Guns, Guns, Guns!

And free ammo!

We have spent the last week reviewing the various weapon systems that we will be using when we deploy. We started in the classroom on 9mm pistols, M-4 rifles, machine guns, and the big favorite, the Mk-19 40mm grenade machine gun.

From the classroom we went to the ranges to fire all of the weapons at stationary targets, pop up targets, and the beat up old hulks of tanks. We shot during the day, we shot with gas masks on, we shot at multiple targets, and we shot at night.

Getting "trigger time" is any Soldiers definition of fun. We had a lot of fun.

Coming Together

We are almost two weeks into our training and I am very pleased with how the Company is coming together.

Last night I got it in my head to do a "mandatory fun" event. We rented enough sports gear to field two softball teams and the 30 of us made a space on the huge parade field. Everyone played. Everyone played poorly, but everyone played. Even those people who hadn't played since seventh grade when they had to for school gym. There were no specific teams. In other words, it wasn't officers verses enlisted or groups against groups. Instead we split the company in two and those were the teams.

And it was a blast.

We all laughed at ourselves and each other. We talked trash and taunted one another. We cheered and had a great time.

As the sun set and we walked off everyone turned to me and said, "thank you." They were happy that they got dragged out and had a surprsingly good time. Some wanted to know if we could get a team and play when we got to Iraq. Wow.

Tonight, the officers challenged the enlisted to a game of volleyball. Now, this is a rivalry that goes back two years to the Army Reserve family picinic where the officers just barely edged out the enlisted, two games to one. The officers routed them this year at the picinic so the enlisted were hoping for a little payback. This was no holds barred (to an extent) trash talking smack down where the officers once again held their bragging rights.

Again, we all laughed and had a great time.

I have been in units where people couldn't wait until the end of the day to get away from one another. I am fortunate that event though we are in the building stages, that everyone is excited and willing to work with one another. We are getting to know one another both on and off duty. We are forging those relationships that are both formal and informal that are necessary for any good unit to run smoothly. Sure, there is a long deployment ahead of us and things will certainly change over time.

However, for now I am going to enjoy this time.

RFI

Rapid Fielding Initative

The other day we went to a warehouse to draw our RFI. RFI is the result of Donald Rumsfled who said that the military didn't have time to design, test, and equip the force and decided to go with off of the shelf items that Soldiers need for deployment.

And it was like Christmas at the Army store. Everything we got was new in its packaging. It was modern - with some of the latest technology included. It fit - or at least you stayed there until it did. It was free - thanks to the American taxpayer.

We exited the warehouse with a new duffle bag full of cold and wet weather clothing and a new ruck sack full of a dozen attachable pockets of every shape and size and utility.

I am feeling my age because it is all a little confusing to a Soldier who came into the Army and was issue two ammo pouches, one canteen, one field dressing, a pistol belt and a set of suspenders to hold it on my waist. The young Soldiers have their gear configured within 30 mintues whereas me and my peers are still fumbling with the cloth helmet cover.

Sheesh.

At least we now look like every other Soldier you see pictures of. In other words, we are not getting sloppy seconds that someone else wore for 12 months in Iraq or Afghanistan, or something that the Active Duty troops got tired of using.

The troops look good and spirits are high.

Combatives

Day One and the only thing that still works on me is my left pinky.

Today we began Modern Army Combatives, an eight hour day of fall, grabbing, grappeling, choking, blocking, squirming, and sweating against one another in what is essentially modified hand to hand combat.

During this training you get up close and personal with your training buddy as you throw each others body against them (the previously mentioned sweat becomes a factor around hour three). You force your parter into submission holds by bending parts of the body that they are not designed to go. You force your partner to "tap out" by choking the part of the neck that controls blood flow to the brain.

This was very good training, very well executed. No one "got by", everyone participated. The instructors paired up different body types and sizes as well as genders. Scrapping, improvising, or sparring was not allowed by the instructors. Nonetheless, the physical acts involved will leave me reaching for the Advil for a few days.

The highlight was at the end of the day when everyone participated in a one on one match against someone of the instructors choosing. My first match was against a 20something who I was able to get a dominate position on and held it for the duration of the 60 long seconds that the match lasted. My second match was a against a stocky 19 year old who "called me out". For the next minute or so I realized every year older than him I was. For the next minute I realized every unpushed push-up I have passed on for the last four months. I fought a good fight but he was able to choke me out.

We are all sore and ready for bed. Good-night.

Leaving Home

This morning we left for our training.

An early morning in the Brown household was repeated all over Central New York as Soldiers and their families got up to pack and head to the Utica Reserve Center. Everyone arrived in ones and twos to unload green duffle bags and backpacks, trunks and boxes and even a guitar case.

Families nervously mingled around and hugged their particular loved one. One family brought everyone right down to the cousins. That Soldier was passed around the family circle in a steady stream of tears. Without a doubt this is emotional. Never mind that it will be another few months before we leave the United States and everyone will get to see their families again. The bottom line is that watching people you care about getting on a bus to go to train for a mission in Iraq is scary and upsetting.

