Breaking Silence

I’ve spent the last month or so abiding by a silence of sorts. Ares told me to be sparing with my words, so very few of you have heard them. I have been working dutifully on my art and improving myself for the duty I believe my god is preparing me for. Honestly, that means walking more with Ares’ consort than the war-god. However, I’m taking some time to write because it is Veteran’s Day.

I both enjoy and despise Veteran’s Day. One the one hand, I get to celebrate the hundreds of people I was fortunate to meet in the course of my service. I was lucky to be assigned first to a joint-service base for training and later to ISAF/NATO and travel to many places. I’ve traveled to 25 states in the US and did missions in over 25 separate countries doing combat overwatch, drug interdiction, counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, border enforcement, and even humanitarian relief work. I worked with operators and soldiers from all the services as well as the English, French, Dutch, Afghan, and Danish militaries. I’ve developed a closer relationship with the Marines as opposed to my other sister services because of my assignments, but I have dear friends in the Navy and Army, too.

On the other hand, it makes me uncomfortable when people thank me for my service, because at the end of the day, most people don’t know what they’re thanking me for. I was in a unit tasked mostly to watch Marines and call targets for them. While we never pulled triggers on the enemy, we nonetheless arranged the fighting according to the machinations of the war strategy and needs of the commanders on the ground. We were as the watchful eyes of gods, but we were not gods, and we lost plenty of good Marines and Brits. So no one can thank me for that. And you can’t really thank me for “doing what needed done,” because by the time I hit my combat unit, few back home believed in the war. The only people who really deserved thanks are the dead, and my family and friends who gave me up to the Machine.

That all being said, please wear your red poppies and give a supportive pat on the back to your military friends. Teach those who ask you about its meaning. If you’re feeling particularly generous, maybe you can send a few bucks to my favorite charity, Soldier’s Best Friend. They rescue dogs and train them to care as service dogs and companions for wounded warriors who are having trouble adjusting due to TBI or PTSD. I know my own little dog, while not a SBF dog, has helped me tremendously. And for the love of Ares, don;t you dare thank me for anything, or a pox on your house 😉 Hail Ares!

War Stories

So it’s been a while since my last post, and I apologize. School and such can get in the way, as can writer’s block. Thankfully, the imminent deployment of one of my Facebook homies to my old AO has me reminiscing on the good old days, so I thought I’d share (as much as is prudent) the story of my first major battle operation in Afghanistan.

It was Feb 2010, and I had pretty much just finished qualifying after my on-the-job training. We were getting ready to launch an offensive in Afghanistan that my commander called “one of those iconic Marine battles that they write books about” and “our Fallujah”. It was gonna be huge. The Taliban had set up in this little village called Marjeh and was using it as a hub to direct their ops, and the Marines were to go in, kick their ass, and install a new government. The Brits and Marines surrounded the town and dropped leaflets warning all the civies that we were gonna mess up the town, so they better hide or get out while the getting was good.

My job was to help prep the battlespace and keep watch over the Marines. The Taliban had mined the entire area, so everyone was on IED lookout. We were running double missions and collecting more info than could fit in a few books. To make things even more entertaining, we had Marine observers (who wanted to know how we got things done to improve comms in the future) and our imagery guys were also running humanitarian ops for the Haitian  earthquake. We processed so many reports and images I can hardly remember if I ever went off-line. It was as close as I could get to a baptism by fire.

Marjeh was also my first look at operational (and eventually strategic) stalemate. While the op was tactically successful (we only lost just more than 60 ISAF personnel), and we forced out most of the Taliban, Marjeh eventually became what Gen. McChrystal called a “bleeding ulcer”, as the Taliban simply moved on to form new hubs. It was disappointing, and the new Marjeh government was stagnating. Of course, pressure was on the intel guys to hunt everyone down, but being the nature of war, we couldn’t find everyone. Eventually, the area died down as we shifted focus to other areas.

All-in-all, it was an eye-opening experience for me. I learned how to multitask like a boss and stay calm in the face of overwhelming sensory overload, and I also learned that despite the in-theater gripes, the Marines did appreciate the work intel does for them. Sometimes I miss the pace of the offensive; nothing in the civilian world quite compares to the pressure. I definitely see, looking back, how some people just enjoy the thrill of it all; I did.

Saying that, I can see why Ares enjoys battle, too. Even if you lose (which we kind of did), it’s an almost ineffable feeling. I’d almost compare it to sex; it can be exhilarating or awful, there’s all this pressure to perform, you never quite know how good it’s going to be, and afterward, it’s mostly indescribable. Maybe that’s one reason Ares is paired so well with Aphrodite (and why they say all is fair in love and war). It may not be the best analogy, but there you have it. Hail Ares! May he bless my brothers and sister who served in that battle, and may those about to deploy carry with them the sharp spear of the War God.

Fall is Ridiculous

There’s a huge part of me that hates Fall. On one hand, I’m my most creative during both Fall and Spring. On the other hand, both seasons are just so damned busy… Anyway, I thought I’d give everyone an update on to what’s going on in the world of Pete and Ares:

1: With 5 Pyanepsion falling on Saturday by Hellenion’s count, that means it’s finally time for the Greater Aresia! Isn’t that awesome? The transition into Fall and October also marks the relative start of the Spartan and Makedonian calendars, both very war-like states who may have set their calendars in relation to the war season, which is now coming to a close. Not that you might believe that, what with the recent attacks on US assets, but hey, modern warfare =/= ancient warfare.

2: I have successfully smelted bronze!!!! It’s not a very large amount, but it is enough to make small coins and the like. I think I am going to make some medallions in honor of the Aresia with my newly created metal bits. It should be fun. This of course only one small piece of a rash of devotional art I have started. For those of you who have checked out the Facebook page, you have seen the beginnings of those two projects. I’m also doing variations of the helmet I made, hopefully culminating in a solid bronze piece.

3: More creativity means more work on my book. Summer was a big lazy period, and may Ares forgive me for that. Luckily, three of my four classes (philosophy, ancient history, and sculpture) should keep me focused and gung-ho on writing, so maybe I can get a manuscript finished by February (no promises though). Speaking of books, Neos Alexandria is re-opening the call for submissions for Harnessing Fire, dedicated to Ares’ brother Hephaestos. I’ve already submitted a photo, and I’m considering doing a piece on the relationship between the two. Seeing as I’m doing that for my own book, it will be done regardless.

4: Last but not least, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite concert videos referencing one of my favorite myths: