Coyote

-n
1. A wolf-like animal that hunts around in the desert.
2. Slang for a person that smuggles Mexicans across the border into the US.
And then there's the standard USMC definition:
3. What we say instead of "tan" when we mean "that brown color that half of our stuff comes in" (the other half being olive green).
And then there's a definition that is specific to my new duty station:
4. A Marine that assists other units in completing their pre-deployment training. Typically wears a bright orange flak vest/camelbak instead of the traditional coyote brown flak vest/camelbak, and is frequently seen coming in the base gate at 0400.

I pulled up to the gate around 0420 this morning (in my own car in uniform, not drunk in the back of a cab, as is I'm sure the traditional method of going through any gate at any base at 0420 on a Saturday morning) and handed my military ID to the Marine standing watch. "Are you TTECG?" he asked (TTECG owns all the coyotes). "Yes, I am," I told him. He handed my ID back, saluted, and wished me a good day.

Today was day five with the unit and my first field exercise. I wasn't doing any teaching or assessing today; I'm still working to get a handle on what it is we do. (I asked one of the SSgts in the unit a question this afternoon, referring to him and the other coyotes as "you guys". He smiled. "It's 'we', now, ma'am.") But for a 13-hour workday on a Saturday, where I spent most of it standing around in the freezing cold wind, listening to classes and listening to Marines give other Marines advice on how to best employ their weapons and vehicles, it sure was a good day. When I drove down last Sunday, I was burned out and not really feeling ready to throw myself into a new job. After five days here, I'm excited about what I do again, excited to be working with my new co-workers, and happy to be a Marine again.

Will I have a lot of free time? No. Will it be crazy hot during the summer? Yes. But: will it be as bad as Afghanistan? No, they have A/C here. And: will I get to help train Marines and give them knowledge that will hopefully help save their lives? Yes. And: bonus. I get tomorrow off.

And the winner is...

For about two years leading up to my deployment (even before I joined the Marine Corps), I had no clue what I was going to do after I came back. My goal was get through OCS, get through TBS, get through engineer school, get through deployment. What came next? I'd worry about that later.

At the end of the deployment, I started looking for a new position in the Marine Corps. I knew I wanted to stay on active duty in some fashion or another, but I had to stay in the reserves due to contractual obligations. I found a position in Southern California helping train Marines right before they deploy. And now, after a good amount of headaches, stress, and paperwork, I am officially bound for Southern California.

Again! I hated it the first time, hopefully I'll like it better the second time. This time, I will be out in the desert, with fewer people around. I will definitely miss the rain, but the position is a good opportunity. I start down there in late February, which means I have two more weeks here in Eugene. I'm a bit overwhelmed; there's a lot to do before I leave!

I hope to have interesting things to post when I'm down there. If not...well, you might be hearing a lot about the bike rides and the hiking. Joshua Tree is, after all, right across the street.