Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
I've just been informed that vox hunt doesn't exist anymore! There goes my easy subject matter for the times when I remember that vox exists. :(
I also found out that I had been promoted as the sole host of a group that I joined a couple of years ago. I wasn't even the earliest member of the group, that at least would have made some sense on the part of whoever promoted me before leaving the group. That was an odd experience. ;)
I'll have to come up with my own vox hunts, or something.
So today. Show me some Halloween decor you've got up this year! Something harvesty or just plain autumnal will do. If you don't have anything this year, but have some old favorites, share that instead.
Here's some of mine from this year:
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
The Amazon Conduit will be working again on October 15, 2009. Thank you to everyone for your patience.
Have a great weekend,
daisy, Team Vox
Well, our time has come to pack our bags and head back to the United States. We have all enjoyed our time here and really appreciate everyone's support. I hope you enjoyed reading our stories because we really enjoyed writing them. Semper Fidelis!
Story by Cpl. Ryan Turnage
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – According to Department of Defense statistics, the average age of a male Marine Corps recruit is 19.1 years old, making the Marine Corps the youngest service as a whole, but there is the occasional “old man” among the ranks of the young.
Twenty-seven-year-old Cpl. Nathan Silos joined the Marine Corps a little later than most Marines, but never let his age affect his performance. He went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in April 2006, where his age and maturity would give him the edge during training.
“I got a little more respect than the younger recruits, but I still got warn out by the drill instructors,” said Silos.
Silos spent his younger days doing extreme sports such as surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. He loves a challenge and hardly ever backs down from one, according to Silos. At 24 years old, Silos found himself marching through the woods and swamps of MCRD Parris Island, during the third phase of boot camp. The crucible, a week-long field exercise filled with combat scenarios, was the final obstacle recruits have to overcome before finishing training. Silos’ ability to excel during challenges allowed him to succeed in training.
“I actually had a lot of fun during the crucible, even though we walked for several miles a day with heavy gear,” he said.
When Silos and his fellow recruits made it back from the strenuous field exercise, their transition from civilian to Marine was nearly complete. They had a week to prepare for final inspections and final drill, a marching event in which each platoon performs drill movements as a whole. The final event before claiming their title as a Marine is to receive the Eagle, Globe and Anchor.
After graduation, Silos made his way to the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. He would be trained as an assaultman, an infantry Marine specialized in shoulder-fired rockets and explosives.
“I chose this job because it’s exciting and I will never have another chance to do something so unique,” he said.
Upon graduating SOI, Silos received orders to 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., but wouldn’t spend much time with them. Shortly after checking into his first unit, Silos was sent to 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, to deploy to eastern Al Anbar province in January 2007 until January 2008. For the first few months of the year-long stay, Silos was part of a security detail that accompanied all Regimental Combat Team 6 convoys. He was soon sent to Camp Habbaniyah to replace other Marines and work with the explosive ordnance disposal unit.
“I was part of a security detail for the EOD unit and was around explosions every day,” he recalled. “Thankfully, the vehicle I was in never got hit by an [improvised explosive device,] but we came awfully close.”
For several months, Silos and the “bomb squad” roamed the streets in search of explosives. On more than one occasion, he and his platoon were dangerously close to explosions. Silos started to suffer from minor memory loss and migraines as a side effect of being exposed to reoccurring explosions. Once their mission at Camp Habbaniyah was finished, Silos and the rest of the Marines headed to Camp Fallujah. There, Silos noticed many Marines with the same problems he had and they sought help from the unit’s corpsman.
“My entire platoon was medically evacuated from Iraq to Germany for the same reason. We had been around too many explosions, and it had slightly damaged our brains,” said Silos.
Silos received proper rehabilitation and recovered from his injuries. After his recovery was complete, he returned to his unit in Iraq before redeploying to Camp Lejeune. Once back in the United States, it wasn’t long before he was informed of another deployment the following year. He would once again deploy for a year to eastern Al Anbar province.
Currently deployed to Camp Ramadi, Iraq, with Headquarters Company, RCT-6, Silos is once again providing security. He mans an M240G medium machine gun in the turret of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle with the Personal Security Detail for the regimental commander.
“Cpl. Silos is one of our more experienced turret gunners for our convoys. His maturity level is well beyond his fellow corporals and it shows during our missions,” said Sgt. Juan Morales, PSD section leader.
