Fingers on the Trigger, too?

Today was a relatively exciting morning. I got my designation as CTG-IM Battle Watch Captain (BWC). Basically all it means is that I'm qualified to stand the watch but it was kinda cool to see it in writing...

"... accordingly, you are hereby qualified and designated as BWC for Commander Task Group Iraqi Maritime and authorized to direct weapons employment in defense of Al Basrah Oil Terminal and Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal and surrounding Iraqi waters in accordance with the Rules of Engagement..."

... but no pressure or anything... haha. Today also marks my 30th day on ABOT and only 14 more to go. I feel kinda guilty because I will have only been here less than 2 months and most of the guys on staff will have been here almost 3. But that's ok, I got an awesome honeymoon and feel great about that :)

After 30 days in Iraq or within Iraqi territorial waters, I learned that one becomes elligible for the Iraqi Campaign Medal. I'm almost embarassed to wear it as 30 days on an oil terminal is certainly nowhere as difficult or dangerous as most soldiers and Marines who spend over a year there. I did some research to learn more about it, as there is always more to a medal than meets the eye. The history behind why it was awarded and how it was designed in always pretty interesting and I found this one to be very interesting, as it is one of the newest medals authorized and during such a controversial war.  The medal was created by Executive Order 13363 by George W. Bush in May of 2004. Here is what it looks like. It's symbolism is as follows:

The relief of Iraq represents the area of operation. The lines symbolize the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, recalling Iraq’s title as “the land of two rivers.” The palm wreath denotes peace and honor. The Statue of Freedom represents the ideals and goals of the United States army to bring stability and improve the way of life for Iraq. The sunburst symbolizes hope and success. The two scimitars recall the swords erected by Sadam Hussein during his reign; the points down symbolize the goal for freedom of the Iraqi people, after the fall of Hussein. The ribbon reflects the colors of the Iraq flag. Green is the traditional color for Islam. Red honors the fighting courage for the pursuit of freedom. White denotes generosity and black exemplifies Islam’s success.

Anyways, I thought it was pretty interesting to see why it looks the way it does. 

Well, back to work. It's Battle E season here in the Navy (the Battle Effectiveness award) which is awarded by the ISIC (Immediate Superior in Command, which is what our DESRON is to four ships) to one ship under its command. As Training Officer who manages the ship's certifications and readiness, excellence awards for unit readiness is my juristication so I am busy compiling all of the ship's submisisons and going through the requirements and references to see who is or is not qualified and make recommendations for waivers and eligibility to the Commodore, who nominates one of our ships up to the next level in his chain of command. Last year, the SAMMY B won the Battle E for being one of the best ships in our group of 14 so it is really interesting being on the other side of the Battle E competition.