Afghanistan Two
Thurs. 11 Dec.-
Wow- This not having computer access is challenging. I am at my CRC HQ now, where I threw myself on the mercy of the very busy staff. I'm staying out of their way, and at least they don't have to drive me to and from another location. The CRC can process a maximum of 400 deployees per week, and this week they are at that max. In fact, they had to turn away over 100 people who were looking for slots this week!
Today is our last day here (at Ft. Benning) and we are all ready to go. Since I don't have to qualify on a weapon, I was spared having to be at the arms room at 0430 and going out to the range in the rain. For those of you in AZ- we have received approximately our annual rainfall back home in the last 24 hours. I am actually contemplating digging out the wet weather gear!
We've spent the week with a lot of paperwork and a lot of equipment. I feel like I won the boot lottery- 2 pair of regular boots, 2 pair of cold weather boots, 1 pair of extreme cold weather boots, rubber overboots and chemical protective boots. And, of course, I traveled here in boots as well. We receive the same issue as folks who are going for a year and are going to be on patrol 14 hours a day, in case you're wondering.
This afternoon my priority mission is to coordinate with the CRC Chaplain and leave a duffle bag in his closet. My faithful assistant, SFC Cohen left me a duffle and a box of his to leave as well- hoping not to have my head bitten off, but I can't drag that stuff through the theatre.
I did manage to decline some of the stuff they wanted to issue to me- the entrenching tool- SFC Cohen said that if I need it I can use his. (Don't plan to need it!) Also- poncho liner, canteens and anything associated with carrying weapons. Even so, they issue about 6 bags of stuff, but we're only allowed 4 bags. I'm not great at math, but it doesn't add up. . . .
Training has included lots of first aid stuff- evaluating a casualty, treating for shock, calling for MEDEVAC. I am not confident in my ability to stick a needle in someone's chest to release air from a collapsed lung after a half an hour class. I also hope not to be called on to cut the plastic side of an MRE package to tape someone's intestines to their stomach so that the intestines don't drag on the ground as they are carried out on a litter. However, the truly touching thing, and I mean it sincerely, is that I AM confident that, God forbid if I needed such assistance, any person in that room would make their best possible effort to take care of me.
We studied field dressings, pressure bandages and tourniquets. SFC Cohen commented that if I get so much as a paper cut he's putting a tourniquet on it! He's taking great care of me- put together my kevlar helmet and body armor. There's a new body armor that is much more extensive than what I'm used to- it includes shoulder pads and side pads and is considerably more bulky and heavy. Compared to what we have now, the old vest seems sleek and streamlined. Those two items occupy one entire duffle bag of their own.
We reviewed the whole IED thing and looked at bunches of different types of unexploded ordnance we might encounter. Statistic given was that there are 9-10 million pieces of UXO in Afghanistan, so, the general rule is that if you didn't put it down, don't pick it up.
We fly out on Friday and it will be days before I see a computer again, but I'll be in touch when I can.
Wow- This not having computer access is challenging. I am at my CRC HQ now, where I threw myself on the mercy of the very busy staff. I'm staying out of their way, and at least they don't have to drive me to and from another location. The CRC can process a maximum of 400 deployees per week, and this week they are at that max. In fact, they had to turn away over 100 people who were looking for slots this week!
Today is our last day here (at Ft. Benning) and we are all ready to go. Since I don't have to qualify on a weapon, I was spared having to be at the arms room at 0430 and going out to the range in the rain. For those of you in AZ- we have received approximately our annual rainfall back home in the last 24 hours. I am actually contemplating digging out the wet weather gear!
We've spent the week with a lot of paperwork and a lot of equipment. I feel like I won the boot lottery- 2 pair of regular boots, 2 pair of cold weather boots, 1 pair of extreme cold weather boots, rubber overboots and chemical protective boots. And, of course, I traveled here in boots as well. We receive the same issue as folks who are going for a year and are going to be on patrol 14 hours a day, in case you're wondering.
This afternoon my priority mission is to coordinate with the CRC Chaplain and leave a duffle bag in his closet. My faithful assistant, SFC Cohen left me a duffle and a box of his to leave as well- hoping not to have my head bitten off, but I can't drag that stuff through the theatre.
I did manage to decline some of the stuff they wanted to issue to me- the entrenching tool- SFC Cohen said that if I need it I can use his. (Don't plan to need it!) Also- poncho liner, canteens and anything associated with carrying weapons. Even so, they issue about 6 bags of stuff, but we're only allowed 4 bags. I'm not great at math, but it doesn't add up. . . .
Training has included lots of first aid stuff- evaluating a casualty, treating for shock, calling for MEDEVAC. I am not confident in my ability to stick a needle in someone's chest to release air from a collapsed lung after a half an hour class. I also hope not to be called on to cut the plastic side of an MRE package to tape someone's intestines to their stomach so that the intestines don't drag on the ground as they are carried out on a litter. However, the truly touching thing, and I mean it sincerely, is that I AM confident that, God forbid if I needed such assistance, any person in that room would make their best possible effort to take care of me.
We studied field dressings, pressure bandages and tourniquets. SFC Cohen commented that if I get so much as a paper cut he's putting a tourniquet on it! He's taking great care of me- put together my kevlar helmet and body armor. There's a new body armor that is much more extensive than what I'm used to- it includes shoulder pads and side pads and is considerably more bulky and heavy. Compared to what we have now, the old vest seems sleek and streamlined. Those two items occupy one entire duffle bag of their own.
We reviewed the whole IED thing and looked at bunches of different types of unexploded ordnance we might encounter. Statistic given was that there are 9-10 million pieces of UXO in Afghanistan, so, the general rule is that if you didn't put it down, don't pick it up.
We fly out on Friday and it will be days before I see a computer again, but I'll be in touch when I can.
Comments