Change of Plans

A quick update for everyone on the status of my deployment. Before I get into that, however, I would like to rehash the events of this year's deployment saga. Knowing all the facts will help you enjoy the real fun of being in the Air Force in 2009.

Sometime at the end of February I received an email warning of the impending deployment cycle. It had the usual information about keeping training current and updating anything that would preclude us from being deployable. I took the email as a chance to make phone calls and try to "pick" a location and time that was beneficial to the family. My only real note of importance was to try and avoid going back to Kabul, Afghanistan (this is important).

After some phone calls, it looked like I had secured a deployment (#1) to Iraq for October. A month later or so I was surprised to see a notification for a different deployment (#2) leaving in June to Afghanistan. Several phone calls and emails later I was told the June deployment was cancelled and that I was back on for my October vacation.

My deployment to Iraq required some high-speed "Army" training and I headed out to Wyoming for a two-week lesson in being a soldier. Training went as any other typical Air Force run training event - established schedules, spoon-fed blocks of instruction, cool exercise at the end, etc. I had some fun and met some cool people that I stay in contact with courtesy of Facebook. One problem though, two weeks before I was supposed to leave, my deployment was cancelled.

A cancelled deployment, what's not to like right? Well, in today's military a cancelled deployment lasts about a week before you are hit with another. True to form, I promptly received another deployment (#3) embedding with an infantry unit in southern Afghanistan. If you are savvy at all on the "non-tourist areas" of Afghanistan then you will know that the south and eastern portions are major no-go areas for your next family vacation. Additionally, heading out on Army patrols isn't a skill I am well versed in at the moment. I have to be honest and say I was a bit nervous about this trip.

Remember that Iraq deployment and training? Yep, it didn't cut it as the type of training required for this new deployment. I don't have to spell out the drama of the new training course in New Jersey - just read the other posts in this blog. Do you also recall what happened when I was two weeks away from my last deployment? Well, the Afghanistan deployment got cancelled just 10 days before my departure - what a coincidence.

Wahoo right? Nope, it took a whopping day for me to get tagged with another deployment (#4) to Afghanistan. This time I have some aspects in my favor, such as the fact that I have already done the "short" and "long" training classes, which means no more training. I will also be home for the holidays with my family and that is simply priceless in my book! There was a negative of course, remember that note about not deploying to Kabul? Oh yeah, that is where I am headed...well, kind-of - stay tuned for an update to the actual location.

So, here I sit with a couple months before I leave on my fourth scheduled deployment for the year and all I can think about is what changes lay in wait for me next. Needless to say this deployment cycle has been filled with tons of fun, and I am actually excited to deploy so I can get it over with...finally.

Thank you to everyone for their support throughout this process. Family and friends alike have all had words of encouragement or been a sounding board for me at one point or another, so thank you very much for your time and compassion.

Stay tuned, I just may have other posts before my deployment...you never know what could happen next.

A moment of clarity

Yesterday marked our final day of convoy training. While the classroom and rehearsal portion of training weren't exactly riveting, the last two days of hands-on were a lot of fun. Learning how to handle yourself, and if need be - your vehicle, in a convoy is a very worthwhile task if you ask me. In the middle of our exercise, I had a few minutes of sobriety - let me explain.

My role during the exercise was to be the gunner in the rear Humvee. After strapping into the extremely uncomfortable gunner's restraint, I wedged myself into the turret ready to roll. Our mission was simple, drop off some supplies to an Iraqi Police Station. After receiving some other pertinent information and a safety brief, we started to roll out.

Along our route we encountered a vehicle that was on our list as "suspicious." The red truck pulled behind our convoy and I tried to persuade the vehicle to back off. After a couple attempts at maintaining a safe distance, the vehicle dropped the hammer and started closing on our convoy. My decision at this point was easy - safe to semi and fire (military slang for shooting). I was surprised at how quickly I could blow through 30 rounds with my M4. A quick note: No, we do not use our rifles for gunner positions in vehicles - this was just an exercise. Despite my quick response, the exercise required that our vehicle take the hit, so we reacted to the simulated explosion.

