Five (personal) questions meme

[aadler]

 
(I got this from ozma914, who cites frickangel.)

1.	Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2.	I will respond by asking you 5 questions of a very personal nature.
3.	You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4.	You will include this and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5.	When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them 5 questions.

I doubt I’m so popular that it will be necessary, but just in case, I’ll take interview requests only from the first four (maybe five) people who request it.

My answers to ozma914 are under the cut.

1.	How do you really feel about the situation in Iraq?   Much better than it was, with strong likelihood of getting better yet. The American leadership came through, both in staying power (which was necessary but not enough) and in a final workable plan (which turned the tide but wouldn’t have done any good if we hadn’t hung in there until we had all our ducks in a row).   No question, things could change again and much for the worse; currently, however, what we have is a flat-out success.
2.	What do you hope for in your personal future?   I’ve met my immediate personal goals; my family is whole again, and I’m in a profession that brings me pleasure and pride. Currently I’m laying the foundations for retirement — I’ve got ten, fifteen years to get everything in place, that should be enough — and wondering what else I might want to do. I still have stories I want to write, but it’s time for me to give serious consideration to writing for publication. I still want to become proficient in languages (brush up on Farsi, learn Arabic, and of course become conversant in Spanish).   I’m at that point in my life, however, where more and more of my hopes are centered outside my immediate self: I want to see my kids marry, find satisfaction in their own lives, and start popping out grandchildren. They’re grown now, we raised them successfully, so it’s time for them to start giving US something.
3.	If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?   I’d still like to see Costa Rica. Susan loves Tanzania. Both of us like the cleanness and courtesy of Western Europe (Germany for me, Holland for her). Both of us have considered New Mexico, Arizona, and Oregon/Washington. Right now we’re still in transition — and will be until I finish my military career and Susan qualifies for pension with the VA — so it will be a subject of continuing discussion for years to come.
4.	What’s the number 1 present you’d like to find under your tree ?   Generally, if I want something, I go on and get it for myself (or decide I’d rather not spend the money, and let the idea drop). You asked what I’d like to find, though, and the answer to that would be the paid arrangements for a two-week Alaska tour for Susan and me. We took the cruise, and loved it, but that was cruise-with-Alaska-flavoring, and this time we’d want Alaska as the main course.
5.	What’s your favorite small arms weapon? (Hey, I’m a military buff, sue me.)   Of the ones I’ve carried, I got along fine with the M-4. If I’d ever had to use it, I probably would have found myself wishing for a heavier caliber; I hear the Army is investigating some weapons in 6.5mm, and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that. I was a SAW-gunner in Iraq (the M-249), and I loved having the firepower; the first time I was exposed to the heaver M-240B, it was instant unrequited passion.   For combat, you always want the heavier weapon. These days, though, we get TO combat in vehicles, and getting in and out of those things in full gear is a chore in itself, which is why the M-4 is becoming the default for Army rank and file. If they do bring in something similarly compact, but with a heftier bullet, I’d be happy.

Comments

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

1. A journalist who just got back from Iraq recently was asked on the Dennis Miller show if we were winning the war in Iraq. His reply: "The war's already won". He'd been going there repeatedly since the invasion.

2. Yes, write for publication! Anyone who's serious about and loves writing should eventually try for publication -- you've met bigger challenges. As for retirement -- boy, I wish I'd planned for that.

3. Hawaii for me. But I don't know anything about the people or much of anything else -- I just love the idea of a place where it never snows.

4. I also want to tour Alaska (in the summer). But my girlfriend called me out just last night on my habit of never buying anything for myself, so if I ever go it'll be as part of a trip for the whole family.

5. Ooh ... a SAW. *salivates* The truth is, I'm not as familiar with modern weapontry as I should be -- I'm generally a WWII buff, so I'd want a Thompson. Not on today's battlefields, mind you. I wrote into one of my Buffy stories a brief mention of the BAR, which is the closest I've ever gotten to using modern weapons in my fiction.