Counter Insurgency & Cultural Awareness Week

Hello All,

Sorry for the delay. My parents came in last weekend for Mother's Day. It was great to see them. I last saw my mother in October '07 and it had been about 2 years since I last saw my dad.

We had our introductory lectures for the Counter Insurgency (COIN) training on Saturday until about 13:00. My parents arrived in town about 14:00, so it worked out nicely. We stayed at this Comfort Suites hotel in Junction City, KS. I do not recommend it. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a criticism of my parent's choice. 99% of the time Comfort Suites are decent hotels. This just happened to be the 0.1%. It was ok, just the construction was a bit shoddy in the rooms. They had a microwave, TV and small refrigerator in the room. They were all connected with this bright orange, heavy duty extension cord. A bit "Gheto-fabulous" :) Anyway, it served the purpose.

That afternoon, we went into Manhattan, KS to this district called: AGGIEVILLE. It's about 4 square blocks of bars. There are a couple of deli shops and 2 bookstores as well. We went into one of the book stores so I could buy a book for my daughter, Ella. She's almost 14 months old. My wife speaks German to her, so I bought a children's book of 1000 German words. It has all these cartoon pictures and the German words spelled under them. It was cute. Chances are, Ella will be more interested in trying to put it into her mouth.

Afterwards, we visited a couple of bars and talked. That evening, we went to a restaurant in Junction City. Nice place. Kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but the food was good. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and talked some more until we were tired. Not so exciting, but great because I got to spend some quality time with them.

The next morning, we went to Abilene, KS to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. Abilene is about as small as it gets, but the museum was very impressive. They have an exhibit there right now that shows memorabilia from every President from Washington to our current President. We spent a good 4 hours there.

We went back to Junction City for lunch. We wanted to go to the Cracker Barrel, but the line was out the door with a 40+ minute wait time. We decided not to wait and went to the Family Buffet across the street. DO NOT EVER GO THERE!!! This place was horrible and the food was only marginally better. We should have spent the time to drive to Manhattan. Much better choices and quality there.

My parents dropped me off at FT Riley around 16:00. I had some studying to do and they had a 4 hour trip ahead of them. It was really great to see them. They might come up again in a few weeks. I really look forward to it. I also look forward to flying home to see my wife, Andrea and daughter, Ella for Memorial Day.

Today, we started our 6 days of COIN training. This includes lessons in a common language in Afghanistan, called Dari. I'm very glad that I have learned a foreign language in the past. German is no where close to Dari, but I understand the 'mind set' you have to have to be open to learning new patterns for language learning. We, obviously, will never be fluent, but it will useful to have some phrases, pronunciation and it really gives an insight into their culture and how they think.

The day started with retrieving our weapons from the Armory at 06:00. Then we had breakfast. Our classes started at 08:00 and continued until 12:00. We had an hour for lunch and then continued our COIN classes until 16:00.

We have to retain possession of our weapons until the end of training on Saturday. Tomorrow's classes start at 08:00 again. My team will be getting up at 05:00 to do some much needed physical exercises. We'll start at the gym for some weight training and then finish with a 2 mile run. Not too taxing, but we're just beginning. Each team is responsible for conducting their own PT. I found that nice of the Army. They could have been very strict and made us PT formally with them and their Drill Instructors. Then again, this isn't supposed to be Boot Camp. I've heard, though, that the other training bases make the Navy do that and have other very strict rules. We are allowed liberty (time off base) every night after training and we have 1/2 days on Saturdays and all Sunday off every week. We also get three 4-day weekends while we are here. I've heard that the other training sites do not let their trainees wear civilian clothes, have no liberty and cannot drink while there.

I've included a picture of my mother. I've also stuck in a picture of the rifle that I have to carry around. It's called an M4. It uses 5.56mm ammunition, has a collapsible stock, optical sights and laser sights. I also have an M9 Pistol. You can see it if you look close enough. It's above my M4 in a holster. The holster is bulky, so it's hard to make out.

OK, I have to finish some reading for tomorrow's class. Then, off to some much needed sleep!

Good night....

End of ADMIN week

It's Thursday of the first week. Tomorrow I'll receive my weapons and we'll be turned over to the Army for the beginning of training. This next week is supposed to be Language and Cultural awareness training. We have an introduction to Dari language on Saturday.

Saturdays are supposed to be half-days. Well, the Army's idea of a half-day is 1 day = 24 hours. Half day = 12 hours. No worries, just glad to be starting training, finally. I'm curious about the language training. I know that we aren't going to be fluent, but it should still be interesting. The theory is that if you already have learned a second language, then a 3rd isn't as difficult. I'm sure that's all relative. I speak German fairly well. I lived in Germany for two years and had to teach Naval Officer Candidates about Naval Science in German. We'll see how this goes.

I took a picture of me in my ballistic vest (called: Battle Rattle...). This stuff is heavy!! When you add the helmet, pistol, rifle, and back pack, it will be a significant amount of weight to carry around. I'm considering having my team start doing some marches with all of this gear. I'll start out with some short marches and gradually build up the distance. They need, and me, need to get used to carrying this stuff around. It's what we'll have to do when we are in theater ('down range'), so we might as well get used to it now.

