As the truck aprroaching, the overhead tower guard soldier looks at the truck, with their eyes focus. The truck zic zac its way through the bar wired, then stop at the front gate. The fortified tower soldier point his gun at the truck. The two soldiers at the check point are approach the truck. One stay behind, shift his rifle to a low ready[a position of rifle holding that you can fire at moment notice]. One approaches the truck. He talks to the truck driver. The truck driver hands him something, looks like an ID. He walks around the truck, look at its corners. Then check the back for the soldiers, counting. He hand signals the standing soldier. The soldier moves the bar wire barricade. The truck disappear into the base. All soldiers are back to their normal routine.

20:43. A squad of enemy soldiers emerge from the main route, walking toward the entrance. The soldiers in the tower shift their attention to the squad. One soldier give a hand signal to tower. The soldiers in the tower shift their attention back to the route.
The squad of 8 approach the check point.
A soldier from the squad talks to the guards. The guards open the barricade as one by one soldier from the squad clear their weapon in a barrel. They walk in, the barricade closes again.

revisit RECALL

for the past 20 years, many memories will always be there in my mind, as if it has just happened. not so many people can share the same memory. not all of those memories last a lifetime. yet, many soldiers share the same memories that last them a lifetime, a memories of a brotherhood. many went to Basic Training together, many become brothers forever. most common questions were being among young soldiers are either "where did you serve?" or "where did you go to for basic?".

Basic Training, mostly known as Boot Camp, is a transition from being a civilian with all the comfort you have and the standard you set for yourself, to become a soldier with nothing at your comfort and every standard set by someone else. there, things happen that pushing everyone to their limits, created a bond, eventually a band of brother, also memories to last a lifetime.

till today, my friends and i still talk about our first week, from arriving at the Reception till we got picked up by our Drill Sergeant. it's a memory of a lifetime. something you can still feel the emotion, the adrenaline rush through you as if you was still there.

it was april 30th when i left home, stepping on the bus, off i went to the army. in that bus were 50 young, eager civilian ready for a new challenge that up until now, they only know through books and movies. after paperwork, paperwork, and some more paperwork, we arrive at the airport awaiting for our plane to St. Louis, MO. till then, i was still calm, yet nervous, because i don't know what will happen next. "what will be there for me ...?"

i arrived at ST. Louis, MO around 7pm local time. tired and exhausted, i thought: "finally, i'm here". sitting on the plane while it was circling the sky of St. Louis, i tried to look for a place, home i might called for the next 4 months. it was not there. he [a retired Army Sergeant Major] let us know that it will be another 3 hours drive till we arrive at our new home. i was disappointed. yet, somehow, i was happy. i thought "... still have another 3 hours before expecting the unexpected".

there's almost a 100 of us. all from different background, different places from east to west, all sitting in the same bus taking us to a new destiny where nothing will count. we will be the same, a private, nothing more, nothing less.

in the Army, or Marines, the word "private" can be defined in many ways. Webster defined it as: ".... the lowest rank in the United States Army". our military definition can be little more simple. it is known as "... the one who always get to do everything [heavy, crap, sh**ty, etc] with the lowest pay". you name it, we've done it.

yet it's not gonna be given to us, we will have to earn it in the next 4 months.

the bus was quite for most of the drive, all tried to get some last sleep. as the time goes by, so does the distance. most of us never step foot on an army base, yet we all have the feeling that we are near. it was passing midnight. like all of a sudden, we felt the rush running through our body. here come the main gate "Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood". we all woke up, surveyed our surrounding, trying to see what is there to calm down our nervous selves. passing the gates is another 15 minutes drive. to me, it was a 30 minutes of roller coaster drive in the safari where you see everything for the first time with the "ohhh" and "awww". my mind at its nervous max, every time the bus turned, i asked myself "is it here"?

all of us at sometimes in our life has watched an army movies. we have a rough idea of what boot camp is like. we also might have a clear picture of the first arrival. a big, mean looking drill sergeant step on the bus to greet the young, nervous civilians with his clear, powerful, and thoroughly sentence: "welcome to blah blah blah ... now get the FUCC off the bus...". we all know what's next ... all hell broke lose.

wells, to my uttermost unexpectedness surprise, it does not happen like that picture, not quietly. when the bus turn into a hidden building through its curve way, we know it is here. everyone tried to tell each other a few last words of encouragement, advise or a wish of good luck for "here it goes boys ... god speed ...". when we saw the drill sergeants inside the buildings putting their famous brown hat or to the marines as the smokin bear hat, we know there's no time left. the bus went silent, till now, no one really knows what to do, what to expect next... just the bus was what left of us between being civilians and becoming the property of the United States Army.

the drill sergeant stepped on the bus. no, he wasn't big. no, he was not mean looking. no, he did not use language like what we saw in the movie. "what is going on?". yet, there's his eyes, there's his soft, respectful, but commanding voice that keep everyone at their feet. he explained what is going to happen for the rest of the night while i was lost in my thought. then "... any question? no? now get off the bus .... QUICKLY ...." .... and i thought to myself, well this might not be bad after all .... (just for a note later ... it was a deadly wrong assumption) ....

