Iron Sunrise

So I am trying a new trend. I like to read (and yes, listen... I lurve me some audiobooks. I find it recovers a lot of "lost" time and allows a certain level of safety. It pretty much is the main reason I don't mind running (and anything that makes exercise more enjoyable is a good thing)). And I think that there is value in writing about what I have read. So my goal now is to do at least a mini-book report on the latest item on the pile.

Iron Sunrise is the latest on my read list. Charles Stross is a relatively recent find for me, but after reading his truly awesome Laundry series I made it a point to go back and explore some of his other works. Iron Sunrise is actually a sequel (though the author has said that there will be no more books in this universe) to Singularity Sky. It brings back the two main characters from that story, Rachel and her now husband, and introduces a who new spread of characters (slowly weaving the seemingly unrelated plots together). The world of these novels is quite interesting, as it is affected by the post-Singularity intelligence Eschaton, which upon reaching consciousness immediately flung 90% of the Earths inhabitants onto planets up to thousands of light years (and correspondingly that far back in time).

Humans being humans, we don't quite get along with each other, and the story begins with the planet of Moscow dying due to the sun exploding, and the retaliatory fleet (which can take decades to arrive) is launched at their competitor New Dresden. Of course the story isn't simply the mission to hunt down the Moscow Ambassadors who can recall the retaliation fleet, in a race against time as the Ambassadors are slowly being murdered, because as you would expect that is just the first layer of a multi-level plot that will keep you entertained through out the book.

Overall this is a great book. Enhanced if you read Singularity Sky but with enough exposition to allow you to jump in if you have not.

Dirty Secret

For a guy whose blog name is "Media Addict" I have a dirty secret...  While I watch a lot of shows that are "critically acclaimed"/shows that people who say they "don't watch tv and yet they still watch these so called good shows..

I
Love
Bad
Sitcoms.......
Yes, I am that guy who watches Whitney, Two Broke Girls and Rules of Engagement (even Two and Half Men). And I like them! I really do laugh at a lot of the jokes, I like simple humor at times.  Maybe it is a nostalgia thing for the shows I watched when I was younger. Because as my fiance can attest, I can call the plot of these shows a mile away (even for other shows she has accused me of pre-watching them I am so good at calling the plot points) but there is just something comforting about them.

So while I know some reviews cannot understand who is watching these shows, there are people like myself (who loves the smarter shows as well (Arrested Development, Modern Family)) that are bumping up the numbers....

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

Anytime when you find yourself already providing excuses you know you are not going to set a PR....
While I had been building up the mileage in the past 6 weeks, I was still woefully under the recommended mileage (my longest run, 9 days prior, was 5.75 miles). And the past week was a total rest week as my back killed my training runs in the middle of the week from Monday on (as a side note, getting older sucks). 

But I finished in a respectable time (104 minutes, right around 10:24 pace) aided by the fact that the weather was fantastic and from that I always do better in a crowd. I was under 10 minute miles for the first 6 miles, but then switched to a run .4, walk .1 (worse in the last mile  (basically .2run, .1walk)as my knee was giving me issues).

The finishers medal is pretty cool and the technical t-shirt I upgraded to is really neat.

Now for some more training to get me ready for the GW Parkway 10 Miler, where I plan to do a bit better.

Mismatch

I have been back in the States for the last 3 weeks and I really am loving it. My fiance. Friends and family that are right around the corner, not thousands of miles and hours away. Internet that works and is cheap. Cell phones and reliable connectivity. Choices when it comes to TV, and none of those annoying AFN commercials.

After being home for a little while I can see how so many service members returning from a war zone often feel so detached (I think it affects me far less as my deployment, which was at main FOB, it was at a major FOB, that never got attacked. So other than the distant explosions and gunfire, helicopters coming in and out at all times, the occasional desperate plea for blood donor's as a serious casualty came in, and the daily update of SIGACTS (SIGnificant ACTionS) in our AOR (Area of Responsibility) the war wasn't as real as it could be compared to the Joe in the truly remote FOB's. Heck I only wore my body armor 5-6 times the entire time I was there and only put my magazine in my weapon 3 times.). Every day in a war zone there is a sense of impending danger and there is never any question that there is a war going on (any significant thing I did was predicated in making sure that the Soldiers out there were not impacted or hindered in any way by things we did, and we would expend all efforts to make sure that they always had secure communications available).

