Hunting the Good Stuff in Life

Friday night we got back from our second week of FTX. We have one more FTX left. This next one is 3 and 1/2 days. During next week's FTX we will be doing our specific AMEDD Training. This week we learned more about the different levels of medical care in the military. Next week we will have an opportunity to execute  three of the five level. Level one is known as the BAS Battalion Aid Station. Which reminds me of a short digression that I must take at this point. Since joining the military I've learned that there are abbreviations for everything. Not only are there abbreviations for everything in the Army you talk in abbreviations. lt has taken some getting used to and googling to figure out what each abbreviation means. Today during our Master Resilence Training there was even an abbreviation for Put it in Perspective (PIIP). Okay so now off the rabbit trail and back to this week. The BAS is the first level of care. At this level on the from lines of combat you see your medics as well as a MAS (Main Aid Station) and a FAS (Forward Aid Station). The MAS consists of a doc and 3 medics and the FAS consists of a PA and 3 medics or as the Army likes to call medics 68W (68-Wisky's). The main objective of level 1 care is to treat the soldier and get them back to duty or evacuated. The Level 2 has some lab capabilities as well as XRay and a patient holding areas. Level 3 is the combat support hospital (CSH). Major procedures are done at this area. Next week I will play the role of an ICU nurse in our CSH simulation. Level 4 is similar to a hospital in Germany. Level 5 is a treatment facility here in the states such as Brook Army Medical Center here at Fort Sam.

This week during our FTX we were tested over various tasks introduced during the first FTX. Tuesday we went on a land navigation. We had to find 3/4 points and we had three hours to do it. My partner and I couldn't find out last point so we made it back to the FOB and passed with 3/4 points. On Wednesday we did the convoy lane. I was the alpha team leader for our truck. This was a lot of fun we had blanks in our M16 and some of classmates played the role of the OPFORCE. WE had to get out of our trucks and simulate what we would do to check for IEDs in a real convoy. My side of the truck had a gigantic hill we had to climb. Again this experience made me appreciate our men and women currently serving in the military as well as our veterans. I thought about a Jeff Shara book I read about the Battle of Gettysburg. We were able to come back down from the hill and climb in our trucks and were back at the FOB within two hours from our practice convoy. Gettysburg is a hilly place and I thought about the soldiers who climb those hills and tried to hold the "good" ground. After the battle was over there was no truck for them to climb back in they had to keep on walking. On Thursday we had a patrol through the woods. We had to go and rescue one of our squad members and bring them back to safety. I was "shot" during this mission and my squad had to also bring me back to the holding area. They did a good job.

On Friday we went on the Spree the Core run. Basically we ran around the land nav course. We had to run up this giant hill with rocks that were slipping out of place. We did this run at 0500 in the dark and couldn't see very well where we were running. Unfortunately on the way down I slipped and twisted my knee and was picked up and added to what turned out to be 9 "causalities" of the run. I'm feeling much better but was frustrated that I didn't make it all the way to the end. I did make it to the top of the hill and that felt good. Later in the day we went to the gas chamber. My gas mask's seal was not working properly and as soon as I entered I had to leave because I couldn't breath. My battle buddies and myself joked about how it was just not my day. During this frustrating day I was reminded that God was with me throughout this day just like he has been with me throughout the month and everyday of my life.

As I thought about yesterday I realized that in our lives we have mountains and hills to climb just like that rocky hill Friday.  At the time it may seem impossible. Even knowing that a hard hill to climb lies ahead makes us nervous and scared. It makes us question our abilities. I wasn't able to run up all the hills we had to Friday, but I walked and made it to the top. There are times in our lives when the road is tough and we struggle to see the other side.  Sometimes as we are traveling we can't see where we are going either. It is in these moments that we learn to trust God and to lean on his provision for our lives. The bible tells us that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. As Christians we place our faith in Christ that He will lead us where we are suppose to go. Sometimes we don't see the purpose behind the struggle until its over. Sometimes we have to make it to the top of the mountain to see the good things that the Lord has for us. Many times the journey to the top of the mountain is a struggle much in the way that we struggled to make it to the top of that hill Friday morning.  When I got tot the top of the hill I could see all of camp Bullis and the city lights of San Antonio. It was beautiful. We have seen this Camp Bullis sky many times over the past two weeks. The moon is beautiful early in the morning, you can see clouds streak across the sky in the last hours before the sun rises.  It reminds me that there is much more to this world than me. I've been thinking about how vast the world appeared on that hill Friday morning and how small I am compared to that vastness, yet the Father, the Creator knows me. Psalms 139 talks about how God knows us. I am also reminded that many times when we can only see what is in front of us the good stuff lies just ahead. A the top of the hills and mountains in our lives we are able to the Lord in his beauty and majesty. We are able to see the intrinsic plans the Lord has for us. I rejoice in the day that I will be in heaven with Christ and able to look back on all the valleys I walked and the hills I climbed to see the whole picture of Gods masterpiece that he is creating in me.

Saturday we had Master Resiliency Training. One of the aspects of this was to hunt for the good stuff in life. Many times we are become negative and complacent with our lives. By looking for the good and trying to focus on the good we can change our outlook in life. In closing I would like to share my hunting for the good stuff for today.
1. I found out Friday night that I passed by first set of boards.
2. I have made wonderful friends here at BOLC.
3. My family will be here this coming weekend.
4. We have 3.5 days left in the field.
5. I have been given joy. Joy that is better happiness. Because even we times are difficult and we don't feel "happiness" as Christians we have something that resides deep in our souls. The ability to say it is well with my soul no matter what comes my way. God is in control.

Psalm 139 

¹ You have searched me, LORD, 

   and you know me.  

² You know when I sit and when I rise; 

   you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 

   you are familiar with all my ways. 

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 

   you, LORD, know it completely. 

⁵ You hem me in behind and before, 

   and you lay your hand upon me. 

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 

   too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? 

   Where can I flee from your presence? 

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 

   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 

   if I settle on the far side of the sea, 

¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, 

   your right hand will hold me fast. 

¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 

   and the light become night around me,” 

¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; 

   the night will shine like the day, 

   for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being; 

   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

   your works are wonderful, 

   I know that full well. 

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you 

   when I was made in the secret place, 

   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

   all the days ordained for me were written in your book 

   before one of them came to be. 

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,God! 

   How vast is the sum of them! 

¹⁸ Were I to count them, 

   they would outnumber the grains of sand— 

   when I awake, I am still with you.

 ¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked! 

   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 

²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent; 

   your adversaries misuse your name. 

²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, 

   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 

²² I have nothing but hatred for them; 

   I count them my enemies. 

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; 

   test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, 

   and lead me in the way everlasting.