This week was spent in lovely, picturesque Vicksburg, Mississippi... If you've ever been to Vicksburg, Mississippi, you would know that "lovely" and "picturesque" may not be the best two descriptors - but then again, I've been known for my sarcasm.
So Vicksburg is where a decent sized US Army Core of Engineers (USACE) center is located. I wouldn't call it a base because frankly it lacked anything that one would expect to find at a base, including military personnel. I was sent here with 4 other folks from the 30th to do a training (I should point out that the other 4 are all significantly more senior than I am, which I guess means I get to roll with the big dogs now). The course was titled Contingency Engineering Management - ideal for a group of engineers about to do some serious management in a contingency environment... or so we thought.
It's now that I should mention that the Army does things a LOT different than the Navy. This was my first true interaction with them, so I had no idea what to expect. First, it seems that their engineering forces aren't actually composed of engineers - in the Navy, if you want to be in the Civil Engineer Corps, you have to be an actual engineer (or architect, we look the other way for them). Shocking application of logic there, I know, but it seems to work pretty well for the Navy.
What this created was a class aimed at very high level officers, teaching very low level information. The kind of information CEC officers get at their basic indoctrination training. The kind of information that we either already knew, or didn't care about because it was USACE specific. The kind of information where you can see the presenter's mouth moving, but would be hard pressed to explain what you learned.
So then - the subject of this post - the worst part of it all. The entire time spent sitting in class, the majority of my energy was dedicated to staying awake, and successfully so (more than I can say for many of my classmates). But as soon as I got out of class, I wasn't tired - even pushing midnight I couldn't fall asleep most nights. Of course, this only makes the task of feigning consciousness even more difficult the following day. A deadly spiral indeed. Although, I have to admit part of the staying up late is on account of the small bar in the middle of a Louisiana corn field we found - Daiquiri World - run by the owner's 20 year old son Brandon with Miss Cricket working the bar. Middle of freaking nowhere, sketchy pre-fabricated building with cheap beers and probably 12 teeth total before we got there. But somehow it's southern charm and cultural oddities continued to draw us back for two consecutive nights.
The second dichotomy is why I'm even here. While I understand the original intent of sending us, all five of us are also in a similar class next week. So while we sat here learning nothing, we missed out on the trainings and prep work taking place back with the rest of the unit, and will continue to miss out due to next week's training. Then it's maybe 1 or 2 days left to pound everything out before it's wheels up. There's a lot to get done, and not a lot of time to do it...
And so it would seem that, even with ever growing lines on my "To Do List", I find myself stuck at the Jackson, MS airport, waiting for a flight that's some 4 hours away. Tomorrow is a family brief and BBQ, and my parents will be present. It should be good for them to meet the leadership I'll be deploying with, and say their final goodbyes... a part of the otherwise exciting weekend I am not looking forward to.
30 July 2009
23 July 2009
300
Spartans!!!!!
Sorry - still feeling a little King-Leonidas like. Normally I wouldn't post about a workout, but this mornings' PT was extra special. Major Blackford, our Marine Corps adviser, put it together. It was in stations, as follows:
1 - Jumping up on to and down off of a stack of two very large tires.
2 - You and your partner lift a 100lb log above your heads, then lower to your chest and then squat down to the ground, then back up.
3 - Flip a massive (200lb give or take) tire end over end for the length of a football field.
4 - Jack-knife crunches, bringing your chest up and your knees up at the same time while sitting on the ground.
5 - Dragging a huge rope connected to 150lb chain links or shackles.
6 - Clapping push-ups, where one pushes up explosively, leaving the ground, and clapping your hands while in the air.
7 - Standard sit-ups.
Each station is done nonstop until whichever group flipping the tires is all done with all their tires. Insanity.
Paul Fugoso - this one's for you!