But you get home and suddenly you are back in the minutia of everyday civilian life (this is sharper for those of in the Guard and Reserve, since they make it a point to transition us out as quickly as possible. The Active Duty guys are still in that regimented military environment that eases the transition). Most of the people around you have no understanding of the what it means to be in a war zone, and most seem blissfully ignorant of the events that happen in Afghanistan (maybe they are vaguely aware of significant events like large attacks and maybe vaguely aware of the current number of casualties). Because of the way that I get my news I hear most of the major events but I cannot imagine that everyone's news-feeds are tailored like mine are. And luckily I am not a person who finds danger exciting (I find it more of something to be endured, and to be removed ASAP).

While it is barely a twinge for me (easily assuaged by all the conveniences at the top of the post. It really helps that I am a homebody who really loves being at home.) I can really see why a lot of my fellow vet's (wow, first time I have referred to myself as a vet) have trouble readjusting.

Home

I got back on the 7th!  After a brief visit to demob down in MS (it was only 3-4 days, quite impressive).  The real question is, who looks happier in this picture, me or my fiance?

6 months, 15,000 miles.  I went from 4 ribbons to 9 (added an ARCOM (Army Commendation) and NATO Medal, as well as an Afghan Campaign Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and an Army Reserve Medal).  Plus I am officially no longer a "slick sleeve" (term for anyone without a SSI-FWTS (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, Former War Time Service) on your right shoulder).

My unit deployed with 175 people and we came back with 175 people with no injuries.  We ran operations in Zabul, with one American Battalion, 2 Romanian Battalions, an ADT (Agricultural Development Team) and a PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team).

Back to work in another 2 weeks.  Figured I would take a full 4 weeks off.

Red Moon

One of the few advantages of being out here in the boonies of Afghanistan is that it is near ideal for looking at the sky. My base operates in a blackout mode in the evenings, so there is minimal light pollution. When the Moon is not there the majesty of the night sky are impressive ("My God, the sky, it's full of stars!"). As a night shift worker I am pretty in touch with the moon (I often walk around 3 weeks of 4 without any light, operating by the light of the moon, at least when it is there) so last night when I walked outside I immediately wondered where the heck my night light was.  Then I remember we were schedules for a Lunar Eclipse and found the moon.

It actually turned red!!!

So cool.

Gotta find the cool moments in even the less than ideal conditions...

Fair disclosure, I picked these pictures off my unit's PAO drive.  The pics are often aggregated there.

Crawling

It is amazing how in the real world that time seems to fly by.  I know that normally I find myself turning around and being amazed that yet again it was a drill weekend (a good way to mark the month since that used to my definition of a busy week... doing my normal job, heading off to packed drill weekends and then heading into work on Monday.  That was all before I encountered the 12 hours, 7 days a week schedule). 

We are scheduled to return from our deployment early.  We kind of lucked out, in that the Army decided to replace us early (now I know what a placeholder feels like).  We are already deep into planning for the RIP (Relief In Place), pretty much we have almost been doing that preparation since we conducted out TOA (Transfer Of Authority) and took this place over.  I know that lots of us already have the visions of our reunions dancing around in heads, it serves as a wonderful motivator. 

We all have a countdown somewhere in proximity to us (most of us use a computer program, some clever people even have a drawing with a number of Lobsters (we have it every Fiday), one each for the remaining weeks).  I am already planning my downtime after deployment (I envision taking 2-3 weeks off).  Or as a I have described it, #OccupyMyCouch. 

Again I will not go into specifics, as it is possible for the bad guys to utilize that information to time their attacks to take advantage of of the inevitable turbulance that occurs when one group replaces another.

I can already visualize finally seeing my fiance, family and friends again (and maybe drinking that celebratory beer).

Thankful

Even over here, in the poor embattled dump that is this corner of Asia, I am am still a thankful man.  I am thankful that thus far no one in my unit has been killed or injured.  That I will be heading home soon. That my fiance, family and friends are so supportive of me while I am here.

