Nathan C. Wagnon

I admit keeping up in blogland is not my forte, which is obvious by the fact that my last post is dated September 5, 2008 J. Since then I’ve branched Infantry, become an officer, gotten engaged, gotten married, finished the Infantry Basic Officer Leader’s Course, got orders to Ft. Irwin, CA in the Mojave desert, finished the Mechanized Leader’s Course, dealt with heat exhaustion, got diverted to Ft. Carson, CO, moved to Colorado Springs, and am about to start my 3 week Individual Readiness Training course prior to deploying to Afghanistan, probably right before Thanksgiving. I guess there’s not much reason to update the blog all the time when you can summarize an entire year in one paragraph.

Well, I’m going to try for a couple of reasons, chief among them to keep those who care informed on what and how I am doing while in Afghanistan. So, if you care, check back once a week or so and I’ll have updates for you. I do covet your prayer for the men I’ll be leading and our safety.

For the Kingdom,

Nathan

P. S. Going to U2 tonight at the Cowboy’s Stadium in Dallas . . . heck yes.

Wow, I guess it’s been a couple of weeks since I updated my page here . . . sorry about that.  Funny thing, the Army is so structured that it is very easy to get into a routine and time starts moving pretty quickly, although sometimes it doesn’t seem that way.  A buddy and I were talking the other day about the phenomenon that the days seems to drag by here, but the weeks go by pretty fast.  I know . . . weird.

Anyway, I am about to tie up week 5 here at OCS and things are going OK.  No one really stands out too much here because of the course structure.  Every Friday the previous week’s entire student leadership gets “fired” (none of whom are disappointed by this) and is replaced with brand new leadership, so everyone gets their turn in the spotlight to varying degrees.  Thus far I’ve been a squad leader (lower tier leadership position), but we have 7 weeks left so they’ll probably “hire” me to do something again before the cycle is through.

Thus far our schedule has been pretty simple: PT in the morning, classroom instruction all day then a meeting or two a week in the evenings.  It has been fairly easy to coast here because (until yesterday) the academic portion of this course is really easy.  I say “until yesterday” because we had two blocks of instruction Wednesday and were tested on both of them yesterday.  I did not do as well as I would have liked on the first test but I think I’ll be OK.  That may affect my standing on the Order Merit List (OML), the ranking system used here to put people in order for branching selection purposes, but hopefully I’ll stay pretty close to my previous position. 

We are going through the branch selection process this next Friday, September 12.  Ideally I would branch military intelligence, but there are only 2 slots available for that branch and I’m not high enough on the OML for that to be a feasible possibility, but you can pray nevertheless that I get that job.  Other than than M.I. I’ve been wrestling a bit with what other branch I would select, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to one of the three combat arms branches (infantry, armor, field artillery).  After all, I did not join the military to do a desk job, and I did join the military to lead men in a dynamic context and use that influence to expand the kingdom of God.  Please pray that the LORD grants me the branch that’s right for me.  My life remains in His hands.

I do continue to covet your prayer for my time here, that I would be faithful to speak the gospel with boldness, as I ought.  Hopefully I’ll get better at updating this page as well :-)  Thanks to all who have written or sent cookies (I’m pretty popular for having homemade cookies), I really appreciate it.  It always feels good to get something at mail call.  I hope everyone is well and that we all remain faithful to the LORD wherever He has us.

For the glory of God,

NCW

Well, I’m back on this blog deal.  It’s a bit weird being able to type this myself, I’ve been writing and sending the posts to Margaret for her to post, but now I can have my computer at OCS so hopefully I can do this pretty consistently.

I am starting week 3 of 12 at Officer Candidate School (OCS) here at Fort Benning, GA.  All I can say about Georgia is that it’s as hot here as it is in Arkansas during 2-a-days, and I’m wearing about as much (sometimes more) equipment.  Needless to say I sweat a lot and have trouble keeping weight on.  I mean I’m eating like a lion at every meal and I’m lucky to maintain my weight.  I’ve learned putting salt on everything while you shove it down serves two purposes: 1) replenishes electrolytes and 2) give the food flavor as you swallow . . . God knows you don’t have time to chew it :-).  Anyway, OCS is a lot easier than Basic Training, mainly because there are a lot less restrictions, but also because everyone here is a bit more mature.  There are a lot of prior service non-commissioned officers here (sergeants), some of them senior NCOs, so I am learning a lot about the Army just from talking to them.

