MOB SITE

I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the plane. All my soldiers were settled in and getting set up with their headphones or pillows. The flight attendant pointed me toward first class and I gingerly walked toward the front of the plane wondering if I should give my seat to private or something...but I couldn't think of a fair way to pick and the decision for officers to sit in first class was above my head so I decided to go with it. I sat down but didn't get settled because, being the newest and lowest ranking officer, I figured it was only a matter of time before the seats were full and a captain or major told me to move. Eventually, another lieutenant sat beside me and the chaplain began his prayer so I decided I must be there to stay and I watched Miami get smaller and smaller through my window before promptly falling asleep. I woke up as we were approaching Ft Bliss and stared blankly at the neat rows of military buildings sprawled across the desert. We shuffled inside, signed in with our ID cards and ate a very rubbery but adequate chicken dinner. Eventually they bused us over to our barracks and we were issued linens to use the remainder of our time there. Once I had generally figured out how to make my bunk look kind of like the pristine bunk of the private sharing a room with me (I never went to basic and thus, never got the class on how to do the sheet folding/tucking magic that the lower enlisted are masters at) I headed downstairs to get my bags. I hunted for the green tape I had marked my duffles with in the sea of bags. Everyone else's bag was stenciled with their name and last four of their social but I was so new to the army I hadn't even been issued duffle bags yet and had to borrow some until I got my supplies issued to me at Ft. Bliss.

The next few days were a blur of medical evaluations, supply issues, lectures about following General Order No. 1 (basically no fun allowed lol) and administrative stations. The most eventful part of this for me was the third phase of my battle to be allowed to deploy. This story requires a bit of background:

When I was at BOLC at Ft. Lee I had to do a series of medical updates and evaluations. One of those was my annual Pap Smear. Unfortunately, a week before graduation I got news that I had an abnormal result. This had never happened to me before and I was shocked when the doctor told me that it would mean that I could not deploy (I was scheduled to leave in a month if you recall from my last post) because I would have to have follow-up testing and then check-ups for the next few months. 


I left the doctor's office pale and shocked and when I got to my car I just cried and called Tad to tell him the news. I was so upset and at the time I couldn't really put my finger on why. I was not concerned about my health I was just angry that the doctor was telling me I couldn't deploy like it was no big deal. Here I had rearranged my life for the last 5 months for this deployment and I was only a month away! At the time I was feeling a lot of emotions getting ready to leave....fear that I wasn't ready and didn't know enough, sadness about not seeing Tad for so long, excitement, apprehension...but it all paled in comparison to the utter anger and frustration and embarrassment I felt when I was told I COULDN'T go.   


Anyway, I called my Commander the next day and told him the news but said I was still planning to find a way around it. He was willing to work with me and when I hit the ground in Miami I immediately started fighting the battle there. I went to the Military Clinic and they initially told me I just needed to redo the Pap but after further consideration told me I did need to see a gynecologist and get further testing done to get cleared. They gave me a referral and I called and pleaded and was able to get an appointment for the consultation and testing that day. After the Coposcopy I explained to the doctor that I needed her to write me a letter saying I wouldn't need check-ups for a year if the results were good. She said we will have to see but if the results support it I can do that for you. I spent the next week trying to think about other things and proceed as if I was going. When the results finally came in, the doctor has a solemn tone and my nerves hit the roof. In her thick Cuban accent she said, "Brittany, it is much worse than I expected..." I was breathing deeply and trying to stay calm..."What do you mean?" She went on to explain that I had pre-cancerous cells and that she could not say I didn't need any check-up for a year. She told me that although I did not need any treatment yet I would need a follow-up in a few months but it was a simple follow-up and she could give me a note saying that. I thanked her and took the note to the doctor at the military clinic knowing the battle was still raging. At first he said the note was not what he said he needed and he couldn't clear me but after I agreed to get a memo from my Commander ensuring he would get me the check-up, he cleared me and changed my status to deploy-able. 

