Another week in the life of an infantry chaplain. Life is getting busier and will continue to do so until after we return from deployment seeing how we start the intense workups after the holidays.
Monday held my first day on Casualty Assistance Call Officer (CACO) watch. We have a chaplain standing by each day to go with the CACO for any notifications. Quiet day and that is a good thing.
Tuesday was my day to attend Combat Life Saver (CLS). This course is essentially first aid that I learned in Boy Scouts many years ago. Tourniquets, pressure bandages, splints, treating for shock and hypothermia. I got to learn what is in the CLS bag that I will most likely carry seeing how I don't have a weapon or ammo to carry and when things get dicey it is something I can do to help keep the Marines safe. There will be other lifesaving/first aid courses before we deploy and I hope to catch a bunch of them. We are blessed to have some great corpsmen that know their stuff. I also went out in the field for a few hours in the late afternoon as a few companies were out there. I didn't stay the night and that was fortunate as it was colder than the previous week when I slept outside.
Wednesday was my second trip to the brig. We have a few guys in there and I go out to visit them each week to see how they are doing, etc. Until I come here I haven't done much visitation in a prison, other than some visits to CCU at Pearl for one of my Weapons Department guys, so it is a bit disconcerting and I hope I never get used to visiting the brig. Good ministry, but still a bit weird ministering through bars. Also did some viewing of possible Bible studies to start during the predeployment cycle.
Thursday included some planning of the adopt-a-school program for not only the battalion, but also the regiment. Our parent regiment is deploying forward soon so they are placing the program in our hands until we leave. Then we'll turn the regimental program over to another battalion until the regiment returns. Luckily the RP is the battalion coordinator and is willing to step up with regimental program. Unfortunately, we also learned that the RP is heading to a different regiment and I'll be getting a new RP. I really like the one I have now, so it will be a bit of a transition and there is some anxiety on my part regarding the new RP. Just like with the one I have now, as long as he can shoot well and run around my pace, everything else is icing on the cake.
Friday was my PRT weigh in. I am doing one just to make sure we don't have to explain it away on the Fitrep next month. The PRT is tomorrow and I am not worried at all about passing. In fact, I've lost a bit of weight the last few months which means I'll lose some more in the next few months as the PT picks up. I also missed my own Hail and Farewell (or at least the Hail portion) as someone came to see me right as I was getting ready to leave for the party. Oh well, these things happen.
I went back home to Durham this weekend for a family dinner with my mom's family which is always a highlight of the Christmas season as I get to play with the little ones in the family. Nothing like having three small children hanging all over you trying to keep you from moving. I also got to visit my grandfather for his 87th birthday which is tomorrow.
Looking forward to the short week and another trip back home for Christmas. Plus, I might actually get some unpacking done and make some room to start cleaning the house.
1 comment:
I don't envy you for the CACO duties (glad it was a quiet day). I had to do the boat-side CACO duties of packing up and inventorying the service member's personal effects. It was a very hard and emotional experience for me. I don't think I could manage the CACO duties on the home-front and informing the families. God bless you in your ministry as you carry out those duties.
BZ on the first aid courses and figuring out ways you can help the Marines when you're on the pointy-end of the spear. BZ also on losing weight, hope the PRT goes well.
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