Monday, January 17, 2011

Week in Review (10 Jan - 16 Jan 11)

So we had a short week due to snow down here by the coast.  Never thought I'd see three inches fall in three hours this far east in NC.

Monday was the first snow day.  The base had put everyone on a 2 hour delay.  I woke up and saw no snow so headed on in along with most of the officers in the battalion.  It started to sleet when I got to base but nothing was sticking, etc.  By 8:15 the snow had begun to stick and by 9am there was a good inch or so on the ground with a good amount coming down.  By then the based had closed for the day and the highway patrol was actually turning people away before they got to the gate.  Traffic to leave was backed up for at least 2 miles so I waited until the snow let up a bit and finally left around 1 before anybody got the idea to keep us on base for the night.  I did get some good admin done that day and we had some important battalion meetings as some of the senior people were headed out to do a site survey for deployment.

Tuesday was a snow day and we didn't have to go in.

Wednesday was a day of catching up and craziness with turning over the RP's (my assistant).  I got a new one who will work out well, we just need some time together to start working together well.  That should happen this week with our time in the field and getting the services ready.  Had a meeting with the acting division chaplain about a training I have created for teaching ethics in the battalion at the NCO level.  He likes what I have done and I will present it later this month to the rest of the division chaplains as one model for teaching ethics in our battalions.  I make no claims it will work in other divisions, but I know it is what my guys will take to.  I have confidence it will translate to any setting, but it also depends heavily on command buy in as well as the NCO buy in as the whole point is to put the ball in the hands of the NCO's because they have the biggest influence on the day to day life and routine of Marines.  I also had a guy request conscientious objector status.  Didn't expect that one in an infantry battalion.  After some discussion later in the day, he didn't want to make the formal application, but the request did force me to get to rapidly become an expert on the long process to declare one a CO.  It was quite the learning experience for me and the rest of the command. 

Thursday was another day of catching up and getting things ready for the field.  Me and the RP also had a lunch with the Marine Forces Command chaplain who wanted to talk with all the deploying chaplains and RP's to offer some advice.  It was good first hand experience from where we are going and got us out of the office for a time. That afternoon we went on liberty for the weekend until Tuesday morning.  They shifted the 96 hour liberty to the left a day so we would have a day to get final field preps done once we came back. 

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