Well, perhaps I'm not quite ready to lateral transfer to the Infantry just yet, but I am now qualified with my M9 pistol and my M-16A2 rifle.
This week has been focused on shooting and qualifications and now we're all steely-eyed killers, ahem, well, we know which way the bullets are supposed to go. Actually, the qualification process was quite a lot of fun for me but it was quite challenging for some folks who haven't shot a weapon since boot camp (their original Navy boot camp which places a little less emphasis on basic infantry skills than Army boot camp for obvious reasons). The pistol qualification was relatively straight-forward with timed shots at a paper target at 25 meters. The rifle qualification was much more challenging with pop-up targets from 50-300 meters. The targets were only up for a few seconds and were offset from centerline so you had to train left and right a little to get on target. 300 meters is quite a distance when shooting with open sights I must say! But, like I said, I qualified on both, which is a good thing.
Today, we did quick reaction shooting where we practiced short-range, pop-up engagements. It was a lot of fun and was more tactical than just shooting on a "normal" range. It was also the first time we wore all of our body armor to shoot. This past week we were just wearing the vest and armor plates which I thought were restrictive and heavy just by themselves. Today we added side plates, a groin flap, a neck collar, and upper arm pads. I think we should all be issued a squire just to get dressed in this stuff; I'm not sure if old-fashioned plate mail was more awkward to wear and move around with! I'm sure I'll get a little more used to it but it is a lot different than a flight suit and normal survival vest I'm used to wearing. (Or, just plain working uniform for the office that I've worn for the past few years for that matter!) Regardless, this week has been challenging but very fun and rewarding and it's nice to know that we Sailors, few of which are young and spry, can at least get these basic combat skills under our belts in such a short time.
The week has gone by much faster than I anticipated and with PT tomorrow and a couple of lectures, I'm half way through. I have to apologize for still not having pictures like I promised. Since I'm using a computer in the computer lab, I still haven't figured out how to get a picture transferred over but I think I'm close and perhaps I can get some pictures posted this weekend.
Cheers, Pearl
Friday, August 3, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
"Army training, sir!"
As the title (stolen from a line in the movie "Stripes") says, I'm getting Army training now. So far, not too bad, I have to admit.
There are quite a few of us here and so there is necessarily a lot of waiting for your turn, but considering that the Army is trying to pack "Boot Camp" equivalent training into two weeks, I think they are doing a remarkable job. The Drill Sergeants are all very dedicated to this mission and they really do have our best interests at heart. Fortunately (at least so far) they understand they are not training recruit privates but that many of us here are relatively senior officers and enlisted. Their mantra is "We respect you, and expect the same in return." Like I said, so far so good.
Now, that's not to say this is all summer camp! We are out in formation wayyyyy too early (before 5:30AM most mornings) and we march where ever we need to go most of the time. The first day was all gear issue where we managed to pack the proverbial 10 pounds of "stuff" into a 5 pound bag. Seriously, I received a complete seabag at my first stop and here I got three more! The range of equipment I've received is truly boggling, everything from silk long-johns, to complete ballistic armor, to boots and socks, and of course, weapons. I am one of the "lucky" ones who have two weapons, an M-16 and a pistol. I say "lucky" because having an extra weapon means extra gear, and more importantly for someone who now walks everywhere like the infantry, more weight! I have a new appreciation for the average soldier who goes on patrol day in and day out - and I've only been at this for a couple of days.
All in all, I have to say, this is pretty good training. Sure getting used to the Army has been a little challenging (things as simple as commands can be different - in the Navy "Secure" means "put away" - in the Army "Secure" means "go get" - stuff like that) but all in all, they've kept us busy and the only wasted time has more to do with getting so many of us through than anything on their part. Tomorrow we begin weapon qualifications and it will be our first day in complete battle gear (helmets, armor, elbow and knee pads, weapons, the works) so I'll let you know how it goes. I have to say, today we wore all of the above over gym clothes (some folks uniforms weren't ready until this evening) and it was uncomfortable. With a normal uniform, I can hardly wait.
