A Seven Year Career....

Disclaimer/ Warning: If you have never worked for Trugeen you might find this boring. I was trying not to drop names but if I did not put your name in here don`t be sensitive and offended you know I love you and you know who you are.


I realize that this video is on Al and Bryan`s Blog and most of you have already seen it...But it means something to me so just deal with it! LOL

Crestwood Sellathon 2007 - Watch more free videos

This was the last week of my 7 year Career with Trugreen Chemlawn. I do not even know where to begin. I have been in Sales/Marketing for Seven years now. I have enjoyed every minute of it too, That is not to say there were so rough times and days that I did not want to go to work(You get that in any job after a while.) Seriously though...I never thought I would be at Trugreen for so long...I have met some of the coolest people and made life long friends from the workplace. I got referred to this job from a college friend (Danny Caro) and he just wanted referral bonus..(Danny, I can remember you telling me on the way to work you have to make it a few more weeks) LOL! I was hired under Sam Perez as the Marketing Manager and made good friends with him...In fact as most of you know we were roommates in Cali, Even though we have lost contact I still consider Sam a friend of mine and I would still help him out in a jam.

Allyn Hane, I owe you man...I moved back from California to Chicago with just enough gas money to get me here and you hired back at Crestwood and got me back on my feet. That was probably ONE of the roughest times in my life on my own.( The whole getting pulled over in Nebraska thing happened during that time too. (I`ll leave that for a future blog if you don`t already know the story ha ha.) Anyhow there were tons of times where I made mistakes and did stupid stuff but you always helped me out and showed me the right way without belittling me or making me feel like an idiot. (Thanks!) And not to mention You know your stuff when it comes to marketing and you had no problem sharing it. I actually even got to experience the managing side of things under your leadership too. (It was fun and a great learning curve) But I was more than happy just coming back to Crestwood as a sales rep. I could go on forever but I will stop with a simple Thanks for everything! You were the best boss and a life long friend.

Bryan, You are Al`s right hand man and you have that place in order. I remember talking to Al once before I left for Hickory Hills and he said the one piece of advise I will give you is" Do things before you are asked when you see they need to be done" Best advise ever and I have seen you follow it to the T. Also I would like to take this time to thank you publicly for being my friend even after I screwed you over and cancelled on you last minute when I was supposed to be in your wedding. (I won`t make a dramatic story on here, that is between us lol) I just wanted to publicly say sorry and what better way than world wide? LOL. Not only sorry to you Sorry to Dee too because it was her special day too...I am still honored that I was asked to be in your wedding even though I was not there. You are someone that I respect you have alot going for you know and so much to be proud of...Gabe has a great Dad and a good solid future ahead of him because of you. And Congrats on the new house too! Now get that Google adsense going! :)

Chad Vis, Carlos Rivera (even though the red sox suck and you win in darts all the time haha) Tom Lemmen (And your the best SS teacher too!) Dave Stanfield,Mike Ciucci, Mike Pocza, Pat Sommerville, Diane Walsh (even when I tried to slime a BD through here and there and you said NO!) I hate to start name dropping cause I know I am not mentioning everyone but you get my point...Thanks everyone for a fun time and a great place to work. I read a cool quote. Confucius said, "Find a job you enjoy, and you'll never work a day in your life." I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate - even dream jobs can be hard work, but, it does make life much easier.

Obviously you all know my reason for leaving is because 65days from now I will be in Basic Training for the USAF. Talk about a career change huh? For those of you that do not know my new job in the Air Force will be 'Security Forces' It is basically Military Police (MP) but it`s the Air Force Division of that job. Wikipedia.com (For all you Wikipedia fans out there, Big Al) Gives this description of my job:

Air Force Security Forces (AFSC Enlisted: 3P0X1, Officer: 31PX) (formerly named Air Police, then Security Police and colloquially called the "skycops" by USAF personnel), are the military police of the United States Air Force. Airmen in this field go through about 13 weeks of training, soon to be 18 weeks starting October 1, 2007 at Lackland Air Force Base with the 343rd Training Squadron, also known as the Security Forces Academy.