An instructor came up to our stopped Humvee and handed me a casualty card with a photo and description of my injuries. Training took over as our crew immediately went into the "gunner down" battle drill. I was pulled from the turret and ended up in the lap of the remaining crew member. Combat life saver training was then put to use as my injuries were assessed and treated. While all of this was happening, the radio chatter was filled with information relating to my injury and a medevac was requested. By now my head had been bandaged, airway secured (simulated because I didn't want that NPA in my nose), and saline-lock established (simulated also because of the instructor input, although I could have used the fluids).

This is where I began to ponder my situation and what the training was meant to prepare us for. The bandage on my head and face had covered me completely - blocking my vision, which left my mind to wander. I thought about the scenario - had I reacted correctly? I thought about our battle drills - were we quick enough? I thought about our communication - had all of the information been passed? My injuries had left me unable to communicate, so aside from the occasional response to ensure the bandage wasn't choking me or cutting off blood flow, I was supposed to sound hurt and eventually go into shock.

I continued to play the role but my mind still wandered. I thought about the injury - what other steps need to be taken? I thought about myself - how would I react to someone laying in my lap? Yes, we've been having fun with some of the training but this is what we were training for - responding to an enemy force. Don't be fooled, however, training is preparing us for the worst of what will happen when we struggle to do our best.

Arriving at the landing zone brought my mind out of it's pondering state and I was pulled to a simulated helicopter. Unfortunately, I missed out on the rest of the exercise but learned that our convoy had done well overall. Despite my small, mental glimpse of reality, I enjoyed the training and appreciated our instructor's efforts at preparing us for deployment.

On a separate note, we've finally reached week five of training. I would complain about the fact that I haven't had a day off yet but it has brought me through all of this training very quickly. I am extremely excited to have a "pass" for half the day Friday and even more excited to get on a plane Saturday morning.

Wet n Wild

Today ended early, a welcome break for my tired body! Despite our short day, the Army got their money's worth with the cold and rain today. Before I get into today's festivities let me fill in the gaps since my last update.

Our live-fire exercise was excellent! We first completed a dry-run firing blanks as we ran through the exercise. After a quick lesson in what we did wrong, the Army gave us some live ammo and we started to defend our mock base. Once we finished mowing down the little, pop-up bad guys, we received great feedback from the course control officers - a huge success for us Air Force people.

Next came a combative's course where we were taught some hand-to-hand fighting skills. I have to admit that I was not enthusiastic about this training lane but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Not everyone shared in my enthusiasm...several people sustained injuries during the grappling at the end of the instruction. I only suffered a first-hand lesson in mat-burn...ouch. Among the many things we learned, choking out our opponent was probably the most fun. The following day we were told that our remaining combative's course were cancelled due to some of the injuries sustained...bummer.

The most sobering portion of training came next...IEDs. From IEDs in cars, dead animals, houses, people, and basically anywhere else they could stuff them, we learned that they are the single biggest threat to us. Yes, we've had fun with some of our training, but reality sets in when you learn that your biggest threat is something you'll probably never see. To further reinforce the hazards, we see the inevitable outcome everyday on the news with reports of fallen soldiers to IEDs. Training took a turn toward the reality of deployment on this day.

Today was a mental relief from the previous class as we learned some personal movement tactics. Not only did we learn about low-crawling and working as a squad but we did it in the rain. We often here "It ain't training if it ain't raining" and today that old adage played out. Complete with a ridiculous amount of simulated mortar attacks and smoke, our squads push, pulled, and drug themselves through the cold, wet sand. Along the way each squad faced various obstacles that they had to maneuver. Crawling over walls, under barbed wire, and around vehicles to reach the final destination was a lot of fun to watch. With each inch of ground gained, we grew wetter, colder, and more covered in the gritty sand. In the end, we were successful and finally got back to the dorms to change into some clean, dry clothes. Although, our dorm is completely disgusting now that we have tracked in half of the sand and dirt with us from the range.

As our time here at Ft Dix draws closer to an end, we are all growing nervous and excited about either heading back home or, for some, directly to their deployed locations. I am really looking forward to going home and spending a couple weeks with my family before I deploy. Stay tuned, I'm guessing there will only be a couple other posts before we are finished with the fun here.

