Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

So, blog 1 and I’m already going off-piste. If you are looking for engineering please wait for the next one. If Admin isn’t a place in China it is certainly a place somewhere in the USA where they eat forms in triplicate and proof read with the accuracy of Rain Man. Having been in country for nearly a month I have phonetically spelt my name enough times that Gandhi would have lost his patience; Guz I now understand your pain – never come here!

The aim of this blog is to highlight a few admin points about the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) placement for the prospective Phase 1 students when choosing attachments; but written now whilst it is fresh in my mind. Be aware this is me pointing out that there are some challenges worth thinking about. However, they are all surmountable and don’t detract from the obvious benefits of being in the USA which, as we are already finding out, is an awesome country full of travelling opportunities.

Foreign Country.

So firstly it should not come as a surprise that this is a foreign country and I now truly understand the phrase ‘divided by a common language’. Our cultures have many things in common, but just as many things not in common and it varies from state to state. I can see why most Americans don’t have a passport, with such variety in their own country, but it does limit their perspective on many issues.

Locations.

My work location for Phase 2 is the Harrisburg Area Office; just outside of the town itself as for the last 3 iterations of USACE attachments. I, like my predecessors, am living in Hunt Valley making it an hour drive each way to work for Phase 2. Unlike the UK the driving is a breeze, there is hardly any traffic and it is a dual carriageway (Interstate) all the way. So set cruise control and go. There are other project locations around the Baltimore District AO and the option of moving around to wherever the work is which Brad and I will research after the summer. Brad for example is working to the South, but I will let him comment on this.

The Harrisburg commute

For Phase 3 I will be working right in the centre of Baltimore (10 S Howard St), about a home run away from the Baseball stadium. The commute for this is a short walk/drive to a station before hopping on the light rail for £1 each way. At about 45 minutes it is comparable with a London commute and shows the logic of Hunt Valley as a location.

Cars.

I was naïve enough to think that my wife and I might be able to get away with one car for the whole attachment; we can’t! Over here you drive pretty much everywhere, even if you want to go for a run, because the sidewalks just stop for apparently no reason. So with the need to commute to work for the site attachment if your partner wants to do pretty much anything, then a car is required. That said, for Phase 3 I am planning on selling the second car. So if you fancy a Golf GTi (highway miles) I’ll keep you posted! We all know that fuel is cheap out here (about a third of UK prices) and it’s actually a pretty good opportunity to buy a car you wouldn’t dream of fuelling in the UK. I get a respectable 28 miles per US gallon (33 mpg in UK gallons) and I’ll leave Brad to reveal what his Nissan Armada pushes out.

Housing.

Probably the biggest stress on arrival is housing. It is mind boggling to start off with and the time period given is tight. That said everybody out here now, and for as far back as I’ve heard of, lives in places far superior to anything in the UK SFA portfolio. The Embassy, if a little slow and authoritarian at times are supportive and will ‘screw the nut’ to ensure you are well set up on time. Hunt Valley has become the standard for the last few iterations as it is a nice town and central, based on commuting times, to the two work locations however variations are certainly available.

Aliens.

As a Gurkha 2IC I have had an understanding of some of the difficulties that arise from having a different passport to everyone else; but here as a legal alien I truly empathise. For those with wives who have an intention to work be aware that extra paperwork will need to be completed upon arrival to get authorisation. It is just a matter of filling it in and waiting but it is something to be aware of. It turns out getting a Social Security Number is pretty easy and certainly makes administrative dealings a lot more straightforward; because it fills a box in someone’s spread sheet. As for everything else, just be prepared to stand patiently in line and produce plenty of paperwork to prove your identity.

Defence Engagement.

This is very much a part of the job and the effects are very real. Not to steal his sandwiches but Brad’s attachment actually getting off the ground has come about, in a large part, as a result of his boss working with someone on the PET course 20 years ago. The impression that he gained of the officer as a ‘good bloke’ has resulted in him bending over backwards to get Brad through the administrative challenges he has faced.

That said, the act of ‘doing’ defence engagement is predominantly being professional and interacting with the people out here who are literally fascinated with you.

The Work

I can’t really comment at this stage as I haven’t done anything of note yet, but it’s here and there is a diverse range of things to get involved in.

Further info.

For the Phase 1s, Brad and I are more than happy to chat through questions or general information about the placements out here if you are interested and need more information to make a decision. Probably the best way of making contact is to drop us an email to hhcrosby@gmail.com or brad_southall@hotmail.com with your mobile number and we will give you a call back from the office.