Color Casing

As you know if you've been keeping up, my unit is deploying for Afghanistan. When a unit deploys, or inactivates or moves, they "case their colors" in the previous location, and uncase them downrange, at the new location, or not at all if they are inactivating. It is basically planting the flag where the unit is. Here is the article on the 5th Signal Command (our higher headquarters) website:
7th TTSB cases colors for deployment MANNHEIM, Germany (April 27, 2009) – The command team of Col. Randall Bland (left) and Command Sgt. Maj. Terence Farmer (right) from 5th Signal Command's 7th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade headquartered in Mannheim, Germany cased their colors in a ceremony April 27 at the Sports Arena on Sullivan Barracks. The brigade's headquarters element will deploy this spring for up to 12 months with approximately 90 Soldiers to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The brigade headquarters will serve as the Joint Network Operations Control Center which is the single control agency for the management of the joint force communications systems in Afghanistan. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathon M. Gray) <--that would be the really good, close up photo! :)

I also saw these pictures while on the 5th Sig Cmd website:

This is at Stephen's Women's History Observance event (that's me!)

and this is our unit packing out to deploy:

One of the list topics

I know on Monday I gave you a list of things about which I planned to blog. I'm still not really finding the time. But here is the story of the duck family.

For about a week, maybe longer, there was a large duck just hanging out on post around the thrift shop, DFAC, chapel, 44th ESB area. He was cute, looked out of place, but not crazy weird as there are a lot of bunnies on post this time of year as well.

Monday, we were driving in and Stephen said, "oh look, that's why he's been hanging around." I didn't see what he was talking about, so he made a U-turn and drove back by. There was dad duck with mom duck and all their little babies!! SO cute. I grabbed the camera and took a couple of pictures. They aren't great because we didn't want to get too close and scare them. I've seen them a few more times and even go out of my way to drive by their "quacking grounds" in hopes of catching a glimpse.

List of posts

I have SO much to tell you! Some good, some bad, some neither, just news. But I don't have time to get into all of it right now. I'll try to make these posts tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest.

Duck family

Color Casing

Scrappers

Orders-no, not yet...

Rapeseed fields

Timeline

okay, see ya soon!!! love~h

ps-here's the duck family...because I just CANNOT STAND how cute they are!

Rainin Saturday

I don't know what happened to last week. Just never had a chance to get on here and visit. The gorgeous day that resulted in the previous post is long gone, and this Saturday is dreary and rainy and even kind of chilly. phooey.

Not a whole lot of news to report...my old battalion changed command last week, I didn't win at the Bingo night, I baked some stuff to donate to the Red Cross Bake Sale, and had a few meetings. Here are a couple pics.



The guideon (battalion flag) is passed from previous battalion commander, to brigade (higher headquarters) commander. He passes it on the the new battalion commander charging him with command of the unit.

Sunnin Saturday

I was outside a long time yesterday. It was GORGEOUS! I mowed the lawn, did some weeding, etc. I've been eyeing this flower for a while (see previous post) but I wanted to see it from beneath. See how the little bulbs make like bells? it's a Grape Hyacinth, and I picked this one so I could turn it upside down adn see it. It also smells REALLY good.

I spent a very long time, probably an hour laying on this mat. What an investment! I think I paid less than $5 for it. When Stephen and I were in Florida, the month before we got married, I found it at a store right by the smoothie place I visited each morning. It might be my most treasured summer item.

Here it is close up. See the absence of bugs on it?
This is my view, laying on my stomach. See my top-o-the-head ponytail? Yeah, I was trying to get a picture of the 1 million ants crawling all over the yard from my ant-less island.

Another picture of the grass. I wish you could see the ants! I even took a couple videos, but I won't waste my time or yours on ants that ARE there, but that cannot be seen.

This is the view (to the side...straight is directly into the sunlight) I love this tree and how the branches are curly at the end.
Nothin' but blue skies, do I see.