No rest for the weary

It has been two and a half weeks and I haven't had a day off yet. Not that a day off would lead to anything productive, but sleeping in sure sounds like a fun idea right now. At training we are not allowed to leave the base, drink alcohol, go to the Air Force side of the base, or in general do anything that might be considered as fun, which means the most you can do on your day off is sleep. To be honest, I don't even want a day off - I just want a day to sleep in.

Since my last post, we wrapped up our combat life saver course with a practical exercise. Some of the photos above will give you an idea of the simulated injuries we encountered. To sum it up, it was like medical basic training. We did some low-crawling, rushing techniques, and reaction to direct fire before reaching our wounded comrades. My bunk mate and I took a stab at returning a "casualty" to a safe point only to find that the large gentlemen with all of his gear was much harder to move than we had anticipated.

After the exercise was over we then had to enter a smoke-filled room that had no lights. Well, there was one light - a strobe that flashed at a slow rate. Heavy rock music played in the background, which almost drowned out the cadre yelling at us to add to the confusion. I found an "injured" soldier and drug him outside to start treatment. Once outside I was told to stand fast while the other students navigated the room. After they all stumbled outside, a hand-full of us were brought back into the chaos to administer IVs to our casualties. Fearful of my three-stick attempt on the previous day, I desperately tried to reassure myself that I could do better this time. Just as I was about to make the poke, I realized I was shaking like a leaf on a tree...I paused, took a deep breath, steadied one hand with the other, and made a successful stick on my first attempt.

I have since spent the past four days firing weapons. The Army does a great job with weapons training, unfortunately, the scheduling of firing times has left me a bit sleepy. On two of the four days we were up around 5. As my wife can attest to, I do not do well with little sleep. Fortunately, I love shooting guns and I am able to curb my grouchy side while I have ammo in the clip. I had to get my Air Force qualification on the M9 and M4 on the same day, within minutes of each other - that was fun. Later that day I had to zero my M4's iron sights and optical sight - that was not fun, but yes, I have some cool "gucci gear" on my M4.

One evening, a late evening, we did night time familiarization with our rifles. For the first time ever, I shot tracer rounds. Probably not a big deal to my Army family and friends but a huge deal to me. It was supercool and seriously validated my child-hood fantasies of seeing my bullets at night. The real eye-opening experience was seeing what happens after your bullet hit something - it just keeps going. I really enjoyed watching as the bullets would hit the berm and deflect into the air, it was almost like watching fireworks.

We have since "deployed" into a tent city for some more training. This isn't just any tent city mind you, this place is complete with a chow hall, small PX, gym, morale tent - no kidding, this is exactly like being deployed. To make it even more realistic, they play some Hajji prayer calls - just like they do during their numerous prayer times in country. Many of us are showing far too much skill in our tent living abilities. Those who have ever spent any time living under the comfort of a green tent will know what I mean.

Tomorrow we have another early start where we will go through a live-fire, base-defense drill. The commander says we have about 4,000 rounds to blow through...there are only about 80 of us so it should be a lot of fun. Stay tuned for the next installment of Just Another Day In My Life.

Busy week

Ok, so as you can see from the photos above, we've been very busy. Since my last post, i've had an interesting time with some of the training. I will talk you through the photos above so you can understand what's been happening this week.

We finally finished our drivers training after a cruise through the woods while wearing night vision goggles. Yes, it was a blast - no, it didn't last as long as I wanted it to. I was lucky enough to jump into the lead vehicle, which meant I actually had to navigate the course as opposed to just "following" the vehicle in front of me. During a stop, to wait on the rest of the convoy, I lifted the goggles to see just what road looked like without the help of my fancy military gear. I couldn't believe how dark it was and how well those little guys worked. In essence it was kind of like a boy-hood dream come true to drive with those things on...awesome!!

Now that we were done with driving we dove straight into our combat life savers course. This training was summed up by one instructor as "meatball medicine," where our job was to get someone from the point of injury to a helicopter with a heartbeat. To be honest, there were a lot of decisions that we learned about during triage that I hope I never have to make. We also learned about some pretty gruesome injuries and how to deal with them. Another part of this training consisted of patient transport on a number of different litters or carriers. One photo above was taken while I was being strapped to a litter.

