Memorial Day Weekend

Hello all!

Last week was all about Combat Life Saving class. The first two days were all academic and purely "death by powerpoint". The third day was more interesting. That was I.V. day. We were all paired up with a buddy and we had to insert I.V.s into each other. Sounds crazy, right? It was actually, quite fun and very educational. There might come a time where your buddy might be wounded and needs an IV. Well, medics are pretty scarce and if you can save someone by giving them fluids until more modern treatment can arrive, then that's fine by me.

This was the first time I ever put an IV in anyone or anything. I was a bit nervous, but it went fairly smoothly anyway. Some had a more difficult time than others. Some were bleeding more than others. You really have to get a grip on the vien while you are preparing the rest of the IV or the blood will just start pumping right out. I included a couple of pictures to give you the idea.

The week ended Thursday with each team completing a type of Mass Casualty drill. Both involved the chaos, noise and confusion involved in a recent mortar attack. My team was completed by 12:00. Afterwards we were allowed to turn in our weapons to the armory. The weekend, due to Memorial Day, began that evening.

The next morning, I went up to Kansas City and flew home to see my wife and daulter. This weekend is exactly what I needed. Unfortunately I have to return to FT Riley tomorrow. It was so great to see my daughter walk! I try not to think too much on the other things that I'll be missing over this next year.

Today, we went to the beach. Ella had never had the opportunity to play and walk in the sand and water. She seemed like she really loved it! We were very nervous about scarring her too much. I'll include some pics as soon as my wife downloads them from her camera.

Well, it's getting late. I need to crawl into bed. Take care!