I have to get going. Meetings with the battalion commander this afternoon. I should have more info later.

Day 3 of IA Training

Today was the first official day of our IA training. This week is scheduled to be mostly gear issue and a few briefs. This morning started out at 05:30 with basic shower and breakfast. I think next week we'll start with the PT in the mornings.

After breakfast we mustered with the senior officer among our group of trainees. We proceeded to board a few buses to take us to our first brief. This consisted of a basic in-brief by the Army and was followed by a Navy brief. During this brief we were separated into teams. The team concept becomes more important next week when the actual training begins. I was named as a team leader for a team of 9 personnel. Should be easy enough. Mainly I only have to make sure that the various members get to their training events on-time and deal with any personnel or medical issues that might arise. Every evening, we have a team leader meeting to discuss the schedule and any changes that might come up.

After the initial briefings, we broke for lunch. After lunch we had to assemble at a warehouse for some gear issue. Today we only received a small part of what we'll finally end up with. Even this small amount was substantial, at least in weight. We received our body armor and a few cold weather items. Coveralls, rain ponchos, etc.

Tomorrow, we are scheduled to receive some 'high tech' gear for our weapons and night vision devices and our complete load-out of cold weather gear. Fleece jackets, cold weather parkas and such. I believe that on Thursday, we are supposed to receive our Weapons. We are supposed to do a LOT of shooting while we are here. I've always been fairly comfortable around weapons and I enjoy shooting. Curious to see how the Army will take the fun out of it.

I finally received my issue of Desert Uniforms today. Apparently, I was supposed to get it in Port Hueneme, CA. However; all they did was fit us for them. When we arrived here, the staff was a bit surprised that we didn't have them already. I've been wearing my green camouflage BDUs, so I stuck out a bit from the rest of the group. All of those of us who came through Port Hueneme were in the same position.

I received a call today from my wife. It was so good to hear her voice. I wasn't able to talk to my daughter, because she was asleep. I was able to talk with her yesterday. It's important for me that she remembers who I am and can recognize my voice. I made some 'horse' sounds over the phone to her and I could hear her laughing hysterically. She loved it when I would do that at home. I'm glad that she's able to still laugh when she hears me. I miss her and my wife very much. I hope to get some pictures of them soon.

Anyway, I have to review the schedule for tomorrow and make sure that I didn't miss anything.

Good night.

Day Two - FT Riley

I woke up this morning around 06:00. Not bad considering I had been getting up around 04:30 most other mornings due to the time difference of CA vice VA. I slept very well. Now, I do not know if that was due to the bed being comfortable or my fatigue because I had been traveling since 02:30 the previous morning.

When I woke up, I was fairly hungry. However, our information package, which we received yesterday said that the Galley opens at 09:30 on weekends. OK, I figured I could wait. 09:30 came....and went. Apparently, the Galley sometimes opens, sometimes does not on Sunday mornings. This was not one of those times. Another note about the Galley, the Army calls it a D-FAC. (pronounced like D Fack). This stands for Dining Facility. No worries, the Navy has it's own idiosyncrasies and the Navy is much more crazy with the acronyms.

So, I headed over to the local mini-mart. I realized that there were some items that I needed. I needed a lock for our foot-lockers, a pair of shower shoes, mouthwash, laundry detergent and a towel. I also bought some Nutri-Grain bars and some individual sized chicken-salad snacks. I had to eat something.

You've seen those Far-Side cartoons with the couple staring at a sign that said "NOWHERE" and showed them in the middle of it? Well, I think that we are on the far back side of there. There doesn't seem to be much of anything around here. I found out that the exchange is about 10 miles away from where we are staying. There is a shuttle bus, but it doesn't run on Sunday mornings to the exchange. The buses only take you to church on Sunday mornings. I wonder if that's a Kansas thing or an Army thing? Probably both.

*Funny note about the D-FAC.* There is a sign on the D-FAC that states the following:
"This is a hardened facility. In case of in-direct fire, remain inside." There were two concerns I had with this sign. 1: This building is definitely NOT a hardened building. 2: WHY do they feel the need to post such a sign? Have they had this issue in the past?

We do not anything planned for today. I imagine that I'll just sit here any read. Maybe I'll watch a TV show on my laptop.

Arrived at FT Riley, KS

Well, we finally arrived at FT Riley, KS. The day started out for me at 02:30. After a quick shower and a search around the room to make sure that I had everything, I made my way out to the buses.

We had made reservations for about 30 of us for transportation to LAX and the bill was $920. Problem was that about 11 people decided not to show up, so there was a balance difference in what everyone was told to pay and what we ended up with. Myself, a Chief and a Commander chipped in to make up the difference. Came out to be about $115 each. Good thing that I can claim that on my travel expenses and get reimbursed for it! I'm going to be pushing hard to make sure I get that back as soon as possible.