My job, with Lisa’s help, was to go around to the families and speak to them and ease their fears. Moms are the hardest to convince. This is their child and I am taking them into my command, my care, to eventually bring back safely. Every statement is scrutinized and there are many questions – how long are you going for, are you going to be extended, what will you be doing. The one question that they never ask because they don’t want to know the answer is – will it be dangerous.

Our bus was lost and arrived late. This was great for the families but nerve wracking for me as I tried to find this bus. An hour later we were on board, amid tears and more hugs and kisses.
The city, local, county and state police departments along with the fire department gave an escort out of the city of Utica. Ten to twelve emergency vehicles, all with red lights and sirens running, took us the long way through downtown. We stopped traffic and ran red lights. It was one of those tingly moments where you felt special for being a Soldier as people stopped and waved.

We rode to Syracuse to link up with our sister unit. The same scene was being repeated there – hugs, tears, kisses. We lined up and received our weapons. After twenty years around military weapons a M-4 carbine is just another thing to carry. For the families its another thing to add to the anxiety.

As I walked back into the drill hall my daughter Samantha came running into the building because it was pouring rain. And just like that she slipped and took a huge gouge out of her chin and chipped a tooth. Sam tried to blow it off but my medic recommended stitches (but eventually wound up with dermabond). In the middle of the chaos of getting tasks completed my world stopped for Sam. Again, Lisa to the rescue took care of everything.

After another lengthy round of good-byes we were on the bus headed south for New Jersey.


And so here we are. Safe and sound and ready to get started.

Last Things First

Mow the lawn in neat, straight lines

Fix the loose piece of trim in the bathroom

Make three batches of my "TigerGravy" spaghetti sauce (and freeze)

Fix the flag holder out front and hang the Red, White, and Blue

Finally go sailing in the boat on Cayuga Lake

Videotape me reading as many bedtime stories as I can

Get current on BSG episodes with Lisa

Hang the baby swing on the tree limb out back

Paint the front door the right shade of "forest pine" green to match the shutters

Eat, drink, and be happy

This is just a sample of the list of things that I need to do and things that I want to do in order to leave with piece of mind. Most of us don't think of what we'd need to do - or want to do - if we knew we were going to be away from home for a year.

Whenever we take a long roadtrip, Lisa and I clean the house top to bottom before we leave. When we come home frazzled and tired everything in the house is in order when we walk in the door. It helps in the transition from travel and cuts down on the chaos.

This ritual is exponentially bigger as I head to Iraq.

The list contain those jobs we take for granted. The list contains the practical odd jobs that need to get done. The list also contains mental and emotional to-dos I need finish in order to leave with piece of mind.

With 36 hours to go the list is getting shorter:

One more bedtime story for TJ
One more family run around town
One more cook-out of bratwursts
One more night in my own bed

Why I Love The Army. Reason #419

Only in the Army can you get a haircut like this and have people give you compliments (and mean them).



I remember my first Army haircut. You know, the one where it all comes off - thick, shoulder length hair that ends up in a pile on the floor. You instinctively reach up after its all over, and its over within seconds, to find stubble. After it grows back "they" make you cut it again.

Now I reach up, feel stubble, and think, "good haircut."

I feel better going to training looking the part. It sets the tone and expectations for the rest of the unit. Once I get into Iraq I'll look like this most of the time.

Farewell Ceremony

On August 2nd, 2008, we held our farewell ceremony at the Reserve Center.

Ceremonies are important and necessary. They allow us to reward individuals, celebrate special occasions, and provide a touchstone to the customs and courtesies we have in this organization.

This ceremony was just what it should be; short, to the point, attended by loving families, and followed by good food. We had six guest speakers; the battalion commander, the brigade commander, a local fire chief and three local and state politicians. And still we kept the whole thing under 30 minutes. It was attended by our families and the press.

The one recurring theme for all of the speakers is the importance of family to the Soldier. Nothing could be more true. Wherever the winds of politics push an administration, for good or ill, and Soldiers go into harms way with or without the support of the public, one thing remains strong - the need for or family to support us.

The family takes on so much in our absence. Spouses take over all of the household duties; mowing lawns, changing diapers, paying bills, and countless other menial tasks. The truth is that they could do all of this on any given day if their partner was running late, or out of town for a few days. However, not having that partner by their side day after day for months on end makes the work more apparent.

Children probably face the biggest hurdles. A parent is far away. They may not know much, but children know enough to know that "war" is dangerous - people die in wars. On Active Duty posts the support system is larger and better integrated into daily life. Not so for the kids of Reservists and National Guardsmen. For example, my daughter is the only child in her school whose parent is deployed. In fact, she may be the only child in the entire school district. How prepared are her teachers? I know that I personally struggle with the emotions of being away from my two children over the course of the next year.

And so we need a ceremony like this to say good-bye in some official way. Even though we were not going anywhere until next week, our families were there - and there were hugs all around, tears, and laughter.

A lot of the details of the ceremony were captured by the press on TV channels WTVH, and WYSR, on the web, and in print.