A good portion of the day today was spent in a classroom. Got to go over, yet again, LOAC (Law of Armed Conflict - the Army calls it the Law of War), (ROE) Rules of Engagement, and about a dozen other things I've had to sit through for years. It wasn't much more interesting now than it was the first time.
I ate at the DFAC (that's a dining facility) over at the Ft. The food was really nice over there. Then, this evening, I find out that for about two weeks we'll be eating MREs (the stuff I mentioned yesterday.)
I'm coming down with a little cold. I think it's probably the change in weather and atmosphere around here compared to where I was. It's really not hot down here, but it's dry as a bone. The nurse at the clinic gave me some decongestant and we'll see how that does.
I actually have a day off tomorrow. It's quite possibly the only day off while I'm here. I'll try to enjoy it.
Finally, a couple reminders for myself to make a list for the next person to get this training:
1. Bring a pair of boots (no matter what the paperwork says)
2. Bring t-shirts (see above)
3. Bring towels and washclothes or be prepared to buy them at the troop store
4. Atropine, etc. are not needed if you are returning to your homebase before deploying
5. Bring your computer, ipod, mp3 player, radio, whatever (you'll have time in the evening to use them
6. You will fall under General Order No. 1 while you're here. Familiarize yourself with it
7. There is a troop store (like a small shoppette). You can buy dvd players and some other electronics there
8. There's a Rec Center with a massive screen television that plays movies or tv every night. (If American Idol is still running when you're here, it will be on.)
9. There's a gym with limited cardio machines, a fair amount of bodybuilding equipment, and a basketball court
10. Everything... I mean everything... you are issued here will be going with you on deployment. Be prepared to fly with it. Don't worry, you'll get to return it all to its home when you're done with it. Fun.
11. Be prepared to sleep in an open-bay barracks
12. Don't worry about detergent or dryer sheets the barracks are stocked with them
13. You may want to bring some cash or credit cards along for those trips to the Ft.
14. Verizon connection here is awful. Don't count on it being available. (Apparently Nextel works okay.)
15. You get issued one pillow, one pillow case, two non-fitted sheets, and one wool blanket that doesn't really cover your bed. If this is an issue for you, bring your own or be prepared to buy some at the troop store
That's it for now. I'll add more as time goes by,
Eric
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Another Day, Another MRE
For those of you who don't know what an MRE is, it's a "Meal Ready to Eat." It comes in a little plastic bag, and you're supposed to be able to open it up and eat it right away. Sounds good on the surface, but in reality, they're not the best thing you've ever eaten. I hear that they're better these days than they were in the past, but still not so good.
Truthfully, I haven't had to eat any... yet. We are supposed to get some field training later on and will probably have to eat some at that time. I have been eating at the chow hall... an honest to goodness chow hall. I've kind of enjoyed it. It's free, and it's filling. So, I can't complain.
For the last couple of days, we've had to go to briefings up at the main part of Ft. Bliss. The people in my group have taken advantage of that and yesterday, we ate at Manchu Wok. Today, we got to eat at Chili's. I'll admit, it was pretty good.
The best thing about Day 3 (there will be 32 days of training) is that we're all starting to gel as a team. Everyone has his or her role, since we're a mixture of officers and enlisted, but everyone seems to be opening up and building as a team. We've spent some time at the Recreation Center playing cards and pool, and watching movies. Some of the team have even started giving out call signs. So far, we have a "Clark Kent," "Janitor" (from Scrubs), "Lex Luthor," "Zach Morris" (from Saved By the Bell), and "Crash." "Crash" wanted to be called "Affirmative Action," but it didn't stick.
Still more briefings tomorrow over at Bliss.
Later,
Eric
Truthfully, I haven't had to eat any... yet. We are supposed to get some field training later on and will probably have to eat some at that time. I have been eating at the chow hall... an honest to goodness chow hall. I've kind of enjoyed it. It's free, and it's filling. So, I can't complain.
