So the 2009 Enlisted Promotion List for the Oklahoma National Guard was published... a few weeks ago, never mind the fact it was due out in Aug of 2009. And yours has come out #20 on this list, on head of my little brother who is also in my home Battery (a company size element) but being Artillery we have different words for the same meanings. So goodie me.... just bide my time, wait for the 19 other guys to either get promoted or passed over for various things, But wait... there’s more. As there stands I've been offered the Battery CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) NCO slot. A sure fire way to my E-5 Sergeant promotion. For that all I have to do is be on the list next year. Whoa, wait a minute, next year?!? As if I hadn't waited long enough for this. But in hind sight of all this, I also come from a component of the Army where a person can stay an E-4 Specialist for 20 years and retire as one... and have seen it happen.

So as I mill over this decision I find myself wondering this, if I do take the 74D {the above mentioned MOS} job, and when I do get out of the guard, and enter Active duty will my duty station list just shoot thru the roof. Where ever I want to go so long as it meets the requirement of "need of the Army" or if I keep my current MOS of 13M (HIMARS crewman) [Google "HIMARS" and see it in action on youtube.com its pretty awesome] and get my promotion and enter active serves as a Sergeant and just drive on. My only hope is that the decision I make will be the right one for my life in the long run. Until next time I will leave you with the quote I found today while sitting at work, in-between Facebook, and episodes of Family Guy on the TV.

An Army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of bullsh*t! -Gen George S. Patton Jr.