See....They Really Do Work Hard

Strategic Operations  is pretty bad ass.  And really there's no other way to describe it.  I really don't think a lot of people get the idea of what goes on when my husband goes "in the field" for days and weeks at a time.  The reason I think this is because I didn't really either.  I thought, 'oh they go out there and sleep on the ground and drive around in their LAV's and shoot at things or set up communication, blah blah.'  I mean, I respected that it was important to do, because of course they were going to have to be doing these things on the deployment.  But I really got the impression (from my hubby) that they were kind of just going through the motions.  Truthfully, he doesn't talk much about it, he's just super happy to come home and get a shower and eat some actual food that I guess it never comes up really.  And even when he would talk about it, it would be like, "Oh yeah, so & so said this to SSgt. blah and it was freakin hilarious!"
However, one time, and I mean it, ONE time; while my honey was out training at Camp Wilson doing Enhanced Mojave Viper (because we live in 29 Palms, they thought being out in the Mojave Desert wasn't enough, they needed extra training, these boys LIVE in the desert!), he mentioned something like this.  Of course he literally just told me, "yeah its pretty cool, they have actual Afghan actors who speak the language, and these little towns." Now I do not know if that was because my hubby had to come home to take care of me because of our emergency and he didn't get to finish it all, or if it was because he just didn't elaborate.  Regardless, after watching this video, I was truly impressed.  It was so real.  I've participated in simulation labs in nursing school, but its hard to take it serious because you are working with simulation dummies.  Its just not the same as interacting with a live person.  With this program, they actually have amputees and make up and fake blood with actors speaking other languages, or squirming and screaming because they're injured.  I mean, its literally a combat situation.  What better way to prepare for what they may have to encounter?  I know the one time we had an actual person pretend to be our patient during simulation lab in nursing, I learned the most.  This is like total immersion.
And naturally, if you watch the video, you will see that a lot of it is at 29 Palms! How cool?! I'm serious, I'm watching this narrated video and I'm still finding it hard to believe that they are right up the street from my house.  It really looks like they are in Afghanistan and/or Iraq.
So if you didn't click the link at the beginning, please click here and see how hard our guys really work when they are away from us.  Just so you know everything is make up and fake blood, but it looks so real.....so just be warned! Enjoy!

BTW, one month down! Woo! I love you William!