"Walking Away From The Ledge” The Cut List: Vol. 16. These are the stories that didn’t make the cut to the final edit in my book. Some of these stories will jump around, but I’ll do my best not to leave you, the reader, guessing when and where they happened.
Finishing up with Eloy, my last bit of training in LRS at Mott Lake, and then jumping ahead to the details of Charlize not allowing us to sleep in the first years. More details in the book!
Initially, I didn’t want to go to Eloy. My wife was three months pregnant, and the pregnancy was sapping all her energy. Plus, as a soon-to-be first-time dad, I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t want something to happen to her while I was gone.
Eloy was about the same as Yuma in the summer. Every day was around 112 degrees, and I was not a fan! The jumps helped alleviate the irritation caused by these variables, and we tried to fit in as many jumps as possible per day, especially since I was jumping slick. The rest of the guys were testing a new head harness that allowed oxygen equipment to be worn under a combat helmet, so it would be one less item to carry in a rucksack and reduce the time spent on the ground switching helmets.
Additionally, new straps were designed to attach an M4 to an assault pack instead of a rucksack. This allowed us to carry a smaller pack on shorter-duration missions, jump with it, land, remove non-essential equipment, and move out with a lighter load. The testing was successful, demonstrating that these new items were sufficient for use in combat. They are still in use to this day.
The last bit of training that I threw myself into, whether they wanted me to or not, was one final water train-up at Mott Lake. They had three Zodiacs out, and I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to go play around on them one more time. I coxswained one while the water platoon conducted their training.
Really, I was out there to mess around on a boat, but I did participate in some of the drown-proof training. You may not know that a military uniform can hold air quite well. So, in the middle of the lake, we rolled off the side of the boat and, while treading water, removed our boots, tied the laces together, and draped them over our necks. This makes treading easier as the weight is no longer on our feet, dragging us down, and our boots are still there for when we need them later. 
Next, ensuring all the buttons on our uniform top are buttoned, pull away on the collar, tuck our chin into the open, and begin to breathe until the top fills with air. This allows us a little more buoyancy for the next step.
Finally, we had to remove our pants, tie the strings at the ankle portions together tightly, and drape them around our necks. Taking the pant opening, we have to make a swooping dunking motion into the water. It’s like taking a pillowcase and throwing it over your sibling's head (that’s the best reference I can give). The purpose is to fill the pants legs with air, and you can now float instead of using all your energy to tread water. If you don’t believe this works, I recommend visiting a military surplus store, purchasing a uniform, and giving it a try. It works rather well!
Of course, doing all that training wasn’t enough, so once we were complete, I threw all my clothes onto the boat our CO was on, asked him nicely not to leave me out there, but spent the next 15 minutes or so swimming nude in the disgustingness of Mott Lake. He laughed as he took some of the other guys to shore and then came back for me.
He tossed my clothes and said I had to put them all back on before he would let me in the Zodiac. I laughed as well, and while it took me a couple of minutes to get everything back on, I was back in the boat, and that rounded out my LRS training experience. I still keep in touch with that company commander. He was the best commander I have had in my 22+ years, and he has gone on to lead numerous Soldiers through numerous commands.
I wish every commander knew his secret, as it was so easy; Soldiers first, and everything else will take care of itself. You can read or even write as many books on leadership as you want to, but if you can’t grasp that concept first and foremost, you are wasting your time. For civilian work, it would be placing employees first.
It was sometime late in November or early December; Charlize was almost one year old anyway. We were done with the car rides. Sometime during the fall, we decided to go down to Destin. Charlize screamed and cried the whole way down and back. She loved the beach, played, and splashed the entire time, fell asleep for about 20 minutes at one point, and we thought that maybe she would sleep the ride home. 
Nope. Not one minute. I thought about driving the car off the road or into a telephone pole so that I wouldn’t have to hear it anymore. Driver side, pole, bam, done. Instead, I gritted my teeth and dealt with it. Jenny would usually sit in the back with her, which helped sometimes, but not always.
I looked up child seat laws in Alabama at the time, and once the child is one year of age, over 25 pounds, and over a certain height, they can be placed in a front-facing car seat, although it isn’t recommended. Charlize wasn’t yet a year old, but she met the weight and height criteria.
The following weekend, we were leaving church, and she was screaming before we even pulled out of the parking lot! Take a right, go home, or take a left, go into Dothan. I took a left, and Jenny asked, “Where are you going?” “I can’t deal with this anymore. We’re going to Babies-R-Us and getting a front-facing car seat. Hopefully that works!”
I went in, got the best-looking adjustable car seat I could find for around $150, since I knew that would break the bank. I then went out to the car, installed it, put the rear-facing seat in the back, strapped Charlize in, and drove off! I shit you not, it was a night and day difference! She was looking around, out the window, checking out everything she could see! It was a 25-minute drive home in peace, and we both cried a little on the drive, knowing that portion of hell was over with now, if she would sleep through the night!
Want to know more about some of these situations? You’ll have to get the book “Walking Away From The Ledge" for more details (links below)! If this story hit home—or reminded you of your own service—drop a comment below or share it with someone who might need it.
https://books.by/w-brand-publishing/walking-away-from-the-ledge
https://books2read.com/WalkingAwayFromtheLedge
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
