24 July 2011
The company officially moved into "white phase" last night. White phase is the second phase of our training that usually lasts three weeks. We will be getting a few more privileges in white phase such as: eating with a fork now instead of a spoon, we got to sleep to 5:30 this morning, one hour of personal time each night, etc. Our platoon was excited about this and it showed today.
We cleaned the bay all day including waxing the floor, cleaning our lockers, washing clothes, cleaning gear, and the latrines. The guys worked their butts off and so I gave them some extra personal time. Our drill sergeants were not here today; which is another privilege of white phase for us and them. I think they will be impressed with the bay in the AM.
Everything seems to be going well. We have an 8k (roughly 5 mile) ruck march tomorrow morning so we hydrated all day for that. At the half-way point my body is a little tired, but I am good to go for the next 5 weeks. We have some good training planned for this week, including rifle qualifications, getting fitted for our Army Service Uniforms, and our 2nd PT test. Should be a great week! Hope all is well!
Matthew
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Qualification Practice
23 July 2011
Hot day at Ft. Benning today! Wake up @ 0400, PT @ 0515 and breakfast @ 0800. The company was bused to the practice range @ 0900 to practice on the pop-up targets with our M16. To qualify next week, we must hit 23 of 40 targets ranging from 50 meters to 300 meters; using only iron sights (no scope).
I had some good practice time. I shot about 120 rounds and did ok. I am confident I will qualify, but my goal is to hit at least 30. The M16 is a great shooting rifle. Not too much kick and very accurate. A lot of the drill sergeants like the M4 rifle (smaller, less bulky). I may just need to purchase one to practice and stay on top of my shooting skills.
Today is the end of the 5th week of training. Actually, 4 1/2 weeks. Only five more weeks of training and 3 recovery days for family day and graduation! Looking forward to that and being back in Athens with Jesica and friends! Hope all is well with everyone!
Matthew
Hot day at Ft. Benning today! Wake up @ 0400, PT @ 0515 and breakfast @ 0800. The company was bused to the practice range @ 0900 to practice on the pop-up targets with our M16. To qualify next week, we must hit 23 of 40 targets ranging from 50 meters to 300 meters; using only iron sights (no scope).
I had some good practice time. I shot about 120 rounds and did ok. I am confident I will qualify, but my goal is to hit at least 30. The M16 is a great shooting rifle. Not too much kick and very accurate. A lot of the drill sergeants like the M4 rifle (smaller, less bulky). I may just need to purchase one to practice and stay on top of my shooting skills.
Today is the end of the 5th week of training. Actually, 4 1/2 weeks. Only five more weeks of training and 3 recovery days for family day and graduation! Looking forward to that and being back in Athens with Jesica and friends! Hope all is well with everyone!
Matthew
Monday, July 25, 2011
BRM simulator and Level 1 Army Combatives
22 July 2011
Today was a very productive day. We had a 0400 wake up call and PT at 0530. We did our Ability Group Run today and A-group ran a little over 2 1/2 miles. We went directly to chow after PT and marched to the simulator round 0845. We practiced pop up targets at the simulators. Since we will be qualifying next week on "pop ups." I was not feeling comfortable at first, but ended up hitting 35 out of 40. We finished around 11:45 and marched back to the barracks for MRE chow.
This afternoon was spent learning Army Combatives. This was the highlight of the day. We had an ex-Army Ranger come teach us and the good part is that we have 2 more weeks of it. Talk about finding out if you are in shape or not. The day ended about 1600 and we did some Drill and Ceremony practice in the bay. Very hot today! Can't wait for the weekend!
Matthew
Today was a very productive day. We had a 0400 wake up call and PT at 0530. We did our Ability Group Run today and A-group ran a little over 2 1/2 miles. We went directly to chow after PT and marched to the simulator round 0845. We practiced pop up targets at the simulators. Since we will be qualifying next week on "pop ups." I was not feeling comfortable at first, but ended up hitting 35 out of 40. We finished around 11:45 and marched back to the barracks for MRE chow.
This afternoon was spent learning Army Combatives. This was the highlight of the day. We had an ex-Army Ranger come teach us and the good part is that we have 2 more weeks of it. Talk about finding out if you are in shape or not. The day ended about 1600 and we did some Drill and Ceremony practice in the bay. Very hot today! Can't wait for the weekend!
Matthew
BRM Continued...
21 July 2011
Wake-up at 0400 today. PT at 0530. Chow in the DFAC @ 0730 and off on a ruck march to the range at 0845. Today continued BRM @ the LOMAH Range. I'm feeling confident I will qualify next week, but I am going to continue to practice the drills we were given.
Not much to talk about today. We were on the range all day until 17:00. Chow was @ 18:30 and tonight we started a little bay maintenance for our big inspection Sunday.
The platoon is doing pretty good. We are scheduled to move into "white phase" this Sunday. With white phase comes more freedom (phone, time, sleep, etc). We are very excited for that!
I am going to try to cover some other topics again Sunday, time permitting. So until then...Goodnight from Ft. Benning!
Matthew
Wake-up at 0400 today. PT at 0530. Chow in the DFAC @ 0730 and off on a ruck march to the range at 0845. Today continued BRM @ the LOMAH Range. I'm feeling confident I will qualify next week, but I am going to continue to practice the drills we were given.
Not much to talk about today. We were on the range all day until 17:00. Chow was @ 18:30 and tonight we started a little bay maintenance for our big inspection Sunday.
The platoon is doing pretty good. We are scheduled to move into "white phase" this Sunday. With white phase comes more freedom (phone, time, sleep, etc). We are very excited for that!
I am going to try to cover some other topics again Sunday, time permitting. So until then...Goodnight from Ft. Benning!
Matthew
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Happy 8th Month Anniversary to my Wife & more BRM
20 July 2011
First and foremost, I want to say that I have been married to my wife for eight months today! Thought about her a lot today and how this experience is making us both stronger as a person and a couple!
Day 3 of BRM; but no duty squad. I decided to take myself off duty squad for two reasons. I felt that I needed to spend more time in the bay with the platoon and I was also missing PT. Jesica always tells me I have too many irons in the fire, so I took her advice and relieved myself of Duty Squad.
Wake-up @ 0400 and PT @ 0545. Ate chow at the DRAC which was nice. We were at the LOMAH range today or "Location of Misses and Hits." This range was equipped with a sensor that told the drill sergeants where we were hitting and missing the target. We were zeroing our rifles at 175 meters and 300 meters. I am proud to report that I zeroed both targets in only 16 rounds. I could not believe it. I am not big on guns, so I was worried that I would have trouble zeroing. So talk about a confidence booster. We did learn some good techniques (breathing, trigger squeeze, etc) which played a huge role in zeroing. Looking forward to tomorrow!
Matthew
First and foremost, I want to say that I have been married to my wife for eight months today! Thought about her a lot today and how this experience is making us both stronger as a person and a couple!
Day 3 of BRM; but no duty squad. I decided to take myself off duty squad for two reasons. I felt that I needed to spend more time in the bay with the platoon and I was also missing PT. Jesica always tells me I have too many irons in the fire, so I took her advice and relieved myself of Duty Squad.
Wake-up @ 0400 and PT @ 0545. Ate chow at the DRAC which was nice. We were at the LOMAH range today or "Location of Misses and Hits." This range was equipped with a sensor that told the drill sergeants where we were hitting and missing the target. We were zeroing our rifles at 175 meters and 300 meters. I am proud to report that I zeroed both targets in only 16 rounds. I could not believe it. I am not big on guns, so I was worried that I would have trouble zeroing. So talk about a confidence booster. We did learn some good techniques (breathing, trigger squeeze, etc) which played a huge role in zeroing. Looking forward to tomorrow!
Matthew
Day 2 of BRM
19 July 2011
Duty squad was up at 03:15 again. No PT again for duty squad, but basically the same duties as yesterday. The company arrived at the range around 07:30 for field chow and went straight to shooting after that. I shot around 11:15 this morning and did surprisingly well. Took me about 20 mins to group at 25 meters with a 300 meter size target. Really neat process. Will describe later.
Long day at the range. The guys who did not get a "go" yesterday had to finish trying today. I was proud of my platoon. We had all our guys "go" before any other platoon came close. Hopefully, we can keep that up and all qualify in a couple of weeks. Very tired tonight. Got some letters from friends/family and some pics from Jesica of her and Baxter. Those were nice to see!
Short blog today/tonight! Light out at 20:00. Nice!
