27th December

I said farewell and hug my parents and grandma in the parking lot behind the recruting station after they dropped me off. Currently stucked in the nice Hilton Garden Inn on Staten Island with all you can eat buffet style dinner available from 1500-1800 HRS and a nice comfortable twin size bed. What else a boy could ask for huh? Well. Hopefully by Tuesday (29th) 1000 HRS I will get the plane ticket bound for Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. See you NYC sometime in July or August.

10 More Days...

I stop by my recruiting station today since my 1199A - the direct deposit form for my future paycheck is the last thing I was missing for my ship out packet with the recruiter. I was told by my recruiter I will be leaving on the 27th instead of 28th. I guess is one less day I get to spend with my dad who is coming tomorrow (Thursday the 17th) from Shanghai, China. U.S Army sure work in a weird way sometimes and I won't start getting pay until the 29th. The weather down in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri is going to be brutal especially in the morning or just few degree less than NYC from my research on weather.com

Two More Weeks...

Today is the 14th of December few minutes passed 0500 HRS NYC time. I will be shipping out for basic on the 29th/30th. My currently status is semi anxious due to the fact that I am still have the contagious cough and headache from 30th of November. It has been a very long time since I been semi sick like this, I guess my immune system got weaker.

One More Month To Go!!!!

I have one more month to go until I am off to Basic with the U.S Army. The 6 months of waiting is almost here... Just 29 days to go and I am off and Good Bye NYC.

Amazing Things With MAVNI & Airborne.

It is pretty amazing what the MANVI could do for you especially one of the MAVNI guy I met at MEPS back in July. He finished Basic and Advance Infantry training as 11B 4 weeks ago, originally from Nepal and speak Nepali and Hindi due to his Indian British education in India. I met a lot of MAVNI stuck with combat arms jobs which I see they got sucker into it but for him he doesn't mind. I spoke to him last Friday over the phone and he is currently station in Ft. Lewis, Washington serving/attach to the 1st Special Forces Group that in responsible Asia-Pacific Region. He was able to get in due to he volunteer for Airborne and his skill with these two Asian languages during AIT. He told me he had his U.S Citizenship test a week or two ago by December he sould be a full pledge U.S Citizen. By next year he should be attending Airborne School and SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection). I guess his American dream is slowly coming true. I want to wish him good luck!

Another guy I know from back in the days when I was in ROTC and a NYU graduate is near completion of his SF training down in Bragg. By January he will be a going through Robin Sage and I am sure he will do fine and pass it with flying colors since he is very square away for being Ranger qualify and Pathfinder qualify etc with one tour under his belt in Iraq.

As for me, hope for the best, prepare for the worst during my Basic in January to March at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Hopefully I also can get an Airborne slot during AIT and hoping I will end up in Ft. Bragg or even Ft. Lewis.

18 Years...

I been living in the United States for exactly 18 years...

After a long long hiatus and procrastinate since I finished my bachelor degree back in December I finally enlisted in the U.S Army. A month or so ago I contracted and sworn in with the Active Army as a 68W (Health Care Specialist/Medic) for 4 years back in July 10th. Unfortunately, I won't leave for "Basic" until after Christmas. What a post Christmas present huh? Not that I am religious or looking forward for any Christmas presents. So far what is written on my contract which I still can get out of it.
So far
Ship Date : 20091229 - that count as my official enlistment date since I am not yet a property of the U.S Government/Army yet. I am still in the delay entry program/future soldier.
My Basic will be held at Ft. Leonard Wood,Missouri 20100104 for the reception and probably done by 1st/2nd week of March due to the 8-9 weeks Basic. The only thing I am going to suffer is the temperature that range from 5 to 40 degrees.
My MOS training as 68W will be held at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas for 16 weeks done by July 5th if nothing went wrong.
ETS Date : 20131228 (out of the Army at the age of 31) that is if I didn't re-enlist or got into some Hooah unit. Maybe Ranger or SF which I highly doubt might as well just become a average Joe. It would be nice and a ultimate goal to become a 18D - Special Operations Medical Sergeant which it will really help me if I ever going to become a Physician Assistant from the Army's Physician Assistant Grad Program and get a commission from that as 2nd lieutenant.

Through out my experience with enlistment and at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). The only problems I had is during the last procedure with the physician. I was unlucky enough to get an old grouchy physician instead of the old, fat and jolly one or even the Asian physicians (I think they are Philippine) . I have to end up going back to MEPS twice for dermatologist and psychologist due to the physician recommendation. The reason for the dermatologist due to some red rash on my chest from dog tags (I got from my Army ROTC days and I wear it on and off) and the psychologist due to I didn't slept too well the night before and acting all jittery due to sleep deprive. WTF? It is completely BS and these physician only job is too root some of people out to get into the military. During going back to MEPS twice, I witness some of the biggest BS and some silly things some of the recruits did to them self (for example, one of the recruit piss hot on the drug test due to two days before he smoked some marijuana). I guess I also screwed myself. I know U.S Army and rest of the military is full of end endless nonsense and thing doesn't make sense still.

