Books and Training

18 Sept 24

08:00 hrs

     With our youngest Loin Fruit soon to be heading of on his new career path I was think of all the times I had headed out the door for a training course or some other kind of TD (temporary duty) trip, be it an exercise or an actual mission, and the one thing I always brought was a nice book to read if there was any down time. Now, the choice of the book was dependent on several factors.

     1) What is the duration of the TD? Will I need just one thick book or two thinner ones?

     2) Where is the exercise taking place? It would be very unwise to be caught with reading material that is politically or culturally sensitive that could either land me behind bars or cause an international incident.

     3) Can I afford to lose the book? As much as I am a bookworm I would very rarely take a brand new book - one I haven't read - on an away trip. Used books I can afford to lose.

     4) Books that I have read before are more preferable simply due to the fact that I can pick up the storyline even if I misplace the bookmark. 

     5) I also like to choose a book that may elicit a question from someone who sees the title. I was reading Alive while crossing the Andes to Santiago, Chile. The lead navigator saw me reading it and had the student nav plot the crash site on the map from information found in the text. I have owned a copy and have read that book since I was in Grade 7. I've also owned a copy of Jaws since then too. And, that is definitely a book that will open the eyes of a 12 or 13 year old boy! In fact my teacher, Dave B. questioned my parents as to whether I should be reading Jaws. As long as I was reading they had no issues.

      Quite often the books that I choose to take on a trip have been read so many times that I have had to replace the copy several times. Not because they are the only ones that I read but because they, in my opinion, are well written and relate a story that is important in some way to me. With that in mind here is my list of books that I enjoyed reading and continue to re-read as required. 

1) Shogun

2) Alive

3) Books from the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy but before he started to write them with a co-author. After the book "The Bear and the Dragon" I found glaring discrepancies in the basic storyline which Clancy didn't pick up on so I'm done with reading the collaborative books. For me, it's like finding a toenail in my pasta. 

4) A Bridge Too Far, by Cornelius Ryan, is the story of Operation Market Garden - the last Allied forces push to get troops over the Rhine to end WWII. The true jewel of this book is the research done by the author and presumably a staff as well, that corroborates all the various facets of both Allied and Axis movements and view points. This month marks the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. 

6) On the Rock is another great book that I have taken with me on an away trip. It is the true account of the only Canadian to be named Public Enemy #1 by the FBI and who spent thirty plus years locked up in Alcatraz prison. Born Albin Karpowicz, Alvin Karpis was known as "Old Creepy" had repeatedly shaved off his fingerprints to the point that they no longer existed in an attempt to prevent the Feds from linking him to unsolved crimes.

     Our Jr Couch Monkey will be departing next weekend. His Basic Recruit Training will take place at CFB BOREDOM in Ontari-ari-ari-oh.  I think it's about 10 weeks or so in duration. We had all thought that his Trades Training would be in the same location but he has been informed that it will take place in New Bee. Exactly where is anyone's guess. But, he is packed and is waiting to go. Is he scared? Maybe a little. Will we miss him? We do already.