And when I'm done, shake it out and fold it up into a nice little carry bag. :) LOVE THIS MAT!

Have a sunny blue sky day. :)

It was a beautiful day in my neighborhood.

HA HA HA HA HA HA!

SO, we are pulling in the parkplatz where we park our cars. It is right by our house. As we round the corner to park on the other side we see this:




And I say...LOOK! An Autumn-mobile! hahahahaahaha! I laughed and laughed and snorted and laughed some more. We unloaded the groceries and I run back out with the camera to take the picture. Still laughing.

for Mary

Not long ago, my sis-in-law Mary posted about the casualness of America.
Today we took our friend Elizabeth to the airport to move home. :(

and saw this:

In all fairness, this is an international airport. This pj panted woman could be from anywhere in the world. But I'd bet our orders home (ok, maybe not that...maybe something like...breakfast) that she's from... and going to ...America.
It'll be a comfortable flight!

Some more digital scrapbooking I've ben doing...

Under 100!!

97 days, 14 hrs, 8 mins, & 44 secs!

WOOHOO!!! We are under 100 days from "outta here"!! There are a couple catches, but I still like the way it looks. Here are the disclaimers:

1. We do not yet have orders...so our "assignment instructions" to Ft Riley in Kansas could change. But at this point, that is still the plan.

2. The date we are counting down to is actually July 10 when our DEROS date (I don't know what that stands for, something that means date we are scheduled to leave. it is 36 months after arrival) is August 10. But I set it there in case we take leave 30 days out, which often happens. Either way, our stuff will most likely at least be on IT'S way by then, even if we are not.

We hope to get some orders in the coming weeks so that we can begin scheduling household goods shipments, plane tickets, car shipping, whole baggage pickup, temporary furniture return, clearing of post, hotel or guest house stay, selling of hooptie, ETC! LOTS to do...but I'm excited!!

Same post, new topic...
What am I doing these days? Well...the ball has successfully passed, and while I'm still having some residual dreams about seating plans, momentos and ticket sales, I'm happy with the outcome. So, that's behind us and as a unit we can concentrate on the upcoming mission.
So that I am sure I don't violate any "Operation Security", I am going to post an article that was published a couple weeks ago:

5th Signal Command announces force deployments
Mar 16
By Kristopher Joseph (5th Signal Command)
MANNHEIM, Germany (March 16, 2009) - 5th Signal Command units have been identified for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom for the FY 09 force rotation. The headquarters element of the 7th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, (this is my unit) stationed in Mannheim, Germany, will deploy with approximately 90 Soldiers to Afghanistan in Spring 2009 for up to 12 months as part of the normal rotation of troops. The brigade headquarters will serve as the Joint Network Operations Control Center (JNCC), which is the single control agency for the management of the joint force communications systems. One of 7th's two battalions, the 72nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion (ESB), (this is the unit I first worked for as an FRSA) also headquartered in Mannheim, will deploy with approximately 500 Soldiers to Iraq in Summer 2009 for up to 12 months. The 72nd will provide communications support to several locations in Southwest Asia using Joint Network Node technology. 7th Signal Brigade's other ESB, the 44th, redeployed from Iraq in December 2008 after serving 15 months in support of OIF.

and it doesn't say this, but the 44th ESB is moving to another base in Germany. So there is a LOT going on at work. The FRSA who has been at 72d for the past year is moving (her husband's unit deactivated) Sunday. :(

As soon as the ball ended, the focus (which was already in full swing) shifted to the deployment readiness. There have been a lot of weekends and evenings spent at work, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited to be doing something that I know is going to make it even just a tiny bit easier for family members to get through this deployment.

SO, I will be working up to the day we leave. I will watch Soldiers from both of these units that I have come to know and love go downrange and won't be here to greet them when they get back. That makes me sad, but I plan to stay in touch with them, pray for them, and send them things to keep their spirits up. Who knows...some of them might show up at our next duty station. That seems to happen a lot. "It's a small Army." :)