I definitely am thankful for technology.  I know that life would be far more stressful for me if it wasn't for email, VOIP (thanks Google for the free phone calls!!) and Skype (thanks to you for the free video calls!!).  Being this far away from everything (and pretty much everyone) would have been far more depressing.

I am definitely thankful for Sandy, the local feral cat who has made my lonely night shift far more tolerable.  She often wanders in, nudges my leg and falls asleep near me.

I have been lucky enough to be born in the best country in the world, have awesome parents, siblings and a beautiful Fiance.  I really like my job (yep, even the Army one on occasion) and get paid well to do it.  I truly am a lucky and thankful guy. 

Veteran's Day

I think this will be the first Veteran's Day where I finally deserve the label.  I joined 6.5 years ago and only now that I am on this deployment do I feel right applying that label to myself. And even then I know that my service is different.  My battlefield is sitting at my desk, making sure that the Soldiers get the best possible support that they can get.  There isn't the sleep deprivation, crappy conditions that other, more front-line military personnel encounter.  I have same day laundry service, a warm 2 person bedroom, Internet access and (surprisingly) good food.

Though unlike y'all back in the States, Veteran's is just another day for those of us over here. We are doing a 11.11 mile team relay (which I am not doing, couldn't get a team together and I am not running another 10+ miles around this base) but that is about all.  The pace of operations doesn't slack and unless it is a scheduled downtime there is no time off to mark the holiday.  No special meal deals for Veterans over here, just the same old chow.  I know next year it will maybe mean a bit more than just another day off, but this time around it is just another day to endure before we head home.

Deployment is a Blur...

Working 12 hours a day (all through the night) 7 days a week makes everything a blur. The weeks are represented by the significant events (either personal, work or significant events).

Like the time that insurgents ran a VBIED against one of the nearby FOBs, big enough that even though the site is more than 2 miles away it sounded like it was hitting my own FOB (no one was killed in that attack).

Or the fact that my Brothers Wife finally delivered my new niece (I have 4 brothers, we are not quite sure how to deal with a little girl).

But the most notable memories are the ones where I head outside the wire.So far I have been have outside the wire twice with our ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces, that includes their Army, Border Patrol, and Police). They are advised mostly by the Romanians (which makes sense since their technology level and tactics are better suited to Russian styles and technology) via the OMLT system.  I visited the main Army base for the province, seeing how their maintainence works and in general meeting their personnel.

The second trip was more important for me, as we headed to Alexander's Castle (according to local lore the Castle was built by Alexander the Great.  While that claim is uncertain and unvalidated, it is a key point for the city of Qalat and has been for centuries (for the British, the Russians and now to a latter degree American, though we have no personnel stationed here). We got to meet the Communication Company that is located at the Castle and is the center hub for ANA communications in the region.  I was struck by how professional and dedicated to serving their country, they really were proud to serve the Afghan people and of their accomplishments to date. We had tea (so makes one very Afghan experience) and then also took in the sights at the Castle (the views were awesome, the commanding views makes it very clear why this is such a key terrain point. While taking in the view I also got another very Afghan experience, as we saw an IED go off in the distance.

Outside of that trip my time passes by in dribs and drabs.  Working out, sleeping, the weekly Lobster and Steak meal..  I have watched more TV than I have ever watched during my time here, as I work I often have a show running in the background.

In some ways technology is great as it allows you to be aware of everything that is happening back home, but it also can leave you frustrated since you can so easily see everything and yet know that it is so far away....

Army Ten Miler Shadow Run in Afghanistan

Above is the field of runners at FOB Lagman, Afghanistan who decide to join our fellows back in the Arlington & DC who ran the Army Ten Miler on Sunday, Oct 9. We of course started 8.5 hours earlier than our peers. One cool thing to note in the second picture is that the First Sergeant of our unit is carrying the guidon of the HHC. He actually ran the entire 10 miles with it, finishing just a little bit behind me.