Matthew
Duty squad was up at 03:15 again. No PT again for duty squad, but basically the same duties as yesterday. The company arrived at the range around 07:30 for field chow and went straight to shooting after that. I shot around 11:15 this morning and did surprisingly well. Took me about 20 mins to group at 25 meters with a 300 meter size target. Really neat process. Will describe later.
Long day at the range. The guys who did not get a "go" yesterday had to finish trying today. I was proud of my platoon. We had all our guys "go" before any other platoon came close. Hopefully, we can keep that up and all qualify in a couple of weeks. Very tired tonight. Got some letters from friends/family and some pics from Jesica of her and Baxter. Those were nice to see!
Short blog today/tonight! Light out at 20:00. Nice!
Matthew
BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) LIVE!
18 July 2011
Today started week 1 of 3 of BRM. It also started my platoon's week of Duty squad. 12 of us are on duty squad, which basically sets up all the range activities for the company during training. The duty squad consists of guys that have passed their APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). Myself and 11 others woke up this morning @ 0315 to begin our duties. We loaded a huge truck with equipment, ice chests, MREs, etc. Then we deliver it to the range for training. This week is BRM, so we set the shooting range up with the proper equipment. Nothing to it, just waking up 45 mins earlier and staying about 2 hours after to clean up.
BRM is good stuff. I don't know about you, but when I think of a soldier, or the Military in general, I think about guns/weapons. So the next 3 weeks to me will seem like that "right of passage" to "soldierhood." I did not get to fire to day because we ran behind schedule. It was nice though hearing the rifles and seeing peoples enthusiasm. The company is working on grouping today and tomorrow. Basically, they are seeing if we know anything about firing a weapon. The company left the range at 16:30, but duty squad stayed until 18:30. I was dead tired when I got back to the barracks. We even missed chow so we had to eat a MRE. Lights out at 2100 and I am so glad.
I can't remember if I mentioned this is my last blog or not, but I got to talk to Jesica last night for the first time in almost 3 weeks! It was very relieving to hear her voice! If everything goes wrong this week, at least I got to talk to her and that alone tops it all!
Matthew
Today started week 1 of 3 of BRM. It also started my platoon's week of Duty squad. 12 of us are on duty squad, which basically sets up all the range activities for the company during training. The duty squad consists of guys that have passed their APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). Myself and 11 others woke up this morning @ 0315 to begin our duties. We loaded a huge truck with equipment, ice chests, MREs, etc. Then we deliver it to the range for training. This week is BRM, so we set the shooting range up with the proper equipment. Nothing to it, just waking up 45 mins earlier and staying about 2 hours after to clean up.
BRM is good stuff. I don't know about you, but when I think of a soldier, or the Military in general, I think about guns/weapons. So the next 3 weeks to me will seem like that "right of passage" to "soldierhood." I did not get to fire to day because we ran behind schedule. It was nice though hearing the rifles and seeing peoples enthusiasm. The company is working on grouping today and tomorrow. Basically, they are seeing if we know anything about firing a weapon. The company left the range at 16:30, but duty squad stayed until 18:30. I was dead tired when I got back to the barracks. We even missed chow so we had to eat a MRE. Lights out at 2100 and I am so glad.
I can't remember if I mentioned this is my last blog or not, but I got to talk to Jesica last night for the first time in almost 3 weeks! It was very relieving to hear her voice! If everything goes wrong this week, at least I got to talk to her and that alone tops it all!
Matthew
A Typical Sunday and Various Topics
17 July 2011
Wake up was at 0500 today. The extra hour makes such a difference. Chow formation was not until 0750 so I was about to get some things done (washing, cleaning my locker, and organizing my stuff). Chow at 0800. I had a few tasks as PG (Platoon guide) to do before chow @1230. The afternoon was spent cleaning the barracks and practicing our rifle drills. Great day of rest and "housekeeping."
I wanted to take the day to write a paragraph or two about a few topics I mention all the time, but do not cover in depth.
Drill Sergeants: Our platoon is assigned 3 drill sergeants. Senior DS Gonzalez, DS Sutherland, and DS Stockton. SDS Gonzalez was originally a Tanker Sergeant. Basically, he is in charge of a tank platoon which supervises the utilization of tanks and all personnel. You can tell he really knows his stuff and seems to provide great leadership for the other two DS. DS Sutherland is an 11 Bravo or Infantryman. He teaches us a lot about tactical combat and is really on PT issues. DS Sutherland was involved in the largest firefight in Afghanistan. DS Stockton, an ex-marine, decided to come over from the "dark side" and be a drill sergeant for the Army. He is very strong in all aspects of basic training, but specializes in Drill and ceremony and Rifle marksmanship. His original job in the Army was repairing helicopters. Drill Sergeants are picked from the top 10% of the Army. Basically, they know their stuff and are able to relay it to other well.
Chow: One of my favorite parts of BCT thus far is Chow. The food is amazing here, especially the breakfast. We usually have 5 mins to eat, so I have learned to make "sandwiches" out of everything. My favorite is making a waffle, egg, bacon, and cheese "sandwich" (2 waffles acting as the bread). Syrup over it and you have a great breakfast. The fruits and veggies are always fresh. I also have another chow favorite: pasta salad with bacon bits, cheese, and banana peppers. Pretty tasty as well! Sometimes we have MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). Google that and read up on them. They are very good as well. Sometimes I mention field chow, which means we get food sent to us from the DFAC out into the field.
"Smoking": Smoking is when a DS punishes the platoon. The consists of push-ups, sit-ups, or any other PT exercise of his choice. Usually lasts about 30 mins. I believe this has happened to us about 5 times. Other have not lasted quite 30 mins. It teaches us a lesson that's for sure!
Destroying the Bay: This happens when bunks are not made to standard. The DS will flip the ones that aren't made correctly. Also, if a wall locker is left open then everything will be tossed around the bay-EVERYTHING! One night it took us 4 hours to clean everything up! We learned fairly quickly!
That is all for now. I will touch on a few other topics in the future!
Matthew
Wake up was at 0500 today. The extra hour makes such a difference. Chow formation was not until 0750 so I was about to get some things done (washing, cleaning my locker, and organizing my stuff). Chow at 0800. I had a few tasks as PG (Platoon guide) to do before chow @1230. The afternoon was spent cleaning the barracks and practicing our rifle drills. Great day of rest and "housekeeping."
I wanted to take the day to write a paragraph or two about a few topics I mention all the time, but do not cover in depth.
Drill Sergeants: Our platoon is assigned 3 drill sergeants. Senior DS Gonzalez, DS Sutherland, and DS Stockton. SDS Gonzalez was originally a Tanker Sergeant. Basically, he is in charge of a tank platoon which supervises the utilization of tanks and all personnel. You can tell he really knows his stuff and seems to provide great leadership for the other two DS. DS Sutherland is an 11 Bravo or Infantryman. He teaches us a lot about tactical combat and is really on PT issues. DS Sutherland was involved in the largest firefight in Afghanistan. DS Stockton, an ex-marine, decided to come over from the "dark side" and be a drill sergeant for the Army. He is very strong in all aspects of basic training, but specializes in Drill and ceremony and Rifle marksmanship. His original job in the Army was repairing helicopters. Drill Sergeants are picked from the top 10% of the Army. Basically, they know their stuff and are able to relay it to other well.
Chow: One of my favorite parts of BCT thus far is Chow. The food is amazing here, especially the breakfast. We usually have 5 mins to eat, so I have learned to make "sandwiches" out of everything. My favorite is making a waffle, egg, bacon, and cheese "sandwich" (2 waffles acting as the bread). Syrup over it and you have a great breakfast. The fruits and veggies are always fresh. I also have another chow favorite: pasta salad with bacon bits, cheese, and banana peppers. Pretty tasty as well! Sometimes we have MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). Google that and read up on them. They are very good as well. Sometimes I mention field chow, which means we get food sent to us from the DFAC out into the field.
"Smoking": Smoking is when a DS punishes the platoon. The consists of push-ups, sit-ups, or any other PT exercise of his choice. Usually lasts about 30 mins. I believe this has happened to us about 5 times. Other have not lasted quite 30 mins. It teaches us a lesson that's for sure!
Destroying the Bay: This happens when bunks are not made to standard. The DS will flip the ones that aren't made correctly. Also, if a wall locker is left open then everything will be tossed around the bay-EVERYTHING! One night it took us 4 hours to clean everything up! We learned fairly quickly!
