Just a POG in Pohang

Leora is now home!  Today was a crazy day between Leora coming back, doctor's appointments, and a full day of work.  However, it was made clear to me by higher powers (read: Leora) that the near month long break in blogging needed to come to a close.

Instead of writing about what exactly I did during this past deployment, I thought I would share some operational pictures to show you some of the neat stuff that happens on these things.  Particularly those people on the deployments who don't do things that you expect out of warfighters.

POGs are "Persons Other than Grunt".  It's a term that traditionally in the Marine Corps is used pejoratively.  I'm embracing and owning it.  Because these people are doing good stuff, slogging it out in the mud, and working in rough conditions.

1)  Replenishment at Sea:

RAS:  You can see the crazy waves as the tender gets really close to us

RAS:  Marines and Sailors pull a line that connects the ships communication systems

RAS: You can see my hair going crazy as the wind beats up on us during the first RAS.

2)  Amphibious Landing

Amphibs:  RP and I get ready to get on an LCAC and then are photobombed by an Intel Marine

Ambhibs: Loading on to an LCAC

So what exactly is an LCAC?
Landing Craft, Air Cushioned

I'm going to try to put in a couple videos of LCAC Operations later.

It's kinda awesome.

Amphbis: There goes another one! 

And one more!

One of the camps at the beach (this was the deluxe one, not the one I was at)

4)  Moving people:  Trucks are fun, but they ain't easy.  And they stage these guys far away from normal amenities...

Sun is setting and we are about to hit the road.

Driving Korean roads with aggressive Korean drives in very large trucks.  Not so easy.

3)  It's not always sexy.  There is a special kind of cold reserved for Korea.  ESPECIALLY when you live in tents on the end of a pier in a freezing harbor.  Sometimes you have to make your own fun and games.

Chief and I develop a game where we throw pebbles at a mouse trap to see who can set it off.  The series ended tied.
Rematch is planned in the near future.

The Korean military has a game that merges soccer with volleyball and tennis.  The ball is kicked over the net, bounces once and then can be kicked over the fence or passed to a teammate (with a bounce in between)

This is going to get crazy

 While it is sad not to be home or sleep in a comfy bed, some days are just nice days to be at sea:

Some days at sea were just nice days to be at sea

Truth.