I wonder if the Army knows that South Carolina gets HOT in the summer? But then again, Iraq isn't exactly known for its moderate summers either! There has been one casualty of Army training though: my hair! It is too dang hot here for a normal haricut so I got the barber to give me the fuzz-ball look. It's short on style but long on comfort!
Cheers, Pearl
PS - I'm going to see if I can figure out posting pictures as well. Hopefully soon you'll be able to see a little of what I'm experiencing as well as hear my witty narrative.
There are quite a few of us here and so there is necessarily a lot of waiting for your turn, but considering that the Army is trying to pack "Boot Camp" equivalent training into two weeks, I think they are doing a remarkable job. The Drill Sergeants are all very dedicated to this mission and they really do have our best interests at heart. Fortunately (at least so far) they understand they are not training recruit privates but that many of us here are relatively senior officers and enlisted. Their mantra is "We respect you, and expect the same in return." Like I said, so far so good.
Now, that's not to say this is all summer camp! We are out in formation wayyyyy too early (before 5:30AM most mornings) and we march where ever we need to go most of the time. The first day was all gear issue where we managed to pack the proverbial 10 pounds of "stuff" into a 5 pound bag. Seriously, I received a complete seabag at my first stop and here I got three more! The range of equipment I've received is truly boggling, everything from silk long-johns, to complete ballistic armor, to boots and socks, and of course, weapons. I am one of the "lucky" ones who have two weapons, an M-16 and a pistol. I say "lucky" because having an extra weapon means extra gear, and more importantly for someone who now walks everywhere like the infantry, more weight! I have a new appreciation for the average soldier who goes on patrol day in and day out - and I've only been at this for a couple of days.
All in all, I have to say, this is pretty good training. Sure getting used to the Army has been a little challenging (things as simple as commands can be different - in the Navy "Secure" means "put away" - in the Army "Secure" means "go get" - stuff like that) but all in all, they've kept us busy and the only wasted time has more to do with getting so many of us through than anything on their part. Tomorrow we begin weapon qualifications and it will be our first day in complete battle gear (helmets, armor, elbow and knee pads, weapons, the works) so I'll let you know how it goes. I have to say, today we wore all of the above over gym clothes (some folks uniforms weren't ready until this evening) and it was uncomfortable. With a normal uniform, I can hardly wait.
I wonder if the Army knows that South Carolina gets HOT in the summer? But then again, Iraq isn't exactly known for its moderate summers either! There has been one casualty of Army training though: my hair! It is too dang hot here for a normal haricut so I got the barber to give me the fuzz-ball look. It's short on style but long on comfort!
Cheers, Pearl
PS - I'm going to see if I can figure out posting pictures as well. Hopefully soon you'll be able to see a little of what I'm experiencing as well as hear my witty narrative.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Phase 2 complete
My second round of training is complete and tomorrow I'll be headed to Army boot camp - joy.
This week has been very interesting (for the most part) and now I have a much better idea of what I'll be doing in Iraq in working to counter the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) threat to our forces. Please don't confuse this with EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal); those are the brave (crazy?) troops who go out and disarm explosives once they are found. I will NOT be doing any of that nonsense! I will be working on ways to counter the IED threat so the EOD guys stay employed by defusing IEDs before they explode and hopefully putting the MEDEVAC guys out of a job.
But first things first, my next stop will be basic infantry training. Those of us Navy folks who are sent to Iraq and Afghanistan have to spend a few weeks getting familiar with basic infantry tools and employment. We have to qualify on our personal weapons and get some sort of training with other Army small arms and tactics. I say "Army boot camp" because our training is at a base where the Army conducts their normal boot camp for recruits, however, we get a much abbreviated version. Also, since many of us are senior officers and enlisted, the atmosphere is a little different than that of normal boot camp with a bunch of sergeants yelling at a bunch of recruits (at least I'm told that's how things are - we'll see). The up side of this training is at least I'll get some practical idea of ground operations. The down side is that I will be out of contact on my blog and e-mail until I get to Iraq and get established. Apparently, the Army doesn't see the need to provide internet connectivity to its barracks rooms while it has troops in a training status - how very 20th century! So, this will be the last entry for a few weeks as I get trained, transported, trained again, more travel, and finally imbedded with my new Army unit in theater.