That is all for now. I will touch on a few other topics in the future!
Matthew
Rainy Day at Ft. Benning
16 July 2011
Wake up was @ 0400 today. I forgot to mention that we had lights out last night at 2000 hours. I was excited to get around 6 1/2 hrs of sleep. I felt refreshed and ready to have a great Saturday. We went outside for PT @ 0545 and it was misting rain and actually a little cool. PT lasted about an hour and chow was at 0730.
Today, we began drills and exercises for BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). We practice balancing a dime on the end of our rifle barrel while aiming and pulling the trigger. We also worked on keep our site picture by placing our rifles in a holding dot and siting them to a blank sheet of paper while someone moved a target on our command.
The highlight of the day was two-fold. The first was using the simulator. The simulator allowed us to lay in a prone position and fire a rifle (while also simulated recoil) to a target down range. The simulator was in a huge modular trailer (about the size of 3 trailer put together) and it had all of the details of a shooting range. For you golfer, imagine the golf simulators at the PGA Superstore and that would be a fair comparison. We stayed at the simulator for 2 hours and it helped tremendously with my grouping effort.
The second highlight of the day was getting to go to the PX (Post Exchange) and a haircut. What an experience. I only needed a few things (soap, paper, laundry detergent). The haircut was great, but before I got mine, this one guy in my platoon asked me what my wife thought about my hair turning gray at 29. I got a big kick out of that and told him that she tells me she likes it, but threatens to make me an appointment with a hair coloring specialist! (just kidding Jesica)
When finished with the haircut and PX, we marched back to the barracks (about 2 miles). We had been marching only 5 minutes when the bottom fell out. Needless to say, we were soaked. Some of my items got wet, but nothing was ruined. We got back to the barracks and cleaned our rifles. Chow was at 1900 and lights out at 2100. No fireguard or duties tonight! Rest here I come!
Matthew
Wake up was @ 0400 today. I forgot to mention that we had lights out last night at 2000 hours. I was excited to get around 6 1/2 hrs of sleep. I felt refreshed and ready to have a great Saturday. We went outside for PT @ 0545 and it was misting rain and actually a little cool. PT lasted about an hour and chow was at 0730.
Today, we began drills and exercises for BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). We practice balancing a dime on the end of our rifle barrel while aiming and pulling the trigger. We also worked on keep our site picture by placing our rifles in a holding dot and siting them to a blank sheet of paper while someone moved a target on our command.
The highlight of the day was two-fold. The first was using the simulator. The simulator allowed us to lay in a prone position and fire a rifle (while also simulated recoil) to a target down range. The simulator was in a huge modular trailer (about the size of 3 trailer put together) and it had all of the details of a shooting range. For you golfer, imagine the golf simulators at the PGA Superstore and that would be a fair comparison. We stayed at the simulator for 2 hours and it helped tremendously with my grouping effort.
The second highlight of the day was getting to go to the PX (Post Exchange) and a haircut. What an experience. I only needed a few things (soap, paper, laundry detergent). The haircut was great, but before I got mine, this one guy in my platoon asked me what my wife thought about my hair turning gray at 29. I got a big kick out of that and told him that she tells me she likes it, but threatens to make me an appointment with a hair coloring specialist! (just kidding Jesica)
When finished with the haircut and PX, we marched back to the barracks (about 2 miles). We had been marching only 5 minutes when the bottom fell out. Needless to say, we were soaked. Some of my items got wet, but nothing was ruined. We got back to the barracks and cleaned our rifles. Chow was at 1900 and lights out at 2100. No fireguard or duties tonight! Rest here I come!
Matthew
Lieutenant Dan was Right: Day 2 of FTX
15 July 2011
I'm sure everyone has seen the movie Forrest Gump, or at least that is what I am going to assume. I am constantly reminded of the Army scene where Lieutenant Dan tells his platoon to "take care of their feet" by always changing their socks. I now have 3 new best friends compliments of the U.S. Army: 1) sock liners 2) mole skin 3) foot powder. It doesn't matter if I'm soaking wet with sweat, rain, or covered in dirt and mud, if my socks are fresh then I can pretty much go all day! Thanks Lieutenant Dan!
Day 2 of Field Training Exercise 1 started with a 0500 wake up. Still pitch black dark the platoon packed their gear, filled in their "beds" and got dressed to start the day. We waited until 0645 and marched to chow at the TOC. Same format applied for this chow as well, eating while laying in the weeds. We had a full day of instructional learning: formation moving, hand signals, how to crawl with weapons and other tactical formations. The drill sergeants even launched a few blank rounds so we could practice our "INCOMING!!" We ended in the field around 1600 hrs. I will be honest, I was ready to get back and shower and get out the clothes I had been in for 36 hrs. We had dinner in the DFAC and a nice warm shower. FTX 1 down, 2 to go.
Matthew
I'm sure everyone has seen the movie Forrest Gump, or at least that is what I am going to assume. I am constantly reminded of the Army scene where Lieutenant Dan tells his platoon to "take care of their feet" by always changing their socks. I now have 3 new best friends compliments of the U.S. Army: 1) sock liners 2) mole skin 3) foot powder. It doesn't matter if I'm soaking wet with sweat, rain, or covered in dirt and mud, if my socks are fresh then I can pretty much go all day! Thanks Lieutenant Dan!
Day 2 of Field Training Exercise 1 started with a 0500 wake up. Still pitch black dark the platoon packed their gear, filled in their "beds" and got dressed to start the day. We waited until 0645 and marched to chow at the TOC. Same format applied for this chow as well, eating while laying in the weeds. We had a full day of instructional learning: formation moving, hand signals, how to crawl with weapons and other tactical formations. The drill sergeants even launched a few blank rounds so we could practice our "INCOMING!!" We ended in the field around 1600 hrs. I will be honest, I was ready to get back and shower and get out the clothes I had been in for 36 hrs. We had dinner in the DFAC and a nice warm shower. FTX 1 down, 2 to go.
Matthew
FTX 1- Field Training Exercise 1 (Camping at Ft. Benning, GA in July)
14 July 2011
Today started @ 0400 with a wake-up alarm. Not the most pleasant sound to start the day. We went to PT at 0500 and chow @ 0630. Our platoon had 45 mins to pack our ruck (a big hiking pack) and be in formation. Going by the list provided, I knew this would not be like any other camping trip I had ever been on.
We took a ten minute bus ride across the base, gear in hand, anxiously awaiting the task before us. We were dropped at a gravel road that looked to be miles and miles long. We set out and marched about 2 miles and took a right down a dirt road. Another mile down the road and we took a left into the woods. We traveled about a quarter of a mile into the woods where we stopped and dropped our gear. The first thing we did was listen to the drill sergeants talk about Patrol Bases, which we were about to set up. Also, they gave us a class on hand signals and how to survive out in the field.
The platoon formed a triangle "patrol base." Imagine 58 soldiers, in pairs of 2, in an equilateral triangle. The platoon guide (myself) and the assistant platoon guide were set up in the middle of the triangle. Our first objective was to establish a place to sleep. We were instructed on how to make a "hasty" or "hooch" or "ranger grave". Basically it is an 18" deep hole dug at a slight angle, just wide and long enough for your body. We dug 2 and connected them at the feet so "battle buddies" could easily wake each other up in case of an emergency. We used what we call an "e-tool" or what looks like a toy shovel, but proved to be very sturdy. It took us about 3 hours to dig the hole, thanks to the infamous Georgia red clay. Once the hole was established we connected our ponchos and drapped them across a make shift frame over the hole to provide a cover. The concept was to not make the cover any higher than the ground or grass around you. Mine and APG's rose about 8" off the ground. Very tight quarters. By now it was 18:30 and time for chow.
We marched about 800 meters to the TOC or Tactical Operating Center, where they had field chow set up for us. Since we were on a simulated mission, we had to get our food and go lay down in the woods and eat while pulling patrol. A few ants never hurt anyone!
We marched back to our patrol base and had a couple of classes on claymoore mines, RPGs, etc. We were given 15 mins to fix our "hooch" like we wanted them. I stuck my sleeping bag on the dirt and let that be it. Both the APG and myself slept in our clothes and boots. I tossed and turned for several hours, but I finally hit a comfy spot and slept like a rock. Or maybe I meant to say I felt like I was sleeping on a rock. Either way, I slept ok and got a little help from mother nature: RAIN! What an experience.
