Yes. I have to admit though, that since taking this new job, my sleep is restless. I usually am up at 0430 and out the door by 0530, returning home in the evening around 1900 plus or minus an hour. So I eat dinner late (not healthy I know) and don’t start unwinding until late. Once I do fall asleep, I usally do so soundly for the first few hours, then my mind kicks in and starts running through PCCs and PCIs (pre-combat checks and pre-combat inspections) causing me to wake at least once an hour until the alarm goes off.
2. Have you posted a photo of yourself on your blog?
No. I try to maintain a certain amount of anonymity so as not to create a distraction to my Soldiers from their missions with this blog. And I’m really not that photogenic. Though I do look remarkably similar to the guy with the typewriter in the banner above.
3. What would be your ideal military job, and location? (please answer it like you are a civilian)
Tough question. Thank you. My initial response would be that I’ve already held the ideal military job, first as a flight engineer on the Army’s CH47D Chinook helicopters, then as a first sergeant of a heavy-lift helicopter company. But to be honest, I think that the ideal military job would be that of a Special Forces Operator, and not because of the green beret that they wear either.
Again, picking an ideal location is difficult. I’ve served this Army in Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, Maine, South Korea, Italy, Germany, Hawaii, Bosnia, Croatia, Albania, and Afghanistan. So, forcing myself to think like a civilian, I’ll go with Australia. Hell, I’ve never been but have always wanted to go.
4. Where can I find a PRC E-6? In the commo shop?
You can definately find a “Prick E6″ in my commo shop. You can also go to the tool room in the hangar and get a bucket of rotor wash.
5. Sgt Hook, what is your favorite MRE?
No. 4, Country Captain Chicken. Comes with peanut butter and a bottle of hot sauce.
6. Do our soldiers ever really have down time there? My son has said he has come off of 30 hour missions. Doesn’t this cause our military to not think clearly and have complete competence in their missions? I know I surely could not do my job being that tired and stressed.
Another great question. Believe it or not, they do. The Army looks at time much differently than others do, however. You mentioned your son putting in a 30-hour work day, well when your son is on a mission, time is defined by specific gates, that is his platoon’s mission doesn’t begin until another platoon’s mission ends. For example, Dog platoon might have the mission of moving from one location to another at a pre-determined time; not a time on a watch’s face, but a time defined as, “objective blue is secured by Fox platoon.” Once Fox platoon secures objective blue, Dog platoon begins their mission to move. There are so many variants that could delay each gate thereby making a mission planned for 18-hours, end up lasting 30-hours.
Regardless, downtime is worked into our soldiers’ schedule. Usually, following a mission, a minimum amount of recovery (downtime) is given to recharge and refit for the next mission. Additionally, our leaders, savvy to the Army’s unique approach to time, put soldiers down while “waiting” for the mission clock to start. So though a 30-hour day is not uncommon, it is likewise not a traditional duty day.
I think it important to note that we also train to deal with fatigue and stress. The Army has always recognized that stress is not something to avoid, but something to manage. Managing stress is a part of every soldier’s life.
7. Your motivation for being a soldier, hence a defender of our great country?
Damn. Another tough one. Well, when I was much younger, standing before the county judge, he said to me just before slamming his gavel, “Hook, your choice, join the Army or go to jail.”
Just kidding. I honestly joined the Army because I found myself at 23 years of age going nowhere in life, fast. I had dropped out of college, failing to achieve my dream of becoming a journalist, and was tending bar and cooking in several restaurants in both New York and Florida, in an effort to make enough money to pay the rent while paying off my student loans. Then one day, despite being a damned good cook, a damned good bartender, and making a damned good amount of money, I asked myself if my life’s meaning was to make people feel good by preparing a good meal, or offering a drink, a smile, and a sympathetic ear? It couldn’t be. So I wondered what it was that my life was supposed to mean, what was my purpose in life (not to be confused with Steve Martin’s “special purpose”), asking if cooking or bartending could be a career, a profession that I’d look back upon with satisfaction? It couldn’t be.
So I joined the Army and the Army paid off my student loans, trained me in skills that I could use in a career, exposed me to people, places, and things I would’ve never experienced otherwise, and introduced me to the profession of arms. I’ve reenlisted several times over the years; each time motivated by my love for America and a desire to be a part of something greater than myself. I mean how cool is it to get paid for doing something you sincerely believe in. So, here I am, 19 years later, still putting my boots on each morning, and my motivation remains the same; whether I’ll look back upon my years as a soldier with satisfaction. Absolutely.
8. How did you meet Mrs. Hook?
Several years ago, I was sentenced by the Army to serve as a recruiter in the great state of Maine. Now, I’m not much of a salesman, but like any other mission I had been given throughout my career, I approached my recruiting duties with vigor and the intent to be successful.
Knowing that many of America’s young men and women drop out of college after their first and second years (I knew this from personal experience), often having accumulated thousands of dollars in student loans, I thought to spend my time recruiting at the local college campus.
There I was, smartly dressed in my Army Dress Blue uniform, adorned with all of my medals and shiny aviation wings, standing in the hallway just outside of the college’s student union, handing out pamphlets and key chains to passing students when a very attractive young woman asked if I had the time. I replied that I did and asked if she’d like to join the Army. To wit she replied, “Been there, done that.”
“Oh, you’re prior service?” I inquired.
“Military Police, and I don’t want to do it again, understand?” she stated.
The Army has very strict rules about recruiters not being allowed to date applicants, and considering that this attractive young prior service college student had no intention of becoming an applicant, I asked her out.
She declined.
It wasn’t too long before she came around, probably the uniform that did it, but that’s how I met the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook.
