2nd Week

Now I know why Germans drink so much beer - the weather stinks!  Really, two weeks and I've seen the sun maybe twice.  Blah.

Work is good, I'm starting to dig into the meat of my job.  There's a Marine unit in Spain that was established a few years ago to assist hot spots in northern Africa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Purpose_Marine_Air-Ground_Task_Force_%E2%80%93_Crisis_Response_%E2%80%93_Africa

Unfortunately they have to deal with issues like base staffing, car rental contracts, etc., all stuff that distracts them from their mission.  So my position was created as a liaison that takes ownership of these issues.  In order to do that I need to spend time with different staff to understand the history and nature of these issues - that way I can either make corrections or advise on how to proceed for the future.  Simple right?

BUT - I took a USO sponsored trip this weekend to France to visit the Maginot Line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line
Yeah, I had to wake up early to get on the bus at 0400, but once on I fell asleep almost until we arrived in France.  Nice bus.  The Maginot Line is one of those minor details of WWII we used to learn about in high school, I even had (maybe still have) a comic book about it.  But to actually visit it and see the enormous scale of this effort is just amazing.  Even more so when you realize these underground forts were built in the 1930s.   And there were/are hundreds of these small and large all along the border.

The particular installation we visited was the Hackenberg Fortress (Ouvrage Hackenberg) on the border intersection of France, Germany, and Luxembourg.  It extends for several miles under a mountain which overlooks the Moselle River valley.  Even with our professional guide and the still working electric train, we spent about three and a half hours and only saw a fraction of this single fortress.  Most impressive was the gun demonstration - a 135mm mechanized mortar.  The entire assembly with armor and counterweight is 270 tons.  And it still works, meaning it goes up and down and spins around, they didn't actually fire it for us.  The neighbors tend to frown on that.

Then on to the nearby town of Thionville for lunch and a short tour.  We were supposed to visit the French Resistance Museum but it was closed for renovation for the upcoming tourist season.  Typical nice French town; cafes around the square where I had an interesting version of a Monte Cristo sandwich, and an espresso afterward.

The last stop of the day was the Lorraine American cemetery.  The US 80th and 90th Infantry Divisions, under Gen Patton's Third Army, moved through the Lorraine area in late 1944 (and retook Hackenberg Fortress from German control) on its way into Germany.

Long day, but a good one!

First weekend

Every inbound military here at Marine Forces Europe has a sponsor; someone to help you figure out what you need to know just to get stuff done.  My sponsor is a Major who's been here for about a year and a half and really did a great job of showing myself and another newbie, a Capt, everything from the lodging office, the commissary, exchange, post office, gym, health clinic, etc.

This past Saturday he came to our hotel to show us how to use the German train system.  There's the Deutschebahn, the national train (sort of like Amtrak), the S bahn, a regional train, and the U bahn which is local (like a short commuter system).  We took the S bahn into Stuttgart and poked around a bit.  It was a cloudy, chilly day but nice to explore.

I had actually been to Stuttgart four years ago on my way home from Georgia, but that was a far different experience.  I remember the train station here in Boblingen (the town near base) was being renovated and it was a mess.  I struggled to figure out how to get a ticket but I did make it to Stuttgart and wandered around all day and even toured the Mercedes Museum, which was great.  So this time, with a modern train station complete with ticket machines and a manned booth, it was far easier.

These two photos are of the Schlossplatz (roughly castle plaza), the bottom shows the Neues Schloss (new castle) which was originally a palace built in the 1740s by 18 year old Duke Charles (just cuz he could).  After almost being destroyed in WWII it was rebuilt and now houses the Finance and Education Ministries.

This is my walk to work, chilly but nice now and should be much better next month.

1st Week in Deutschland

Well thank you Delta Airlines for a typical American service experience.  Lugging around three really heavy bags checking in at Jacksonville, NC.  Of course I couldn't check them all the way through to Germany, nooooo, so in Atlanta I had to get all two bags, then the third at the other end of the terminal, then go over to check in all over again.
"No Sir, you can't check in at this terminal you have to use the kiosk."
    "OK, I'll leave these bags here while I use the kiosk" (only 15 feet away)
"No Sir, you can't leave your bags here you have to take them with you."
     drag, drag, drag......kiosk won't let me check in
     "OK, the kiosk says I have to see an agent, so I'm back with you."
"No Sir, I'm not an agent, you have to go all the way over there.  And take your bags with you."