Matthew
Today started @ 0400 with a wake-up alarm. Not the most pleasant sound to start the day. We went to PT at 0500 and chow @ 0630. Our platoon had 45 mins to pack our ruck (a big hiking pack) and be in formation. Going by the list provided, I knew this would not be like any other camping trip I had ever been on.
We took a ten minute bus ride across the base, gear in hand, anxiously awaiting the task before us. We were dropped at a gravel road that looked to be miles and miles long. We set out and marched about 2 miles and took a right down a dirt road. Another mile down the road and we took a left into the woods. We traveled about a quarter of a mile into the woods where we stopped and dropped our gear. The first thing we did was listen to the drill sergeants talk about Patrol Bases, which we were about to set up. Also, they gave us a class on hand signals and how to survive out in the field.
The platoon formed a triangle "patrol base." Imagine 58 soldiers, in pairs of 2, in an equilateral triangle. The platoon guide (myself) and the assistant platoon guide were set up in the middle of the triangle. Our first objective was to establish a place to sleep. We were instructed on how to make a "hasty" or "hooch" or "ranger grave". Basically it is an 18" deep hole dug at a slight angle, just wide and long enough for your body. We dug 2 and connected them at the feet so "battle buddies" could easily wake each other up in case of an emergency. We used what we call an "e-tool" or what looks like a toy shovel, but proved to be very sturdy. It took us about 3 hours to dig the hole, thanks to the infamous Georgia red clay. Once the hole was established we connected our ponchos and drapped them across a make shift frame over the hole to provide a cover. The concept was to not make the cover any higher than the ground or grass around you. Mine and APG's rose about 8" off the ground. Very tight quarters. By now it was 18:30 and time for chow.
We marched about 800 meters to the TOC or Tactical Operating Center, where they had field chow set up for us. Since we were on a simulated mission, we had to get our food and go lay down in the woods and eat while pulling patrol. A few ants never hurt anyone!
We marched back to our patrol base and had a couple of classes on claymoore mines, RPGs, etc. We were given 15 mins to fix our "hooch" like we wanted them. I stuck my sleeping bag on the dirt and let that be it. Both the APG and myself slept in our clothes and boots. I tossed and turned for several hours, but I finally hit a comfy spot and slept like a rock. Or maybe I meant to say I felt like I was sleeping on a rock. Either way, I slept ok and got a little help from mother nature: RAIN! What an experience.
Matthew
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day 25
13 July 2011
Today was probably the most physically demanding day I've experienced at BCT thus far. Wake-up was @0400 and PT began at 0545. We quickly came back to the barracks and had field chow. Then we were off at 0730 on a 2 mile march to the "real" obstacle course. This course had 16 stations that consisted of things like rope climbing, monkey bars, crawling under barb wire through mud, running and crawling through sand, etc. We did a great job as a platoon! The heat was really rough on everyone! The company had about 5 people go down with heat related injuries. That is the last thing you want to do here because the first thing that has to happen is have your core body temperature taken. The protocol for that in the Army is putting a thermometer up your butt. I only had to hear that once and I have kept myself extra hydrated!
The afternoon was spent outside on the IED range. If you have not noticed, every learning station is referred to as a "range." The IED (Improvised Explosive Device) range showed us how they were made and the common placements of IEDs. This range had a small town built that mimicked Baghdad. The range instructors had IED materials spread out for learning points. Examples include, bridges, culverts, marketplaces, etc. It was really eye opening to see how smart the makers of these explosives are.
Tomorrow is our first FTX or Field Training Exercise. We will be camping out and sleeping in a "hole" we dig with our e-tools (shovels). Can't wait to write about this one!
Matthew
Today was probably the most physically demanding day I've experienced at BCT thus far. Wake-up was @0400 and PT began at 0545. We quickly came back to the barracks and had field chow. Then we were off at 0730 on a 2 mile march to the "real" obstacle course. This course had 16 stations that consisted of things like rope climbing, monkey bars, crawling under barb wire through mud, running and crawling through sand, etc. We did a great job as a platoon! The heat was really rough on everyone! The company had about 5 people go down with heat related injuries. That is the last thing you want to do here because the first thing that has to happen is have your core body temperature taken. The protocol for that in the Army is putting a thermometer up your butt. I only had to hear that once and I have kept myself extra hydrated!
The afternoon was spent outside on the IED range. If you have not noticed, every learning station is referred to as a "range." The IED (Improvised Explosive Device) range showed us how they were made and the common placements of IEDs. This range had a small town built that mimicked Baghdad. The range instructors had IED materials spread out for learning points. Examples include, bridges, culverts, marketplaces, etc. It was really eye opening to see how smart the makers of these explosives are.
Tomorrow is our first FTX or Field Training Exercise. We will be camping out and sleeping in a "hole" we dig with our e-tools (shovels). Can't wait to write about this one!
Matthew
Friday, July 15, 2011
A Hot Tuesday at Ft. Benning
12 July 2011
I have been at Ft. Benning BCT for 2 weeks today; not counting reception. Wake up @ 0400. PT @ 0600 and chow @ 0730. Today we marched about 1.5 miles to the Army Communications Range. Here we learned about the proper way to communicate over a radio, including pronunciation of certain calls, etc. The class was very interesting. We got to set up field radios and practice calls. The instructor told us that each radio cost about $13,000. I was surprised by the way it looked, but internally this radio has a number of features. After chow we came back to barracks and did what we call a heat dump. Basically, we have to stand under the showers on the coldest setting for one minute and let the water cool us off. I must say I love cold showers now! The afternoon was pretty relaxed as we took a class on sexual harrassment. After chow we had another class on basic rifle marksmanship. We were taught everything we needed to know about the firing range, including the proper procedures and expectations. Still no phone call tonight! I am hoping for one this weekend! I miss talking to Jesica a lot! We have never gone longer than 2 days, much less 2 weeks without talking!
We have our first FTX (Field Training Exercise) in a couple of days...camping out under the stars! Can't wait!
Matthew
I have been at Ft. Benning BCT for 2 weeks today; not counting reception. Wake up @ 0400. PT @ 0600 and chow @ 0730. Today we marched about 1.5 miles to the Army Communications Range. Here we learned about the proper way to communicate over a radio, including pronunciation of certain calls, etc. The class was very interesting. We got to set up field radios and practice calls. The instructor told us that each radio cost about $13,000. I was surprised by the way it looked, but internally this radio has a number of features. After chow we came back to barracks and did what we call a heat dump. Basically, we have to stand under the showers on the coldest setting for one minute and let the water cool us off. I must say I love cold showers now! The afternoon was pretty relaxed as we took a class on sexual harrassment. After chow we had another class on basic rifle marksmanship. We were taught everything we needed to know about the firing range, including the proper procedures and expectations. Still no phone call tonight! I am hoping for one this weekend! I miss talking to Jesica a lot! We have never gone longer than 2 days, much less 2 weeks without talking!
We have our first FTX (Field Training Exercise) in a couple of days...camping out under the stars! Can't wait!
Matthew
A Hot Monday at Ft. Benning, GA and First Aid Test
11 July 2011
Boy did 0400 come early! PT started at 0545 and chow at 0730. We were informed that we were being tested on our first aid classes today. So after chow we had a few minutes to look over our notes. We marched about 2 miles to the First Aid Range. Our first task was to take a 40 question test over Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3). This test was a "streamer" event, which basically means the platoon that does the best wins the streamer to place on their platoon flag. I am happy to report that not only did our platoon win the streamer, but we are the only platoon over the past 10 cycles to not have anyone fail. I will be 100% honest and say that I am very surprised that all of our guys passed, but nevertheless I am proud of our whole platoon.
After the test, the whole company, broken down into squads (4-12 soldiers), performed a series of obstacles that simulated combat rescue scenarios and first aid scenarios. The squad I was with passed all of the obstacles, but we really struggled with one. Overall, I thought we did a great job!
We had been instructed to pack an extra pair of ACUs and socks in our Assault bags. Today, I found out why. Around 14:30 today, everyone was soaking wet with sweat. It was miserable. Luckily, no one passed out. I was telling Jesica in my letter to her that I think I am down around 185 lbs now. We pretty much have from 18:00-21:00 to clean wash and recover from today. All is well!
