Congratulations Ram … and your buddies
It’s official. Ram has received orders confirming his new permanent MOS (Military Occupational Specialty). It has been a very long hard road. Hopefully he will be promoted to Sergeant by next week, he already bought the chevrons. Sergeant under 2 years is no small task.
Of course the contract he signed for 18 Xray is available to many who enlist… but few choose it. Special Forces is a very very tough goal. It truely gets the all kids off the streets.
True he is still wearing the maroon beret of airborne. He will till he graduates. To graduate he will have to finish language school and then go through Robin Sage. Compaired to what he has already endured, it is not as bad as a lot of it. He will complete training around 20 or so Dec, and then be allowed to come home for leave. It is telling that he has nearly 60 days of leave on the books by then. This program is rough and tough. And by Ram’s admission .. he has found within himself more toughness that he ever knew he had. There were times when he ran out of tough and survived on pure stubborn … he got the stubborn from his grandad …. my dad. I know that Pop is watching over him.
After Christmas he will have to return to the Magical Forest for graduation and receiving his Green Beret. Then he will go PCS (Permanent Change of Station) to his assignement to a Group. Hopefully he will rate some serious leave then. I advised him to take a big chunk. After he reports to his group, the real work begins.
At that time of course we will be sharing even less information about him. We will be compelled to report from time to time on generalities, no specifics.
To Mark Danzinger who we reported on in an earlier post … who’s son just signed on an 18 Xray contract … yes .. your son has a lot of tough challenges before him. He obviously has guts. I am sure it is genetic. No one knows what the future has for our sons. Our prayers go with them, and our family’s pride.
Being a Marine … I still find the Army to be an alien thing. But I am grateful for all who sign up to serve there.
Semper Fi guys.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Ram,
Thank you darlin’ for being such a brave and splendid Warrior. Because the face of war is changing and the battlefield has emptied out and been replaced with small groups of Warriors engaging small groups of the enemy disbursed within slum cities, and other wretched places, it is our Special Forces that will be front and center in this protracted engagement. You have selected a very hard path. You will most certainly be put in harm’s way time and time again. Godspeed my brave guardian angel.
Sam
September 20th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
I just can’t say it better than Sam!
September 21st, 2007 at 2:18 am
Sam has the right of it - the SF folks are the heart of the battle against islamo-terror world wide. Read Kaplan’s “Imperial Grunts” to get some insight into the Philippines and other areas that are hardly even mentioned these days. You’ve chosen a rough path, Ram - you have my gratitude and respect, young man!
And if you end up at Fort Lewis with 1st group, we might even get to meet up someday
September 21st, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Congratulations Ram!!! (and you, too Pa!) Ram bought chevrons, Pa needs to buy some spare buttons for the ones that will be popping off his chest.
You guys have to be waaaaaaaaaaaay proud!
September 21st, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Thank you all for your support. You are the good ones. Since the beginning Ram has said he believes God guided him to where he is now. He likes his job. He is anxious to move on further downrange.
I do indeed need more buttons … or maybe stretch shirts.
I think they have the feeling that perhaps half will be going to 5th group most of the rest to 3rd … but nothing is sure. Some of those who didn’t complete the course are in Fort Lewis now … Deacon Jones, and Pistol for two. They are fleshing out Striker units for the move to the sandbox, or so we hear tell.
September 24th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Congratulations Ram, and THANK YOU. That can never be said enough.