Probably the most dreaded portion of the CLS training was the fact that we learned how to administer fluids intravenously. To show our proficiency with this new-found skill, we had to actually give IVs to one another. I can say hands down that the most nervous point wasn't getting poked but giving the poke to someone else. My poor partner ended up as my personal pincushion taking three sticks before I achieved success. I was much more fortunate receiving only one poke. After drinking in the entire bag of fluids, I felt hydrated and ready to do it again. I'm not sure my partner shared in my enthusiasm.

I am constantly impressed by the experiences of those who instruct us here at Ft Dix. From treating hundreds of casualties, to being blown up, losing battle buddies, getting stabbed, and in general surviving their lengthy tours, we are getting some world-class knowledge from some pretty tough soldiers. I look forward to each piece of information that might save my life or help me save someone else. An even bigger kudos goes out to many of the instructors who volunteered to be here sharing their knowledge - I appreciate your sacrifice.

Drivers Training

I am currently completing drivers training for the M1151 and 52 series Humvees. Training started a few days ago with the rollover simulator and was followed by a classroom and hands-on familiarization yesterday. Apparently not everyone saw my note about not reading their training slides because we were murdered with the most brutal powerpoint training to date yesterday. To add insult to injury, the test we were given had questions that weren't even part of the slides. Thanks to some good guessing, I passed and didn't have to sit through the training again.

Today started pretty early but we finally got to operate the vehicles. First was a quick lap to prove we could drive responsibly. Next was a session in backing, which turned out to be a great laugh at the expense of those who couldn't back the vehicle in a straight line. Following that came the final event, consisting of a lap through the base, where we were sent twisting and turning through streets and parking lots to prove we could obey traffic laws. Because I was able to avoid pedestrians and other vehicles, I passed. Our final task to complete drivers training is a drive through the woods wearing night vision goggles tomorrow night...stay tuned for that update, it could be fun.

As training continues and the schedules become more hectic, you can really see people's true colors. Small groups and individual friendships start to make their way through our large class and with this comes some common enemies. To protect the enemies, I will not refer to names or ranks but I will say a certain rank seems to hold a surprisingly high level of incompetence. Most are still trying to wear their happy faces but my money is on some serious releases of aggression in the near future by a couple of people specifically.

One of the more notorious groups that has formed is the 339 or 39 for short. Complete with individuals in certain key positions of power, this group holds a lot power and ability at their fingertips. Their positional power also includes a fair amount of influence on other individuals and they are becoming feared by the weak of heart and mind. Ok, so we really aren't that big of a deal, but our room is having a bit of fun with idea of being a pseudo mob. If you haven't guessed it, all of this spare time and lack of options has given our poor brains ample ammunition for creating all sorts of fun.

One of the more amusing pass times while waiting for the bus to shuttle us from one location to the next has been the creation of nicknames. From "He who shall not be named" to "Dunkin" and "Cheddar" to "Grandma," we've been having fun with with our idea of what certain people should be called. While this, and the other things that happen here, might seem odd - think back to your college years. Life in the dorms, regardless of your age, is pretty much the same - lots of jokes and not a lot of manners.

Another day down....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Shake Rattle n Roll

With each new version of training I go to in preparation for a deployment, I am always learning new tactics or procedures. Today was no exception as some of our class received what the Army refers to as "HEAT" training. No, this has nothing to do with staying warm. It does, however, have everything to do with emergency procedures for a rollover in a HMMWV or "Humvee" as it is more affectionately known.

This has been the coolest training we've received so far. I equate it to a slow moving ride at the state fair...kinda fun and kinda scary at the same time. After a short classroom session, we suited up in our battle rattle for a few rehearsal drills. A quick note about battle rattle - if you ever wanted to feel like GI Joe, all you have to do is strap on a helmet and some body armor and you instantly feel like a real american hero. Even I was starting to feel like a battle-hardened soldier after a few drills in our gear.

The reality of having to climb out of a Humvee sank in once we entered the rollover simulator. There is plenty of room on the inside but I found it to be very deceiving once we were upside down. The machine rolled us left and right for what seemed like forever. During the first drill we ended upside down and I, as the driver, had more items to navigate during my very cumbersome escape. If you have ever watched a newborn animal try to walk or right itself, then you will have a good mental picture of what I must have looked like.