For the last couple of days, we've had to go to briefings up at the main part of Ft. Bliss. The people in my group have taken advantage of that and yesterday, we ate at Manchu Wok. Today, we got to eat at Chili's. I'll admit, it was pretty good.
The best thing about Day 3 (there will be 32 days of training) is that we're all starting to gel as a team. Everyone has his or her role, since we're a mixture of officers and enlisted, but everyone seems to be opening up and building as a team. We've spent some time at the Recreation Center playing cards and pool, and watching movies. Some of the team have even started giving out call signs. So far, we have a "Clark Kent," "Janitor" (from Scrubs), "Lex Luthor," "Zach Morris" (from Saved By the Bell), and "Crash." "Crash" wanted to be called "Affirmative Action," but it didn't stick.
Still more briefings tomorrow over at Bliss.
Later,
Eric
Monday, January 29, 2007
Hello... Hello... Hello, Is Anybody Out There?
I thought for a couple days I might never see signs of civilization again. One of our crew got set up here with internet access and now, at least, I'll be able to send some emails and post to my crazy little blog here. So, let me be quick.
Flew out here to El Paso and instead of being at Ft. Bliss, like I thought, I'm at a little place called Camp MacGregor. It's still technically Ft. Bliss, but... NOT! I think it's supposed to simulate when we actually deploy... lots of sand, uniform all the time, no cell phone service. Did you hear what I said, "NO CELL PHONE SERVICE!" It's not that I'm not allowed to use my cell phone, it's just that Verizon doesn't get the service that it should.
So, my internet access will be limited and my phone contact will be almost non-existent. I'll try to post some pictures and stuff when I can.
Going to pour some sand out of my socks,
Eric
Flew out here to El Paso and instead of being at Ft. Bliss, like I thought, I'm at a little place called Camp MacGregor. It's still technically Ft. Bliss, but... NOT! I think it's supposed to simulate when we actually deploy... lots of sand, uniform all the time, no cell phone service. Did you hear what I said, "NO CELL PHONE SERVICE!" It's not that I'm not allowed to use my cell phone, it's just that Verizon doesn't get the service that it should.
So, my internet access will be limited and my phone contact will be almost non-existent. I'll try to post some pictures and stuff when I can.
Going to pour some sand out of my socks,
Eric
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Happy Mittenwoch, Chums
I'm just kind of hanging out, and have been without a computer for several days. El Paso, without a computer for a month, might just do me in. Anyway, I have one for the moment, so I might as well post something.
I've met quite a few people who will be deploying with me. I'm not sure if any of us will actually be working directly together or not, but it seems so. We're each about as clueless to the job we'll be doing as the next person. So, we sit and listen and try to take it all in.
All in all, it doesn't seem like we'll be doing anything really difficult or demanding. It does sound like it keeps out of harms way, too. Yay!
Many of these same folks will be joining me for more training in El Paso. By the end of February, we should know each other pretty well. If it follows the same path as romantic relationships, that's when the illusion ends and reality sets in. The wonderment of the initial meeting and getting to know each other phase will wear off, each others' habits will begin to get annoying, and people will feel like they know each other well enough to speak their minds. It should be loads of fun, especially with the added stress of the training we'll be receiving.
Later, Ya'll
Eric
I've met quite a few people who will be deploying with me. I'm not sure if any of us will actually be working directly together or not, but it seems so. We're each about as clueless to the job we'll be doing as the next person. So, we sit and listen and try to take it all in.
All in all, it doesn't seem like we'll be doing anything really difficult or demanding. It does sound like it keeps out of harms way, too. Yay!
Many of these same folks will be joining me for more training in El Paso. By the end of February, we should know each other pretty well. If it follows the same path as romantic relationships, that's when the illusion ends and reality sets in. The wonderment of the initial meeting and getting to know each other phase will wear off, each others' habits will begin to get annoying, and people will feel like they know each other well enough to speak their minds. It should be loads of fun, especially with the added stress of the training we'll be receiving.