first time arriving

bravo company picture

recall

for the past 20 years, many memories will always be there in my mind, as if it has just happened. not many people can share the same memories that last them a lifetime. yet asking any young soldier, one of those memories that they might recall most is from their boot camp, or what the Army called Basic Training. it's a transition from being a civilian with all the comfort you have and the standard you set for yourself, to become a soldier with nothing at your comfort and every standard set by someone else.

till today, my friends and i still talk our first week, from arriving at the Reception till we got picked up by our Drill Sergeant. it's a memory of a lifetime. something you can still feel the emotion, the adrenaline rush through you as if you was still there.

it was april 30th when i left home, stepping on the bus and off to the army like other 50 young, eager civilian there with me. after paperwork, paperwork, and some more paperwork, we arrive at the airport awaiting for our plane to St. Louis, MO. till then, i was still calm, yet nervous, because i don't know what will happen next, what will be there for me ...

i arrived at ST. Louis, Mo around 7pm local time. tired, exhausted, and i thought: "finally, i'm here". sitting on the plane while it was circling the sky of St. Louis, i tried to look for a place, a place i might called home for the next 4 months. it was not there. they let us know that it will be another 3 hours drive till we arrive at our new home. i'm disappointed, yet somehow happy that i still have another 3 hours before expecting the unexpected.

there's almost a 100 of us. all from different background, different places from east to west, all sitting in the same bus taking us to a new destiny where nothing will count. we will be the same, a private, the lowest rank in the United States Military, nothing more, nothing less. yet it's not gonna be given to us, we will have to earn it in the next 4 months.

the bus was quite for most of the drive, all tried to get some last sleep. as the time goes by, so does the distance. most of us never step foot on an army base, yet we all have the feeling that we are near. it was passing midnight. like all of a sudden, we feel the rush running through our body, here come the main gate "Welcome to Fort Leonard Wood". we all wake up, survey our surrounding, trying to see what is there to calm down our nervous selves. passing the gates ia another 15 minutes drive, however, to me, it was a 30 minutes of roller coaster drive in the safari where you see everything for the first time with the "ohhh" and "awww" ... , my mind at its nerous max, every time the bus turned, i asked myself "is it here"?

all of us at sometimes in our life has watch an army movies. we have a rough idea of what boot camp is like. we also might have a clear picture of the first arrival which a big, mean looking drill sergeant step on the bus to greet the young, nervous civilians with his clear, powerful, and thoroughly sentence: "get the fucc off the bus..." ... everyone knows what's next ... all hell brokes lose.

wells, to my most unexpecting surprise, it does not happen like that picture, not quietly. when the bus turn into a hidden building throgh its curve way, we know it is here. everyone tried to tell each other a few last words of encouragement, advise or a wish of good luck for "here it goes...". when we saw the drill sergeants inside the buildings putting their famous brown hat or to the marines as the smokin bears hat, we know there's no time left. the bus went silent, till now, no one really knows what to do, what to expect next... just the bus is what left of us between being civilians and becoming the property of United States Army.

the drill sergeant stepped on the bus. no, he wasn't big. no, he is not mean looking. no, he did not use language like what we saw in the movie. "what is going on?". yet, there's his eyes, there's his soft, but commanding voice that keep everyone at their feet. he explained what is going to happen for the rest of the night, etc ... i was lost in my thought when "... any question? no? now get off the bus .... QUICKLY ...." .... and i thought to myself, well this might not be bad after all .... (just for a note later ... it was deadly wrong assumption) ....

first time arriving

bravo company picture

about me

i'm a 20 years old, suppose to be senior at university of utah. i'm orginially from vietnam. this is my 4 year at the U, yet i'm nowhere to finish "with" a major (keyword with). i can't remember when was the last time i change my major, too many to count. after my third years, with no aim on my sight, i decided to take a break from school and join the army. my purpose is to find myself again, to look for something that i have lost during my college year, determination. maybe military can shape me up and help me get my mind, once i have had in high school, straight again. after basic training and some more crap training, i'm back here again at the U, trying out the new me since my unit isn't gonna be seen in iraq or afgan anytimes soon.

blog definition ... web 2.0

Many words we hear everyday have become a part of our life that we know, but at the same time, we can hardly define its vast meanings. Like the word "terrorism" from everyday news media, we understand what it is talked about, but yet not its definition. Word "blog" too, has it own vast definition that few lines won't be enough to define.
In a sort term, blog is an internet page where you can write, create a post such as a journal, a diary for just yourself or for anyone to see. Yet, it doesn't stop at right there. Nowaday, blog has served more than just our own diary. It now can used as a powerful tool for news media, to pass a message or to create a sensation. To some, it has become a part of life.
Most of us use blog to express our feelings about our day, school, job, or ultimately our life. Some uses it to let their steam off after a hard day, others use it to seek sympathy among their friend. Many use blog's ability to send out a message for a cause, or just for nothing. Many even simply use it as place for their musics, to share with everyone about a new song, a new band, or just some cool lyrics. A blog can sometimes produce more news than our everyday newspaper. It might not be your little corner with your diary, it might has become a way of life. Every blog has it own unique taste and sense as a way to define its owner.
It might take more than this, more than just some lines of definition and examples to define what we want to know ..... a blog.
For Web 2.0 app, I would say Wikipedia is the one I likes most. It basically everything I need when I need for a everyday definition. From a word definition to defining Black Holes, it has everything for everyone. Things that we don't sometimes know even exists.