I want to thank those of you who have been keeping up with this early phase of my IA assignment. I hope to have things running again just as soon as I can, however, once in theater I'm not sure what kind of availability and official restrictions I will have. But, I have every intention of keeping this forum open so folks back home can have a window into the day-to-day life of a deployed Sailor. I'm sure you understand I won't be able to talk about my job in any specific way, but I do want to be able to share the normal parts of everyday life while deployed. Keep checking in - I might be able to surprise with a quick update along the way.
Cheers, Pearl
This week has been very interesting (for the most part) and now I have a much better idea of what I'll be doing in Iraq in working to counter the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) threat to our forces. Please don't confuse this with EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal); those are the brave (crazy?) troops who go out and disarm explosives once they are found. I will NOT be doing any of that nonsense! I will be working on ways to counter the IED threat so the EOD guys stay employed by defusing IEDs before they explode and hopefully putting the MEDEVAC guys out of a job.
But first things first, my next stop will be basic infantry training. Those of us Navy folks who are sent to Iraq and Afghanistan have to spend a few weeks getting familiar with basic infantry tools and employment. We have to qualify on our personal weapons and get some sort of training with other Army small arms and tactics. I say "Army boot camp" because our training is at a base where the Army conducts their normal boot camp for recruits, however, we get a much abbreviated version. Also, since many of us are senior officers and enlisted, the atmosphere is a little different than that of normal boot camp with a bunch of sergeants yelling at a bunch of recruits (at least I'm told that's how things are - we'll see). The up side of this training is at least I'll get some practical idea of ground operations. The down side is that I will be out of contact on my blog and e-mail until I get to Iraq and get established. Apparently, the Army doesn't see the need to provide internet connectivity to its barracks rooms while it has troops in a training status - how very 20th century! So, this will be the last entry for a few weeks as I get trained, transported, trained again, more travel, and finally imbedded with my new Army unit in theater.
I want to thank those of you who have been keeping up with this early phase of my IA assignment. I hope to have things running again just as soon as I can, however, once in theater I'm not sure what kind of availability and official restrictions I will have. But, I have every intention of keeping this forum open so folks back home can have a window into the day-to-day life of a deployed Sailor. I'm sure you understand I won't be able to talk about my job in any specific way, but I do want to be able to share the normal parts of everyday life while deployed. Keep checking in - I might be able to surprise with a quick update along the way.
Cheers, Pearl
Monday, July 23, 2007
Something useful
Yea! Today was a 100% completely useful day of training! It did border a bit on 'death by PowePoint' but still, the information I learned today was interesting, relevant, and useful for my upcoming deployment. I now have a better idea of what I'll be doing while deployed and I think I will have the ability to make some sort of difference to the Army troops I'll be supporting. It is also apparent that this is just a taste of what's in store; most of how I'll be working will come once I'm in theater and get more specific training and turn over with whomever I am relieving.
Like most jobs, it seems like some tasks will be routine and otherwise, the job can be what I make of it. One of the briefers, a guy who'd returned from a similar assignment just a few months ago, said once he got his piece up and running, he spent quite a lot of time branching out, trying to fill voids that still supported his mission. He has many years in the Navy (more by far than I) and he said it was one of his most rewarding tours he's ever done. That's very encouraging to hear!
Certainly after the awful waste of time last week, this week should be very productive and I'm looking forward to the rest of this training.
Like most jobs, it seems like some tasks will be routine and otherwise, the job can be what I make of it. One of the briefers, a guy who'd returned from a similar assignment just a few months ago, said once he got his piece up and running, he spent quite a lot of time branching out, trying to fill voids that still supported his mission. He has many years in the Navy (more by far than I) and he said it was one of his most rewarding tours he's ever done. That's very encouraging to hear!
