drumroll please...

And now for the update you've anxiously been awaiting...

Once again, circumstances have proven that I am a stubborn determined individual who will not let petty things like fractures stop him from doing his duty. My doctor is quite possibly one of the most awesome Lieutenant Commanders the Navy has to offer, and I'm most thankful for his help. Basically he'll do what he can to help me with whatever I want to do. If I wanted out, he'd be helping me with that. As it happens, he's going to help me "fly below the radar" and get my ass to Iraq. I'm on limited duty until December, we deploy in April. I can still do the training I need to do, I'm just restricted from doing much running or any humping. As chance has it, at this point, most of the training I need is going to be at the range. If we can work the timing out (TBD over the next two weeks), I'm going to proceed with the surgery sometime in October. I'll likely be on convalescent leave for about a month after that. I'll then be limited duty until such time as the doctor feels I'm good to go. That's the only sticky part about it - if he operates, he would not be able to put me on full duty to go to war unless he were sure about it. Not having operated, he's willing to let me go if I say I'm good. He's pretty confident that I'll be good as new within three to four months though, and we don't leave till April, so it should be fine. I'll be able to go to ranges and such within a month of surgery, just no heavy weight bearing PT. On the off chance that surgery/limited duty conflicts too much with working up for deployment, then I'll get the surgery when I get back from the war. Once I get back, I'm going to train like crazy, and then if I can get an aviation contract, I'm going to put in a package for MECEP (Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program). If I'm accepted for that, then if I'm not already a Sergeant, I will be promoted to Sergeant with full pay and allowances and my duty station being college until graduation. At that time I'll go to OCS, which is according to my captain (who's a mustang) is shorter, but much more physically demanding than boot camp. Fine by me, I'll have had my surgery, and I'm in much better shape than before boot camp. Then it would be TBS (The Basic School for Officers) for six months to learn to be a basic rifle platoon commander. This is the officer equivalent of MCT, only on steroids and PCP. Admin officers have harder training and more of it than infantry enlisted. Then it would be off to flight school. I have been entertaining this idea for a long time, but as many of you know, I was very torn as to which way to go on it. Naturally, Highway to the Danger Zone (the Top Gun theme song) came on on the way to the hospital, and that sort of clinched it for me. I know it sounds silly, but I thought, "What the hell... I know a lot of it'll suck, it definitely won't be easy, and there's not even a remote guarantee of success. When have I let that stop me before?" So, I'm gonna give it a shot. If that doesn't work out, I'll probably go back to RIP and become an operator (an actual no shit 0321 Recon Marine). As coincidence would have it (coincidence, or my GySgt whispering to the 1stSgt?), my 1stSgt called me into his office this afternoon and asked me what my plans were. He asked me for a firm commitment to get healthy and stay healthy - to train, but be careful about over training. He made me a machinegunner on the QRF (Quick Reaction Force). Errr. So anyhow, regardless of other things in my life, I am now quite pleased. I have a good spot on the QRF (get some!), I once again have solid goals and direction in my life (OCS and flight school), and I'm gearing up to fulfill my calling.

Oh yeah, and I had a date the other night. It was alright, but she was pretty tired and didn't show as much interest as I might have expected - she did however ask to see me again, so we'll see how that one goes. Frankly, while I'm happy about the prospect, I'm not overly concerned. I have a renewed driving force in my life, and that's what matters. It's a lot easier to stay motivated when you actually have something to be motivated by.

S/F