IED training lanes

This picture of Staff Sergeant Gil pretty much sums up how we felt at the end of our training today. This is after a long day of classroom and field work. We are all feeling that this is the 4th day of 9 days of training. I can't tell you all how happy I am that I am doing this in May and not July!

Today started at the usual 0530 wake up for the 0700 formation. Sometime during the night "They" who ever that is we may never know, changed the formation location. I showed up after eating my breakfast in the Dining Facility (DFAC) and no one was at our usual formation. Turns out they moved it to the motor pool area so we could ride on trucks out to the training area. Riding in the trucks is an experience all it's own. The roads here were once made from large chunks of white rocks. We always called them caliche rocks. Anyway these rocks are long gone from all of the years and wars of big Army trucks rolling through which now leaves a very fine almost baby powder. This powder gets into everything! you get out of the truck totally covered in a white powder. I noticed one hispanic Major who's mustache is normally jet black looked white!

After our numerous truck rides we finally ended up in the improvised explosive device (IED) training classes. 5 long hours spent in powerpoint training looking at IED slides and gruesome pictures of what can happen to you if you are not vigilant. The truth is what I learned in Iraq. The only way to defeat IEDs is to not be where they are. If you build patterns you will get hit. If you go the same way on the same day at the same time you will get hit. The bad guys watch what you do. They watch what gate you use and what route you use. The only way to avoid it is to use your crew device (electronic jammers) to keep them from setting off the bombs by remote means such as car key fobs, cell phones or even toy care remote controllers and by changing your routes constantly. When planning convoy routes in Iraq in 2005 I would purposely route us right through the insurgent neighborhoods. The places we weren't supposed to go. Who plants a bomb in front of their own house? Not them! they want to kill Americans and possibly innocent civilians in someone Else's neighborhood not their own.

Back to the training.....We finished our 5 hours of classroom then climbed back on the caliche dusters to go to the training areas. Once there we dismounted and spent about 4 hours walking around in the heat with all of our battle rattle looking at fake IED's planted in the ground, bushes and roadsides. Our job in the training is to find the instructor planted IED's before they simulate blowing us up. We did well because most of us are already combat vets and have done this work for real. The instructors try really hard but they are at a deficit because no matter how hard they try they can't make Camp Swift, Texas look like Iraq.

Leaders PMT, Camp Swift (Bastrop, TX)

I started this week on my Pre Mobilization Training (PMT). I was selected to attend the 7 day Leaders version of this training so that I can knock it out and be there to assist the main body when they attend the full 21 day version in the horrible heat of July.
The PMT is set up to cover 32 warrior tasks set out by 1st Army. They say what must be performed prior to a soldier entering Iraq or Afghanistan. These tasks are non rank specific so every soldier from colonels to privates must complete them. This policy has made for some interesting training. Watching fullbird colonels roll around in the dirt and run through the woods doing insanely outdated warrior tasks is quite good for the staff sergeant's soul!

The first day started with inprocessing at noon and ended with a long 12 mindnumbing powerpoint classes that lasted until 11pm! We breezed through a lot of the weapons classes because lets face it Majors won't be using a vehicle mounted heavy machine gun.
Day two started with a 0340 wakeup to head to the Warrior Training Tasks (WTT) lanes. These are made up of all of the old school tasks like employ and hand grenade from the standing, kneeling and prone position. Some of these tasks are fun and some are just annoying. Of course you have to have the Individual Movement Techniques (IMT) lane. That is the lane you see in all of the old cheezy war movies......the crawl in the mud, slide under the barbwire on your back jump over wall junk while explosions and smoke grenades go off all around you. It was a whoop for sure. All of this sounds like fun until you strap on the 40 lb Individual Body Armor (IBA), knee pads, elbow pads, kevlar helmet, gloves, eye protection and of course your Army Combat Uniform (ACU). All of this gear combined makes up what soldiers call "Battle Rattle". Are you keeping up with the acronyms? Lets see........So you show up for PMT wearing your ACU but have to put on your IBA so you can move to the WTT and start the IMT. :)

Day three was spent mainly focusing on land navigation. We started the day with a 2 hour block of instruction (that’s what the Army calls a class). This class teaches you everything you should already know about land navigation. For those of us that are Infantry or Scouts we use this skill all the time in both training and real world situations. Most other soldiers do this right before they deploy and then not again until their next deployment. Anyway, after the classroom portion you strap on all of your “battle rattle” and move to the large wooded area where the instructors give you a list of grid numbers. These numbers correspond with actual markers out in the woods. You take these grid numbers using the Military grid reference system (MGRS) and plot them on a horrible Xerox copy of an actual map. Once you know where your points are you can just go find them right? But how will you get there? Ah! This is the exciting part……you take the map and use a protractor to find the distance and direction (azimuth) you have to walk. You take this MGRS azimuth and have to convert it to a magnetic azimuth because the Army laid a square grid over a round planet, silly Army! Once you convert it to magnetic you can use your compass and set off the desired distance and direction. But WAIT! How do you know how far to walk? Well the Army has the scientific answer for that. You walk a known 100 meter distance and count every left foot. This is your pace count. Mine today was 71 left feet in 100 meters. So picture this…..70 office clerks or truck drivers or medical supply soldiers heading out into the woods wearing full battle rattle, carrying a compass, looking at a horrible Xerox copy of a map from 1957 walking and counting every time their left foot hits the ground! Are you picturing it? OMG! It was quite a scene!

Started the drill with what we call death by powerpoint! Classes on using an interpreter, negotiations and culture awareness for the middle east. I spoke to the Col who is in charge of the ADT III mission and he is thinking I will be used in the S3 shop as the Operations NCO. I found a description of the OPS NCO on Global security.org............

Operations NCO/Shift NCO:

The operations NCO is generally the most underutilized individual in the TOC. The operations NCO seldom works inside the actual TOC. He is typically only responsible for the logistics support, movement, and security of the TOC. These are important tasks, but do not require total commitment of the senior TOC NCO. Doctrinally for some types of units these tasks are the responsibility of the HHC XO. The TOC NCO, if trained and utilized properly, can be of much more use to the battalion in the TOC. Duties and responsibilities may include:

• Ensuring that reports and messages are distributed properly.
• Updating units statuses on maps and charts.
• Supervising the publication of orders and graphics.
• Supervising the setting up and dismantling of the TOC.
• Supervising all enlisted personnel assigned to the S3 section.
• Managing guard rosters, sleep plans, and shift schedules.
• Assisting in developing and wargaming COAs during the TDMP.
• Serving as a recorder during the TDMP.

Not as exciting as kicking in doors and chasing the Taliban but with rank comes the realization that you have to put the good of the unit and the mission above your own selfish wants/needs.

First Drill weekend

This starts my journey to Afghanistan. Finally released from the RTI, although not on paper yet. I am in a 15 passenger van heading south on 35 to San Antonio. I have met a few old friends so far this morning. One former scout who is now the Lt over the security forces and another Scout now a recruiter who is going on the trip with us. He told me he is up for a deployment and is not looking to deploy with a BCT (brigade combat team). I would have to agree because deploying with 3000 other soldiers can really make you feel like cattle. Lost in the pasture, loss of control over your present and future. Just get in line with everyone else. This mission is a max of 66 soldiers which makes it feel more like a family. The line up so far looks good. Some old I troop friends will be joining us and as usual I will be tagging along with Maj Jason.

As it looks now I am slotted to be the Large animal specialist. Maj Jason is trying to steal me away to the Operations side but we will see how it goes.

On the list for this weekend is briefings, meet and greet and a 4 mile ruck march ( just an army term for walking with a 35lb backpack)