Matthew
Boy did 0400 come early! PT started at 0545 and chow at 0730. We were informed that we were being tested on our first aid classes today. So after chow we had a few minutes to look over our notes. We marched about 2 miles to the First Aid Range. Our first task was to take a 40 question test over Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3). This test was a "streamer" event, which basically means the platoon that does the best wins the streamer to place on their platoon flag. I am happy to report that not only did our platoon win the streamer, but we are the only platoon over the past 10 cycles to not have anyone fail. I will be 100% honest and say that I am very surprised that all of our guys passed, but nevertheless I am proud of our whole platoon.
After the test, the whole company, broken down into squads (4-12 soldiers), performed a series of obstacles that simulated combat rescue scenarios and first aid scenarios. The squad I was with passed all of the obstacles, but we really struggled with one. Overall, I thought we did a great job!
We had been instructed to pack an extra pair of ACUs and socks in our Assault bags. Today, I found out why. Around 14:30 today, everyone was soaking wet with sweat. It was miserable. Luckily, no one passed out. I was telling Jesica in my letter to her that I think I am down around 185 lbs now. We pretty much have from 18:00-21:00 to clean wash and recover from today. All is well!
Matthew
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sunday: A day of much needed rest
Wake up was at 06:30 this morning. No PT on Sundays, so we went to chow around 08:30. Then it was back to the barracks for some "Barracks Maintenance" aka cleaning. I went to Church/Protestant Bible Study at 13:30, which lasted until 14:30. I enjoyed the message, but the AC was broken so it was hot, hot, hot! Got back to the barracks around 15:00 and basically studied my field manual, wrote letters and washed clothes until time to bunk at 21:00. Very much needed day of rest. Sorry this blog is short, but I am going to bed on time tonight! Hope all is well!
Matthew
Matthew
Resiliency and Land Navigation
09 July 2011
Today was one of the longest days, if not the longest day I've had since I've been at Ft. Benning. The day started as usual with 0400 wake up, PT at 0545, and chow at 0730. The platoon came back to the barracks and had locker inspections by the drill sergeants. (Note* When I get to use my phone for the first time I am going to snap some pics to send to Jesica for posting to give everyone a visual*) My locker passed inspection, but I need to work on rolling my PT shorts tighter. From 10:00 to 12:00 we had soldier resiliency training. Basically, the Army wants soldiers to keep a balanced lifestyle physically and mentally. The course was actually really interesting and really stressed setting goals. Chow was at 13:30, then came the fun part. By this time, it was around 93 degrees outside and we were told to get our gear and line up in formation. Right now our gear consists of our Army combact uniform (ACU), fight load carrier (FLC), our assault pack, and our M16 and camelback. About 50 lbs worth of gear. We marched about a mile until we got to the Land navigation course where we performed three exercises. During the first exercise we (a team of 4) were given 5 points to find in the woods, using only a compass. Fairly simple, only the woods were very dense. Our squad completed the task and got 5 out of 5 right! The second exercise consisted of the squad using a map and converting to the corrected grid angle from the magnetic angle of Azimuth. We had to find 3 points. We found the first one but ran out of time because one of our squad members, my bunk mate Cheang, twisted his ankle. So instead of going on, we navigated to the nearest road and waited for help. Cheang is ok, but he rolled it pretty good. We would have found the points, but getting Cheang out of the woods was more important. We stopped around 20:00 hours for Chow (field chow) and were the given our exercises for night navigation. The moon was out, but it was also cloudy. Oh yeah, we could only use a back-lit compass and our "red" light (which has no range at all). Since Cheang was injured, only two of us went on this exercise and another guy stayed back with Cheang. We had to find 2 points and report back to the range leader in one hour. Myself and this guy we call Beetty found the last point with 3 minutes to go. By this time it was 23:30 and I was spent. I think I drank 3 camelbacks and 3 canteens of water. The whole platoon smelt like pigs and we were tired! Luckily, wake-up tomorrow isn't until 0600 hrs.
Matthew
Today was one of the longest days, if not the longest day I've had since I've been at Ft. Benning. The day started as usual with 0400 wake up, PT at 0545, and chow at 0730. The platoon came back to the barracks and had locker inspections by the drill sergeants. (Note* When I get to use my phone for the first time I am going to snap some pics to send to Jesica for posting to give everyone a visual*) My locker passed inspection, but I need to work on rolling my PT shorts tighter. From 10:00 to 12:00 we had soldier resiliency training. Basically, the Army wants soldiers to keep a balanced lifestyle physically and mentally. The course was actually really interesting and really stressed setting goals. Chow was at 13:30, then came the fun part. By this time, it was around 93 degrees outside and we were told to get our gear and line up in formation. Right now our gear consists of our Army combact uniform (ACU), fight load carrier (FLC), our assault pack, and our M16 and camelback. About 50 lbs worth of gear. We marched about a mile until we got to the Land navigation course where we performed three exercises. During the first exercise we (a team of 4) were given 5 points to find in the woods, using only a compass. Fairly simple, only the woods were very dense. Our squad completed the task and got 5 out of 5 right! The second exercise consisted of the squad using a map and converting to the corrected grid angle from the magnetic angle of Azimuth. We had to find 3 points. We found the first one but ran out of time because one of our squad members, my bunk mate Cheang, twisted his ankle. So instead of going on, we navigated to the nearest road and waited for help. Cheang is ok, but he rolled it pretty good. We would have found the points, but getting Cheang out of the woods was more important. We stopped around 20:00 hours for Chow (field chow) and were the given our exercises for night navigation. The moon was out, but it was also cloudy. Oh yeah, we could only use a back-lit compass and our "red" light (which has no range at all). Since Cheang was injured, only two of us went on this exercise and another guy stayed back with Cheang. We had to find 2 points and report back to the range leader in one hour. Myself and this guy we call Beetty found the last point with 3 minutes to go. By this time it was 23:30 and I was spent. I think I drank 3 camelbacks and 3 canteens of water. The whole platoon smelt like pigs and we were tired! Luckily, wake-up tomorrow isn't until 0600 hrs.
Matthew
Monday, July 11, 2011
First Aid- Day 2 & PT test
08 July 2011
Up and at em @ 0400 this AM. We had our first "Red Phase" PT test this AM. The test consists of 2 mins to do push-ups, 2 minutes to do sit-ups and a 2 mile run. I am required to get at least a 150 to pass. Luckily I scored a 208 which was good, but I was sort of disappointed. I want to max this thing out by the end of BCT. I would have to sore a 300, which would be about 77 push ups, 72 sit ups, and a 13:20 2 mile run. Easier said than done, that's for sure.
Chow was @ 0800 and for the rest of the day we sat in First Aid classes. One more day of that and next week I believe we go to the range to shoot our rifles. Sorry such a short blog tonight, but I am really tired. I think I will get some good rest!
Matthew
Up and at em @ 0400 this AM. We had our first "Red Phase" PT test this AM. The test consists of 2 mins to do push-ups, 2 minutes to do sit-ups and a 2 mile run. I am required to get at least a 150 to pass. Luckily I scored a 208 which was good, but I was sort of disappointed. I want to max this thing out by the end of BCT. I would have to sore a 300, which would be about 77 push ups, 72 sit ups, and a 13:20 2 mile run. Easier said than done, that's for sure.
Chow was @ 0800 and for the rest of the day we sat in First Aid classes. One more day of that and next week I believe we go to the range to shoot our rifles. Sorry such a short blog tonight, but I am really tired. I think I will get some good rest!
Matthew
First Aid Day!
07 July 2011
Woke up at 0400 this AM, with PT at 0530. Chow @ 0800 and at 0900 we went into the Battalion classroom for our first day of First Aid Training. Not much to report on this, other than that we have 3 days of it. We mainly covered combat scenarios, which was really cool. Hands-on training came in the afternoon, so we were not sitting the classroom all day. Short blog today since there is not much to report. I hope everyone is doing well. I did get some letters from my wife, Jesica, my mom and my boss, Julian. I was great getting updates from home. I feel like I am a million miles away, yet so close. So if you feel the urge to write, please do. I promise I will find time to write you back! Talk about putting things into perspective. I cannot tell you the last time I had hand written a letter before this. I am kind of getting the hang of it though.
Jesica did send me some pictures of us, Baxter (our golden retriever), and of her and Baxter. I slapped those things immediately on the inside of my locker so I could see them first and last thing everyday!
Everyone take care!
