marty's Blog

April 07

Ok, I finally got some time to update the site on what I have been doing; we have basically no personal time anymore. Last night was the first time in many days. Tonight we may finish at 8 PM so I should get on the computer again. Or at least I hope.

2 Apr wake up was at 4:30 AM, loaded truck with gear for the three day field exercise. 5:15 was chow and by 6:30 we were combat marching into the FOB (forward operating base). Classes started with call for fire, air support, personnel search, car search which they had real Iraqi’s there for the training. From that we moved into head, chest, and abdomen and bleeding combat first aid. Next was radio communications and finished around 9PM with prep for the next days convoy and IED training. Of course it was cold windy and raining the whole time.

3 Apr wake up was at 6AM, training started with Iraq culture, coordinate with coalition and Iraq forces, tactical questioning, protect classified information. Arabic language which was taught by the Iraqi people, dealing with the media, utilizes an interpreter, negotiations with Iraqi people, cordon and search, urban operations, and MOUT training. MOUT is military operations urban terrain. Basically fighting in the cities. A storm came through this day with heavy and I mean heavy rain, wind at about 40 miles an hour, lightning, thunder and a tornado warning. We ended up in an old ammo bunker for one hour waiting out the tornado warning. This was the second day of freezing our butts off.

Training continued into the night of course with field dressings, tourniquets, and hand signals, combat casualty care under fire and cold injuries, it was still raining by the way. The last class of individual preventive medicine was at 9PM. Now the rain has stopped but wind still blowing at 40 mph.

4 Apr wake up was at 5:30 and it is 30 degrees out. Started with a 30 minute road march to the IED lane training site. We started with unexploded ordinance and IED training. We spent all day training on that and in convoys reacting to both in many different scenarios. I was the gunner on top of the humvee and the driver while coming out of a traffic control point scenario dropped the front right tire off the edge of an old bridge. The humvee came to a dead stop and through me up against the turret on the humvee, pain was instant. Not realizing it at the time the humvee was about to tip over into the drink as I exited the vehicle it started to tip over so had to slowly put my weight back on the vehicle until we could hook it up to another vehicle. We recovered the vehicle no damage was done and I was fine, only a lot of pain with minor cuts. I think I should get a purple heart. (not really). We then continued into the night with radio and first aid testing on what we learned earlier. We then went into night training with convoys and IED’s. Still cold and windy so we continued to freeze. We then moved back into the cantonment area as the field training was now over. We got back to the barracks at about 10 PM. It was at that time that we unloaded gear unpacked and repacked for the next days training. We are all pretty much frozen stiff zombies by now but are thankful for the warm barracks and a shower.

5 Apr was 6AM wake up, thank god we got to sleep in. We started land navigation at 7 in the cold and wind; however they did have wood burning in two barrels for us to warm up around. Land navigation consisted of both conventional map and compass where we had to determine azimuth and distance and then head into the woods to find three points. We had to get two out of three to pass. The second portion we used military GPS system to find points on the ground. After the land navigation we had three more classes by a military lawyer. They are laws of war, military justice and rules of engagement. We finished at 5PM and went to chow. We were off the rest of the night for once. However by time we got ready for the next day and cleaned up it was 8 PM, so about three hours to check emails.

6 Apr 06 AM wake up. We started hand to hand combat at 7 AM this morning. That was a lot of fun but very painful, however we did learn a lot of submission and kill moves. This training took us until the noon meal. At 1PM we started NBC training, gas mask, chemical suit and decontamination. The evening consisted of a briefing on equal opportunity and sexual harassment. 7:30 PM and we are done for the night. Of course this means we still have a meeting and need to prep gear for tomorrows training.

7 Apr 5 AM wake up. Still cold and windy, I am running around with a sunburned nose from last week and freezing to death. We had breakfast and started CLS (combat life saver) training today. Classes included control bleeding, splinting wounds, tourniquets, needle chest decompression, NPA which is shoving a tube down the nose to open an airway so a soldier can breathe, evaluate a casualty, field medical card which is the paper work end of treating a soldier, and finally requesting medical evacuation. This took us until supper and then at 6 PM we started the accident avoidance class which ended at 8:15 PM. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday therefore we are off in the morning, first formation is at 11:45. This will be a nice break from the grueling hours we have been putting in. We just found out tonight that we will now be leaving on the 17th instead of the 16th for Kuwait. This is a welcome bit of news as this will give us a day to get laundry and last minute things done as well as a day of rest so we don’t fly into a combat zone exhausted.