The ATM here was probably one of the toughest races that I have run. The altitude was still a factor because even though I have been here for 2 months there are still moments for all of us that we find ourselves catching our breathe. We are a little over 1 mile above sea level here. And running past the burn pit plus all the dust doesn't help (there was a lot of dust in the air today). The terrain was the biggest factor, there were tons of hill on our run, most of the path was on unleveled ground (think 15-20% grade) and those parts that weren't gravel (and by gravel I mean the fist sized ones, not the nice marble sized ones. I call them ankle breakers) were either packed dirt or moondust (really fine sand that drifts). I finished in just a bit over 2 hours, definitely not one of my better runs (but good for the conditions).

It was definitely a nice bit of solidarity and a little reminder of home (and I will appreciate the fact that most races will seem like cake after this.

9/11 from Afghanistan

10 years ago I was just waking up when I turned on the TV.

Today I wake up, wearing the uniform of the United States Army, working my shift while keeping the communication systems up the Coalition Units for a province in Southern Afghanistan.

What a difference 10 years can make... From standing by idly watching the news break to serving in the country that harbored those very attackers (I was going to say originated but we all know that country is our "ally" Saudi Arabia), helping to keep a fragile bit of stability together even for a little bit.

Malaria

I speak of the awesome cat, not the disease that I must take a pill every day to prevent.

This is Malaria, he is a working cat. He hangs around my area, the S6/Communications section, on the FOB I am on in Afghanistan. He has had a hard life. When I first met him a couple of weeks ago he was limping from a wound on his paw, caused by the concentina wire that we deploy to protect our facilities (apparently he was found in it and some of the medics took care of him for a couple of days). He was also found completely covered in oil (which I hope was an accident and not some malicious action).

As a Soldier in a combat zone I fall under General Orders. The most un-American one of them is a subsection of General Order Number 1, part B which prevents us from housing, feeding or providing water to animals. Since I am still under that order I will state that elsewhere in theater this part of the order is probably broken in theater on a regular basis (see this article). It is very much against our nature, in particular our American nature, to not look and see animals that can vastly benefit from our assistance and then not do something (even something as basic as putting out a bowl of clean water, particularly when the temperatures can often exceed 100 degrees). Does it backfire sometimes, like for Soldiers who get bitten by Rabies infected animals? Yes. But when so many Soldiers (and airmen, Marines and sailors) can take such comfort in just seeing something, anything, get better because of their actions and get affection? It just seems cruel to deny them this simple pleasure.

In particular when you talk about cats (I have 2 so my bias is clear). They have a low chance of catching rabies and are pretty serious predators. Which means they munch down on insects and rodents which in turn can attract snakes, which can be poisonous in this area (and, Malaria has been observed twice chowing down on a Camel Spider, a creature I have no desire to ever encounter).

Malaria is wasted in Afghanistan. He is such a sweet cat, always looking to greet people when they come onto his porch. He will come up to you, give you a verbal greeting and rub around you in order to get the all valuable scratch or pat on the head. If you sit down he will quickly decide that your lap looks lonely and will settle down for a nap. Since it if you read the specifications of GO#1B, there really is no rule against petting him, so I will often give him a scritch and remind him that he is wasted on this awful country.

One of the Soldiers from our supporting unit is trying to raise the funds to bring Malaria backs to her house back in the States (trying to bring Malaria home... funny if you don't know it is cat). Apparently there is a group that will make it happen for $4000. But that is a crazy amount of money to spend on a cat, even such a useful cat that has done service for our Country.

I would very much like to indulge Malaria while I am here. Some clean water, a few tasty noms and some good attention. Better to have given him some good times to remember rather than never having had any real good times. But as a good Soldier I would never violate the rules (or post a blog that could be traced back to me)....

