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