Okay, so this represents a little bit of hyperbole, but it certainly sums up the feeling. Our “S2 Shop” (intelligence office) has to put together up-to-date information briefings, conduct open-source (ie, publicly available) searches on the Internet, and compile reports in a timely fashion, but for the most part we have some of the oldest laptops in the organization.

In a way I can understand the problem– it is rare for a Battalion in the National Guard or Reserves to have a fully-staffed and functioning Intelligence shop that operate on a daily basis. Most of the time, us “weekenders” show up for a couple days a month and that’s it, and there’s not a lot of heavy lifting to do.

So there’s not much sense in buying the latest and greatest when it is barely going to get used before being out of date. In this, the chain of command is making sensible and responsible fiscal decisions, even though it is sometimes frustrating. And in truth they may be asking for newer laptops, and getting the requests denied for various reasons.

That said, now that we are deploying, I hope the wheels of supply get some grease and the money spouts open up a little bit to get us some more up-to-date laptops.

In the meantime, poor ol’ Emma just has to keep shoveling coal.