Home on the FOB

Every day during a deployment is a Monday...
It is like Groundhog Day....
The FOB I am at is pretty nice. Laundry service with a day turnaround (you do not have a choice, there are no personal washers). Internet to your CHU (Cargo Housing Unit, think small shipping container tricked out with lights, electricity, AC, and windows/doors). A decent DFAC (chow hall), small MWR facility (a bunch of telephones that allow you to call home for 4 cents a minute and internet machines at no cost), decent gym (great free weights and machines area, the cardio could be bigger but not much you can do), PX (Post Exchange, small but stocked with all the necessities, even 12 packs of Diet Doctor Pepper (a must for the night shift! Too bad there is no Diet Mountain Dew)), and a Barber Shop (also does massages and mani/pedicures). About 1600 people live on this compact FOB, along with all our requisite gear and vehicles. We even have an aerostat (small tethered blimp) that acts as a surveillance system in the sky and provides security for us (I love looking up and seeing it there, gives me a warm and fuzzy) as well as our own little air force (Shadow UAV's as well as Apache Gunships).

As expected I did get placed on the night shift. From 2030 to 0830 I am the ranking Signal Officer on duty, working on research projects for my boss and periodically checking in on the other sections, NETOPS (network operations) and the Help Desk. As part of my research I got to go on a short trip to a neighboring FOB to talk with some of the people who interact with the ANA (Our stalwart Romanian allies. Good guys. Though I bet they will never want American food again after 6 months on an American FOB). I even got to meet some of the ANA people, but unfortunately the people who I would have liked to visit were at a different FOB.

Even though I can see the FOBs that I am visiting from the roof of my building just to visit them involves armoring (body armor, helmet and a full load of ammo (this trip marked the first time I ever put a loaded magazine in my weapon outside a range. And I thought that it was just weird carrying the magazine in the pocket, this is another level of reality) up and riding over in a MRAP (Mine Resistant Armored Personnel) Since I was a passenger it gave me my first real chance to see Afghanistan outside of the protected American FOBs. We drove through the town of Qalat and it was quite an interesting experience. The poverty is pretty noticeable and it is like looking back in time. Way, way back in time.

I will say that I was kind of impressed with the facilities that the Afghan Army had. Their offices and workshops would not look out of place on any Active Duty or National Guard facility in the US. Though I do have my doubts on the ability for this country to sustain the facilities and force whenever in the future that we leave.

My first week has crawled by. This may be the most number of hours that I have worked in... well... ever. 12 hour days, in particular at night, can seriously crawl. I have had experience working long hours before and the loss of productivity from both the exhaustion as well as the sheer grind on the soul (people really need down time. I know for me I need 7-8 hours sleep, 1-1.5 hours workout time, eating a meal and just the little things that need doing (dropping off/picking up laundry, etc) makes my time away from work feel hectic, like that countdown clock from 24 is ticking away tracking the time until I have to return to work. Doing this 7 days a week for at least the next 18 weeks will be wearying.). It has given me a chance to either catch up (a lot of the guys in my section came from my the Company that I was the XO of) or meeting the people that are new to me.

PS, I apologize for the lack of pictures but I am somewhat paranoid about OPSEC. Until I am safely home and removed from Afghanistan I don't feel comfortable sharing (outside immediate family and close friends) something that could endanger lives, even remotely. Heck, that is why these posts are time delayed.

Kandahar

I am a lucky dude. One of the 4 people from my unit who is handling things here in Kandahar happens to be a CW4 that I have worked closely with for the past few years so he hooked me up. Instead of spending the time here in the transient barracks (no real security and just a big open bay, right next to the infamous Kandahar "Shit Pool" (the sewage treatment is all done on base, inside the security perimeter. Which leads to some vile odors to put it mildly....)) he offered me the spare bed in his room.

Right after getting in we secured my bags and got breakfast, then it was time for a nap (aka making up for the past night non-rest). When I finally came out of my coma Chief gave me the tour of the base, got some dinner and then checked out the Boardwalk (a bunch of businesses all located around a big square). A brief stop in the USO to make some calls home and get a brief taste of the Internet and then back to bed.

And then the alarm went off, "Rocket Attack.". After proceeding to the bunker it eventually came out that the rocket landed somewhere nearby but since we heard no explosion it appeared to be a dud. Finally after about 45 minutes we got the all clear and went back to bed.

