lt minnig's going away

Lt Minnig's Going Away - this post isn't really about the actual going away event, although it was a lot of fun - great food/great conversation... this is almost an ode to a pretty special young lady who made a huge impact on the few months I've been here at Kunsan. Most folks talked abouthow great a sponsor she was (which was so impressive that I actually took notes!), but when we talk about her sponsorship we're actually talking about how she takes care of her troops, on and off duty, and how she takes care of the mission - no question about it, she gets it done. It's that same drive that has her beating me in every PT run we go on even though her legs have half the length of mine; the same drive that has earned her award after award for going the extra mile as SafetyMonitor, Voting Rep, and CGO Quarterlies. She is usually upbeat, sometimes funny, and always professional. After two-plus years at Kunsan (with the frantic ops tempo) she is going to work with the US Army in Italy - I know she'll do wonderful things there. What a great young leader!

korean

. . Well I finally finished my final for my Korean 111 class and got my grade - B+... but I don't know nearly as much as I'd hoped when it comes to using it in real life. I keep a notebook with me and I'm confident writing and reading/speaking now (not really comprehension), so when I talk to Koreans I pull that out and have them write down phrases, which helps.
. . I'm also teaching English to Korean students at a local elementary school, every other Saturday. They also help me with my book, and they're super willing to help me learn too. I've got 16 3rd graders for the first 2 hours, 4th and 5th graders for ~20 mins each, in turn. Right before I got to go home, I saw the 3rd graders practice with their recorders and bells for a holiday concert - I was singing along with them too :-) Music is a part of every class, which is really neat. The students are so eager to learn and they help me with my pronunciation too :-)

hispanic heritage celebration

A few of my troops are members of the Hispanic Heritage Club and they just hosted Kunsan's First Hispanic Heritage Dinner w/ Dancing -- what a wonderful evening! The festivities included a dinner made from traditional family recipes (Mom - they copied your amazing white chicken enchilada, but it just wasn't quite the same) and a group of Hispanic dancers performed 3 very different dances with wonderful music. The guest speaker was my group commander, the Falcon, and he shared some of his family's past with us - a past that highlighted the importance of family while serving one's country. I was very touched by some of the documents he shared with us, a letter between his uncles from April 1945, then later a newsclipping of the "brothers" (his father and 4 brothers) who were reunited after 9 years of service and travels. It was a strong tradition of military heritage, supported by the significant role of "familia." It ended with a piniata and Latin Dancing. I was so glad I was able to be a part of this event!