Memorial Day 2010

We come together as a community,
as a family
To understand the values that move
the world in which we live

We come together as a community,
as a family
To understand the acts that
threaten our world

We come determined to find the values
that will right the world
We come determined to restore justice
To an unjust world

May we stand firm as we pray for peace
For our families and for our country

and

May we never forget all who serve, have served

and have lost their lives to protect our country, our community, our family.

May their memories be a blessing.

No One Left Behind

Corey is now back at Fort Sam and is "wearing" his combat medic insignia. I will see it on Thursday at family day before graduation. Corey got his written orders. He leaves on June 5th from Boston, stops in Detroit for a few hours and then "invades" Korea on June 6th. (Just a little jokes for those of us who remember the significance of that date!)

Camp Bullis was a combo of more medic learning and then a week of practice warfare..."we did a battalion aid station, watched the gate, went on a patrol, and cleared buildings" Corey writes me.

Not sure what he's up to the last few days but they were cleaning up the bay and there was the trip today to the tattoo parlor.

Laurie

90 degrees in the shade

Been watching the weather in Texas and every day is in the high 90's. Must be hard to do all the training in that heat. I know the tents they sleep in at Camp Bullis have air conditioning...imagine ~ all the comforts of home!

Corey is due back to Fort Sam this Friday. Can't wait to hear about his experiences.

All of our travel arrangements are set for David, Evan and me to go to San Antonio for Corey's graduation. It will be cool for our family to be together, can't remember the last time we were. It will be nice to make new memories.

Q: What does a medic do in Korea?

A: A Medic in Korea would be doing similar tasks as a Medic anywhere on the planet. More than likely he will be assigned to a combat unit there. He will then help run the battalion medical clinic, be the medical support on field exercises and firing ranges, and keep training to be the best Medic he can be. He will work with keeping the medical supply inventory up to date as well as any vehicles assigned to his medical group. ~ Info from John - at goarmyparents.com

Why is it?

Why is it that when I know I can't talk to Corey I miss him even more?

So I've been looking around to find out some details about what he is doing at Camp Bullis...that way I can have a sense of what he's been through when he resurfaces in another 10 days. I am spending my energies being so very proud of him and not looking too far ahead. Thinking of something to do with him when he's home...a round of golf? red sox game? shopping? all of the above? Hope I get to spend a little alone time with him.

Anyhow, if anyone is interested...Camp Bullis
"This base and this training facility will allow you to train under conditions that very much simulate what you are going to see on the battlefield. You will train in the environment and the conditions of stress; and that is going to help you prepare to be the best Soldier medics you can possibly be, because you have an obligation. That obligation is to take care of our most precious resource, our Soldiers."

Here's a good article about the training: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=20021225&id=KGAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mloEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6898,6211648



Laurie

no bull

Camp Bullis soldier medic training site until may 6. When I come back,ill be a certified US Army combat medic. see you then

Corey

PS leaving for Korea on June 6

Stuck

Morning All,

IM'd with Corey last night. He is continuing to practice his skills or be practiced upon as was the case yesterday. His partner couldn't find his vein to start an IV even though the "sticker" was using a 20 gauge needle which is thinner than an 18 gauge. Ouch! Oh the things I am learning...

I'm happy that Corey is continuing to use the word "fun" while describing his training. He could be miserable, scared or worse, I guess.

Still no details about how long he will be home before shipping out. However long, I don't think it will be enough for me!

Laurie

New and Next...See you in Korea

Hi Again,

If you look closely at the new picture I posted, you will notice that Corey is now wearing glasses. He went for a routine exam and well, his parent's genes finally caught up with him. The army gave him some what I hear are pretty ugly frames and will supply him with prescription inserts for various gear. Corey did have the chance to choose his own new look and can display it when off duty.

The big news is that Corey will be posted next at Camp Casey in Korea. We believe it is for one year. This is an 'overseas' home base as opposed to a 'deployment' to a war zone. He does receive hazard pay and will train constantly to be ready to go if called. Sometimes joint Korean and US forces have been sent to the mid-east but who knows? We don't even know the full description of Corey's assignment other than second infantry. Corey says that his work in Korea will consist mostly of sick call and maybe working at the base infirmary.

I've begun to do a little research about Korea and am trying to understand why we have such a military presence there. North Korea, which as we all know has nuclear capabilities, is still a huge threat to overrun South Korea. There are several US bases in Korea and Camp Casey is in the area north of Seoul and close to the DMZ. It is freezing in winter and hot in summer, but Korea in general sounds like an OK place to be. (At least to me - Corey is not so sure.) He does know a few other medics who are going there so perhaps some familiar faces will help.

At the moment Corey is due to leave for Korea on June 10. He will do what is called 'home town recruiting' for 2 weeks where he works in the office where he enlisted. Then he will have a week or so of real vacation before he goes overseas. His friends in Needham are counting the days until he is home, so I hope it will be a hard earned and much deserved fun and relaxing time for him.