Tuesday was more Counter IED Training. Slightly different than the one I got at Camp Shelby, with a little more focus on Afghanistan threats. And as a bonus practical demonstration, the Taliban decided to shoot 2 rockets at the base, causing us to have an unexpected 50 minute break. We then checked out the Asian DFAC (some are US themed, some European and at least course Asian) for dinner. Afterward I worked with Chief in getting the IT stuff moved in preparation for their coming move next week.

Wednesday was more of helping out Chief on the move. And a little exploring (plus a little bit of getting lost). Thursday and Friday were spent taking an IMO (information management officer) course and were fairly uneventful (aka no rocket attacks). On Friday night I got scheduled for a CH-47 (Chinook, twin rotor helicopter) the next morning out to my FOB.

Location:Kandahar, Afghanistan

Enroute

What a long day. I really hope that my unit isn't expecting me to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after this trip.

The day began at 0300. After the normal daily rituals combined with a quick cleaning of the barracks (we, and by that I mean the enlisted Soldiers, thus is Army life) we turned in the barracks, linens and were cleared to go.
Everyone contributed to loading the bus, and we quickly took off with the promise of McDonald's for breakfast. And then we barely get past the gates when we realized we had left the boxes with the weapons locked in them sitting in the admin office (we had loaded from supply and the early morning beat us), so we quickly turned around to load them up. The bus driver ended up treating us to breakfast (even though I was trying to find a graceful way to pay for myself, I really feel odd taking charity/gifts like that since it's a noticeable dent for people lower in the economic food chain).

Eventually we arrived at the Atlanta (around 1200 eastern time) airport for more of the Army speciality, waiting around and sitting in lines. After taking advantage of the USO's hospitality (best organizations ever for military people, they are among the few "must donate to" organizations). Finally my awe inspiring 3 completely full duffle bags and one stuffed rucksack, which combined weighed around 250 pounds (my own body weight of gear!!). Only on military flights does your luggage get weighed and then they ask your own weight.

We got put on one of the R&R (Rest and Recreation flights, which enables Soldiers (and other services, but we are 90% of the flight) to take their 2 weeks home leave) and off we went at around 2100. After 7 hours we laid over in Leipzig for 3 hours then back on the plane. That was the first time I have been in Germany in 10 years, I even made a point to have a good sausage with sauerkraut (no beer since we are under orders). Then back on the plane for a 5 hour flight to Kuwait.

There our small Warrior Platoon finally parted ways, as we spread to the winds to our respective war zones and units. After they bussed us from the airport to a local army base I was pooped. By the time I had my name on the list for the next flight out, my bags stored and a billet was obtained I jumped in the shower and passed out.

The Kuwait Army base, al-assad, is not too bad. A very nice DFAC(chow hall), MWR facilities and even a couple of fast food places(McDonald's, Subway, KFC, and a Pizza Hut). I ended up staying there until Sunday night. The main inconvenience was that since I was flying Space-A I had to have every bag packed and with me at every show time for a flight, which can be annoying since as noted I have a lot of stuff.

The flight to Kandahar was annoying and inconvenient. We rode on a C-17 (a first for me, I have been been on C-5's and C-141's) with people along the sides (not me sadly, I was in the more uncomfortable center) and the center. The seats are really tight and we had to wear our body armor during the trip, it made me miss being stuck in the middle during a packed commercial flight. Just for extra fun they tossed in a mid-air refueling (cheaper to fuel from another plane from a gulf state vs importing it to Afghanistan). Final at 0600 local time I arrived at Khandahar.

Rolling Out

Am I scared? Not really. Anxious? Hell yeah. I have probably lost more than a few hours sleep in the past couple of months(and even more in the past 4 weeks) either in the beginning, the end or even the middle.

And now the bags a packed and I am heading off. The amount of gear that we travel with is kind of insane.. When I got it all packed up it comprised 3 duffles and a Rucksack, each of which had some 50+ pounds in them. Add in my carry on of a very full assault pack (same size as a standard backpack) as well as my computer bag and I am heading off with my own bodyweight in gear(and I am no lightweight).

6+ years of training and now Uncle Sam will finally get some of the value back that it spent on me.

We started off with a bus ride from Camp Shelby at a very Army start time of 0400. We are heading to Atlanta to fill in some spots on an R&R flight that will take us to Kuwait. At that time we will finally part ways, heading to our final destinations.