Matthew
Woke up at 0400 this AM, with PT at 0530. Chow @ 0800 and at 0900 we went into the Battalion classroom for our first day of First Aid Training. Not much to report on this, other than that we have 3 days of it. We mainly covered combat scenarios, which was really cool. Hands-on training came in the afternoon, so we were not sitting the classroom all day. Short blog today since there is not much to report. I hope everyone is doing well. I did get some letters from my wife, Jesica, my mom and my boss, Julian. I was great getting updates from home. I feel like I am a million miles away, yet so close. So if you feel the urge to write, please do. I promise I will find time to write you back! Talk about putting things into perspective. I cannot tell you the last time I had hand written a letter before this. I am kind of getting the hang of it though.
Jesica did send me some pictures of us, Baxter (our golden retriever), and of her and Baxter. I slapped those things immediately on the inside of my locker so I could see them first and last thing everyday!
Everyone take care!
Matthew
Eagle Tower and Ropes Course
06 July 2011
Today was probably one of the best days thus far here at Ft. Benning. As usual, we woke up at 0400 and were doing PT by 0545. Chow was at 0800 and we actually got to eat about 5 mins longer (roughly 10 mins overall). We then set out as a company to Eagle Tower and the Ropes Course. The march was about a mile which was not too terrible, but it was hot! The temp reached about 95 degrees today.
Eagle tower is a 40' repelling tower with three lanes. Attached to it is a series of obstacles made out of ropes. I will describe those first. The first obstacle was 2 ropes about 30' off the ground that were spaced roughly 4' apart (top to bottom). We had to cross the 2 ropes (a span of ~50') to the other side. The key was to keep balanced and try to make it across before falling 30' into a big black net. I made it fine, but it was the hardest of the three. The next one, I know everyone has seen before. It was a single rope about 2 inches in diameter stretched tight over the same 50' span. The goal here was to wrap one foot over the rope and let one leg hand off and pull yourself to the other side. This one went well, but I did get a little rope burn on my chest, which felt really nice later. The 3rd obstacle was a series of ropes that looked like a one -rope bridge with 2 ropes acting as rails. This one was pretty easy and went well.
The highlight of the day came when we got to repel down Eagle Tower. This process took a while for several reasons. We were taught a class on rope tying and we got to tie our own harnesses out of climbing rope. We used what they call a "c-swiss" knot to make our harness. I had to re-tie mine several times because I wanted to make sure that if for some reason I fell off that tower, it wasn't because of my harness. So after I got a "go" on my c-swiss, I went to the 10' practice tower. No problem there, so I was cleared to proceed to the Eagle tower. Since, Jesica and I repelled on our honeymoon, I wasn't nervous at all and was actually really excited to do it again! I climbed to the top of the tower and waited for my turn. One kid, poor guy, had every drill sergeant on the range yelling at him to go. He was so nervous, but he made it. Everything went well with my jump, so the day turned out to be really fun! It was a rather long day though, so I am really tired! Hope all is well!
Matthew
Today was probably one of the best days thus far here at Ft. Benning. As usual, we woke up at 0400 and were doing PT by 0545. Chow was at 0800 and we actually got to eat about 5 mins longer (roughly 10 mins overall). We then set out as a company to Eagle Tower and the Ropes Course. The march was about a mile which was not too terrible, but it was hot! The temp reached about 95 degrees today.
Eagle tower is a 40' repelling tower with three lanes. Attached to it is a series of obstacles made out of ropes. I will describe those first. The first obstacle was 2 ropes about 30' off the ground that were spaced roughly 4' apart (top to bottom). We had to cross the 2 ropes (a span of ~50') to the other side. The key was to keep balanced and try to make it across before falling 30' into a big black net. I made it fine, but it was the hardest of the three. The next one, I know everyone has seen before. It was a single rope about 2 inches in diameter stretched tight over the same 50' span. The goal here was to wrap one foot over the rope and let one leg hand off and pull yourself to the other side. This one went well, but I did get a little rope burn on my chest, which felt really nice later. The 3rd obstacle was a series of ropes that looked like a one -rope bridge with 2 ropes acting as rails. This one was pretty easy and went well.
The highlight of the day came when we got to repel down Eagle Tower. This process took a while for several reasons. We were taught a class on rope tying and we got to tie our own harnesses out of climbing rope. We used what they call a "c-swiss" knot to make our harness. I had to re-tie mine several times because I wanted to make sure that if for some reason I fell off that tower, it wasn't because of my harness. So after I got a "go" on my c-swiss, I went to the 10' practice tower. No problem there, so I was cleared to proceed to the Eagle tower. Since, Jesica and I repelled on our honeymoon, I wasn't nervous at all and was actually really excited to do it again! I climbed to the top of the tower and waited for my turn. One kid, poor guy, had every drill sergeant on the range yelling at him to go. He was so nervous, but he made it. Everything went well with my jump, so the day turned out to be really fun! It was a rather long day though, so I am really tired! Hope all is well!
Matthew
The Infamous Gas Chamber
05 July 2011
Today was Gas Chamber day! Wake up was at 0400 and PT around 0545. I really like doing PT that early because it gets me going for the day. Chow was @ 0800 and we were forced to drink 2 glasses of milk. I didn't mind because I like milk, but others were doing everything they could to get it down (like holding their nose). We arrived at the gas chamber "range" around 0900. We immediately had a briefing by the instructors and were lined up to enter the chamber. We had to stay in there 10 minutes and it basically went as such: 30 of us entered the room wearing our protective masks and holding our ACH (Army Combat Helmet) and our M16. We stood there for 3-5 minutes letting the CS gas circulate the room. CS gas is a gas they use in riots. The instructor then came around the room and we had to pull our masks away 3" from our face, state our name, and last 4 digits of our social security number. Then we had to put our masks back on and clear it. No problem! All went well there. The next thing we had to do was to take off our mask, hold it under our left arm, and put on/fasten our ACH, all while holding our M16. I had it all planned out: I loosened all the buckles on my ACH and put the strap on my M16 through my leg. By the way, if anything hit the floor then we had to do the whole thing again. All of my gear worked like I wanted it to, but the catch was that we couldn't leave the room until everyone had completed the instructions. So, I was standing there around 4 minutes inhaling this gas, and trying not to vomit. One guy passed out and they just drug him out by the shirt collar. We finally got out and I had never been so glad to breathe fresh air. It took me about 10 minutes to get back to normal. Overall, it will be an experience I will never forget!
The platoon had classroom time after the gas chamber. The topic covered chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. Really interesting, but scary! There are some really bad weapons out there they contain these "killers." Very eye-opening.
We ate MREs for lunch today and were back at the barracks around 1400 for cleaning and more class. We went to chow around 1800 and boy did I eat well. I had lasagna with salad, bread, macaroni salad, and jello. For some reason, that hit the spot tonight!
I had the opportunity to witness/experience one of the most courageous events in my life tonight. This 20 yr old, we call him Private Black, has been at Basic Training for 7 months (29 weeks). He is a "hold over" in our platoon, so we see him on a daily basis. He has been through Basic Training already; his only problem was that he could not pass the running portion of the APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). We were in the classroom doing land navigation training and the Senior Drill Sergeant walks in and says "Chancey get up here." He told me the situation and asked me to pick someone to come with me. We were going to run with Pvt. Black on his evening attempt to pass the run portion of the APFT. He needed to make it in 16 mins 30 secs. This morning his time was 18:15. The first thing I thought was there is no way in you know what this kid had a prayer. Me and this other guy, Bryson, who is a pretty strong runner, ran with Pvt. Black the entire way. Long story short, the kid ran it in 16 min 13 secs and busted out crying! I was so happy for him! He was so appreciative and humble! I hope he goes a long way! Moments like this put a lot of things into prospective for me and I hope it does for you too!
Matthew
Today was Gas Chamber day! Wake up was at 0400 and PT around 0545. I really like doing PT that early because it gets me going for the day. Chow was @ 0800 and we were forced to drink 2 glasses of milk. I didn't mind because I like milk, but others were doing everything they could to get it down (like holding their nose). We arrived at the gas chamber "range" around 0900. We immediately had a briefing by the instructors and were lined up to enter the chamber. We had to stay in there 10 minutes and it basically went as such: 30 of us entered the room wearing our protective masks and holding our ACH (Army Combat Helmet) and our M16. We stood there for 3-5 minutes letting the CS gas circulate the room. CS gas is a gas they use in riots. The instructor then came around the room and we had to pull our masks away 3" from our face, state our name, and last 4 digits of our social security number. Then we had to put our masks back on and clear it. No problem! All went well there. The next thing we had to do was to take off our mask, hold it under our left arm, and put on/fasten our ACH, all while holding our M16. I had it all planned out: I loosened all the buckles on my ACH and put the strap on my M16 through my leg. By the way, if anything hit the floor then we had to do the whole thing again. All of my gear worked like I wanted it to, but the catch was that we couldn't leave the room until everyone had completed the instructions. So, I was standing there around 4 minutes inhaling this gas, and trying not to vomit. One guy passed out and they just drug him out by the shirt collar. We finally got out and I had never been so glad to breathe fresh air. It took me about 10 minutes to get back to normal. Overall, it will be an experience I will never forget!
