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Today's Featured Biography
Justin Overstreet
"Reader" be forewarned: these are the, "Incoherent Thoughts of a Madman." -(Followed by Cynical, and Sadistic Laughter)
Rated "I"(Inapropriate for all Readers)
Well, I guess that I will start with back in school. During my Junior year back in High School I joined the Montana National Guard. I attended Army Basic Training bewteen my Junior and Senior year of school. After High School Graduation I went off to Advanced Individual Training for my job as a Fire Support Specialist. After returning back to Bozeman after training I spent the next year bummin' around working various odd jobs. My objective during that period of time was to hit the slopes up at Bridger Ski Resort. I had purchased a season lift pass, and made every effort to get up to Bridger for some snowboarding. During this time I was still doing the whole National Guard thing. Summer of 2000 rolled around and the Bozeman Guard unit was activated to go fight forest fires around the Yellowstone park area. It was really physical work digging trenches around the fire, searching for hot spots afterwards, and even back burning towards the fire to prevent it from spreading. However I enjoyed the time walking around the backcountry, and it was an interesting experience.
After the Forrest Fire season had come to an end I switched over to the Active Duty Army. In November 2000 I arrived at my first duty station of Baumholder Germany; 2nd BDE, 1st Armored division. A month later I was deployed down range to Kosovo to help with Peace Keeping operations. The next six months were a complete eye opener into the lives of people living in a third world region. I look back on it now and think about how blessed I am as a person to be born in a country like the USA. My time in Kosovo was spent on Duties in the TOC, guard duty, patrols, counter indirect fire missions, and what we called at the time, "Bright Sky" missions.
After the deployment was over, my unit was sent back to Germany. I never thought that I would be sooo glad to see that place again. Even though it was almost always shrouded in rain, or snow it had become home. From 2001-2003 I spent my time in Europe doing the Army thing; training, training, training. I tried to make the most of my time outside of training by traveling to different regions throughout Europe. Germany, Luxembourgh, France, Spain, and Switzerland all have their own individual sites and flavor. I love the different cultures, and people I have been able to interact with throughout the years. I was have the time of my life, soaking in all the experiences this strange and interesting world has to offer.
Then it happened, the day the world changed. Everything, military, civilian, anything you could think of. September 11, had an impact worldwide. Increased security, political grounds for a war halfway across the world. These changes are still occuring worldwide, years after the event took place. In Germany, we experienced a wide spread increase in security measures. Guard Duty at areas throughout the region became a full time job. Back in the states security upgraded at the airports, and borders of our country. The President declared a war on Terrorism. His first target was the Taliban regiem in Afghanistan, and the Al-quida group it fostered within it's borders. Rumors spread like wildfire. When are we going, where we are going. The changing history of the world was unfolding before our eyes in color on the television news. Rumors are a terrible thing, never place your trust in such things. To do so only places yourself in a stressfull situation of ignorance.
Later on the President declared war on Iraq, stating that it was to combat the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.????Hmmm. Like the rest of the world we waited, and watched. Rumors began, spread, and disapeared. Then May 1, 2003 my BDE was deployed to help with the war in Iraq. We began our 12 month rotation in Iraq, right in the center of it all; Baghdad. Outside the Green Zone, near the central train station, in a small FOB(Forward Operating Base) known as "Thunder FOB". We spent the next twelve months preforming various military combat duties in and around our Battalions area of operation. From Hieffa street, to the train station, pension building, museum, and other places far to numerous to list. During this period most of my duties were in conduting raids, patrols, escorting various personel from one FOB to another, QRF(quick reaction force), guard duty, and manning certain positions at static sites. There is just too much to write of during that period........
Then nearly 12 months roll by, and my units is extened in theater for another three months. We moved to a different area around Baghdad, and conducted a completely differnt type of mission. I am weary of talking about it, maybe I will continue this portion of my story at a later date. Anywho, back to Germany; home once again. A sence of relief once you touch back down to the place you once called home. But,... things have changed, the world has changed around you from what you once knew. You have changed too, but in a direction askew from that the rest of the world traveled. After 15 months, isolated in a foriegn land not worth visiting. You come back, and a new world unfolds before your eyes, it apears real, and unreal at the same time. Both good, and bad, better or worse. But humans adapt, and we slowly integrate back into a society, which is not the one we left behind 15 months before. After the initial "culture shock", the daily grind of life in the Army returned to what it should, changed but for the better.
Then in November of 2005, my unit is deployed again. This time to Kuwait as a reserve force for the region. Conducting various training, maintenance, and range. This is were I presently sit.
Dang, I wrote alot. I guess that I have alot to say. Maybe someday I will write a book, going into greater detail and such; maybe not.
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