My roommate is cool.  His name is Alvin Robinson and he has about 12 years experience in the Army, most of which has been served as a Special Forces Operator for Team 5.  He has a lot of energy and is a pretty positive guy so he’s a good influence around here.  I think he’s probably Christian (he claims he is), but like a lot of guys I’m running into, has strayed from his faith and claims he is attempting to return to the LORD.  Please pray for him, we are starting to have more and more conversations about it as I gain some relational trust with him.

Please keep praying.  I don’t have time to explain right now but please pray for the LORD’s hand to move in my branching process, that I’ll get the branch I’m supposed to have.  Also pray for continued physical health.  The only problem I’ve run into is my feet.  They are numb in places and I’ve got some ongoing blisters, but that just kinda goes with the territory.  You can pray that the LORD will heal them though, that would be awesome.  OK, I’ve got to go for now, but there’s a lot more I’ll fill you in on later so come on back!

NCW

Hey everybody . . . sorry it’s been a bit since I’ve updated the blog, but things have been a bit crazy. This might be the last entry before I’m able to update this myself so a huge thanks to Margaret for deciphering my handwriting and posting these updates. She has been a huge support and is both beautiful and talented . . . I’m lucky she wants to hang with a guy like me.

Things here have been moving right along. We are now down to our last week of training, then a week of outprocessing, then graduation. We officially phased into blue phase but things are pretty much the same. My two DSs are having some pretty serious problems at home so they stay in the bay a lot (one of them didn’t go home for 5 days), and they’re sometimes pretty snappy. One of my DSs (Vandegrift) has had some serious conflict issues with my buddy Walker, but it seems that DS Van has been in trouble in the past for conduct toward soldiers, and there’s at least 3 guys who could press assault charges against him this cycle. I haven’t witnessed any of it so I’ve stayed out but Walker saw 2 of the instances and he reported it to the first Sergeant (the senior NCO), who has in turn gotten on DS Van again. Needless to say he’s not too happy with Walker. They’ve almost thrown down a couple of times, but the senior leadership is pretty much backing Walker so he’s hanging in and doing the right thing even though it’s hard. Pray for him, for peace and wisdom.

I’ve received a couple of commendations, which is cool. The battalion commander issued me his medallion (coin) of excellence last week for my leadership here. I figured they just kinda handed those out but evidently I was the only guy in the company (180 guys) to get one. That was pretty cool. 

I was also informed by the 1st Sergeant that I was a shoe in for “Soldier of the Cycle” (the top BCT award) but I got in trouble with my DSs last Sunday for using the phone so my punishment is being removed from consideration. Oh well, I got to talk to Margaret (a rarety the past few months) so it was worth it. 

Ministry opportunities continue to present themselves. There are around 8-10 guys I’ve talked to that I’m hoping will make decisions in Christ before graduation but that’s up to the LORD; please pray for them though. I also ask for prayer for my own heart. There are almost no really solid believers here so I’m a bit starved for fellowship but Walker has been good to hang in with me, he’s just returning to the LORD himself so sometimes it’s a weird dynamic.

For everyone who has written, thank you, thank you, thank you! Reading up on people allows me a familiarity that I can rest in. I do still have 2 weeks left so bring on more of it . . . really up until Tuesday, July 27th. I look forward to being able to update this more frequently at OCS. Continue to covet your prayer and am thankful for each one of you. 

