Really busy...

I didn't fall off of the face of the earth... I plan on posting soon... just give me a little time and bear with me... I have a butt-ton to get off of my chest...

My time here is almost through...

 

In a mere 47 days I will depart my current command.  I am at the point now where I am starting to reflect on where I have been, and where I am going.  I have made thousands of decisions while here in the FDNF.  Some good, some bad, but all have made me into the person I am today.  One part of me regrets my previous posts, while another does not.  It’s good for me to see who I once was, and who I am today.  And while my previous posts may have struck a chord with a few, I do regret the way that they appeared and were carried out.  There were things that should have been brought up before airing out in public, and for that I truly apologize to the offended parties.  While I have tried to keep my posts as generic as possible without direct mention of names, it is only common knowledge aboard my ship as to who it is or am referring to. 

 

Those posts were wrong of me; and again, I apologize.  However, I am currently not retracting them, because as I have stated before, I like to look back at where I was.  (It really helps me see the greener grass on the other side if you will.)  In all retrospect, my command is not bad.  It was the ridiculous restrictions imposed by the FDNF itself, coupled with some of the more stringent rules that my command imposed to cover it’s ass… from a logistical standpoint, it makes sense.  There is a reason why my command has one of the best reputations for not having anyone truly mess up in the Japanese Public, and the stringent rules of yesterday where probably the sole reason.

 

I had a Career Development board a month or so ago, and I was able to take some pretty good advice from it.  It really didn’t revolve around my Naval Career as most CDBs do… (it was mentioned that I am on the right track and have my head on relatively straight.)  It was more focused on having a successful family life while continuing my life as a sailor.  And the knowledge imparted on me was from a Sailor whose career is coming to it’s twilight.  But this blog site was brought up in the process, and while I was told before just how it affected some people before, it didn’t really sink in until I had my CDB.  For one of the people to mention it in a semi-public forum only solidified the way that my typed words resonated leaving a great deal of disappointment and confusion.  Again, I apologize. 

 

I apologize for not being mature enough to bring my issues up when I should have, vice blurting them out here in cyberspace… if I could go back and do it all over, I would have done it the right way vice the wrong… but every decision made creates the person I have become today, and in some aspects, I feel myself to be a better person as a result of the roads I have taken.

 

Trust me when I say that this blog is far from complete… it’s just late, and I am ready for some sleep.  Until next time…

 

A Sign of Good Faith

It’s been awhile. But things have developed a bit since my initial hiatus that made a blog entry almost necessary. Times are finally starting to change a bit. My ship is in the midst of a Port Call, and liberty restrictions have finally relaxed a bit. The upper chain of command is giving sailors a sign of good faith by allowing looser liberty rules. Rules that actually make sense and are easy to abide by.

For instance, Sailors who are classified as low risk (i.e. those with no prior behavioral issues or incidents) who are in possession of a blue card and up (E-1 through E-6) Currently do not have to file an Individual Liberty Plan, or require a liberty buddy if they are not planning on consuming alcohol. So if I wanted to go out and go shopping for gifts for my family, I don’t have to drag a liberty buddy along as long as I don’t consume alcohol. This will make for a more exciting port call in my opinion.

I have always had the problem of conflicting desires while out on liberty. While I would have one thing planned, my liberty buddy or buddies would want to do something completely different or off the reservation. These relaxed liberty rules allow for such differences in opinions as long as the sailors are keeping within the set parameters.

This is a double-edged sword however, as Murphy’s Law no doubt applies… there are always one or two sailors out there who will inevitably end up ruining it for everyone else… I am hoping that this new granted freedom empowers my peers to help police our misguided shipmates while out on liberty in order to avoid any such occurrences or potential incidents which would end our new freedoms. I know that I personally will be keeping a more vigilant eye out, and interceding when necessary to facilitate a liberty-free port call.

I applaud the powers that be for a rational decision made, and thank them for the opportunity to act in the capacity of an adult who defends the freedoms of the United States of America. I sincerely hope that this is the first of many more positive blogs to come. Till next time…