I lost my reservation of Option 4 Airborne/jump school due to the delay at MEPS. I couldn't get it again within few days before signing the contract in the reservation. So. My chance of getting station in to Ft. Bragg are farther and farther away than ever. Also my recruiter is probably one of the most incompetent recruiter in his office on getting me a Airborne slot. I just don't understand that these recruiters get pay about almost $100K (with all the allowances etc add together as E-5 Sergeant or E-6 Staff-Sergeant) a year working in NYC and they couldn't do a better job. I guess it is bureaucracy at its best

Two Weeks Ago...

I got back from Taiwan two weeks ago.

2009 Has Begun...

It has been a long long time since I written on this thing. Last day of class at QC for 2008 was on the 16th of December. I finally completed my Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies but I still need to get the grades back from two art classes, hopefully sometime next week. In mid February, I can go pick up my diploma at QC. It is really strange that I am out of school and not going back in the Spring of 2009 semester in late January. The freedom and anxiety is somewhat worry to me. Especially getting a job in the media field is very slim. I still wonder, why I major in Media Studies in the first place? The sole reason, I thought it was fun and easy at the time I declare it.

Currently I am in the process on deciding going Active Army or New York Army National Guard as 68W (Medic/Health Care Specialist). The female Active/Reserve Army recruiter Eric set me up with is somewhat shady and trying to rush me to take the ASVAB and the Army physical/medical at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) the next day on the 19th. After the physical I will probably be force to sign the contract with a career counselor which James remember that will happen. I am glad James was there with me acting as my agent/consultant. Him being in IRR which end in early January and his four years of being active experience give me some glimpse what I will be expecting. Is funny that he wanted to join the National Guard for the one year trial period since he been out of the Army for four years. Well he did live through two IED attacks back in 2004 in Iraq and he willing to risk it again by joining National Guard.

I will try to delay the ASVAB and MEPS much as possible. Maybe I should go back to Taiwan for two weeks during the Lunar New Year and worry about it later. I spoke to Sergeant C and Eric about my dilemma since both of them are National Guard recruiter and both told me it is slightly a trap without knowing what I get my self into. So. I have to let the Active/Reserve recruiter know that I am not in a rush and they have to go my way. Perhaps I will ask Eric to go back with me to the recruiter station sometime on the weekdays in January. Few things I learned from when I stop by the recruiter station.
-Beside the enlistment bonus range from $10K to 40K or less or even nothing that I already know.
- $5K bonus from having my bachelor degree. (Glad I finish my B.A rather than dropout)
-Probably due to troops shortage and unable to fulfills recruitment. U.S military recently have a trial program let foreign students with students VISA or foreigners with working VISA to join the military it is called MAVNI (Military Accessions Vital To National Interest). The dilemma for the foreign students and foreigners with working VISA is that they must be in the U.S for at least two years and the VISA is still valid. (I think it is somewhat scary and sad at both end, and it might be pose a threat in National Security or what not). But the foreigners are only allow to have none secret clearance jobs but still. Plus U.S Army, was hoping to get highly skilled soldiers with medical or technical skill such as IT etc. Is a win win situation for MAVNI candidates that exchange military service and U.S government give you U.S Citizenship.

Personally. I feel that all U.S citizens should served that include the permanent resident (like myself). A choice of National Service either work in the government agency or in the military. I remember I read an article from Time magazine from late 2007 having an article about National Service or National Service Academy similar to any of the military academies propose by Hilliary and Obama. In the society today, the newer generation's ideology is about me me me as a narcissist . Is never about us or we as a group changing or helping the world there are some but not enough. It is sad how military industrialization might possibility lead to U.S government's demise.

My plans so far, after four years contract are up with the Active Army then I will probably work on my 2nd degree, this time in Physician Assistant with some prerequisite need to be complete for the Army's Physician Assistant Grade Program in the National Guard or Reserve . Hopefully everything will work out okay. That is if I survived a tour of duty in Afghanistan or Iraq, I see it as inevitable and bound to happen if I go active.

One event I glad I attended in 2008 was Urban Sun and Trombone Shorty - Funk Fest 08' at Sullivan Hall on the 30th of December recommended by Abigail from drawing class. She also sing as a unofficial back up singer for Urban Sun.

You can see Abigail as the backup singer behind the keyboardist. My head is among the crowd as one of the black silhouettes. I love Urban Sun version of I Just Want to Celebrate by Rare Earth.



Christmas of 2008 and the New Year seem slightly unreal. Christmas doesn't feel like it is actually Christmas, maybe due to lack of snow or the economic recession. Maybe because I didn't stop by Manhattan for the elaborate widows display of any department stores and the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Maybe I should convert to a Christian to feel more of a Christmas spirit instead of being an atheist. As for New Year eve, I went to Jane's party at her friend Milla's apartment on York Av. between 70th and 71st Street on the Eastside of Manhattan . Man. I haven't see Jane since junior high since our graduation in 1997 and according to her I haven't change in appearance. She is doing real well with her job in fiance and living it up. The party was swell and somewhat fun.

As for New Year Resolution, I haven't think of any things yet. Maybe stop spending so much money and save it up. Eventually I can or I will pay back all my credit cards debts from the money I earned from Basic and AIT. By then it would be November or December. Lets see what happened then.

Any suggestions from any readers out there? Currently I am worry about the ASVAB since most of the stuff are from high school I barely remember, I only have problems with the math sections. I guess few weeks of reviews and study I will be okay.