AT&T Sucks

AKA Penny-wise pound-foolish.
Until June AT&T would suspend or terminate your account for no fees if you were heading on a military deployment. And then they decided to squeeze a little more blood from the stone from America's defenders by changing that policy. So now the options are terminate for no fee and lose your number forever (maybe some people don't care but I have had the same number for more than 10 years) or pay your respective early termination fee to get your number back on your return. And for grins and giggles their site makes no mention of this change, instead stating the old policy.

Good job at losing a customer for your piddly termination fee, forgoing thousands of dollars of future revenue for a trivial amount (and causing me to bad-mouth you for most of my life (I have a long memory)) and saying that the people serving in Afghanistan and Iraq now are performing service that is less valuable. Bravo!

Thanks so much for making an already stressful day (getting on a plane to head to a war zone for the first time) and making it worse.

Mobilization Training Week 3

Winding down. Not just us but the wars. The manager at the gym here said that this was the quietest day that he had seen in 6 years, and this is now only one of 3 National Guard mobilization sites.

 

Boredom is a big issue here. There seems to be major isssues getting Soldiers out after they have been trained (some people have been here for more than a month)

 

• Monday - rollover trainer - you get placed in a MRAP and a HMMV simulator and it flips you over, a lot. Very disorienting, to be wearing body armor and all the gear and then suddenly find yourself upside down. In the Dark. With strobes and smoke. But it is a good confidence builder and builds familiarity.
• Tuesday - Counter-IED training. Actually some good training. A bunch of powerpoints on the curret threats and then a neat vehicle that allows you to see examples. Then you get to do some computer play, where you simulate operating a HMMV in a threat environment and then to flip the coin you get to play the bad guy.
• Wednesday - Battle Drills - mostly reminders of what you have already done. Then a practical where you mount up on HMMV's and execute a mission (go to a village and get attacked by disjointed attackers and get hit by a simulated IED). I got to be in charge and it was a good refresher of stuff I haven't had to do in years. Then we get back and turn our weapons over to the Armorer until we fly out.
• Thursday - Nothing.
• Friday - SRC(Soldier Rediness Check) - final check that you have all the training done, all medical holds are clear and that you are good to go. I am, so I am just waiting on a plane to fly me to Afghanistan. I did have to go zero my assigned rifle (I had been using a loaner) in the evening.
• Saturday and Sunday I was on pass spending time with family and my fiancee.

 

Mobilization Training Week 2

Boredom thy name is Camp Shelby. I am by god looking forward to getting into theater so my brain can finally get a workout again. 

• Monday - Legal Briefs - long day of mandatory legal briefs. At least it was in AC. 
• Tuesday - Base Operations - how normal operations work at bases. Entry Control Points, tower operations and QRF(quick reaction force). 
• Wednesday - Range day - qualification with your weapon. Zero and qual (23 of 40, I got 31),fire with NBC mask (only 25m target. Very hot). And night fire (25m target again). Also covered was  PMI and squad/platoon weapon familiarization (plus you shoot the M2 and M240b in the simulator (got Hightower kills of the 3 shooters in my set)
• Thursday - Theater required briefings - cultural and standard briefs. 
• Friday - Army Warrior Tasks - individual movement techniques (IMT, basic things like grenade throw, crawling and rushing, breaching walls and obstacles, there was a practical in this one). First aid. CBRN(chemical biological radiological nuclear). Radio tasks.  
• Saturday - Land Navigation - good instructors, kept this topical and gave us some enjoyable videos to watch during the breaks. A short (1 hour) class on classic land nav (pen, paper, protractor and compass). Then another hour to the DAGR (military GPS). Followed by a practical group test with 2-3 man teams. In full battle rattle, it probably only was 2500-3000m of walking but damn was it hot. I must have been beet red by the end. 
• Sunday - off - MWR tip to see Captain America. 

3 more days of training, an off day, then the release point, SRC. Where they validate that your med issues have been resolved and that they have the paperwork to validate you have completed your training. Then depending on flights they may give us a 4 day pass.