Sorry - still feeling a little King-Leonidas like. Normally I wouldn't post about a workout, but this mornings' PT was extra special. Major Blackford, our Marine Corps adviser, put it together. It was in stations, as follows:
1 - Jumping up on to and down off of a stack of two very large tires.
2 - You and your partner lift a 100lb log above your heads, then lower to your chest and then squat down to the ground, then back up.
3 - Flip a massive (200lb give or take) tire end over end for the length of a football field.
4 - Jack-knife crunches, bringing your chest up and your knees up at the same time while sitting on the ground.
5 - Dragging a huge rope connected to 150lb chain links or shackles.
6 - Clapping push-ups, where one pushes up explosively, leaving the ground, and clapping your hands while in the air.
7 - Standard sit-ups.
Each station is done nonstop until whichever group flipping the tires is all done with all their tires. Insanity.
Paul Fugoso - this one's for you!
22 July 2009
Quick Draw Mcgraw
Update time (try to contain your excitement, I know I can't!)
So, since my date with the gas chamber, life has been full of training. Last week was Basic Combat Skills, which consisted of basic first aid, weapons, defensive procedures, camouflage and concealment, land navigation, and various other fun stuff that is significantly less fun when done in a classroom vs. in a field.
This week has been pistol training. Classroom training and tests much like the rifle training of a few posts down. Today we actually shot to qualify and I shot what I believe to be the 2nd highest score, tied with a Senior Chief - 235 out of a possible 240 points (only 3 shots outside the bullseye, and only by an inch or two). Lieutenant Commander Bates shot 239 with only 1 miss, so he's my score to beat. Guess this means that if push comes to shove - I can defend myself quite well... Granted, there should be no misconception that ones ability to shoot a prescribed course of fire against paper targets qualifies that shooter to do anything other than shoot at paper targets in a sterile training environment.
A few more days in Port Hueneme and then I fly to Vicksburg, MS for a week of training. That will be a nice change of pace.
So, since my date with the gas chamber, life has been full of training. Last week was Basic Combat Skills, which consisted of basic first aid, weapons, defensive procedures, camouflage and concealment, land navigation, and various other fun stuff that is significantly less fun when done in a classroom vs. in a field.
This week has been pistol training. Classroom training and tests much like the rifle training of a few posts down. Today we actually shot to qualify and I shot what I believe to be the 2nd highest score, tied with a Senior Chief - 235 out of a possible 240 points (only 3 shots outside the bullseye, and only by an inch or two). Lieutenant Commander Bates shot 239 with only 1 miss, so he's my score to beat. Guess this means that if push comes to shove - I can defend myself quite well... Granted, there should be no misconception that ones ability to shoot a prescribed course of fire against paper targets qualifies that shooter to do anything other than shoot at paper targets in a sterile training environment.
A few more days in Port Hueneme and then I fly to Vicksburg, MS for a week of training. That will be a nice change of pace.
10 July 2009
Gas, Gas, Gas!!!
Today was tear-gas day. Needless to say, it was a new experience.
Show up at the tear gas room at 0645, stand around, work yourself up, get nervous... Then get in a line, groups of 24, 12 on each side. Put on your mask and filter and try your hardest to breath deeply and calm your heart... Not so easy with the mask on.
After they're ready, you march into what can only be described as a totally indescribable room - solid block walls with sheet metal siding, one or two lights, and basically nothing but dark terror. I think the overall experience was more psychologically terrorizing than anything else. The actual course of instruction, not so terrible.
I was the first in, thus placing me closest to the exit - score one for Kevin. Sadly, this also placed me directly next to the hot plate where they put the CS pellets (what is used to make the tear gas) - Score one for the gas chamber.
After it was good and gassy, and we weren't all dead, they had us lift the bottom of our masks off from our faces, then put it back on and clear it out. Not so tough to do if you take a deep breath and keep your eyes closed so you can clear it out well. Still, it gets in the face and sinuses - Score another one for the gas chamber.