The platoon had classroom time after the gas chamber. The topic covered chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. Really interesting, but scary! There are some really bad weapons out there they contain these "killers." Very eye-opening.
We ate MREs for lunch today and were back at the barracks around 1400 for cleaning and more class. We went to chow around 1800 and boy did I eat well. I had lasagna with salad, bread, macaroni salad, and jello. For some reason, that hit the spot tonight!
I had the opportunity to witness/experience one of the most courageous events in my life tonight. This 20 yr old, we call him Private Black, has been at Basic Training for 7 months (29 weeks). He is a "hold over" in our platoon, so we see him on a daily basis. He has been through Basic Training already; his only problem was that he could not pass the running portion of the APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). We were in the classroom doing land navigation training and the Senior Drill Sergeant walks in and says "Chancey get up here." He told me the situation and asked me to pick someone to come with me. We were going to run with Pvt. Black on his evening attempt to pass the run portion of the APFT. He needed to make it in 16 mins 30 secs. This morning his time was 18:15. The first thing I thought was there is no way in you know what this kid had a prayer. Me and this other guy, Bryson, who is a pretty strong runner, ran with Pvt. Black the entire way. Long story short, the kid ran it in 16 min 13 secs and busted out crying! I was so happy for him! He was so appreciative and humble! I hope he goes a long way! Moments like this put a lot of things into prospective for me and I hope it does for you too!
Matthew
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Happy 4th from Ft. Benning
04 July 2011
No rest for the weary! Up @ 0400, 2 mile run after PT @ 0515. Chow at the barracks @ 0700. We performed our first "movement" today as a company. It was a 2 mile march with about 80% of our gear including our weapon. Guys were dropping like flies. It was about 89 degrees when we started and reached 95 degrees throughout the day. We marched to the Team Building Course which consists of 6 different mind boggling obstacle courses. You know, the ones where you have to get your group across the river with no bridge. Very entertaining actually. We completed that around 1500 hours and came back to the barracks. At 1800, we had chow then a class on how to use gas masks. That is tomorrow and should be really interesting. Our platoon, 1st Platoon, is coming along! We are still missing the small things but we seem to have one of the best, if not the best platoon. I kept a running total today of how many push-ups we did and by 21:00, lights out, our platoon had knocked out about 480. If we mess up, the drill sergeants make us drop down and knock out 20 push ups. Only making us better though! I hope everyone had a great 4th!
Matthew
No rest for the weary! Up @ 0400, 2 mile run after PT @ 0515. Chow at the barracks @ 0700. We performed our first "movement" today as a company. It was a 2 mile march with about 80% of our gear including our weapon. Guys were dropping like flies. It was about 89 degrees when we started and reached 95 degrees throughout the day. We marched to the Team Building Course which consists of 6 different mind boggling obstacle courses. You know, the ones where you have to get your group across the river with no bridge. Very entertaining actually. We completed that around 1500 hours and came back to the barracks. At 1800, we had chow then a class on how to use gas masks. That is tomorrow and should be really interesting. Our platoon, 1st Platoon, is coming along! We are still missing the small things but we seem to have one of the best, if not the best platoon. I kept a running total today of how many push-ups we did and by 21:00, lights out, our platoon had knocked out about 480. If we mess up, the drill sergeants make us drop down and knock out 20 push ups. Only making us better though! I hope everyone had a great 4th!
Matthew
Sunday- A day of cleaning!
03 July 2011
Today we were scheduled to wake up at 0600, but we were not good with instructions yesterday so we had to wake up @ 0400. From wake up until 1800 hours we cleaned and re-cleaned and cleaned more. Things such as buffing the floor, washing all the tile, washing clothes, etc, etc. I decided not to attend church today for the simple fact that I had to help with all the cleaning. We were propositioned a 5-minute phone call if the whole platoon could answer a few questions on the Army Values, Solider's Creed, 3 General Orders, and some things we learned in the classroom. However, the deal was that if someone messed up then the whole platoon lost the deal. Well, we lost. I was well prepared, but a few guys just refused to study and learn these items. So, one for all and all for one, we lost out on the phone call. Later on we were issued our gas masks for the gas chamber exercise on Tuesday. Finally, starting to do fun things!
Matthew
Today we were scheduled to wake up at 0600, but we were not good with instructions yesterday so we had to wake up @ 0400. From wake up until 1800 hours we cleaned and re-cleaned and cleaned more. Things such as buffing the floor, washing all the tile, washing clothes, etc, etc. I decided not to attend church today for the simple fact that I had to help with all the cleaning. We were propositioned a 5-minute phone call if the whole platoon could answer a few questions on the Army Values, Solider's Creed, 3 General Orders, and some things we learned in the classroom. However, the deal was that if someone messed up then the whole platoon lost the deal. Well, we lost. I was well prepared, but a few guys just refused to study and learn these items. So, one for all and all for one, we lost out on the phone call. Later on we were issued our gas masks for the gas chamber exercise on Tuesday. Finally, starting to do fun things!
Matthew
02 July 2011
Today we woke up around 03:45. To our surprise we did not have to fall into formation until 06:15. I used this time to organize my locker to Army standard. I am going to try to take a pic before I leave to post here. The locker set-up is actually really efficient.
PT was at 06:30 to 08:00. I am glad we got to eat in the DFAC (Dining Facility) for chow this morning. Yesterday I had a MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) full of beef brisket, mashed potatoes, and several other items.
After chow, the whole company (Bravo Company) went to the big classroom and had a briefing on how to disassemble, assemble, and take care of our M16 rifles. Very interesting class. There are so many parts to a M16 that I never knew about.
Unfortunately, we had an MRE for chow @ 12:30. I lucked up and got tuna so I was happy for the most part. We had another class after chow on the new "Don't ask don't tell" policy. Two hours worth of that will put you to sleep. For some people it did and that was not good considering the company 1st Sergeant was giving the class.
Last chow was @ 17:45 and then we were allowed to come back to the barracks and clean and straighten up everything.
We have been told to keep our wall lockers locked at all times. During inspection tonight the drill sergeants came in and destroyed our barracks because 3 people had their lockers unlocked. Picture a room 40'x80' with 30 bunk beds and 60 wall lockers. They turned over every bunk bed, threw sheets, blankets and pillow all over the room, sprayed the whole bay down with shaving cream. I can't even hardly describe it. I hope to get some pics of that too.
Lights out tonight @ 21:30. I think I may go to church again. Nice break from the chaos.
PT was at 06:30 to 08:00. I am glad we got to eat in the DFAC (Dining Facility) for chow this morning. Yesterday I had a MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) full of beef brisket, mashed potatoes, and several other items.
After chow, the whole company (Bravo Company) went to the big classroom and had a briefing on how to disassemble, assemble, and take care of our M16 rifles. Very interesting class. There are so many parts to a M16 that I never knew about.
Unfortunately, we had an MRE for chow @ 12:30. I lucked up and got tuna so I was happy for the most part. We had another class after chow on the new "Don't ask don't tell" policy. Two hours worth of that will put you to sleep. For some people it did and that was not good considering the company 1st Sergeant was giving the class.
Last chow was @ 17:45 and then we were allowed to come back to the barracks and clean and straighten up everything.
We have been told to keep our wall lockers locked at all times. During inspection tonight the drill sergeants came in and destroyed our barracks because 3 people had their lockers unlocked. Picture a room 40'x80' with 30 bunk beds and 60 wall lockers. They turned over every bunk bed, threw sheets, blankets and pillow all over the room, sprayed the whole bay down with shaving cream. I can't even hardly describe it. I hope to get some pics of that too.
Lights out tonight @ 21:30. I think I may go to church again. Nice break from the chaos.
