This has been a very civic week for me. Yesterday I did my first tour of duty as a juror in the District of Columbia. Tuesday, I filled out my first census. I think Mr. Fuller, my U.S. Government teacher from high school, would have a tear in his eye (if he weren’t also my wrestling coach and tough as nails).
The U.S. Census, a tally of all of the United States residents (citizens and non-citizens), takes place every 10 years. As a result, the millions of people who turn 18 and/or move into their own homes each decade get a piece of mail that can be a little confusing at first glance.
For those who joined the services, there’s an added element of confusion – will I get counted in the barracks? If I’m deployed or stationed overseas, do I count in the census? What if I’m one of the thousands of foreign nationals who either serve in uniform or work here?
Mary Dixon, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center, met with the Pentagon Channel and other reporters (myself included) to talk about what the census means for the military. Luckily for servicemembers, who already have plenty on their minds, the daunting process is, actually, pretty easy.
The military health system has launched a new website that provides a single source for military health news and resources. Check it out at http://www.health.mil
A Marine trainee takes a knee, watching for the "enemy" assault on his position. Click for full size.
QUANTICO, Va., March 3, 2010 — This morning was rough. To be completely honest, it’s been some time since I’ve been up before the sun; the trip from Washington, D.C. down to Camp Barrett in Quantico, Va., wasn’t an easy one.
I’ve covered Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training before when I was working for an Army publication, so I had a picture in my head when prepping for this outing, where I would see Marine 2nd lieutenants getting their first runs through urban combat training. I knew there would be a few fake buildings, some mock exercises, and maybe some faux insurgents.
I was almost, sort of, not really right at all.
After driving 20 or 30 minutes into the woods (luckily not far enough to totally lose 3G service, as I was tweeting live on @DoDLiveMil), we arrived and I got a glimpse of what we were in for.
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