Crazy things can happen when you least expect.

So, I've really been a slacker on writing on this thing but lately I have good reasons. My mind has been pre-occupied with other things, new semester at school starting, Zane starting a full day pre-k class, getting orders to go back on Active duty and deploy to Afghanistan, Carson starting his half day pre-k program...Oh yeah, I guess I should talk a little about the Army thing. Well, to start, for those of you out there that aren't aware of this, and most aren't, when you enlist in the Army you HAVE to enlist for a minimum of 8 years. Now these 8 years can be spent in any number of way and combinations. Most, like me, spend 4 years on Active duty and 4 years in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserves). Now IRR soldiers do not have to go and do the 1 weekend a month drill or anything like that. They are sometimes called to Muster Duty for 1 day and are paid for it. I was mustered in April of 2007 and 2008. In great time of need the government can call you back into Active duty if they need to. Well, on August 9, 2008 after I returned home from several hours of service work with the Boy Scout Troop, there was a nice little FedEx package waiting for me. When I looked and saw that it was from the Department of the Army Human Resorce Command in St. Louis I thought that it may be a revised DD214 (that's the piece of paper they give you when you get out saying you were a good soldier and here's all the awrads you earned while you served) because I had a couple of awards added to that after I got out. I realized that this package was entirely to thick and had been FedEx ed to be something of that small importance to the Army. I than realized that this was probably the ever dreaded and IMPOSSIBLE recall orders!! I never thought in all my years that it would actually happen. So, with great hesitation I opened it and on the very first sheet read this, "Pursuant to Presidential Executive order of 14 Sep 2001, you are relieved from you present reserve component status and are ordered to report for a period of active duty not to exceed 25 days for mobilization processing." As I read on it says that the 25 days is just for processing and that they want me to report to Fort Jackson, SC on Sept 14 for a period "not to exceed 0400 days UNLESS EXTENDED OR TERMINATED by proper authority." Purpose line reads: Partial Mobilization - Operation Enduring Freedom. Well, that's probably Afghanistan. This is just great. Anyway, I read onward and realized that I can apply for a medical exemption, so, I submitted my packet and got a call from a SFC McGrath telling my not to report to Fort Jackson on the 14th of September but to wait for a call from them on the decision of the Commander once he has reviewed my paperwork. Now I only hope that they left the same message at Fort Jackson or else I'm gonna be up the creek without a paddle! They send you to jail for not reporting! I DON"T WANT THAT. So now we play the wonderful Army waiting game. I hope that I don't have to go but if the medical exemption is rejected than, in my mind, I have no other choice but to return to Active duty and serve once again for the a short time in the sandbox. Other than that, things seem to be going pretty good!!