Veteran's Day

Well, I have again let a significant period of time go by without really updating my blog. Sorry to those of you (Mom and Jenna) who check every single day expecting something new. :) I have now completed four weeks of army mobilization training at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, IN. I am currently at the brand new Indianapolis airport waiting for a flight to see Jenna in Portland. We are meeting in the middle so that each of us spends less time traveling and more time together... not to mention it is significantly cheaper than one of us flying round trip. As of last week, we didn't even know that I would get one last opportunity to take some leave. As I was leaving for the airport today, I finally started to realize that my trip to the desert is right around the corner and I really started to get anxious. The reality that this time I really will be saying goodbye to Jenna and will fly to the opposite side of the earth really began to set in. I have to admit that I started to get sad and had to change what I was thinking about really quick.
Camp Atterbuy certainly has been an experience. The first three weeks were a combination of weapons qualification and range shoots, HMMWV drivers training, cultural sensitivity and basic language training, chaplain's briefs, JAG brief's, combative skills training/sparring, land navigation, and endless powerpoint briefs. During that time we were not allowed off base, didn't get weekends off, and had to carry our weapons with us everywhere we went. The only exception to the offbase policy was a military bus that went on weeknight trips to the nearest Walmart for those individuals that needed supplies that the little base PX didn't have. Camp Atterbury is an Indiana state training facility but will soon become a full-fledged Fort as half of the Army's mobilization sites across the country are re-consolidated. There are quite a few National Guard units that mobilize out of CA - my favorites while we were there were the ones from Alabama and Tennessee just because of how they talk. There is also a state penitentiary in the middle of the base for lesser offenders. It is weird to see them walking freely all over the base picking up trash unsupervised or doing doughnuts on the gravel roads in there lawn mowers when they think no one is looking. Camp Atterbury also happens to have a Navy SEAL detachment that specializes in sniper training. So while it seems like it is a happening place, it is still out in the middle of nowhere with very few comforts usually found on a bigger military installation. The one oasis was a superb USO that was right next to our barracks. (By the way, for anyone looking to volunteer or contribute to a good cause, the USO has to be right up there at the top. If it wasn't for the volunteers that kept the lounge open from 0800 to 2200 EVERYDAY and the people and businesses that donated food and drinks and entertainment to us the entire time we were there, I would have gone crazy. There isn't a single service member mobilizing through Camp Atterbury at this time that doesn't appreciate all the effort of the volunteers and donors... they kept us sane.)
Our last week was a field training exercise out at one of the FOBs (forward operating bases). It was a continuous training event designed to simulate our "down range" operations. It was kind of like my field training exercise at Fort Bragg except that this one was more focused on teaching us about coordinating FOB logistics, providing FOB security, and planning/executing convoy ops. The days we were out there were our coldest at Camp Atterbury. It got down below freezing most nights. (I know this because the port-a-potties were frozen over with a thin layer of blue ice in the mornings.) So yeah... port-a-johns, heated tents (with two temperatures: too hot or too cold - nothing in the middle), and a 200 yard walk to the showers at night (which always had hot water but the flow rate of a water fountain). There was a changing room with hooks where you could hang up your weapon, post your battle buddy to watch your weapon, dart across the chilly night air in a towel to the shower trailer, and then run back to guard your buddy's weapons while he showered. It was an experience! I liked convoy planning, but had the opportunity to be a convoy commander, truck commander , driver, and dismounted gunner. It was all fun to me! I especially liked dismounted patrols because we got to interact with the "locals" and occasionally got the opportunity to engage the enemy. We conducted medevacs, hasty recoveries of a disabled vehicle (rapidly hooking up a pre-staged tow strap from your bumper to the rear bumper of another vehicle), and combat life saving (applying tourniquets, initiating saline locks, and administering IV's).
Well, my flight is almost here... not long til I get to see Jenna! I will go ahead and wrap this up. I probably won't make another entry until I am in Kuwait, so feel free to write back whenever. I don't know how assured my internet access will be once I am there, so I will do my best to respond to each one of you as I get the chance. I hope everyone is healthy and happy, and is looking forward to the holiday season. I know that I am excited about spending my first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from my family, friends, and hemisphere. Thanks for the words of encouragement and prayers. Keep 'em coming!