My second trip in the washing machine ended with the vehicle laying on the passenger side. Rolling and landing on the roof was one type of fun, rolling and landing on the side while suspended in the air is another type of no-fun. As the last member to be released from my seat, I was thankful to be out of the vehicle and providing security on the ground.

Overall it was another good day with some more invaluable training. Tomorrow's festivities don't start until noon, so I am looking forward to enjoying some extra sleep.

A lesson in Army training

Ok, here is a lesson for everyone in Army training at combat skills training courses. Let me preface this post by saying the material today was very useful and relevant. As worthwhile as the information was, the method of delivery and classroom planning made it a very interesting experience.

So the day starts like any other, we get up and share the wonderful bathroom facilities, which of course include the inevitable gang showers. For those who have forgotten high school gym class, gang showers consist of a medium sized room with as many shower heads as they can stuff in the wall. I chose to skip breakfast in exchange for a few extra minutes of sleep and a less busy bathroom experience.

We get on the bus at 7:30 a.m. and start the day with a psychological evaluation. We were told there was no "pass or fail" but the strange looks from the lady giving the exam made me wonder. Anyway, from there half of us ventured over to get a bunch of high-speed Army gear. After nearly getting into a fight and making some poor lady cry because I said I brought all the gear they were trying to give me, I made it out alive and barely had time to squeeze in lunch.

The break after lunch lasted until our 6:30 p.m. bus ride to another class. Yes, 6:30! It is worthwhile to note that training at CST is done on a "you get it when we can schedule it" method. Having completed a separate CST previously, I am well aware of the scheduling issues they have with all the units here. Our briefing was very informative but it was the typical death by powerpoint. The late hour of the day made it fun to watch the nodding of heads and sudden jerk upon waking back up. By the way, yes, everyone saw you sleeping - you aren't fooling anyone when you suddenly look around like you've been awake and alert.

(A quick public service announcement: reading your slides in powerpoint is a NO NO!!! If you've never had the displeasure of being in a class or meeting where the slides are read to you then you are seriously missing out...on nothing! Please, if you ever give briefings - don't read the slides as your training method.)

Our day ends as we return from class at 10 p.m. As we complete day one of training the eight of us in our room slowly start to get to know each other. So far I have been call Jeff, Steve, and even my own name on occasion. Meeting so many people at once is like putting your brain in a blender. Names, faces, stories...they all blend together. One roommate causally mentions today that he actually has a first name. For the most part military personnel don't have a first name until they tell it to you, which is seldom because we're all used to being called by our last names.

Well, one day down and a bunch to go, so far - so good.

The eagle has landed

Ok, so you're reading this wondering what in the world could possibly be interesting about little ol' me and my upcoming deployment. Well, to be honest, nothing is interesting at this point. The fun will be seeing what happens during this journey.

First, some info to bring you up to speed. I was tasked earlier this year with a deployment to Baghdad. As the time approached, I completed combat skills training in Wyoming. Training was great, I even had fun (don't tell anyone). Two weeks after training, my deployment got cancelled and we all celebrated for the moment but feared any future taskings.

Not to be let down, I received a short-notice tasking to Afghanistan. Not only was I to deploy but I first needed to complete a separate 30 day Army combat skills training course at Ft Dix. Strike number one is the fact that I just finished training. Strike number two is that i've done a 30 day Army course before and I know what's coming.

The Army handles their training different from the Air Force. First of all, I would know my schedule for the entire course on the first day - all the way down to every bathroom break. Secondly, our days would start and stop at the same time every day. But knowing the differences is half the battle, so I just might survive. Prior to leaving the airport for a very uncomfortable bus ride to the Ft Dix, the first sergeant gave a very apropos comment to the bus full of Airmen wondering what they were about to enter - "Embrace the suck."

As night falls and I set my lofty goal of blogging to maintain my sanity, I wonder what new adventures await. I wonder how this training will be different from those before. I wonder what my family is doing right now. I wonder why I always end up in a room with someone who snores.

So, please stay tuned for another adventure and feel free to comment away. Your feedback will hopefully keep me blogging my boredom away.