When I got to Ft Bliss, the doctor barely looked at my file and did not even look at me. He asked in a gruff, uninterested voice if I had any profiles. I said no, I had one that is still on the books because it would expire shortly but it has been cleared. He started typing in his computer.....I reiterate, it was cleared in Miami and I have the paperwork for it....He stamps NOT CLEARED on my paperwork and hands it to me. I look at him, incredulous, and say I don't understand...He clears his throat and musters his most emphatic and patronizing voice while stating Pap Smears on not supported in theater and I cannot deploy. I said but I have a memo....he repeats himself. I angrily take my folder out of his hands and storm over to the case management section. I emotionally tell my entire story to the attentive and sympathetic case worker who promises she will do everything she can to get me cleared. She leaves with my folder and I overheard her talking with her superiors and I could tell things are continuing to go south. They were asking questions she couldn't answer and they were leaning toward and sending me for a complete re-evaluation. I loudly stated I could hear them and they were talking about me and they laughed and told me to come in. I re-explained. I insisted. I pushed. I tap-danced. Finally, the Gentleman could see I was insistent and promised if I wanted to deploy, he would find a way to get me there.

I felt better but I didn't wait. The next morning I went to speak with a Major who worked in the case management department. I explained the situation to her as she calmly listened. She started flipping through a book and 15 minutes later I was still silently sitting while she researched, reminding myself not to talk my way out of a sale. She said she would be right back and silence became even heavier. When she came back she told me she had spoken with a Colonel who had agreed to clear me. She filled out the paperwork and I was afraid to believe it was really fixed....I asked again and again...."so that's it right? No one can change it again?" She said, "yep, that's it!" My road to Afghanistan was back on track.

The next couple weeks were filled with training and briefs and exercises designed to test our readiness.

 On a side note, our Command Sergeant Major has a thing about rocks and found two giant rocks in the desert wanted my platoon to haul back to the training area to be painted. All we had was a M916 (military semi basically) with a weak wench and the rocks we in awkward positions on a hill. That whole ordeal was interesting to say the last but after 5 hours we had the rocks on the truck bed and were headed back. If it hadn't been for "The Chiefs" (three rowdy warrant officers I was "in charge of") we never would have gotten it done. The rocks were painted and, as far as I know, are still at Camp McGregor (a training camp associated with Ft. Bliss) 

March 9th we were officially validated as a unit and allowed to wear our new, Operation Enduring Freedom Combat Pattern (OCP) uniforms.

We had a few days of down time to take the bus back and forth from Ft. Bliss and go shopping there or see a movie. Normally during that time Soldiers are given a 4-day pass to see their family or have some fun before leaving but for some reason we didn't have that opportunity. I went to see one movie and The Chiefs agreed to pick me up in the van they had acquired (who knows how The Chiefs acquire anything, they tell me not to ask lol). As soon as I opened the van door Chief says firmly, "Ma'am do not concern yourself with what is in the back seat." I look a him strangely and then look in the back seat and a green, foam Sea-God looking head is staring back at me. I remembered they had mentioned seeing a head laying on the side of the road and I looked back at Chief quizzically. They giggled and said they were going to put it on the Sergeant Major's rock. We did. Three days later Chief comes to me more upset than I have ever seen him telling me they are threatening to bring him up on charges of destroying government property because the Post General is involved and wants to know who cut the head off of the statue. He goes on about how they didn't cut it off they just found it and how ridiculous it is and so on. I agreed it was ridiculous and asked what I could do. He said they needed me to write a sworn statement about the whole ordeal. I assured him I would and reminded him since they didn't cut it off there was no evidence that could be used to sustain charges against them. I was walking down the hallways 30 minutes later and my First Sergeant shouts "Ma'am, you need to get your Chiefs under control!" I laughed and went to write the sworn statement. Nothing became of the charges and March 14th, 2012 I was boarding a plane for Afghanistan!