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.