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Damn Snow...
So my initial travel and reporting to Norfolk was delayed 3 days due to snow and ice. When I finally got up there, it was a mad dash to get everything done so that I could get to Ft Jackson (Camp McCrady) on time. I didn't even get my uniforms (ACU's) until a few days later while here at McCrady.
The first week was the remainder of our gear issue - helmet, body armor, packs and such, cold weather gear (which kicks ass btw - very good stuff for once) and weapons. For me, I have a standard M-16A2 that I will be taking with me to Afghanistan. What you get (M-16, M-4, M-9) is based on your billet in country. Along with gear issue, the first week is all power point and classroom instruction - weapon handling/maintenance, first aid, convoy ops, comms and so on. Last Saturday was our first "live fire" and for M-16's was just intial 'group and zero'. I was surprised by how well mine shot, considering it looks to be a bit "used". We mechanically zero'd our sights and hit the range. Targets were at 25m but set to simulate 300m (i.e. damn small). I was able to put up a couple of 3 round groups of less than .5". Took me little time to get it sighted in. This rifle should serve me just fine. That now brings us to the second wave of snow and ice. The training sked here is 6 days a week with Sunday as a day "off". Well, it snowed yesterday morning, turned to a light rain and then froze last night. With that, we lost all of yesterday afternoon and all of today. So, it looks like Sunday will be a full "work day" to help make up time lost. Normally this wouldn't faze me as I am already in my "boat mode", i.e. deployed mindset. But, the wife and youngest were wanting to come up this next Sunday (the last before we fly out). So, we'll see how that goes.
Life here is just as I remember it from '07 but with better gear this time and with a tweaked training plan (but still just the "basics") along with the same tender-foot squids crying about MRE's, heavy body armor and having to carry a weapon around all the time - LOL. Most here are locked on, ready and willing, but it always seems to be the officers - for the most part - are the ones fluffing the most. Hehe... some things never change.
This next week will be the most fun for me as it will be pretty much all shooting - flex/stress shoots, shoot/no-shoot scenarios and pre-qual/qual. I still get a thrill at shooting out to 300m with just iron sights. Even before my time in '07, the farthest I had ever shot was out to 100 yards (shooting from a helicopter with a M-60D/GAU-16 doesn't count...). The last week is the "culmination" of the first two with our "convoy op". We're expecting heavy resistance :P .
So my initial travel and reporting to Norfolk was delayed 3 days due to snow and ice. When I finally got up there, it was a mad dash to get everything done so that I could get to Ft Jackson (Camp McCrady) on time. I didn't even get my uniforms (ACU's) until a few days later while here at McCrady.
The first week was the remainder of our gear issue - helmet, body armor, packs and such, cold weather gear (which kicks ass btw - very good stuff for once) and weapons. For me, I have a standard M-16A2 that I will be taking with me to Afghanistan. What you get (M-16, M-4, M-9) is based on your billet in country. Along with gear issue, the first week is all power point and classroom instruction - weapon handling/maintenance, first aid, convoy ops, comms and so on. Last Saturday was our first "live fire" and for M-16's was just intial 'group and zero'. I was surprised by how well mine shot, considering it looks to be a bit "used". We mechanically zero'd our sights and hit the range. Targets were at 25m but set to simulate 300m (i.e. damn small). I was able to put up a couple of 3 round groups of less than .5". Took me little time to get it sighted in. This rifle should serve me just fine. That now brings us to the second wave of snow and ice. The training sked here is 6 days a week with Sunday as a day "off". Well, it snowed yesterday morning, turned to a light rain and then froze last night. With that, we lost all of yesterday afternoon and all of today. So, it looks like Sunday will be a full "work day" to help make up time lost. Normally this wouldn't faze me as I am already in my "boat mode", i.e. deployed mindset. But, the wife and youngest were wanting to come up this next Sunday (the last before we fly out). So, we'll see how that goes.
Life here is just as I remember it from '07 but with better gear this time and with a tweaked training plan (but still just the "basics") along with the same tender-foot squids crying about MRE's, heavy body armor and having to carry a weapon around all the time - LOL. Most here are locked on, ready and willing, but it always seems to be the officers - for the most part - are the ones fluffing the most. Hehe... some things never change.
This next week will be the most fun for me as it will be pretty much all shooting - flex/stress shoots, shoot/no-shoot scenarios and pre-qual/qual. I still get a thrill at shooting out to 300m with just iron sights. Even before my time in '07, the farthest I had ever shot was out to 100 yards (shooting from a helicopter with a M-60D/GAU-16 doesn't count...). The last week is the "culmination" of the first two with our "convoy op". We're expecting heavy resistance :P .
Today's Terminal Lance post is just for you Turtle!! Enjoy those tray-rat sausages.
Weather must be really bad there if it's making you stop training.
Just talked with our favorite zoomie this week. It's $100/mo for Internet.
This will make you smile. Updated Differential Theory of the U.S. Armed Forces (Snake Model).
Be safe.