Laurie

medic training

April 18 2010

Corey is pretty busy day and night with his medic training and has given me permission to continue his blog. My Mom, Corey's grandmother, and I went to San Antonio to visit Corey April 8-12 and had a great time playing tourist and catching up with Corey's army life. It may take me a few entries, but I'll try to capture some of what has occurred already.

After too many weeks in reception, Corey moved "down range" to begin the EMT portion of his medic training, on Jan. 25 if I recall correctly. Most of the kids expected that army life after basic training would be a little different, but the first phase of AIT offers few privileges and continuous "smokings" for the slightest infraction. Corey began his training with CPR and then moved into the EMT training. This is largely hours upon hours in a classroom setting and not too fondly identified as 'death by powerpoint.' Corey did great, maintaining an honors average with grades over 90 on each of his quizzes and tests. The experience was pressure-filled with at least 3 tests a week. The ongoing intensive physical training and 8-10 hours a day of classroom and study time wore everyone down on occasion.

Each soldier lives with the fear of failing the tests and being reclassified out of medic training. That means that if a test is failed twice, a soldier might be forced to go back to week one and start again, or might have to select a different MOS - army job. It is crummy when that happens because there are far fewer choices when reclassified and many wind up as a foot soldier in the infantry. Corey started out with about 320 people in his company and it is down now to about 250. Fortunately, he passed everything on the first try and is now certified as an EMT just like the folks who ride in ambulances in our local towns.

Corey says he is enjoying the practical skills he is learning. He can now start an IV, give injections, perform a tracheotomy, insert a nasal breathing tube (really gross - you can see it being done on utube), splint broken bones, apply tournequets and a bunch of other stuff I forget. The trainees practice all these things (except the trach)on each other and Corey showed us his 'battle scars'...needle marks all up and down his arm! Once they learn these type of skills, they practice and practice to do it faster and have it become second nature.

This coming Friday, Corey goes to Camp Bullis where he will live in the field and learn more battle field techniques. David, Evan and I are going to Ft Sam for Corey's graduation on May 14.

Still in Reception

I'm writing on Corey's behalf again. As he suspected would happen, Corey and the other 399 men assigned with him are in a holding pattern and stuck in recepion. The soldiers who arrived earlier than his group did in fact go down range on January 11. Rumors are flying and Corey's company hasn't been told the real date when they will begin their medic training. He is major bummed out with the prospect of perhaps having to wait until early February.

He did have the chance to identify his preferences for a permanent duty station assignment...stateside he chose Fort Drum in upstate New York, Fort Stewart in Savannah, GA or Fort Sam Houston where he is in San Antonio. Fort Drum is the base closest to Boston, but is the home of the 10th Mountain Division - the most heavily deployed division of all. He selected overseas options as well: Korea, Germany or England. Apparently the Korea posting is a year in the DMZ - I'm guessing to protect the world from N. Korea's nuclear threat. While anywhere is dangerous, Korea is probably safer than the "sandbox" - Iraq or A-stan. In any case, the army will send Corey where they believe he is needed regardless of his stated desires.

Corey is now living with his friends from Fort Knox BCT and that helps the time pass a little more pleasantly. He is posting on facebook and is on AIM at night, so he hasn't written here. He would enjoy snail mail and while in reception can be reached at:
PV2 Mindlin, Corey
232 MED BN G Co
2950 Koeler RD Suite 1350
Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234
I will update address when he moves.

Laurie

In Formation

Spoke to Corey on Facebook last night. Reception is horribly boring and there seems to be a mix up that will result in 400 people having to stay there until January 25th. It seems as though two classes were scheduled to start January 11. One group settled in at FSH before Christmas Exodus, went home and came back. Then there is Corey's group that just arrived.

Each day they wake at 6:00 am and have 3 or 4 periods of 1-2 hours when all they do is stand in formation. No marching. No training. No PT. Just 800 privates standing in one place, sometimes getting "smoked". They had been allowed to go to the PX during the day but all are now being punished for the sins of one soldier who went AWOL and was hurt in a car accident.

Corey doesn't know if he will start this weekend or have to wait the two weeks. He is being housed in a bay of 40 soldiers, most of whom are from the group that arrived first. We'll just have to wait to see if he will be in Delta Company or Echo Company and then find out his platoon assignment.

Stay tuned,
Laurie

On the Road Again

1-1-10

Corey is on his way to San Antonio today and will report to Fort Sam Houston on Sunday. He will have about a week in reception before he begins his 16 week training to become a 68w - combat medic. The combat medic MOS (military occupation specialty) is very difficult and has a high drop out rate akin to that of special forces so he will be studying hard! If you want to get a sense of what he'll be up to, check out the home page of the 232nd army medical battalion. http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/32medbde/232medbn/defaultVI.aspx

(Cut and paste this link if it doesn't connect.)


Laurie