Silos’ experiences from his previous deployment have played a significant role in PSD’s convoy safety. Even after eight months of less kinetic missions, he continues to stay alert in case of any unexpected attacks. His last deployment consisted of explosions and constant gun fire, but this year the missions are to escort key leaders through the combined area of operations as they pursue training and civil affairs efforts with the Iraqis.
For nearly a year, the drawdown of U.S. forces has been underway and the Iraqi Security Forces have taken control of security in eastern Al Anbar. Silos, along with the rest of Headquarters Company, RCT-6, can proudly say they supported crucial missions, like training Iraqi Security Forces and restoring essential services to the populace, by providing security for movements of key personnel.
“This deployment with RCT-6 compared to the last one is completely different. Now we are working more with the Iraqi Security Forces as they take operational control,” said Silos.
Silos recently reenlisted for four more years in the Marine Corps and has orders to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. From there he hopes to deploy to Afghanistan and contribute as much wisdom and professionalism as he did during his two tours in Iraq.
Story by Cpl. Ryan Turnage
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – A gladiator is defined as a man trained to fight another man in an arena for public entertainment. For Cpl. Matthew Moloch, this is the true test of a man.
Moloch began wrestling in middle school and carried his talent over to high school. Like the Roman gladiators of the past, Moloch was putting himself through the ultimate test of man versus man. With his passion for physical challenges and his “never quit” attitude, Moloch was unknowingly on his way to becoming a United States Marine.
As physical as wrestling could be, Moloch needed more. During a routine visit to a local gym he ran into a friend who trained in mixed martial arts. Moloch was interested in the new idea and began training for his own fights. When he was of legal age, he entered his first amateur fight and was immediately obsessed with the sport. He felt it was his calling and he devoted his time to becoming a better fighter.
“My first fight was an adrenaline rush and made me feel like an actual gladiator,” he said.
After high school, he attended Purdue University as a Criminal Justice major for two semesters, but quickly found himself second guessing his career path.
“I could never decide what I wanted to do in life, so I finished the year and pursued my dream of being in the military by joining the Marine Corps,” said Moloch.
Being a Marine not only fulfills Moloch’s dream and gives him a sense of purpose, it allows him to push his body to the new physical and mental limits needed to be a successful fighter. He arrived to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Aug. 27, 2008, and knew it would be the greatest test of mind and body.
“A good fighter is determined by how much effort he single-handedly puts into his training,” he said. “As hard as I trained for [mixed martial arts,] I still found myself exhausted during [recruit training].”
Upon graduating recruit training, Moloch had joined the ranks of many other warriors, Marines. His childhood dream of being in the military had come true. Soon after earning his eagle, globe and anchor, he married his high school sweetheart July 4, 2008.
“Becoming a Marine was the second proudest moment of my life, next to marrying my wife,” said Moloch.
Through Marine Corps physical training and hours of sweating in the gym, he was ready for another fight. Before he had the opportunity to face another opponent, his country needed his services. He is currently deployed to Camp Ramadi, Iraq, with Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 6, as the supply property noncommissioned officer.
With the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces underway, and the Iraqi Security Forces taking control throughout Al Anbar province, Moloch worked numerous hours to return equipment back to the United States that has been in theater for nearly six years. Due to his endless dedication to duty and constant efforts to seek self-improvement, he was meritoriously promoted to corporal March 2, 2009.
“I have had the privilege of working day to day with Cpl. Moloch since before the deployment,” said Capt. Raymond Gileta, the assistant supply officer for Headquarters Company, RCT-6. “As a lance corporal he showed the willingness to lead and continued to do so throughout the deployment as a noncommissioned officer.”
Nearing the end of RCT-6’s deployment, Moloch is seeking another opportunity to face another opponent. Although Moloch is unsure if he will reenlist for another four years, he says no matter what he decides, he will continue to train in mixed martial arts. Moloch went on to say he will always cherish his experience as a Marine, a true modern-day gladiator.
In my last Team Vox post, I let you know that we're aware that the Amazon conduit is broken and that we're working to fix it. Many of you want to know when it's going to be fixed and I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you about that sooner.
Unfortunately, I don't have an exact date to give you, but rest assured, the Amazon conduit will be fixed in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I'm about to finish my latest book and I could use a few suggestions as to what to read next, so... if you don't mind, let me know in the comments what's on your nightstand and/or what book you think I absolutely must read next.
Thanks! :)
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