So its been a bit since I put anything down here. We've been out in the field for a while and without internet, and I wasn't quite ready to try updating the blog from my cell phone. Right then...on to the blog
So after my last blog we went to one of the training sites off main Camp Atterbury, Muscatatuck Urban Training Site...which is a former mental hospital. Seemed fitting with the makeup of our Battery. Supposedly the place is haunted, and a bunch of the guys spent all their free time trying to play ghost hunter (In an unrelated note, the TV show Ghost Hunters filmed an episode there a while back) and failing. While we were there, we sat through more classes on the language and culture of the area of Afghanistan we're being sent to. In the three days of language classes, I was able to learn the VERY basics of Dari, namely basic conversation skills, essential phrases (ie stop, hands up, dont shoot, I need to search you, etc.), and of course the ability to insult the guys at a third grade level. We also got some hands on time with some old Soviet/Russian artillery pieces we might end up seeing overseas, and being the gun bunnies we are, figured out how to work them in a matter of minutes.
The last day or so there was spent running real world training on how to deal with the Afghan people and interpreters. That was pretty fun, because we got to actually do something for real, not just in a classroom setting. Once that training finished we came back to our barracks and crashed for the night. The next day we were back out training on how to deal with IED's again...this time in vehicles. Lots of common sense stuff, as well as stuff you have to be taught to look for. (Not gonna go into detail because honestly its always changing, as well as being kinda hush-hush). After a LONG day there we came back to the barracks and repacked for a 48 hour field exercise on defending a base. More classes there, as well as simulated attacks from insurgents and the like. Came back from there and crashed....again.
Had another day or so to rest and then went BACK out to the field for gunnery training on the vehicles. This mostly involves driving down a road on the range and the TC (truck commander) and Gunner identifying and engaging targets...as a driver I didn't do very much. In fact I didn't do anything, I missed a class one day and ended up having to ride in back and hand ammo up to the gunner. Yesterday instead of sitting in the back seat I was put on range gate duty...pretty much I sat in a Humvee at the gate to the impact area and stopped people from going through.
What I was looking at all day
Yours truly on guard duty...thats me, 4 layers of clothing, and body armor.
At the end of the day there, I was getting out of my ride back to the tent when I slipped and fell. On the way down, my ankle folded under me and I felt and heard a pop. Ended up having to go to the ER and have x-rays done on my foot. When all was said and done it ended up being a very severe sprain, and I'm currently stuck on bedrest for the next 3 days as well as being on painkillers cause it HURTS. I've got crutches and an air cast as well but I'm not planning on putting much weight, if any, on the ankle for a while.
We're starting to pack everything up to head off to our next training site within the next week or so. I'll let you know how that turns out when we get there...I'll probably be blogging from my phone so things will be pretty short. Feel free to leave comments here as well, they'll be emailed to me and from there sent to my phone, so I'll be able to respond. Gotta love having a Droid...I can do just about everything on it.