Then was the slightly more bizarre process of unscrewing your filter from the mask, passing it to your buddy who then passes it twice behind his back and then twice under each leg before giving it back. Screw it back in, clear the mask, and it's game time.
Not to terrible over all, but I got ahead of myself here - no one mentioned that in addition to the burning in the breathing and seeing portions of the body, it also burns the bejesus out of any part of your body that may have been sun burned or recently shaved... If you've seen my head / face, it qualifies for the second one, and if you read my last post I qualify for the first. In short - it was less than fun.
Now, before all you prior service grunts start with the whole "In my day it was way worse, Nancy boy..." crap - I know. You had it way worse, and they don't make them like they used to, and your branch of service is way cooler than my branch of service and whatever. Doesn't make my head any less burny...
Show up at the tear gas room at 0645, stand around, work yourself up, get nervous... Then get in a line, groups of 24, 12 on each side. Put on your mask and filter and try your hardest to breath deeply and calm your heart... Not so easy with the mask on.
After they're ready, you march into what can only be described as a totally indescribable room - solid block walls with sheet metal siding, one or two lights, and basically nothing but dark terror. I think the overall experience was more psychologically terrorizing than anything else. The actual course of instruction, not so terrible.
I was the first in, thus placing me closest to the exit - score one for Kevin. Sadly, this also placed me directly next to the hot plate where they put the CS pellets (what is used to make the tear gas) - Score one for the gas chamber.
After it was good and gassy, and we weren't all dead, they had us lift the bottom of our masks off from our faces, then put it back on and clear it out. Not so tough to do if you take a deep breath and keep your eyes closed so you can clear it out well. Still, it gets in the face and sinuses - Score another one for the gas chamber.
Then was the slightly more bizarre process of unscrewing your filter from the mask, passing it to your buddy who then passes it twice behind his back and then twice under each leg before giving it back. Screw it back in, clear the mask, and it's game time.
Not to terrible over all, but I got ahead of myself here - no one mentioned that in addition to the burning in the breathing and seeing portions of the body, it also burns the bejesus out of any part of your body that may have been sun burned or recently shaved... If you've seen my head / face, it qualifies for the second one, and if you read my last post I qualify for the first. In short - it was less than fun.
Now, before all you prior service grunts start with the whole "In my day it was way worse, Nancy boy..." crap - I know. You had it way worse, and they don't make them like they used to, and your branch of service is way cooler than my branch of service and whatever. Doesn't make my head any less burny...
08 July 2009
Dirt, Grime, and Lead
This week has been M-16 training, and any week spent training with firearms is a good week in my book! We were actually using M-4's for our training... for those not as obsessive when it comes to firearms as I am (which is likely everyone), the M-4 is built off the same upper and lower receiver as the M-16 except a 14.5" barrel (vs. 20" on the M-16) and a 6-position collapsible buttstock. These features make it much shorter and easier to move around with, especially in convoy situations.
The down-side, if there is one, is the shorter barrel and sight radius, which makes the rifle less accurate. I could geek out even more about the 4 M.O.A. deviation on the M-4, but I think most of you have gone cross eyed by now.
So anyways, shooting was good. Qualified with a 153 out of 200, my lowest ever score which is upsetting, but hard to be upset when over 50% of the group didn't even qualify. We shot at 200 yards, which was tough, especially in the heat and glare of the SoCal sun. Leave it to the attentive reader to understand that means Kevin is now a few shades of tomato redder than previously.
The second and possibly more interesting part of the day was spent at the other end of the range, below the targets, in an area known as the "butts" - why is beyond me. Anyways, the sound of a bullet breaking the sound barrier only a few feet above your head is indescribable, but if I had to describe it (wait, what?) I'd say it sounded like a cross between a whip cracking, a belt being snapped against itself, and two pieces of wood being whacked together. Close your eyes - it's almost like being there!
Gas chamber this Friday, more shooting tomorrow - updates as they become available. Until we meet again...
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