FT Benning, GA

After a long week of resigning from Level 3 Communications, a company that I had worked for over two years in Atlanta,

spending Christmas at Colleen's dads house on Thursday,

going out to Atlanta Thrashers game on Friday,

moving to Tampa on Saturday, sailing my sailboat for 14 hrs to her new berth in Hudson, FL

I arrived to Ft. Benning, Ga on Friday 01-02-2009. Friday was a total disaster! Not everything I wanted to bring would fit in my duffel bag but I left the most important items when traveling, toothbrush and shampoo just to name a few. I arrived in Atlanta via Airtran whose employees opened up my military duffel bag dug thru all my personal belongings trying to find weapons to steal. They must have almost got caught so they tossed my opened duffel bag on conveyor to carousel and all my personal effects fell out. I was pissed and all Airtran would say and do is "I am sorry" . I am not a soldier but several soldiers at Ft Benning this week have had their firearms stolen by airline cargo employees. It's a shame that someone would steal the weapon used to protect that same employee from terrorism in our country. I hope those cargo guys feel some sort of shame knowing that they took the firearm for a soldier willing to give his or hers life so they can steal and make a couple of dollars. Enough on that rant!

After almost a two hour shuttle bus ride crammed with a group of Army Rangers and other soldiers, I arrived in Columbus, GA home of Ft Benning. I was met by a older female soldier barking orders to me and who gave me some bed linens and told me which barrack would be my home for the next week. It was just like basic training in most Hollywood movies. Barrack 4704A Room 10 would be mine to share with another ITT employee and several soldiers who have come and gone throughout the week so far.