In Christ, 

NCW

P.S. Pray for protection against a recent poison ivy outbreak . . . I think I might be getting it.  :(

Freedom. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Primarily because I don’t have much of it right now, and because the guys I’m around don’t live in it. I’ve been burdened lately by the lifestyle most guys around here are enslaved to . . . have fun/ please yourself at all costs, the ends justify the means, exalt yourself and tear people down, etc . . . The talk at hand seems a bit overwhelming. I have to remember that I am only useful to the Kingdom in the power of the Holy Spirit and I am not nor will I ever be the answer. The answer is Jesus Christ, period. It’s funny how it works when you just get out of the way and allow the LORD to move; you experience a peace that God is in control and the fulfillment of knowing that the Holy Spirit is moving in power. 

I’ve had 4 good conversations this week. Please pray for Sutton, Taylor, Tate, and Guilin. Sutton and I talked for about an hour last night while we were on guard duty. He is very open to the gospel and I’m really excited about him getting close to a faith decision in Christ.

I do feel a bit more isolated, as I’m really the only guy I the platoon that really takes his faith seriously. My buddy Walker has had a rough week and he’s pretty discouraged lately, so please pray for him, for perseverance and strength.

We are all a bit tired right now and I am no exception. Drill Sergeant Vandegrift is having a rough time at home right now so he’s up in the bay a lot and has recently been taking his frustration out on us. We’re all pretty tired of it. I think he might have some symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He’s had 3 combat tours and is on edge a lot, so please pray for him. He needs to meet Jesus.

As far as training goes I dropped my two mile time down 85 seconds from the first test. I’ve found that running is a bit easier at 212 lbs opposed to 242 lbs. I qualified as a sharpshooter on the M16 and was only a few targets shy of expert. My eye condition (keratoconus) keeps my right eye at around 20/50-60 so I was having trouble seeing the 300m targets. It was pretty funny ‘cause I’d squint, pray, and squeeze. I think I actually hit a couple of them. We’ve mainly been working with our assault rifles lately but we’ve been doing some cool stuff like night fire exercises with night vision, lasers, and tracer rounds. We are also about to start our hand grenade training, which kinda freaks me out ‘cause we’ve got a handful of guys I would personally NEVER give a grenade to. We’ll see what happens.

Emotionally I’m doing OK. Mail really does help keep my morale up so please don’t stop writing, even if I’ve been unable to write you back. I’ve missed Margaret a lot but we got to talk on the phone the other night for a while so that was a real pick-me-up . . . I’m looking forward to her coming down for graduation. I do continue to covet your prayer, I’m certain they make a difference. Only 3 more (hopefully short) weeks left, pray for perseverance and the strength to finish this well. I appreciate all of you. 

NCW

1:36 am

Military basics have this stupid deal called “fireguard.” Basically, 3 dudes wake up every hour on the hour and watch everyone else sleep. I don’t understand but I’ve resolved not to ask “why” about things here in order to maintain my sanity. Anyway, I’m on fireguard right now so I figured I’d post an update.

My platoon officially moved into the second phase yesterday so I finally got my stripes as the platoon leader. There is added responsibility as the leader but it has also given me a platform to model conflict resolution and Christian leadership. I also have an audience of 45 every night and they have to listen to me, so I break off the Word on them every night. Most of them are pretty receptive. I’ve actually got an appointment with one of the guys today to talk about the deity of Christ (a favorite subject of mine). His name is Taylor so be praying for him.

As far as military stuff goes we have been qualifying on our M16-A4 series assault rifles so I’ve been shooting a lot. We regulated some targets with the 240B machine gun, which was fun, and we’ve got some exercises coming up like hand grenades, live fire convoys, assault tactics, etc.

Dang it, I’m out of time for now but two quick requests:

1)    Physical health. I’m doing fine, please pray that I’ll stay that way.

2)    Platoon unity. We’ve got some guys who want to do their own thing. Pray that they’ll “fall in.”

Gotta go. Thanks for writing, please continue to do so . . . huge encouragement!

NCW

Sorry it has been a while since my last update, I assure you it’s not because I haven’t wanted to. I really don’t know where to start but I guess there have been some major developments so I’ll highlight those. 