Equipment Issue Day
01 July 2011
Today was a pretty slack day at BCT. Wake up was a 0400 and we went straight to PT. PT was over around 0600 and the whole company loaded buses and was taken a few blocks to get our gear. The gear is called the TA-50 and it consists of bullet proof vests, rain gear, elbow & knee pads, ruck sack (backpack), assault pack, two sleeping bags, Gortex jacket, and many other items. All of the gear weights around 75-80 lbs and we had to carry all of it .75 miles. I thought that was hard until I found out that in week 9 we have a 9 mile march in all of our gear. Should be fun in August! Our platoon is getting "smoked" by the drill sergeants constantly. Mainly for things like not paying attention or not saying drill sergeant by saying "sir". Overall, our drill sergeants are really fair and I like all of them. Also, today, we were issued our M16A4. We will be carrying this everywhere we go (chow, latrine, anytime were are no in the barracks). I have never been too big on guns (knowledge that is), so this should be interesting. I feel like I am getting into shape. I think I lost around 5 lbs today because it was so hot and we were outside pretty much all day. 2100 was lights out. We were told to drink a canteen of water because tomorrow we will need it! Hopefully we will be doing something fun! Good night from Ft. Benning, GA.
Today was a pretty slack day at BCT. Wake up was a 0400 and we went straight to PT. PT was over around 0600 and the whole company loaded buses and was taken a few blocks to get our gear. The gear is called the TA-50 and it consists of bullet proof vests, rain gear, elbow & knee pads, ruck sack (backpack), assault pack, two sleeping bags, Gortex jacket, and many other items. All of the gear weights around 75-80 lbs and we had to carry all of it .75 miles. I thought that was hard until I found out that in week 9 we have a 9 mile march in all of our gear. Should be fun in August! Our platoon is getting "smoked" by the drill sergeants constantly. Mainly for things like not paying attention or not saying drill sergeant by saying "sir". Overall, our drill sergeants are really fair and I like all of them. Also, today, we were issued our M16A4. We will be carrying this everywhere we go (chow, latrine, anytime were are no in the barracks). I have never been too big on guns (knowledge that is), so this should be interesting. I feel like I am getting into shape. I think I lost around 5 lbs today because it was so hot and we were outside pretty much all day. 2100 was lights out. We were told to drink a canteen of water because tomorrow we will need it! Hopefully we will be doing something fun! Good night from Ft. Benning, GA.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Classes and More Classes at BCT
30 June 2011
I believe today was the final day of the mandatory classes at BCT. You can really tell everyone is anxious to get down to the "real" stuff, even drill sergeants. I wised up and finally decided to delegate out my tasks amongst the Platoon. All of the guys were happy to do it. I am trying to basically get it down to where all I do is brief the platoon, answer questions and assign duties. One thing I did do was include myself in the duties because I feel like it's just the right thing to do. I can't wait to start writing about actual field training. We should begin that first of next week; after the holiday weekend. So stay tuned. It should get very interesting.
I believe today was the final day of the mandatory classes at BCT. You can really tell everyone is anxious to get down to the "real" stuff, even drill sergeants. I wised up and finally decided to delegate out my tasks amongst the Platoon. All of the guys were happy to do it. I am trying to basically get it down to where all I do is brief the platoon, answer questions and assign duties. One thing I did do was include myself in the duties because I feel like it's just the right thing to do. I can't wait to start writing about actual field training. We should begin that first of next week; after the holiday weekend. So stay tuned. It should get very interesting.
First Full Day of BCT
29 June 2011
04:00 was wake-up. I only got about 3 hours of sleep, I guess from being in a new place along with lots of anticipation. We dressed in our PT gear and did what the Army calls a 1-1-1 test or the PT assessment. Push-ups for 1 minute, sit-ups for 1 minute and the 1 mile run. I did 38 push ups, 35 sit ups, and ran a 6:13 mile. We were then led in a series of exercises to Army standard. Chow came @ 08:00. The day was a full of mandatory classes; basically Army 101 with the obvious Equal Opportunity and sexual harassment class. Dinner chow came at 1800 hours. We went back out to the PT field and were taught more PT exercises/stretches. Again we did the moving shower line and were bunked @ 2100 hours.
I got appointed Platoon leader because of my OCS status, not my age (lol). Actually, there is a 42 year old guy in my platoon who is in much better shape than most of the 18-19 year olds. My job as Platoon leader is simple (well not really). I have to assign duties and brief the drill sergeants on counts, sick calls, supplies. etc. I am sure more duties will be assigned as time progresses.
04:00 was wake-up. I only got about 3 hours of sleep, I guess from being in a new place along with lots of anticipation. We dressed in our PT gear and did what the Army calls a 1-1-1 test or the PT assessment. Push-ups for 1 minute, sit-ups for 1 minute and the 1 mile run. I did 38 push ups, 35 sit ups, and ran a 6:13 mile. We were then led in a series of exercises to Army standard. Chow came @ 08:00. The day was a full of mandatory classes; basically Army 101 with the obvious Equal Opportunity and sexual harassment class. Dinner chow came at 1800 hours. We went back out to the PT field and were taught more PT exercises/stretches. Again we did the moving shower line and were bunked @ 2100 hours.
I got appointed Platoon leader because of my OCS status, not my age (lol). Actually, there is a 42 year old guy in my platoon who is in much better shape than most of the 18-19 year olds. My job as Platoon leader is simple (well not really). I have to assign duties and brief the drill sergeants on counts, sick calls, supplies. etc. I am sure more duties will be assigned as time progresses.
I have arrived at Basic Combat Traing (Dum Dum Dum Dum Dummmmm)
Matthew's address:
Specialist W. Matthew Chancey
B Co 2-46 INF (Bldg 3520)
1st Platoon, RN #141
9697 2nd Armored Div. Road
Ft. Benning, GA 31905-4769
28 June 2011
We left the 30th AG Battalion (Reception) at 14:00 today after a morning briefing and chow. I was assigned to the 1st Platoon of B CO 2-46th INF. There are 60 guys in my platoon and we have been assigned 3 drill sergeants (Drill Sergeants Gonzalez, Stockton and Sutherland).
We loaded the bus @ 14:00 and made the 2-mile drive to "Sand Hill"; the infamous BCT side for the Infantry. When we stopped, the drill sergeant said "Men, welcome to Basic Combat Training, now get the **** off my bus". We had to carry all of our stuff (about 75 lbs worth) up "Sand hill" to our new barracks (which look like college dorms by the way). Then the push ups began because we never did anything right. We were in our full ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms) and it was about 95 degrees outside. Wet from head to toe, we were taken to a classroom for a 2 hour briefing of expectations, rules, and just general housekeeping stuff. Chow was @ 18:00 and after that we came back to the barracks and emptied all of our bags on the floor. Talk about chaos! We sorted through our stuff (not fast enough), so we would stop to do push ups along the way. I think we have knocked out about 200 push ups so far. There are 16 shower heads in our barracks. We did a "moving shower line" where everyone had 3 secs at each shower head (LOL). 21:00 was lights out. Needless to say, I, along with the rest of 1st platoon was soaking wet when we crawled into bed.
Specialist W. Matthew Chancey
B Co 2-46 INF (Bldg 3520)
1st Platoon, RN #141
9697 2nd Armored Div. Road
Ft. Benning, GA 31905-4769
28 June 2011
We left the 30th AG Battalion (Reception) at 14:00 today after a morning briefing and chow. I was assigned to the 1st Platoon of B CO 2-46th INF. There are 60 guys in my platoon and we have been assigned 3 drill sergeants (Drill Sergeants Gonzalez, Stockton and Sutherland).
We loaded the bus @ 14:00 and made the 2-mile drive to "Sand Hill"; the infamous BCT side for the Infantry. When we stopped, the drill sergeant said "Men, welcome to Basic Combat Training, now get the **** off my bus". We had to carry all of our stuff (about 75 lbs worth) up "Sand hill" to our new barracks (which look like college dorms by the way). Then the push ups began because we never did anything right. We were in our full ACUs (Army Combat Uniforms) and it was about 95 degrees outside. Wet from head to toe, we were taken to a classroom for a 2 hour briefing of expectations, rules, and just general housekeeping stuff. Chow was @ 18:00 and after that we came back to the barracks and emptied all of our bags on the floor. Talk about chaos! We sorted through our stuff (not fast enough), so we would stop to do push ups along the way. I think we have knocked out about 200 push ups so far. There are 16 shower heads in our barracks. We did a "moving shower line" where everyone had 3 secs at each shower head (LOL). 21:00 was lights out. Needless to say, I, along with the rest of 1st platoon was soaking wet when we crawled into bed.
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