9. What do you plan to do when you retire? and, where?
I’m honestly not sure. I’d like to write, and maybe I will, I just haven’t planned that far in advance. I’ve considered going into teaching, but we’ll see.
Where? Again, not sure. I love Maine but the taxes are ridiculous up there so I’m open to suggestions?
10. What got you to start this blog?
Well, I read this guy’s blog at the suggestion of my college professor, and was immediately hooked. From there I surfed the blogosphere and learned that there were a lot of different types of weblogs and thought that I might find a niche among them myself. At the time, I knew that I was scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan and reasoned that if I started my own blog, I’d have a medium for keeping in touch with family and friends. Thus Sgt Hook was born.
As time went by, after moving off of Blogspot, Sgt Hook has evolved into a weblog whereby telling the story of America’s Soldiers, both in peace and in war.
11. If you could change anything about your life path, what would it be?
This is yet another difficult question to answer. I’m not entirely sure that I’d change a damn thing. I mean, I didn’t get to the “here and now” without all of my experiences from the “then and there.” My life is what it is and I am who I am all because of what I’ve encountered along said path; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Admittedly, there are those situations in my life that I look back upon and think that I should’ve handled things differently, but to change my path? I can’t imagine where I’d be today if I were able to go back and change course.
12. What is your perception of the threat we face from No. Korea, China and Iran?
The Threat-
I see the biggest threat to our American way of life today to be from Islamofacist terrorists (for lack of a better term). I am convinced that there is a group of extreme Islamists whose only goal, a goal they’re willing to die for, is to re-establish a caliphate and that the only way to achieve that goal is to destroy the United States of America.
North Korea-
Probably posing the greatest threat in that they’ll export whatever technology they develop to the aforementioned Islamofacist terrorist groups, regardless of the outcome. The North Korean leadership is so narrow focused with absolutely no vision other than to survive, that they jeopardize the stability of the entire world with their recklessness.
Iran-
Unlike North Korea, the Iranian leadership does have a vision, and a commitment to patiently do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. I think that Iran is content on allowing the aforementioned Islamofacist terrorist groups to re-establish a caliphate with the intention of ruling it themselves. Iran is doing everything it can to support those waging war and brining instability to the world with an eye on the prize when the dust settles.
China-
I don’t see China to be as big a threat to our way of life, other than maybe economically, because I think the Chinese leadership, like India’s leadership, recognize that their future is dependent on stability in the world and they are very cognizant that the aforementioned Islamofacist terrorist groups want to not only eliminate America, but all non-believers. If you read the Koran, as I’m sure the Chinese do, you’ll know that Buddhists and Hindus are considered to be serious non-believers, whereas Christians and Jews can be tolerated as non-believers.
13. What do you think is the best way to handle their increasing aggressiveness towards the western world?
Engagement. Engage these threats on every level, diplomatically, economically, and militarily. We must pull our heads out of the sand and recognize that a threat exists and attack it, not defend against it. The battlespace is more than just on the desert floor. We must engage on all fronts, in the airways via radio and television, in the markets, and in the schools if we are to survive.
13. How do you come up with your characters and stories?
I’ve met them all in some form or fashion throughout my travels.
14. Do you feel it is morally and/or ethically wrong for anyone to pose as a POW, a recipient of a MOH, Purple Heart or other combat generated medal, or to embellish upon their service record?
I think it is completely reprehensible for someone to portray themselves as such. I do find it somewhat comforting that our definition of a hero continues to be a Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, and Coastguardsman. I shudder the day someone poses as Spiderman to gain notoriety.
15. During the Second World War and throughout the Cold War, we used radio as a weapon via Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty against our enemies, do we continue to do something like this in today’s Global War on Terror?
Yes, we do. In fact, a version of Radio Liberty continues to be broadcasted throughout the world in hundreds of languages, highlighting human rights issues and the values associated with democracies. There is also a counter to al Jazeera television broadcasted out of Virginia, Bridges TV, appealing to moderate Muslims around the world. Initiatives like these are crucial to our winning the Global War on Terror, to our survival as they help spread the value of freedom and liberty.
I want to thank everyone who took the time to submit a question, some damned fine questions at that, and I invite you all to conintue to Ask Hook either via email, or in the comments here. I’ll put up my answers, for what they’re worth, as time permits. Sgt Hook out.
Posted by Hook @ 2321 zulu | | Permalink
This post is filed under: Q&A
Sergeant major, thanks for telling it like it is. With all due respect, Country Captain Chicken is disgusting. A bucket of rotor wash, huh? Sounds more plausible than testing the armor for soft-spots or unscrewing a 113s turret by spinning it counter-clockwise. Haha.
We didn’t use rotor wash in the Navy, but we often did post newbies to mail-buoy watch, or have them go borrow a bucket of steam.
Hook come on back to Tenessee! No state income tax, the weather is nice, & if you get nostalgic, hell, my house is only 1/2 hour from Campbell!
Comment by Tennessee Budd — 23 October 2006 @ 1808
With all due respect, Hook, I think you’ve been conned by Bridges TV. They’re more of an Islamic promoter than anything else, see this link at LGF: http://tinyurl.com/yk33jz
Thank you for the answer to my question, It does help my wife and I mentally knowing he is ok with those hours as we sure were worried. He has been in a long time too, but but never quite has been this bad. You do a fine job, and for sure “you are a journalist”!
This site is a collection of my writings, thoughts, and ramblings and in no way reflects the official positions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. OPSEC trumps everything.
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In view of a recent tendency to identify characters in fiction with real people, it seems proper to state that there are no real people in this volume: both the characters and their names are ficticious. The names or designations of any military units are ficticious. There are no living people nor existing military units presented in this book.
-Ernest Hemingway
Halfway down the road to hell,
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Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
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