This is a resurrected post, but IÆve never replied to it before. What do I do normally? Depends on the geo-political environment.

IÆve moved from Electrical Engineering to Management as I keep getting called into the National Guard. A good engineer is hard to find, but you can always spare another manager.

The last few weeks I spent humping a 50-lb pack around the Florida swamps with nothing but MREÆs and water covering way too many miles running around (very limited vehicles). I also got to blow up or be there when we blew up a van after EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) troops disarmed it first, then blew it up second, ôjust to be sure,ö and two 50-lb charges of C-4 to blow two holes in the ground and simulate bomb blasts.

You have no idea the power of a little explosive. 4 lbs to blow up the van shook a building a mile away.

Then, as a ônon-expertö in EOD, I cleared the simulated runway of bombs the only way I know howù50 cal sniper rifle. To quote Johnny Dangerously, ôIt shoots through schools.ö (effective range, 4 miles, and cuts through a manhole cover like it wasnÆt there). ItÆs the only gun (not artillery) IÆve fired and had a shock wave. After that, we set up a 550 person camp, complete with clean water and electrical, and had our rewardùone hot military meal and four hours of A/C. And not enough showers. (My main job is building/fixing runways and expedient camps, blowing things up is just a bonus)

If all this sounds like fun, itÆs 12-18 hour days, crappy food, bugs, snakes, horrible heat and humidity, extremely limited showers, (virtually) no air conditioning, and limited wheeling time. Actually, itÆs a lot like Moab.

As a bonus, I've been to France (5 days), England (about 4 weeks total), Germany (about 3 weeks total), and a lot of "-ia's" and "-okvia's." Much luckier than the guys who do hte real work in Middle East and Africa who deserve the real support. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

I will be de-mobilized in 5...4...3....more days. Then back to Engineering Management, telling guys who are smarter than me what to do. Actually, thatÆs my military job, too.

And I canÆt quit my day jobùI have to wait for them to release me. Part of the contract.