Each platoon (between 44-48 guys) has a platoon guide, an assistant platoon guide, and 4 squad leaders. This is the leadership structure through basic training. After the initial phase where the drill sergeants do everything they gradually hand over a lot of the responsibility to the platoon guide and he delegates from there. Anyway, I’m 4th platoon’s platoon guide. It is added work and responsibility (which means go to bed later and get up earlier), but it also provides a platform for me to be a positive influence on my guys and share Christ as I build relational trust. 

On that note though, we’ve experienced a lot of conflict in our platoon so we’re a bit behind the other 3 platoons. We have got some guys that don’t know how to respect other people and we’ve got guys that want to be in charge so bad they’re about to explode, so dealing with all of this has been an added weight but one I don’t mind because it is practical leadership experience that I’m learning from already. 

Physically I’m holding up OK. My feet hurt a lot and I’ve got 3 or 4 blisters I’ve been trying to nurse for about 2 weeks now but no injuries to report . . . praise Him. My calves have been pretty tight but I’ve been careful to ice and stretch when possible so I think I’ll be okay there. Please continue to pray for physical health and safety. 

The food here is pretty good but my one complaint is that I’m always in the back of the line, which leaves me about 4 minutes to eat. A buddy of mine and myself were cramming breakfast in so fast the other day then we took off running to be at our next assignment. We didn’t make it very far before he about hurled everywhere. It was pretty funny. I guess all of that is good for weight loss though. I’m down to 220, -22 lbs since I got here. 

Spiritually the LORD continues to give me favor. I’ve had multiple quality conversations with guys in my platoon about Christ and even had a good conversation with one of my drill sergeants, DS Guilin. I’ve even gotten to talk to the 1st Sergeant, the senior NCO of the company. He was intrigued by my degree. It is my prayer though that as we get more freedom I can start a platoon Bible study at night, so any prayer you’d throw up for that to work out would be appreciated.

Well, that’s about all the time for now. I appreciate your support and prayer. Remember, WRITE LETTERS!

NCW

Short entry today, little time to write. First, to all who have written a thousand thanks, please keep in coming. I wish I could write everyone back but barely have time to write these updates so please know I’m receiving your mail and am thankful for it. Dad, I got the watch you sent, thanks. Immediate family, thanks for all the updates and cards from the kids, I appreciate hearing from all of you . . . keep it coming. E, thanks for the article; that was cool and I’ll be praying for you. Everyone else, I wish I had time to mention, just know that you are appreciated.

Prayer requests:
1) My feet. For the past 5 days or so I’ve developed 2 major blisters on my right foot. The one on my heel is about the size of a silver dollar and has become infected. I just got some Neosporin for it yesterday so hopefully that will start clearing up. It seems a bit strange that I would ask for prayer for this but I am on my feet literally all day long, so it’s been pretty miserable lately.

2) Attitude. I’ve found that my attitude has gotten worse over the past week. The whole drill sergeant thing is totally ridiculous and I’ve gotten more tired of it lately. Plus, we’ve got 4 or 5 in our company that are pretty brutal so that doesn’t help.

3) Physical strength. PT is getting more intense. Please pray for strength and endurance and safety, that I will be injury-free.

All I have time for, for now . . . more later.

NCW

I’m officially done with two weeks of basic training. There are 3 different phases to basic training: red, white, and blue. The red phase consists of close contact with the drill sergeants, no phone privileges, almost no liberties, overwork, sleep deprivation and the like. Sounds great, huh? Well, rumor has it that my platoon is about to phase out of red into white, which would be awesome . . . I’m ready for a tad looser enviornment. It hasn’t been all bad, though; I’ve gotten to shoot an anti-tank rocket (AT4), M203 grenade launcher, and I shot the baddest machine gun ever yesterday, the M2.50 caliber machine gun. There as this busted up tank down range that I frickin’ lit up . . . awesome!

