Last week was 24 hour operations. I started the week off by being flu like sick. It was a rough first day. Luckily my platoon didn't do that many missions on the first day. We had several mission everyday. The best was when we received a mission and had to practice convoy operations with react to contact, and practiced in the 40 mph wind. The PL was mad at us when we were joking around and making light of our miserable situation.
At some point during our missions on Wednesday, I slightly sprained my ankle. As I was getting off the truck on a later mission, I realized that my ankle was really sore.
The last day was culminated by a 10 mile ruck march. You can never experience a field exercise without ending it with a ruck, it wouldn't be the Army then! Rucks really tearing up my feet. I had a major blister on my right heal. Thank goodness for a sterile needle and a clean tissue for drainage. No problems since!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thanksgiving week should be short.
Monday we are completing convoy operations and remaining in the barracks overnight. Tuesday we are completing buddy team live fire exercise and night infultration. Wednesday we are turning in weapons and cleaning the barracks. We should be released by 1130 according to the Commander.
Scotts company will be lucky to be released by 1800-1900, even though Battalion-wide everyone is to be released by 1700 for the holiday weekend.
Scotts company will be lucky to be released by 1800-1900, even though Battalion-wide everyone is to be released by 1700 for the holiday weekend.
Week 3 complete
The days go by slowly but the weeks go by quickly.
Our week was finalized with two tasks. Friday we had to conduct a raid on a house. I fought, fought, and fought for my sqd (since I was sqd leader this week) to be the support by fire squad. I saw the initial plan and thought that there was no way that we should even be given the chance to go into the house. I knew that we would have all been killed. After some suggestions and finalizations with the PL for the mission, she finally allowed me to move two of my sqd members closer to me. They were now out of the way of the fratricide problem. Plus, I had better command and control of them.
Saturday, my company had night to day land navigation. We started at one end of the course and ended at the other end. No matter what, we were forced to walk the entire course. The course wasn't so much fun. Finding the points was easy. We could literaly, stand on top of a hill and see our points. The problem was the rocky terrain. I don't know how many times I fell in the dark. My nearest point from the start was 700m away. We were told to not use our red lense flashlight when walking. At about 450m at the azimuth of my point, I ran straight into a sticker thicket. I fought my way through, completed my count, and found my point. I found 4 points in the dark. It was starting to daybreak at my fourth point so I glanced down at my leg and noticed blood went through my ACU's. My shin also had a fight with a bouldler, the boulder won. My leg has two huge bruises where I had slammed into the boulder. I could see my 5th point from my 4th point so I cruised over there. When I was punching my paper, a girl from another platoon saw my paper and said outloud to herself, I'm only on my first point. I continued on and found my other three points. I found 6 for 8 successfully in three hours, 5 for 8 was passing. I know exactly which ones I didn't get correctly. The slopely terrain and changes of elevation made my estimation of distance off. Oh well, I'm not concerned. I'm a hell of a land navigator. I was the 5th one in from my platoon. Two others from my sqd just made it in right before me. We have 41 in my platoon, 10 failed - 4 from my sqaud.
My company returned from the land nav course and was released by 1130. Scott's company returned but was held up by Cadre until nearly 2300. I tried to remain awake until he was released and I failed miserably. I fell asleep watching the Texas Tech and OU game. I woke up to him knocking on the hotel door.
Our week was finalized with two tasks. Friday we had to conduct a raid on a house. I fought, fought, and fought for my sqd (since I was sqd leader this week) to be the support by fire squad. I saw the initial plan and thought that there was no way that we should even be given the chance to go into the house. I knew that we would have all been killed. After some suggestions and finalizations with the PL for the mission, she finally allowed me to move two of my sqd members closer to me. They were now out of the way of the fratricide problem. Plus, I had better command and control of them.
Saturday, my company had night to day land navigation. We started at one end of the course and ended at the other end. No matter what, we were forced to walk the entire course. The course wasn't so much fun. Finding the points was easy. We could literaly, stand on top of a hill and see our points. The problem was the rocky terrain. I don't know how many times I fell in the dark. My nearest point from the start was 700m away. We were told to not use our red lense flashlight when walking. At about 450m at the azimuth of my point, I ran straight into a sticker thicket. I fought my way through, completed my count, and found my point. I found 4 points in the dark. It was starting to daybreak at my fourth point so I glanced down at my leg and noticed blood went through my ACU's. My shin also had a fight with a bouldler, the boulder won. My leg has two huge bruises where I had slammed into the boulder. I could see my 5th point from my 4th point so I cruised over there. When I was punching my paper, a girl from another platoon saw my paper and said outloud to herself, I'm only on my first point. I continued on and found my other three points. I found 6 for 8 successfully in three hours, 5 for 8 was passing. I know exactly which ones I didn't get correctly. The slopely terrain and changes of elevation made my estimation of distance off. Oh well, I'm not concerned. I'm a hell of a land navigator. I was the 5th one in from my platoon. Two others from my sqd just made it in right before me. We have 41 in my platoon, 10 failed - 4 from my sqaud.