Duties
Air Force Security Forces members provide resource protection for vital national security assets, including fighter jets, bombers, nuclear bombs and nuclear missiles. Their main function is protection for all Air Force personnel, property, and operations. They are the defacto ground troops for the USAF along the lines of the RAF Regiment or the German Air Force Objektschutzbataillon. They are trained in ground combat skills, including land navigation, crew served weapons systems, claymore mines, fragmentation hand grenade use, "LAW" rocket (light anti-tank weapon) deployment, hand and arm signals, squad movements, and many other "Infantry" skills. Security Forces also provide the law enforcement function on all Air Force bases to include response to emergencies, response to building alarms, traffic direction, traffic regulations enforcement, initial investigations, and crime scene securing for major crimes. Many of these functions are being contracted out to private security agencies for entry control to installations, and Department of Defense police officers for law enforcement services. Security Forces personal have also been deploying to augment Air Force Vehicle Operators (AFSC 2T1X1) in providing convoy security and line haul support directly to U.S. Army units within Iraq. Security Forces have been deploying to agment the US Army in Detainee Operations such as at Camp Bucca. Members of the Air Force Security Forces can be seen on an Air Force base wearing their dark blue berets. The Security Forces field is one of only five Air Force jobs that receive a beret upon graduation of technical school.

Advancement and specialties

Members in this career field can later move on to other specialties like the Phoenix Raven program, consisting of airmen who secure air strips in dangerous or combat zones that do not already have adequate security. Security Forces also deploy Close Precision Engagement (CPE) teams, also known as counter-snipers, who go through an extensive Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC) by U.S. Army training personnel at Camp Robinson. Security Forces members may also go through technical schools to help them as their careers develop. Some of these schools consist of, but are not limited to: S.W.A.T./Emergency Services Team (E.S.T.), Security Forces Dispatch Communications, Tactical Automated Sensor Systems Operator (TASS), Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM), or Military Working Dog Handler (MWD).
TASS Operators consist of mostly Airman of a lower rank who complete a course on operation and maintenance of thermal imagers, sensors, and their components. Operators set up and provide surveillance to built-up installations as well as mobile base camps. Operators use microwave, thermal, seismic, and 'trip-wire' sensors. Operators can also use a variety of camera systems such as CCTV systems, or the high tech military version, called the Wide-Area Infrared Surveillance Thermal Imager - or WISTI. WISTI's can detect enemy movement by tracking body heat, or other heat resonances; or can be automatically routed to another sensor that goes off, in which the WISTI will automatically focus in and track the programmed sensor.
Air Force Specialty Code 3P0X1B (CATM) are personnel who train base personnel in the use of small arms weaponry, oversee and maintain and repair all small arms in the Air Force inventory. A second career direction Security Forces have the option of is in the Military Working Dog (MWD) program. Military Working Dog teams deploy explosive detection and narcotics detection dogs throughout the base. Most Dog Handlers perform law enforcement duties at their duty station, and have opportunities to deploy, go Temporary Duty (TDY) for various reasons, including protection of the President of the United States.
Also, a number of Security Forces are accepted into other training programs like the Army's Air Assault School, Airborne jump school (there are at least two Security Forces Squadron on jump status, the 786 SFS, members of the 786 SFS took part in the combat jump into norther Iraq in March 2003, and the 820 SFG), and the pre-Ranger and Ranger School training. Security Forces members can also go through advanced training in investigations or advanced driving school training by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI).Security Forces maintains a qualification with the M-4 Rifle and M-9 pistol at the least. Different weapons skills can be obtained, such as the M-203 Grenade Launcher, the M-249 automatic rifle, the M-60/M-240B machine gun, the M-2 50 caliber machine gun, and the MK-19 grenade launcher.
Many bases have an Emergency Services Team (EST), which is closely modeled after civilian police department SWAT teams, Nuclear bases have a Tactical Response Force, which takes the place of the EST, and has a broader mission in support of nuclear weapons. Some EST members undergo vigorous SWAT tactics training (Special Reaction Team Course, Phase 1 and 2) at the Advanced Law Enforcement Training Division (ALETD) located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. ALETD is run by the U.S. Army and provides the majority of specialty training for U.S. Army and Marine Corp Military Policemen as well as Air Force Security Forces and some civilian police departments.
If you are still with me in this long blog....Thanks for reading and if I worked with you...Thanks for the opportunity! I am honored to close this chapter in my life and move on to something for the good of the country and our everyday freedom! To the rest of you...Keep changing the world...One Lawn at a time! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!! LOL! Or one Cancel or CI at a time at least LOL! Good Luck to you all...