Then there's the micro-legroom on the 8 hour flight.  The tiny meal served on the tiny seatback tray.
The lousy A/V system where movies skip & jump.   Oh yeah, what's not to love about flying on a US airline.    Someone remind me around election day to thank Congress for passing the Fly America Act that dictates all official US gov't travel must be on US owned carriers.  Right, because capitalism and free markets are too good for US businesses.

But I've been here in Stuttgart since Monday and man it's cold.  Tuesday it snowed with fat, heavy snowflakes.  And, the Marine Corps shifts uniforms with the time change so we've switched from sleeves down to sleeves rolled up.  Fantastic!

At least my hotel is nice...kind of.  They didn't have a regular room available for me so they put me in their apartment right across the street.  Typical quirky European apartment, tiny but clean.  Really nice kitchen that I didn't use, small living room with TV (and I mean SMALL) and narrow wooden staircase up to the bedrooms.

After 3 nights I was done with quirky and they had a regular room open up so all is well.  Their breakfast is fantastic - everything fresh.  http://reussenstein.com/hotel/?lang=en
And of course the local beer on tap at the front counter that extends and becomes the bar.

The previous two nights I was just a little hungry so I went out for cheap eats.  Doner Kebap - for you Jack!  Mmmmmm.

Getting Ready for Schnitzel

Four years ago I started a blog on my deployment to Georgia (the Republic of) so I'll do another one for my deployment to Germany.  Here's the link to my Georgia blog ...
http://chuck-in-georgia.blogspot.com/
Make sure you read it from the beginning.  Or not.

I'm starting this blog from Camp Lejeune, NC where I've spent a week in training for my deployment.  The last time I was here was eleven years ago when I deployed to Iraq with the 5th Civil Affairs Group (CAG).  Back then, in 2005, I just sent out a series of emails about my experiences.  It was easy but I also had to make sure any pictures were formatted and not too big, and of course I had to make lists of people to send my emails to.  Larry Hryb, my old college friend (and of Xbox Live fame) suggested I do a blog instead of emails.  I said, "what's a blog?"  Remember now this was 2005 and Facebook was only 1 year old.  Maybe I try and convert all my old Iraq emails to a blog, it'll be a pain but worthwhile.  Stay tuned.

OK, here we go.  In my next post I'll explain what I'll be doing in Germany but for now I'll just talk about my week here in Lejeune.  http://www.lejeune.marines.mil/

Every Marine who deploys overseas has to be fully prepared and trained for the country and mission assigned - no surprise there.  But over the past years some mobilized reservists, and active duty too, showed up in-country without some required training.  Maybe he hadn't been to the rifle or pistol range in awhile, or was never issued some needed equipment or uniforms, or his wife kept calling his old command because she didn't know what medical benefits she had.  So, every mobilized reservist, and a few active duty individuals, now has to go through the Deployment Processing Command as the gateway to any overseas deployment.  Depending on where and what mission you're doing dictates what training you need.  Those headed to Afghanistan do the full three weeks at DPC to include rifle/pistol range - that takes up a big chunk of time.

As for me, I just needed the basics....which included the gas chamber.  Last time I did the gas chamber was 11 years ago getting ready for Iraq.  Why I needed it now?  Who knows, I just went along with the training schedule.  Besides I always liked the gas chamber, it's just a form of riot gas but still pretty powerful stuff.  When you de-mask there's always at least one person who freaks out and runs into the wall trying to find the door, or makes it outside and collapses with a stream of snot coming out and retching and puking all over.  Very entertaining!  This time though it was quick and boring, no de-masking.  I even brought my iphone to sneak a selfie but it was all over before I had a chance.  Rats.

The next day we ran the PFT - physical fitness test.  My run time was pretty good, 3 miles in 22:30 - thanks BBRC!  Then yesterday was swim qualification.  Now the last time I did my swim qualification was 26 years ago back in 1990 at The Basic School.   It's not that difficult except, of course, if you can't swim.  Swim 25 meters using any stroke, jump off a 20 foot platform (demonstrating correct technique - flailing doesn't count!) and then do something else - I don't remember.  Something to do with sharks and a pocket knife...

Interspersed with all these exciting events are the even more exciting mandatory annual classes.  Risk management, sexual harassment, substance abuse, and of course, the chaplain's class on stress management.  All necessary, yes, but I've been enduring these for years now and the novelty has worn off.  But still, in between classes I talk to other Marines and find out where they're going and we swap sea stories.  There's always some connection - 'you're going there? I was there.' or  'Hey I know that guy'.  That makes it worthwhile.