Certainly after the awful waste of time last week, this week should be very productive and I'm looking forward to the rest of this training.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Reading
One really nice benefit of this deployment (at least so far) is I have been able to devote time to reading. I used to read just about every day, often at night before I went to bed. Ironically, my reading declined when I was in graduate school. The problem I had was there was so much school work to be read, that I felt guilty if I wasn't working on an assignment. Consequently, reading for pleasure evaporated for me. Even though I completed my degree years ago, I never really got back into the discipline of reading just for me; something else was always there to take up my time.
But this week, that has all changed. I'm now five chapters into my third book of this deployment. To be sure, neither of the first two books were voluminous, but still, I have been thoroughly enjoying getting lost in my books again.
The first book I read was one that caught my eye browsing in the book area of the local Navy Exchange, "Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War." It is a collection of real letters from the Revolution to today from men and women, in service and at home, and their views of faith and God in the most horrific of times. Some are the last words anyone back home ever heard from their soldier. Some are advice filled, others more mundane. I found it quite interesting to read how different people dealt with their often conflicting emotions regarding faith and war, but the common thread was, they all believed there was something beyond the ugliness of the here-and-now.
The other book I've completed is one of my all time favorites, "Starship Troopers." I've lost track of how many times I've read my tattered paperback copy of Heinlein's classic science fiction masterpiece. Not only is it a compelling story simply as a good yarn, but the political and social issues presented truly give one pause. I suppose as both a military officer and a student of political science it is natural that I would hold this book as one of the top books one should have in one's library. The central political premise (meshed with following the career of Juan Rico as he progresses through the ranks of the Mobile Infantry) is that citizenship is not a right, but is earned through voluntary federal service. If you've never even read any other science fiction, I highly recommend this book.
And now, I'm five chapters into Herman Wouk's "Caine Mutiny." Since I am so familiar with the movie of the same name, I wasn't sure if I might be wasting my time reading this story. However, after just a few chapters, there are enough differences that I know this read will be enjoyable as well. The character development an author can devote in a book is so much richer and well-rounded than in even the best movie and is certainly true in this work. It is a real read (over 500 pages while the other two books didn't even crack 200) but I'm already looking forward to the further adventures of Ensign Keith and the crew of the USS Caine.
Cheers, Pearl
But this week, that has all changed. I'm now five chapters into my third book of this deployment. To be sure, neither of the first two books were voluminous, but still, I have been thoroughly enjoying getting lost in my books again.
The first book I read was one that caught my eye browsing in the book area of the local Navy Exchange, "Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War." It is a collection of real letters from the Revolution to today from men and women, in service and at home, and their views of faith and God in the most horrific of times. Some are the last words anyone back home ever heard from their soldier. Some are advice filled, others more mundane. I found it quite interesting to read how different people dealt with their often conflicting emotions regarding faith and war, but the common thread was, they all believed there was something beyond the ugliness of the here-and-now.
The other book I've completed is one of my all time favorites, "Starship Troopers." I've lost track of how many times I've read my tattered paperback copy of Heinlein's classic science fiction masterpiece. Not only is it a compelling story simply as a good yarn, but the political and social issues presented truly give one pause. I suppose as both a military officer and a student of political science it is natural that I would hold this book as one of the top books one should have in one's library. The central political premise (meshed with following the career of Juan Rico as he progresses through the ranks of the Mobile Infantry) is that citizenship is not a right, but is earned through voluntary federal service. If you've never even read any other science fiction, I highly recommend this book.
And now, I'm five chapters into Herman Wouk's "Caine Mutiny." Since I am so familiar with the movie of the same name, I wasn't sure if I might be wasting my time reading this story. However, after just a few chapters, there are enough differences that I know this read will be enjoyable as well. The character development an author can devote in a book is so much richer and well-rounded than in even the best movie and is certainly true in this work. It is a real read (over 500 pages while the other two books didn't even crack 200) but I'm already looking forward to the further adventures of Ensign Keith and the crew of the USS Caine.
Cheers, Pearl
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