GRADUATION!!!

Tomorrow we graduate!!! Good bye Kansas and hello home for a few days! Now the trick is getting all of our newly acquired gear into five bags that we will have to carry. Good thing I have been doing cross fit. Our bus leaves for Kansas City International at 0300 on Saturday morning.
My team has been the best bunch of people I have ever trained with bar none. If it wasn't for their humor and dedication this would have been an unbearable 76 days. I wish each of them the best and pray for their safe return home when this is over.

To My Biggest Fan

The End Is Near

Norman and "Doc"

Wax rounds meet arm

Wax rounds meet leg

My driver hard at work

Our last training mission

We're at the end of our training and they saved the best for last. This week we did close combat marksmanship and urban operations. Close combat consisted of shooting 25 meters or less at bad guys. We practiced walking, turning, acquiring our target and quickly engaging. It was broken up into two different areas. The first one was on the range and everyone had a lane. The idea was to get everyone to identify the enemy target and two tap them with our M-4, drop our M-4 to the side and draw our M-9 and two tap the second target. We did this during several scenarios and not one person had a negligent discharge. I was nervous when we first started. The Air Force would never trust this many people on a range spinning around and firing at the same time.

The second half was an area set up with a building with windows, barricades, and a truck. We ran this area in pairs and started in a low crawl position. The range person would yell at us to get up and we had to run to the building and position ourselves to the inside of the windows. Then we took a defensive position and fired four shots at targets 100 meters out. Then we changed sides and fired left handed the same way. We did this at the barricades and then across the hood of the truck. It was quite the rush because they had smoke and mini explosions going off all the while. This would get us ready for our next section.

Our last section was urban operations. We learned how to clear a structure in teams of 4 or 5. The capstone to the day was clearing a house with a couple of "bad" guys holding up somewhere inside. Did I mention we got to shoot wax rounds at the bad guys? Unfortunately they were shooting at us too. Our first round went as expected and we got shot up pretty good. I have to give the privates that were playing the bad guys credit. They could shoot! I got pegged in the leg 5 times while running from the top of a stair well into a room across the hall. Thank God for body armor because they were going for crotch shots. I love my groin protector. And I'm sure Jill is thankful for it too.

Our second run went much better now that we knew what to expect. There was still some hesitation from some team members that didn't want to get shot, but a little colorful persuasion from other team members helped them find the motivation they were lacking. I took a couple hits in the arm before I took out one of the bad guys hiding in a closet. We walked away a little bruised, but educated on the importance of clearing all areas of a structure. Now all we have left is clean up and turn in. It will be nice to slow down for a few days. Which means in a few days I get to go home and see my family. It's been harder than I expected to be away from them. I don't know how people do this on a regular basis. I know Jill and I don't always see eye to eye on everything, but I appreciate every minute I have with her and the kids.

This will probably be my last post until I get in country. I have to see what the Internet situation is like there and that will determine how often I post. I'm glad I could keep everyone that followed along entertained and hopefully you got an idea of what my time at Ft. Riley has been like. I appreciate the Army and everything they do, but holy crap I am glad that I am blue!

Army's Video Game

Today we got to do a special mounted combat patrol. We patrolled an area that is set aside with pop up targets, moving vehicles, IED's, villages, everything a person could ask for. I am the radio guy for the patrol and I am responsible for sending info to the higher command and to our patrol so I run the mission with a radio on each ear. I have to ask permission to start the mission and then I report any contact and how we handled it to the command post, any medical reports, and IED/UXO reports. I pass back info to the team from the higher ups to keep them on the same page so we know what we are driving into. We were set up in four 1151 up armored HMMVS and sent through two different times. Our first run was with blanks so we could get a feel for our target areas, where our check points were and how to keep safe spacing. We had a mission brief and we discussed our objectives and set out to accomplish them without shooting anything that didn't need to be shot. Really our main objective was to get a better score than the other Air Force team that went through last week. I'm not going to lie!
Our blank run went alright and we were told what we could do better during our "critique" by our OC that was in charge of us. We were determined not to make the same mistakes twice.
Our live run went much better. Our gunners shot the hell out of everything that needed to be destroyed (1200 rounds total) and our communication was awesome. We ended up with a perfect tactical score which is hard to get for an Air Force team, but we got it. And yes, we beat the other Air Force team. I really enjoy being the communication for our patrol. It is far from anything I have ever done, but I feel confident I can do it successfully in a heated situation. We had everything thrown at us in a 15 minute window and I kept everyone alive. That is a sign of teamwork at it's finest.