I’ve also lost about 15 lbs since I’ve been here and I expect to lose another 15 or 20 doing all of this physical training. PT is every morning at 5:30 (minus Sunday) and it’s starting to work me over but I’m hangin’ in and seeing results so that’s encouraging. Basic at Ft. Benning is pretty different from other basic posts. Benning is the home of the infantry so everyone here pretty much has combat experience and is gun ho about combat arms and killing people . . . a bit of a different environment, but I feel like I’m doing a good job adjusting without losing myself.

A typical day here starts at 4 am and ends around 9 pm and we’re going all day . . . meals, training exercises, physical training, classes on military statutes, etc . . . The good thing about the structure is that it’s easy to settle into a routine then days go faster. I’ve managed to stay out of trouble and have even gotten some leadership responsibilities. Our DSs told me and Walker (the 41 year-old grandfather (that’s right, grandfather) who is the other platoon leader who happens to be a beast) that they haven’t seen a platoon come together so quickly to work as a team before, so that’s encouraging. DS Guilin (gill-een) has affectionately given me the nickname “big-ass private” ’cause I’m bigger than most guys in my platoon. He is lost as a goose but he’s a good guy deep down so please continue to pray for him.

I’m continuing to have a positive influence on the guys here. I shared Christ with a guy named Jeremy Turner the other night, then counseled one of our younger guys, Shaw, who is a believer but is being influenced negatively here. We prayed together which was great. He’s only 17 so I’m keeping my eye on him.

For those who have written I’m extreamely grateful and will write back as soon as time allows. Please keep the letters coming, they make me feel sane Please continue to pray that the LORD will see me through unhurt; that I would shine here for His glory and the kingdom of God.

NCW

Army Basic Training is a lot like prison, initially. I have little to no liberties and whatever I do get I have to earn. At least now we are getting to take our own showers and get decent sleep . . . before our showers were timed by our DS (Drill Sergeant), about 20 seconds, and I was averaging about 3 1/2 hours of sleep a night. One night I didn’t sleep at all. So, this place is interesting. It seems that we are phasing out of all of that so that’s encouraging. 

I’ve been placed in a leadership position here with another dude from Texas, a 41 year old named Keith Walker. He is a Christian and used to be a youth pastor but got burned pretty badly by the church. He still loves the Lord though. We are the platoon leaders and have received the confidence of our DSs and the guys in the platoon (47 dudes). The Lord has placed me in a unique position and I’m thankful.

I’ve also gotten to blow some stuff up. So far we’ve been to the AT4 range (anti-tank rocket) and the M203 range (grenade launcher). I was 100% with the bazooka and 50% with the M203, you’ve to got to kinda lab those in. We have also done a ropes course, an obstacle course, and a confidence course. Tomorrow we have a physical fitness test and we’re going through the CS gas chamber so that should be interesting. 

Physically I’m doing okay. I’ve started to feel the aches and pains of the physical activity and the heat. My ankles are swollen from being on my feet all day and I have a couple of heat rashes. It got up to 101 degrees yesterday and sometimes we are wearing 30-50 lbs of gear, including a flak jacket that doesn’t breathe at all, so staying hydrated is curcial. My right knee is sore but holding up. I’m pushing through it but could use your prayer that it will continue to hold. 

I’ve begun to be able to share Christ wiht some guys here. Almost all of them are lost as a goose so the harvest is ripe; however, up to now we have literally had no free time so significant conversations have been limited. Please pray for the following:

1. More opportunities to share Christ.

2. Keith Walker- pray the Lord would heal his wounded heart. His pastor and best friend ran off with his wife. 

3. Jeremy Turner- pray for salvation

4. Jonathan Tate- pray for salvation

5. DSs Vandegrift and Geilleen- pray for salvation

Emotionally I’m holding up okay. I’ve been open with the guys about praying for them so some of them have been more willing to check on me and I them. Walker has been a God-send and I am thankful for him. I haven’t received much mail. I don’t know if it just takes forever to get here or what but honestly I have felt cut off from my support system. But nobody’s getting mail so hopefully it’s just stuck in the pipeline. I do appreciate your support and prayer on behalf of myself and my guys. This is a taxing place but the Lord is my strength and my portion forever. 

More to come, please check back for updates.

NCW