Later, Ya'll
Eric
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Ah... Saturday
It's been a bit of a lazy Saturday, though I'm supposed to be prepping to drive out of town tomorrow. I had a chance to go watch the kids bowl this morning. They did very well. They're supposed to begin a program tomorrow that used to be called "Bowl-by-Mail." They bowl and their scores are sent in and compared against other kids' scores. I hate to miss it, since it was a lot of fun for them last year. I'm sure I'll get to hear about it in emails, etc.
I had the privilege yesterday of getting my smallpox vaccination... again. I had one as a child and was told that it was supposed to last a lifetime. I found out that, in fact, it only lasts about 10 years. Joy! On top of that, if you've never had the injection before, you get three jabs with the needle. You might think that those of us who have had it before would get less. But noooooo! I had to get 15 jabs with the needle. I asked her if it wouldn't be easier just to give me a tattoo. So, now the upper arm is beginning to throb a little. Great.
Well, I'll try to post something as often as I can.
Eric
I had the privilege yesterday of getting my smallpox vaccination... again. I had one as a child and was told that it was supposed to last a lifetime. I found out that, in fact, it only lasts about 10 years. Joy! On top of that, if you've never had the injection before, you get three jabs with the needle. You might think that those of us who have had it before would get less. But noooooo! I had to get 15 jabs with the needle. I asked her if it wouldn't be easier just to give me a tattoo. So, now the upper arm is beginning to throb a little. Great.
Well, I'll try to post something as often as I can.
Eric
Friday, January 19, 2007
The Pay Off
All the rushing around has paid off, and I'm ready to go get me some training. I've got to take a week up in DC and then fly off to beautiful sunny El Paso, Texas. I'll be done before I know what hit me.
What's even better is that I'm so caught up on everything that I'll be able to take leave when my mother, father, sister, sister's fiance, and possibly my mother-in-law come to visit in early March. Where we're going to stash everyone is still a little bit of a mystery, but we'll work something out.
I'm looking forward to it,
Eric
What's even better is that I'm so caught up on everything that I'll be able to take leave when my mother, father, sister, sister's fiance, and possibly my mother-in-law come to visit in early March. Where we're going to stash everyone is still a little bit of a mystery, but we'll work something out.
I'm looking forward to it,
Eric
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Hurry Up And Wait... Then Really Hurry Up
"Hurry up and wait," is a phrase that we military types use or have heard many times. It means, "You'd better get there early (about 15 minutes early) and then just wait until your name is called or the meeting begins or whatever. That's the way it's been for my pre-deployment activities. I got word less than two weeks ago that I was deploying and started getting my military business taken care of. I have to leave this weekend to begin training. Luckily, I ran around like mad the last two weeks because just today I got the list of stuff I need to take with me for training. That gives me a total of two days to get the rest of the stuff on the list. Aaaaggggghhhh!
As it turned out, it was really not a big deal and I got all the things I needed for training. It's odd, though, that no organization had two heavy duty locks on hand. It was one of those things on my training items checklist that made me go, "Eh?" So, I had to pick those up at the store and just wait to get reimbursed.
On another subject, I wanted to drop a little geography lesson in here. So, see the images below. If you are having trouble seeing it, you can click on it and bring up a bigger view.
Later,
Eric
As it turned out, it was really not a big deal and I got all the things I needed for training. It's odd, though, that no organization had two heavy duty locks on hand. It was one of those things on my training items checklist that made me go, "Eh?" So, I had to pick those up at the store and just wait to get reimbursed.
On another subject, I wanted to drop a little geography lesson in here. So, see the images below. If you are having trouble seeing it, you can click on it and bring up a bigger view.
Later,
Eric
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Fire Away
I got to do M-16 firing again today. This time, however, I had the privilege of donning my 80 lbs of body armor while I was doing it. And occasionally, I had to put on my gas mask.