Nine Training Days and Counting

"Doc" on his MRE chair
Posted in the dining hall

LtCol Weatherspoon presenting me with my line number...it'll be awile, but it's mine!

This week we finished up our combat life saving skills section and started the formal training for mounted combat patrol. Our capstone for CLS was a simulated mortar attack on a DFAC building with several casualties inside. The building was considered unstable and we had to get everyone out in less than 2 minutes. It sounds easy enough, but there were some obstacles in our way. We were in full battle rattle, the building was full of fake smoke and the building was approximately 40x60. I was on the recovery team with my driver as my partner. We entered the building and it was like closing your eyes. I couldn't see my hand if it was right in front of my face! I immediately grabbed the strap on the back of my partner's IBA and followed him around the building calling out for injured people. Their were about ten simulated casualties inside and time was not on our side. There were chairs and tables turned over inside so you did your best to climb over things without getting twisted up. Once we located everyone and carried them outside we began triaging and treating them. We transferred them to the CCP and called in our nine line medivac and saved the day. We kicked ass and it was obvious during our hot wash. Our instructors praised us and told us we did everything by the book. She couldn't find anything to fault us on. This was very important to me because this was our first major task with our new leader. I wanted him to look good and I wanted him to see what kind of team we were. Mission accomplished.

The last part of the week was the beginning of our mounted combat patrol. We went over all the steps for planning a mission and walked through it just like we were in country. I'm a truck commander and the radio guy for our patrol. I get to funnel everything up to the Battalion Commander. This could be anything from an I.E.D report to a T.I.C (troops in contact) report to a medivac request. This is good practice for me because this is more in line with what I can expect to be doing. I have to admit it's a rush and I like this better than manning a gun turret.

This week will also be memorable because promotion results came out and my name appeared on the Master Sergeant list. My current commander and 1st shirt presented me with a certificate and my line number. This is the second promotion I have gotten while Jill and I have been apart. I told her I would have to be deployed when I make Senior Master Sergeant too. I can't tell you exactly what she said, but it was a solid no.

I have to thank Jill for giving me the time to study for this promotion. I missed a lot of events because of study time and she picked up the slack and did without me for basically six months prior to my test date. I can never tell her how much her support means to me, but I plan on proving it to her for the rest of my life. Life in the military is unpredictable to say the least and she has always been there by my side with a " bring it on" attitude. The sacrifices are great and so is my family.

Kane's Disciples Gets a New Leader

Yesterday was a day that put Kane's Disciples to the test. That's our team name. We named ourselves after our combat arms Army E-8 that was on our team. He has always pushed us beyond our limits, but in a very subtle way. He was what was called a bench guy which means he was waiting for a team to pick him up for either Iraq or Afghanistan. He got picked up last week so he took some leave to go see his family before he starts this all over with his new class. The Army has a weird way of doing things. Now that you understand our name on to the story.
Our leader was having a rough time despite some heart to heart talks by several people including me. Things went from bad to worse with an incident that had to be investigated. So the Lt Col from our Air Force team called an emergency team meeting and had to make a change. We now have a captain from the other team as our team leader for the remaining two weeks. Anytime you bring a new person into a group that has reached the level of cohesion we have it could mean trouble. Fortunately for me I am surrounded by professionals that want to do the best job they can and the captain has a very good attitude about the switch, so I think we'll be alright. I think the Army plans these things on purpose. I have been pushed to my limits in so many areas since I have been here. And I thought I was getting a break from pharmacy drama. Silly me. I can only imagine how things will be in Afghanistan, but I hope I am prepared. Thirteen days of training left and it's on to the show.

The Countdown Has Begun

Saturday was intended to be a "fun" day. We used a fancy GPS and did a land navigation course that encompassed some of the skills we have learned along the way. We had to use our Dari, our combat lifesaving skills, we encountered an I.E.D and had to call it in and we had to show our knowledge of certain weapon systems. We were in full battle rattle and it turned out to be 10 mile hike when it was all said and done. After our hike we finished up our leader engagements and the rest of the weekend was ours. We are definitely on the down side of training. We have 19 total days and 14 training days left, not that anyone is counting. It feels like we have been here for a lifetime and it will be nice to bid Kansas good-bye.

Our First Patrol Mission

Waiting to roll out on our mission

MK-19 training rounds
Those little specks are targets to shoot at

This is how we shot the MK-19

This is Lt. Minick's bunk. He went out of town for the weekend. We re-decorated for him.

