Getting Started At Our First Duty Station.

I began in processing post on Tuesday evening, although it did not really kick off until Wednesday morning. I wrapped it all up on Friday just after lunch. i do have to say I LOVE being an officer. I didn't have to report in every morning like the enlisted guys. PT on my own and I processed at my own speed. Which was SUPER FAST!

We also got Neeka ( our cat ) declawed this week. Before anyone freaks out about how inhumane that was here is our reasoning. She has clawed the heck out of the kids, alot of times for no reason and she has come too close to getting the kids' eyes. I am not going to sacrifice my kids' safety when I could do something to change it. Thor was absolutely devastated when we left Neeka at the kitty doctor though. The nurse was amazing though. She got down on his level and promised to take good care of his pet and read a bed time story to her that night. I thought that was really nice of her.

On Friday morning I finished in processing and signed out of the reception battalion(so i could go to my permanent unit). I went to the S1 (administration office) to in process the 69th Air Defense Brigade Brigade. I was told I was supposed to be going to 4/5 Battalion (this is smaller than a Brigade so it falls under the 69th ADA Brigade). When I got there I was swarmed by people who knew who I was and apparently had been tracking my progress in school since my orders were cut last July. They have not had a Chemical Officer in a long time and the one they had at Brigade had gotten "stolen" by the 1-44 Battalion (also under the 69th). So they were so excited to see me and said that they were going to write an amendment to my orders right then and I would be staying right there at the Brigade level and be the "head chemo" so to speak. They rapidly in processed me and sent me over to the S3 (office where I will be working). I met Cpt Coscas and she showed me around. Since my primary job will be doing the Unit Status Readiness Report and she has been doing it for a while she will be my go to person for the next few weeks. She is really nice and very go with the flow it seems. I was also introduced to Major Reese and had a lengthy talk with him about my job and expectations. It was not how I imagined my Friday afternoon going since I was not even technically supposed to sign into the unit until Monday. Now instead I have a different job.... instead of answering to the Brigade Chemo and turning in the USR report for my Battalion I will be the one people turn in their USR's to and I have to make sure all their information in correct. So as it stands now I will have three other lieutenants reporting to me each month and have at least one NCO who can put Boot to Butt when when the need arises. Isn't that cool? I get my own muscle! lol. MAjor Reese said that I will have my own office but he has to figure out how that is going to happen since they are short on space at the moment. However he said it was VERY important for me in the job that I will be doing to have my own space to work in. He promised that that would happen by next week.

That's about it for now - except that we officially have an address now. Its just a PO Box but it will be our address for at least the next year.

Jake and Heidi Nielsen
PO Box 6094
FT Hood,TX 76544