Around 80 of us from NMPS Norfolk were bussed to Fort Jackson on Saturday, which took about eight hours. When we arrived at around 17:00, we were divided into two companies (Bravo and Charlie), issued our linens and checked into the barracks. Not as bad as I thought. Apparently, the CNO came down not so long ago for a tour of the facility and decided it needed some upgrades. The beds and the lockers are new, and despite the fact I share a room with 40 other sailors, I have been sleeping pretty well.
Training started on Sunday with indoc. The Navy folks gave us a presentation on what to expect while training with the Army and went over the rules. Rule 1: No drinking. Of course, there is a bar right on base directly across from the barracks!
Monday, my company (Charlie) was divided into four Platoons and assigned an Army Drill Sergeant. The Drill Sergeants are pretty good guys, and they have been doing a good job. I am in Third Platoon, which consists of all the folks that are being sent to Djibouti. This is great, and gives me a chance to get to know the people I will be spending the next year of my life with.
Once we were organized into Platoons, they shuttled us to Supply, where we were issued two sea bags of equipment, to include things like Kevlar, cold weather gear (yes, they issue cold weather gear for Djibouti, and no I do not know why), boots and various miscellaneous items. Issuance of the gear basically took the entire day. The rest of the early part of the week included weapons familiarization, first aid training, and basic army values.
Wednesday is when things started to get fun. First, they gave us humvee driving lessons. Then we were put in a machine that simulates a humvee roll over. The simulator is an actual humvee, and once we were placed at 180 degrees, we had to escape and secure the site. On Wednesday, we had our first casualty. A female Petty Officer in my Platoon fell when exiting the bus and broke her leg. To put it in perspective, she fell with her Kevlar vest and equipment on, which weighs about 50 - 60 pounds.
Thursday through Saturday were basically dedicated to shooting. Thursday and Friday were dedicated to the M16. I am getting better, but I still have some work to do. When I am in the kneeling position, you best stay away from me. On Saturday, we did the qualification on the pistol, and I am happy to say I qualified Expert for the first time.
During most of the week, training started close to 05:30 and ended around 17:30. By Saturday, I was tired of the barracks and the chow hall, so a few of us took advantage of the 24 hours liberty we were granted and got a hotel in Downtown Columbia. I had a fat steak for dinner and got to sleep in a huge King Sized Bed. Best of all, I had some privacy!
On a serious note, there are a lot of guys here with me who are headed into the thick of the fight. One of the guys I graduated from Supply School with is part of an EOD group and will be routinely outside the wire in Baghdad. For me, I go knowing Djibouti is relatively safe and this training is fun. For some, this training may be life saving. I have a new respect for what the Army does, and I have even more respect for some of these sailors who are doing jobs they never thought they would be doing when they joined the Navy.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: Training at Fort Jackson - Charlie Company, Third Platoon (I am in the center)
No comments:
Post a Comment