This week started with our final day at the range, but with a twist. It was worked into a mission we had to plan. Our day started with a a trip to the range to shoot the MK-19 and then on to two different villages. One village was friendly and one was not. Very typical of what we could see on our summer vacation. We did our mission brief and loaded up to head to the range, our first destination. I was the truck commander for truck 3. I have a driver (that I hand chose myself) and a gunner. It's alot different than taking a trip to Wal-mart. I keep in contact with all the other trucks, check speed and distance, watch for I.E.D's, call in med evacs, I.E.D's, and dismount if needed. Jill would be so proud of my multitasking skills. We made it to the range without getting hit, so everyone could relax for awhile.

Our time at the range was the shortest of any ranges, but it was still fun. We got to get acquainted with a grenade launcher and shoot practice rounds at targets form 400-800 meters. That went really quick and then it was alot of waiting for our turn to head down the road to our villages. The call came and we mounted up to roll.

We didn't even get 100 meters out of the parking lot and we came up on an I.E.D. After clearing it with E.O.D. we moved on to the friendly village. It didn't seem that friendly to me. It got alot more friendly when our gunners started pointing their weapons at them. There were still people on phones making things very realistic and we knew we were going to drive into something. Two more I.E.Ds later and we were in the next village. We hooked up with some ANA troops and dismounted to check things out. I felt better knowing my gunner was keeping an eye on me. We gathered our intel and headed down the road and that's when it hit the fan. The truck in front of me got hit by an I.E.D and we started taking fire from both sides. The "insurgents" were shooting at us with paint balls. My driver took one right in the windshield. My gunner took out two bad guys and we pulled up and defended the blown up truck and ended up taking out the rest of the bad guys. Our mission Endexed and we rolled back to Camp Funston.

It was an educational trip and a taste of what we will be seeing in the weeks to come. Unfortunately the rest of the week is classroom and will be very boring. Bring on the coffee!

The Day that Didn't Want to End

Lt Minnick is happy we finally get to roll in Humvees

This is what happens when you have boredom set in on the weekend

Not your average Wal-Mart purchase.

Yesterday was a marathon day, but a great day for the Air Force of Camp Funston. It was a range day and the Air Force team had the most qualifiers out of all teams including the Army and Navy. The 1st Sgt had no problem telling the Army and Navy they were getting their butts kicked. It was nice to put them in their place. They waste no time razing us because we are the blue and not the green.
We started by convoying out to the range at 0530. Once we got there we had the mandatory safety briefing, don’t shoot anyone or any of the wildlife, etc. We started with the 249 S.A.W. It shoots the same caliber as our M-4 just at a faster rate. The range was set up with Humvees parked sideways on the firing line. The guns were set up in the turret of the trucks and they would get changed as we progressed from weapon to weapon. Mother Nature stepped in for a while and halted firing with a lot of rain and some fancy lightening. The rain and lightening show subsided and we got back to business a little wetter than we started. After everyone got a chance to shoot the 249 we moved on to the qualifying weapons, the 240B and the 50 cal. The day qualifying consisted of targets from 400-800 meters. I love this weapon system. If I could buy one I would. I day qualified with ease after I did a barrel change. When I started my shooting table it would only shoot single action, so I had to do a barrel change and continue firing. All I can say is adrenaline is your friend.
After the 240B I moved on to the 50 cal better known as Ma Deuce. There are so many things I could say about this monster. It is by far the most intimidating, biggest, baddest, hand full of a weapon I have ever shot before. We got to shoot targets from 400-1000 meters. It was amazing how much it takes to shoot this thing! I was sweating by the time I got out of the turret. I qualified and headed to the truck to wait and enjoy a tasty MRE (they are actually A LOT better now than the first ones I had years ago).
Nightfall came and it was back to the line. We had 154 people shooting so the process was quite lengthy. The night shoot consisted of the 240B and the 50 cal with thermal scopes. They use heated targets so they show up a bright green. This was even better than day firing. I only missed one target with the 240B, at the same distance as day firing, and hit 70% of my targets with the 50 cal. So now I am an official qualified Army gunner. I guess I could put that on my resume.
The range was fun, but as I said earlier a very long day. We spent 23 hours there in full battle rattle. Adding an extra 40 pounds to your body weight for a day takes its toll on a body. By the end of the night people were falling asleep 15 feet from the 50 cal gunners while they were firing. It was good to get back to the dorms and get out of all of our gear. We turned in our weapons to the arms room for the weekend and made it to bed by 0500 Friday morning. Thank God it’s the weekend. I’ll need it to recover.