Armed Forces Day
Today was a good day... State Guard spent the day on Fort Bliss, sharing in the post-wide celebration. The post was opened up to the general public for tours, a chili cook-off, demos, and just general good fun and organized mayhem.
Had a number of folks wondering why we wore the Texas State flag on our arms instead of the US flag - so we got to introduce the State Guard to people who hadn't realized before that there was such a thing.
Spoke with Veterans, listened to their stories of service, and of friends present and fallen, shook hands with men and women that I have a profound respect for, and made new friends. Yes, there's competition and rivalry between the various branches of the military - but it's obvious that they still consider themselves all part of the same extended family, and they've got each other's backs when and where it counts.
And I actually did something that I'd never dreamed of doing before in my life - I went off the rappelling tower. For a lot of folks, this is really no big deal, but I've lived with a major fear of heights most of my life. I've only recently discovered that a lot of the vertigo is because of my allergies - falling even a short distance, like on a carnival ride, upsets my balance terribly especially if I'm even slightly congested. So this was a major accomplishment for me - a 45-foot drop, with nothing but a rope between me and disaster. Not even a wall to bounce off of. The Jump Masters were very encouraging - I've got nothing but respect for them and their professionalism, and their sense of humor.
And I was laughing so hard when I reached the ground that I climbed back up the tower and did it again.
HOOAH!
Had a number of folks wondering why we wore the Texas State flag on our arms instead of the US flag - so we got to introduce the State Guard to people who hadn't realized before that there was such a thing.
Spoke with Veterans, listened to their stories of service, and of friends present and fallen, shook hands with men and women that I have a profound respect for, and made new friends. Yes, there's competition and rivalry between the various branches of the military - but it's obvious that they still consider themselves all part of the same extended family, and they've got each other's backs when and where it counts.
And I actually did something that I'd never dreamed of doing before in my life - I went off the rappelling tower. For a lot of folks, this is really no big deal, but I've lived with a major fear of heights most of my life. I've only recently discovered that a lot of the vertigo is because of my allergies - falling even a short distance, like on a carnival ride, upsets my balance terribly especially if I'm even slightly congested. So this was a major accomplishment for me - a 45-foot drop, with nothing but a rope between me and disaster. Not even a wall to bounce off of. The Jump Masters were very encouraging - I've got nothing but respect for them and their professionalism, and their sense of humor.
And I was laughing so hard when I reached the ground that I climbed back up the tower and did it again.
HOOAH!
Labels: Armed Forces Day, TXSG
posted by quidni | 8:18 PM
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