Monday, October 26, 2009

It ain't training if it ain't raining

RAIN!!!

This morning we had PT at 0530 and it was overcast and we knew it was supposed to thunderstorm today. Well we did ability group runs and about 1/2 mile into the run, the heavens opened and boy did it rain. It was ridiculous you could not see anything, it was coming in sideways and it felt like hail hitting you. And then the lightening came, but did we stop? Of course not! Another ability group claims to have been running past a light-post when lightening hit it, about 5 feet from them. They could smell the burning! When we finally finished our 3 miles we were soaked and freezing! After a warm shower and some hot coffee I was good to go. The rain however continued all day, it is only now starting to taper off!

All the platoons did something different this morning but mine started the day off with EST (the electronic rifle range). I have done this before as well as the live range. In both instances I did miserably and was never even able to zero my weapon. Cadre in the past have simply told me that I am just really bad at it and not to worry since I am a nurse. Well this morning started off no different and I didn't even get the shots on the screen! After 18 rounds of hitting nothing the cadre stopped me and asked if I was even aiming! It was embarrassing. Anyway they said nobody could be that bad so they did an exercise to see what dominant eye I was. Well apparently I am right handed and left eye dominant. Ideally I should shoot with my left hand and close my right eye. Well shooting left handed was really awkward for me so they told me to just close my left eye. Well I can't wink so they made this "super cool" eye patch which was just paper wrapped around my eyepro on the left side. Well let me tell you, I saw a totally different picture-it was amazing! Who would have thought?! Well I didn't shoot expert but I was able to group, zero, and get 18 shots on the qualifying round. They told me to work on shooting with my left hand and if I make that comfortable then I should have no problem qualifying on the real range. We get the opportunity to qualify out in the field so I'll let you know how that goes. Still I am very excited to learn that I don't suck as much as everyone said I did!

We then had some chow and my squad leader told me to go to the ID office to get my CAC card. Well I went over there and they about bite my head off! They told me that they were not seeing ANY oblc students before Thursday. So my squad leader told me to go to Randolph Air Force Base. Four people in my squad went out there (which was also an adventure since we got lost on the way there) and what do you know 15 minutes later we all had CAC cards. When we got back our platoon was in the classroom. We missed about an hour but still had to listen to 2 hours of powerpoints on how to create a good PT program, and our "Current Operating Environment" or COE. very dull. The day ended at about 1715.

We all have to do a brief and so I am working on my powerpoint tonight. We start giving them tomorrow and they are doing volunteers first so I know I won't go but we all have to be ready anyway.

What I learned:
-They do not stop PT for lightening
-Careful when running in the rain, these roads are awful and more than one person fell.
-You can get a CAC card before you come if you are in the system.
-You need 2 forms of ID for a CAC card but only one of them has to be a picture ID
-Laundry machines are scare here and everyone always seems to be doing laundry. Its free if you can get a machine but if you don't want to wait there is a cheap coin laundry mat right outside the back gate.
-You get issued a Gortex jacket but you need to buy your own rank to slide onto it.

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