Now, I've fired the M-16 several times since I joined the military. Let's see... once in Basic, once at Andrews AFB before I went to England, once at Shaw AFB while I was at Ft. Gordon, and twice at Langley AFB. That adds up to about every 3 years, and I've grown accustomed to the process: resting your cheek against the butt of the gun, taking aim, steadying the weapon, focusing on the front site, holding your breath, and squeezing the trigger. But once that gas mask goes on, it's next to impossible to get a good aim. I couldn't really get my eye on the site and the target was blurry and my gas mask got a little foggy, which it shouldn't have done. Oh well, it was a loaner, and a little small.
M-16
As usual, the process took all day long. I had my hopes up that it would only be half a day, since qualifying on the M-9, last week, only took until lunch. No such luck, this time around. Three to four hours of that body armor starts to get a little painful. Susan suggested while I'm in training in El Paso, next month, I take up weight lifting as a hobby. I reminded her that I intended to spend my free time studying for my promotion test. She has to make her choice: an in-shape husband or more money per pay check. She can't have both... or can she?
M-9
So long for now. It's been a long day,
Eric
Now, I've fired the M-16 several times since I joined the military. Let's see... once in Basic, once at Andrews AFB before I went to England, once at Shaw AFB while I was at Ft. Gordon, and twice at Langley AFB. That adds up to about every 3 years, and I've grown accustomed to the process: resting your cheek against the butt of the gun, taking aim, steadying the weapon, focusing on the front site, holding your breath, and squeezing the trigger. But once that gas mask goes on, it's next to impossible to get a good aim. I couldn't really get my eye on the site and the target was blurry and my gas mask got a little foggy, which it shouldn't have done. Oh well, it was a loaner, and a little small.
M-16
As usual, the process took all day long. I had my hopes up that it would only be half a day, since qualifying on the M-9, last week, only took until lunch. No such luck, this time around. Three to four hours of that body armor starts to get a little painful. Susan suggested while I'm in training in El Paso, next month, I take up weight lifting as a hobby. I reminded her that I intended to spend my free time studying for my promotion test. She has to make her choice: an in-shape husband or more money per pay check. She can't have both... or can she?
M-9
So long for now. It's been a long day,
Eric
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Now I Dun It
Many of you know I'm in the Air Force, but I was recently surprised to discover that I'm in the military. I have got to find that recruiter and kick his butt.
(That picture might be a couple years old.)
Two Fridays ago (5 Jan 2007), I got notice that I would be deploying to Iraq. It was a short notice thing, one of those deployments that needs to get filled right away. The best things about it are that it's only 6 mos long and I should be back in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I don't like to put too much detail into these blogs, but I saw one recently that a military guy had started to keep in touch with family and friends while he was deployed. Since this miracle of technology exists these days, I thought I would start one, myself. It may not always contain a lot of detail, but I hope to be able to update it regularly with some of the fun and interesting things that happen to me along the way.
Of all the things I've done in the last week (and that's a lot in preparation to deploy) tomorrow should be interesting. I have to qualify on the M-16. For most military, including myself, this is no big deal. Most of us have done it before. This time, however, there's a twist. I have to get kitted up in the gear (body armor, gas mask, the works). I have no idea how that's going to affect my shooting, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be comfortable. We'll have to see how it goes.
Ta ta for now!
Eric
Two Fridays ago (5 Jan 2007), I got notice that I would be deploying to Iraq. It was a short notice thing, one of those deployments that needs to get filled right away. The best things about it are that it's only 6 mos long and I should be back in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I don't like to put too much detail into these blogs, but I saw one recently that a military guy had started to keep in touch with family and friends while he was deployed. Since this miracle of technology exists these days, I thought I would start one, myself. It may not always contain a lot of detail, but I hope to be able to update it regularly with some of the fun and interesting things that happen to me along the way.
Of all the things I've done in the last week (and that's a lot in preparation to deploy) tomorrow should be interesting. I have to qualify on the M-16. For most military, including myself, this is no big deal. Most of us have done it before. This time, however, there's a twist. I have to get kitted up in the gear (body armor, gas mask, the works). I have no idea how that's going to affect my shooting, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be comfortable. We'll have to see how it goes.
Ta ta for now!
Eric
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