Once at the airport, it wasn't so bad. I got through the check-in line fairly quickly and then I had to go through security. That was pretty funny, because they wanted to look through my backpack. The first thing they came across was my 400+ Malaria medication pills. Then they pulled out my gas mask. Not too much of stir, but it raised some eyebrows.

I stopped for a quick run through Starbucks for some much needed breakfast. The flight to Denver was fairly uneventful. Once in Denver, I had to board a twin turbo prop to Manhattan, KS. I am not a fan of those small planes. They bounce around too much and they never seem to be able to fly straight. Luckily, the flight was only about 1 1/2 hours.

Now we are here and we are in open-bay barracks. Interesting, since I haven't lived in that type of berthing since I was an E-3 (about 16 years ago). Not sure how it will work out. They have enlisted and Officers living together. Don't want to sound like I've got my nose in the air, but it can be difficult with the younger sailors. They aren't always able to switch between personal and professional mode. I know, I had the same problem when I was junior enlisted.

I quickly discovered that those of us who did our processing at Port Hueneme, CA were the only ones who did not get issued our uniforms. We were told that we would be issued them when we arrived at FT Riley. Well, everyone else who has shown up today already has all of there gear. SEMPER GUMBY!!! Always flexible.

Apparently, we have nothing to do tonight nor all day tomorrow. I'm determined to get a run in tomorrow! I've been way too slack lately.

Anywho, I've included some pictures that I took today. Just to give you a small glimpse of what I'm experiencing. I'm sure that I'll have more to input tomorrow.

P.S: I welcome all input. Please feel free to leave a comment, question or suggestion. Just click on 'comment' below any post that you wish to say something about.

Last Day in CA - Day Trip

Today was spent as a leisurely day. Just doing some laundry, packing and the afternoon in Malibu. A few of the other Officers and I, took a trip down to Malibu for lunch and a little sight-seeing.

I've included some pictures of our trip. The first picture is the drive down along highway 101. You can see the cliffs and ocean. I was a pretty scenic drive. There were a lot of surfers out. We weren't the only ones who decided to take advantage of the beautiful day.
















We stopped along the highway in Malibu to have lunch at a place called Geoffrey's. Supposedly, a lot of celebrities like to go there. We didn't see any while we were there, but it was a wonderful place nonetheless. The food was great, but the view was even better.
























After quite a long lunch, we traveled further south through Malibu and onto Santa Monica. We didn't stop though. It was getting later in the afternoon and we still had to get back to prepare for our trip early in the morning.

That's all for now. The next update should come
sometime after I report into FT Riley, KS.

Take care.

Last Day of Processing

If any of you have been following along, you'll have noticed that I keep adding new content each time I post. With all of the 'white space' that we've had, I've tried to take the opportunity to improve the look and feel of this site. Hope you like it.... Please let me know if I'm over doing it at any time.

Anywho, I've figured out how to add images. I think that I know how to add video, but that might come later. The image you see in this post is the building where I've been staying this past week. I'm on the third floor. I was too slow to get the picture, but when I first arrived, there was a sign on the door (the red door you can see in the picture) which said "1st Floor secured for HAZMAT ABATEMENT". I found this a little disconcerting ;) It turned out to be nothing, they were just being cautious while removing carpeting on that floor.

Well, this is our last day here in Port Hueneme, CA. Interestingly enough, we have absolutely nothing to do. I understand that this is the day where they finish up any stragglers who aren't quite finished with processing. The other 99% of us are left with a free day. A couple of us are thinking about going to L.A. for the day. We'll see. We all have laundry and packing to do first.

We are flying out tomorrow morning to our various training locations throughout the country. I'm flying to FT Riley, KS. We are all meeting at 03:00 for our transportation to LAX. Many of us are flying out around 08:00 and it's about 1 1/2 hours to LAX. I know, it seems a bit odd that we have all day today to ourselves only to have to get up at "OH MY GOD IT'S EARLY" for a flight the next morning. I've been in the Navy for almost 18 years, so I'm used to this type of scheduling. I intend to just enjoy the time while I have it to myself.

I met up with the same group of Officers last night as I did the previous night. We went to my classmate's house for a cookout. It was a pretty good time. My friend has a great house in Ventura that they just moved into. It was nice to get off base and enjoy time with friends. My only regret is that my wife and daughter couldn't be there. Naturally, I took my camera and played the 'proud Papa'. I showed off the pictures of my family. It was nice to share and reflect on my family. I miss them very much.

Fortunately, I'm been able to speak with my wife fairly frequently while I've been here. Ella, my daughter, seems to be adjusting. She has a little bit of 'stranger anxiety', but I expect that she'll adapt fairly well soon. I'm very glad that my wife was able to fly home to her family. I'm sure that the familiar environment and support will help her. Plus, it gives her the opportunity to meet up with some friends that she hasn't seen in quite a while. That is the one difficult part of living in another country is that it is hard to maintain connections. It's one of the reasons that I am writing in this forum.

I have to get going now. Laundry to do and I'll probably go for a short run. Keep checking in....