My company returned from the land nav course and was released by 1130. Scott's company returned but was held up by Cadre until nearly 2300. I tried to remain awake until he was released and I failed miserably. I fell asleep watching the Texas Tech and OU game. I woke up to him knocking on the hotel door.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
In the field
We are in the field for the next three weeks. We've been out here since Monday. Our week started with a 5 mile ruck march. It was at a turtles pace, I was one of the pacers in the front. We were told to speed up, then slow down, then speed up again.
Our ruck march ended at the US weapons range. We fired the MK19, 50 cal, M240B, M249, M203. I've previously fired all weapons besides the 50 cal. After the weapons range, we moved out to the FOB.
Tuesday, my platoon was in charge of ready up drills range. First they fired blanks from different positions, turning right, left, rear, moving forward and target discrimination. I was the Safety OIC for the live fire range.
Wednesday we spent our morning at the FOB doing MOUT training (urban operations). In the afternoon, we conducted more MOUT training at a mock villiage and IMT lanes.
Today, we woke up to a wind strom. I was in charge of PT this morning. I made it quick, and simple because we were about to blow away. 15 minutes later, we were off to change. We rode out to our training area on the other side of post, took about 30 minutes to get there. We continued to practice the MOUT tactics within the squad. Tonight we are off to a night course.
Our ruck march ended at the US weapons range. We fired the MK19, 50 cal, M240B, M249, M203. I've previously fired all weapons besides the 50 cal. After the weapons range, we moved out to the FOB.
Tuesday, my platoon was in charge of ready up drills range. First they fired blanks from different positions, turning right, left, rear, moving forward and target discrimination. I was the Safety OIC for the live fire range.
Wednesday we spent our morning at the FOB doing MOUT training (urban operations). In the afternoon, we conducted more MOUT training at a mock villiage and IMT lanes.
Today, we woke up to a wind strom. I was in charge of PT this morning. I made it quick, and simple because we were about to blow away. 15 minutes later, we were off to change. We rode out to our training area on the other side of post, took about 30 minutes to get there. We continued to practice the MOUT tactics within the squad. Tonight we are off to a night course.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
1/3, 2/3's rule violated
My platoon is tasked with running the qualification range tomorrow. The stellar student leadership in charge decided not to tell us what was going on when we were released from the nightfire range.
Its' about bedtime 2200 (for me) and we were just told us 15 minutes ago formation time and uniform.
Honestly, running a range is a mission. The current leadership failed us by not allowing us to prepare properly. We had a significant amount of downtime during the afternoon waiting nightfire. You can not tell me that they couldn't have planned earlier for the range tomorrow and put out the necessary information at an earlier formation.
I have a simple philosophy: Don't waste my time and I won't waste yours.
learning experience.......
Its' about bedtime 2200 (for me) and we were just told us 15 minutes ago formation time and uniform.
Honestly, running a range is a mission. The current leadership failed us by not allowing us to prepare properly. We had a significant amount of downtime during the afternoon waiting nightfire. You can not tell me that they couldn't have planned earlier for the range tomorrow and put out the necessary information at an earlier formation.
I have a simple philosophy: Don't waste my time and I won't waste yours.
learning experience.......
It's a FRAGO world
LT's here like to put information out before they fully think through the situation. If you read one of my posts from earlier today, I said that we have a 1600 formation for the nightfire range. It's not nightfall yet, smarties.... Time changed again to 1650, at least we can wait another hour to allow the sun to go down.
Please stop the insanity
LOL, goodness, one of the female students was tasked with making a cleaning roster for the female floor. She has had nearly two weeks now to accomplish this task. Still no roster, and she is getting upset because we don't get things done. Not all the platoons are on the same exact schedule, so getting the cleaning completed is a hassle.
Simple solution, we have 4 tasks to complete. There are 5 platoons. Rotate the tasks through the platoons, every 5th day, a platoon will not have a task.
It's so hard for a LT to make a decision around here. The 1SG stated on the first day that he wanted the barracks cleaned by the first formation OF THE DUTY DAY. (after PT). Some high speed females were waking up at 0400 just to clean for us to get it dirty again after PT. Why are people working against themselves?!?!?!? Clean after PT only, not before AND after! Wasting time yet again.
Simple solution, we have 4 tasks to complete. There are 5 platoons. Rotate the tasks through the platoons, every 5th day, a platoon will not have a task.
It's so hard for a LT to make a decision around here. The 1SG stated on the first day that he wanted the barracks cleaned by the first formation OF THE DUTY DAY. (after PT). Some high speed females were waking up at 0400 just to clean for us to get it dirty again after PT. Why are people working against themselves?!?!?!? Clean after PT only, not before AND after! Wasting time yet again.
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