Looking at the last post date, there has not been anything new here since around Thanksgiving. Honestly, I’m not so sure anybody missed seeing posts on here. That’s okay. It has been a weird six month period all around.
After my last post I began the process of planning our Marine Annual Training (AT) event which we finally executed several weeks ago and are wrapping up now. I remember my very first time going to the AT called ITX (Integrated Training Exercise) and how cool it was to learn about my job as an Ammo Tech. I actually talked about this in a post 11 years ago (read about that here). The difference of being a young Lance Corporal versus being a Chief Warrant Officer at ITX is insane. As a Lance Corporal I showed up to execute what was planned. As a Chief Warrant Officer I am part of the planning process so our current Lance Corporals (and all the troops in the unit) can execute.
I am thankful for the opportunity to have had a hand in the planning process because I was once a younger Marine who complained about how things were. It is really cool to take that experience and speak into how things can be. We had several planning conferences over the last six months which allowed me and my counterparts to put the pieces together and network with those who would support us. Our support staff at the unit gets a special shoutout because they have been the most helpful staff I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Did we have the perfect plan? No. Was the execution of the plan seamless? No. Did we arrive safely, receive water, and have food to eat? Yes. Surprisingly, the latter examples were not always true when I was a younger Marine.
At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the Marines who executed the plan that was put together. When things got a little rough, they were resilient and made the mission happen. ITX is not all that fun, but it is truly the best way for Marines to learn their job. I can speak to that from experience.
Part of what made the last six months weird was the extra travel that was done for the Marines. I’ve not been a part of so many planning conferences for one event yet. Apart from all the planning, I had some other travel experiences over the last six months to include snowboarding, volunteering at camp, and Hawaii. Here’s the short rundown of all those activities. Snowboarding was awesome. We rented a cabin in Western North Carolina and boarded what used to be the Wolf Ridge Ski Resort. This family resort was purchased by another family and is now called Hatley Pointe. Being their first season, the experience was not bad at all. Volunteering at camp is always a great time. It was very tiring, but there was a lot of work to be done post-Helene. And finally, Hawaii. I got to go with my little sister as a graduation gift just me and her.
Small selection of photos available for those interested.
First six months of 2025 are about to be in the books, and I am stoked to have ITX as a past calendar event. It is working in rough environments with Marines that builds the bond and brotherhood of the Marine Corps. It’s hard to explain. Never in my dreams would I have told you that I would be a Chief Warrant Officer at ITX. If you asked 2014 Jai what he would be doing or where his military career was taking him, he would have told you MARSOC. If you asked 2016 Jai the same thing, he would have told you he was going to be a Gunnery Sergeant at the Greenville unit one day. None of that happened, but God meant for everything that did happen to be used for His glory. Praise the Lord I’m not in complete control!
With all this travel having slowed down, now what? Well. . . Surprise! I’m taking one more trip for the Marines this week.
Thank you for making it this far if you did. Please pray for me as I continue to navigate being a Chief Warrant Officer but also navigate the military and civilian life. Pray for the uncertainty of the future given recent events. Praise God for His sovereignty over it all. Until next time: Be strong. Love God. Love others.
rejoice.always
The Wild Ride 