Boots and Sunsets

New boots a point of much excitment for me

Just finished reading many of the families blog posts and I feel greatly inspired to get back on here and post something new. I'm always impressed by the wonderful experiences you guys have to post and by how blessed we all are. How you all always are able to write such great posts blows me away too, as I feel that mine are nowhere near as good and as creative. But nonetheless here is my little piece and perspective of life and the world.

 Things continue to roll along here in Fort Sill as I near the end of my advanced training period. This is officially the last week of my classroom training and only 4 days of it as the upcoming holiday is going to give us a 4 day weekend which we're all eagerly looking forward too. The week after this I get to be out in the field with the big guns doing the real deal and finishing up my training. The last three weeks have been interesting ones as we've moved into automated gunnery and I've been nominated the assitant platoon guide for 7th platoon putting 50 guys under me. Luckily this is my last week of student leadership and classroom training.

Geronimo

Being a history type junkie I am naturally drawn to learn the history of any fort I am put into. Forts are wonderful libraries of history in and of themselves but even more so with Fort Sill. Fort Sill has been around since the site was first staked in1869. It played a major roll in helping settle the west during the Indian Wars. Geronimo after having fought both Mexico and the United States for many years surrendered himself along with several other Apache warriors to the post commander of Fort Sill in 1894. He had free rain on Fort Sill and spent time traveling around with Pawnee Bills Wild West Show and visiting with Theodore Rosevelt during his innaguration. He later returned to Fort Sill and in 1909 died of Pneumonia. He's still buried here and I plan on making a visit to his gravesite and getting a picture before I head home.

Fort Sill also has a rich a history in not only calvary but in artillery as it is the artillery capital of the United States Army. Here we have the last horse drawn cannon with it's team of horses that all out rank me. I had the wonderful opportunity to see these guys preform during the Lawton rodeo. It was easy to see that they had this job down as they raced into and around the arena with cannon in tow. They quickly unhitched it and fired a blank from the 75mm world war 1 era brass cannon. The horses didn't even flinch. They quickly hitched up the cannon and the last three guys you see on there all ran and pullvaulted onto the caisson and raced back out of the arena. Alot of fun to witness.

Automic Annie: Large artillery piece used to fire automic
projectiles during the cold war

The weather is starting to cool down here a little bit now. Instead of it being 107 everyday it's now hitting 95 haha. I'm hoping that by next week when I hit the field that it'll be even cooler. I'm looking forward to finishing things up here and getting back to a normal life again even though that seems like such an odd concept after having had my life owned for the last 4 months. As much as I hate to say it I think just like Fort Benning, Georgia I am going to miss this place when it's all over. Despite all the crap here, Oaklahoma has offered me many wonderful little pearls in my time here. For one the sunrises, sunsets, and clouds. With extra humidity comes misery sure but with that you get some of the most beautiful fluffiest clouds I've ever seen. These clouds also lead to spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The lord has continued to take care of me and my wonderful family and I'm continually amazed by how much we are all blessed. I love you all and look forward to reading more of your wonderful blogs and seeing you all in a few weeks.

Can't take the most moving pictures with a cell phone but it'll give you an idea.

A delayed return

1-378th Infantry Regiment 

Panthers

Exhibit at the world class National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning. 

Absolutely loved that museum

Finally getting a chance to get back on here and reconnect with the rest of the family and update Y'ALL in mass to what i'm up to and what's happening. I'm starting my 3rd week of AIT (advanced Individual training) here in Fort Sill, Oaklahoma. Now that I'm in training and working towards something I'm much happier than that first week of just detail without being classed yet. Working towards nothing was so depressing. There are guys here that have been here since January for one reason or another but typically because of their own dumb decisions, who have

Me packing up to leave Benning

been on straight detail week after week for months. Don't know how they do it. Play alot of video games I guess. I've had my first two of seven tests already and I'm fixing to have my third this Wednesday. So far I've gotten 100% and 96.25% so I'm in good shape for my gpa here and for graduating on time. The material has been engaging and it's really interesting to be learning what it takes to throw a 100lbs projectile 25miles and put it within a 10meter radius of a target. Finally math can be fun and interesting! I'm happy to be out of the 105+ temp Ive been experiencing since I left sweet home Utah. Being a Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialist means that I'm the brains of the field artillery and do all the calculations that gets relayed to the gunline and furthermore means that I sit at a plotting table in A/C the whole time. I'm hoping to be done here soon but I've been enjoying my experience too. The only bad part is being away from the family and missing out on all the fun that you guys get to have back home.
                                                                                                                                                        

Stone

All the toys I got to play with in basic

Now that I'm finally out of basic training I actually miss it and all the things that we got to do. It was good in many aspects spiritually being not the least of them. Being put into such a situation as basic training really brings an individual in touch with what they really believe. It was good to see so many guys become religious and pickup bibles and start reading them for the first time in their lives. For me it was a great opportunity to get close to the lord and improve my prayers and opportunities for service. The lord has taken good care of me as well providing me with good battle buddies like Jared Stone from Tooele. What were the chances that the I'd get put together with another mormon guy as my battle buddy. Even the drill Sgt's and other soldiers marveled at those odds and suspected some sort of divine intervention. We were able to help keep each other sane and make the whole experience more enjoyable. It was good knowing  there was a worthy priesthood holder right by my side the whole time. The lord is aware of me and has made it so that I could grow where ever I am planted. Even now I have two good battle buddies, who although aren't religious men, respect my beliefs greatly and take good care of me. Not all things can always be a bed of roses though, as I was wisely told by drill Sgt's in the beginning there are going to be good days and bad days in the military. That statement has been as true here as it would have been in the civilian world. Only problem here is that you can't just get up and walk away from this choice. It tends to be a little permanent and the man doesn't like you walking out on him once you've made a commitment. Whether I've made a smart decision or necessarily the right one...remains to be seen I guess. I still consider that question everyday, wondering if what i'm doing is the right thing for my life, or was I just out of good ideas when I made this choice? Time will tell as it always does, but I sure wish I knew all the awnsers. As I stand now I'm content with my decision and waiting to see what the military holds for me once I'm no longer an IET(Initial Entry Training) student and I get to be treated a little more on par with other human beings. I love all of you guys very much and hope life is treating you as well as it has treated me. Now that I'm off lockdown I'll be able to stay in better communication with all of you back home and abroad. My love and best wishes.

PFC Sean Douglas Sullivan

 
                                                    

Me in the National Infantry Museum on family day, they have alot of great volunteers and war vets that come out to put on displays in the museum.