It has been a week that has felt like a year. I arrived at Camp McCrady on Saturday evening. The air was warm and groups of people milled about outside of their berthing assignments. It reminded me of arrival day at summer camp, the bunkhouses all lined up, some old friends reuniting- it just had that feel. Then came Sunday. The morning was free but in the afternoon we went to an orientation which was kicked off with a pretty well made film highlighting what our training would include. That ended the summer camp feeling. It was replaced with anxiety about the next two and a half weeks. We were told to be in formation at 0615 the next morning. Time to get started.
On Monday morning we formed up in platoons and met our Drill Sergeant. We loaded in to buses and headed off to FT Jackson, about a 25 minute drive. Camp McCrady is an outpost of FT Jackson- the Army appears to own a large chunk of this region and trains over 50,000 recruits here a year. Once at the base we went through a very orderly process of obtaining gear. We left with three sea bags full of equipment and clothing- including what is commonly referred to as "full battle rattle:" IBA (individual body armour) combat helmet, medical kit, elbow and knee pads. I can safely estimate that my full battle rattle weighs about 40 pounds. Just collecting, carrying, dumping, inventorying and repacking all our gear was exhausting. We were treated to our first preservative laden MRE (meals ready to eat) for lunch. Which gives truth to "if you are hungry enough, you'll eat anything." Back to Camp McCrady for some classroom training.
The next few days included lots of classroom lectures on combat related topics and practical lessons, such as combat medical care and how to clean and care for your M16. We made a trip to the armory and were issued weapons, based on our destination and job. My "classmates" are all headed to Iraq, Afghanistan or Djibouti. For me, I was issued a M16 assault rifle and a 9mm handgun. Everyone here trains on the M16, even if you will only take a 9mm with you. The 9mm that was issued to me is the only weapon I will take with me, and I will keep this actual 9mm until I demobilize. We were shown how to clear and make safe our weapons, and that is something we practice every time we enter a new building. They say it is for muscle memory, and based on how hard it was for me at first, and how comfortable I am getting with the process now- I think it is a smart training aide.
Friday was a day out of the classroom, we mustered in full battle rattle and headed to a central point where we completed three tasks. We all had to learn and demonstrate that we could egress out of an armored humvee after a rollover, do a computer lab M16 target practice to learn to center our sights, and go out on a convoy with the humvees. That was fun, we took turns in the turret, driving, and as passenger. Really, Friday was a pretty nice day. Nothing progresses quickly though when 97 people (the number in my company) have to complete a task. So there was a lot of lazing around wherever shade could be found between activities. It has been very hot and humid and since heat casualties are inevitable with the gear we wear- we are always encouraged to drink water and an electrolyte rich punch. They have been stressing this since day 1, and having succumbed in the past to dehydration- I am listening to my body and drinking, drinking, drinking.
Now might be a good place to point out that all this training is "just in case" training. Not only is my assignment behind the wire, meaning on a secure base, but I have the added protection of working at an Embassy fortified by Marines. I will be working behind a desk, yes, with a weapon strapped to my leg, but behind a desk. So if this whole experience seems very foreign to you, know that it is also foreign to me. And that I am sure was the basis for my initial anxiety. But just past midweek my anxiety began to ease; I had worn the body armour a few times and managed not to fall backwards. That gave me some confidence and on Friday I had a strong performance in the M16 simulator. I was feeling much better.
Saturday was our first day on the shooting range. We all had two objectives: zero out on the M16 and qualify on the 9mm. Since I will not be taking a M16 with me- my only requirement was to qualify on the 9mm. For the M16, we were shooting "clean," meaning no combat gear at a 25 meter target (the piece of paper pictured). We were also shooting from the prone supported position, lying down with the rifle supported by sandbags. I got it done quickly and was off the range with the first group, which was a pretty small group. It was a great feeling walking off the range in that first group, I got lots of "geez, ma'am" and "sniper" comments as I passed all those still needing to shoot more to zero their weapon. But, I was brought back to earth with the 9mm qualification. Dressed in full battle rattle with the afternoon sun boring down, it was a major challenge. We had courses of fire from 3, 7 and 15 meters. It would take special skill not to hit the target at 3 meters but with the time limitations and drawing from the holster- it was all hard. I do not have enough comfort or muscle memory with the gun; so drawing, taking off safe and firing off 2 shots in 4 seconds took all the concentration I could muster. I qualified with a 182- only 2 points above the minimum. But, I qualified and that is what I had to do. We got back to Camp McCrady just after 4:30pm and I have been recovering ever since. I took it easy last night and stripped down/cleaned both guns this morning. What a life style change for a Sunday morning!
The next week and a half promises more of the same. Despite missing family and friends and what is familiar, I am embracing it and going to make the most of my time here. I have met lots of great people, our platoon has some real characters. They tend to converse in movie quotes, and with many of them being from the Hangover I get many lighthearted moments throughout the day. When I arrived, I was surprised to find out that I am the senior female in this class. Normally being the senior person (not with regard to male or female) gets the perks, but here the female part counts because it means I get my own room instead of open bay berthing. On that first day, it meant I felt more like a camp counselor than a camper. With the camp feeling long gone, I am focused on leading and helping to set a positive and encouraging tone for our class. So as I reflect a week in, so far so good.
Love to all at home.
