Mob 2009 Blog

Over the years, I’ve been called lots of things, most of which can’t be repeated on this blog. 8>) One of the terms that anyone that knows be will agree with is “ToolHound.”  Anyone that has come over to my house has seen the “Garage H’mal” towering over the other buildings on my properties (a total of 4 garages on my property.)

Once you walk inside the Garage M’hal, you will find one of just about every tool out there (and more than likely more than one of most of them.)  From auto repair tools, to wood working, to metal working, to lawn care, heavy equipment, and even specialty tools that I’ve made to do certain types of jobs.

In fact, when I was on leave from my Iraqi deployment last year, I spent a full day at Harbor Freight Tools buying a new band saw, a bunch of other tools (and two stand-up gun vaults.)  When I got home from Iraq, I spent two months building ANOTHER garage for storage of large items like trailers, boats and a 36’ camper.

So, you can image how proud I was to be honored as an official “ToolHound” to one of my favorite magazines, “Tools of the Trade.”  I’ve been reading that magazine for years and the most recent copy is always in my house’s reading room (downstairs bathroom!)

Here is a link to the website to look at the official version.  I’m also reposting the text and photos for legacy’s sake.  (BTW, Tools of the Trade is a free publication to anyone in the construction or related field.  Go to the website and sign up for a copy for yourself!)
Tools of the Trade

ToolHounds: Troops With Tools

Source: TOOLS OF THE TRADE Magazine
Publication date: April 13, 2010

By Rick Schwolsky

When 1st Lt. Eric "Moose" Petrevich sent me this photo (top image) from his deployment in Iraq, I was blown away – not just because I noticed the Tools cover on the workbench next to his slider, but because I read in the accompanying letter about how he and his fellow soldiers use their workshop to build their own weapons racks and body-armor stands to make life a little easier "in the big sandbox," as he calls it. And I loved hearing about how soldiers in his unit fight over each copy of Tools that Lt. Petrevich receives. Hoo-ah, Lieutenant – I'll send extras next time.

We're all used to seeing images from Iraq and Afghanistan of our troops on patrol, searching for bad guys in very bad places. But everyone on deployment, no matter what they're doing, is at risk. And a lot of what goes on involves tools. Lt. Petrevich makes his weapons racks in between patrols – now in Afghanistan – sidearm strapped to his thigh. Combat engineers in both areas of operation build, repair, and replace the buildings and infrastructure that support every mission, like the Seabees' 30th Naval Construction Regiment pictured at right at Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, preparing for the troop surge that began earlier this year.

We at Tools of the Trade honor these brave men and women and wish them safety, success, and a swift return home. And the next time those of us here in the States pull out our tools, we'll think of these ToolHounds using the same tools – under much different conditions. (Check out www.helmetstohardhats.org and see if you can help out when they get home.)

– Rick Schwolsky