March 29

Today started at 4 AM wakeup and at morning chow by five. At 6 AM we were taken to a room for a piss test to insure we have no illegal substances in our body. By 8 AM we started the non lethal training in full battle gear, let me tell you 60 lbs of armor and gear took its toll on me by 7 PM tonight. The training consisted of the following; military paint ball guns, one which we use at home for our paint ball wars in the summer and the other a military version which will kill if you hit the target in the head or chest. Station two was the tazzer gun. This bad boy will ruin your day. We could no longer shoot at each other due to a pending incident in which a soldier was killed. But I did fire it into a fake target which let you see how the electric current flows through a body. Third station was hand to hand combat using the aggressor’s movements to your advantage. At one point during a demonstration I was totally at the mercy of a female instructor that was about five feet tall and weighed 120 lbs. (the shit works). Forth station was baton training to include defense and offence as well as restraining victoms’ once on the ground. Fifth station was a class on arresting and detaining the bad guys. Sixth station was crowd and riot training with full body protection and the clear shield like you would see in the news when the police are squaring off with an unruly crowd. This was a lot of fun but very intense as it all happens to fast with so many teams and formations to direct. Along with that you must try to control the situation without letting it escalate and decide when to use lethal or non lethal force.

After the non lethal training we had Arabic language training until supper. This is computer based and very painful. After trying to understand and learn Arabic In my opinion it is no wonder they are a third world country.

After chow was squad meeting and packed and prepared gear for tomorrows training. We also were issued a 9 mm pistol for our secondary weapon. We now have both weapons in our possession until we return from Iraq. This is a pain in the but as they must be with us at all times. Only exception is to have a battle buddy secure your weapon while in the shower and this type of thing and then switch out. You do not want to know what could happen If a military weapon becomes unaccounted for.

Tomorrow we have a 5:30 AM wake up and start our weapons training with the m4 rifle, 9 mm pistol, m240 machine gun and m249b machine gun. We have to qualify with the m4 and 9mm to include night fire and NBC fire (NBC) means qualifying with the gas mask on. So tomorrow will be about a 20 hour day in full battle gear again.

March 28

Today started out at 06:00 AM, went to chow and then to a senior NCO meeting with the Post Command Sergeant Major. The afternoon consisted of Personnel Recovery training, that is what to do when you become separated, captured and how to evade and escape. We had classroom instruction, briefings and online computer training. This took us to evening chow. At 6 PM we started what ended up being three hours of secret counter insurgent training, so obviously that is all I can say about that class. We finished the training at 9 PM tonight and returned to the barracks to pack all the gear we will need for tomorrows non lethal training. Full battle gear will be worn tomorrow; you’re talking about sixty pounds on our backs. Safety was stressed as to not have any broken bones tomorrow; this should prove to be a one fun day providing we don’t die from exhaustion and heat stroke lol. Oh and we found out tonight that we are now scheduled to leave camp atterburry for Kuwait on 16 Aprill. They moved the date up on us again. We will be the first unit to ever proccess through this mob station in its history. they are pretty impresed with us and how well trained we already are. This is good in two ways, one is that it shortened our six day Forward Operating Base training from six days in the field to three. Secondly it will get us home faster, our time does not start untill we step on Iraq soil so the sooner we get there the sooner we get home.

But that is tomorrow and will be bloged tomorrow if I get a chance.

March 27

Yesterday consisted of briefings all morning, they were suppose to go into the afternoon but we sailed through it due to having most of the paper work that went with it done back in Bismarck. This afforded us the opportunity to do some MOUT training.

Today we started the actual SRP, so it was all medical, dental, finance, chaplain, shots, and about a million other stations consisting of paperwork at each one, If I ever sign my name again it will be to soon. lol. This afternoon we got fitted for four more sets of uniforms, they should be in in about two weeks. After the fitting it was off to the computer room for four hours of self paced training online concerning actions to take if captured. I completed the training in about one hour, which explains why I am on the internet in the late afternoon.It sounds like we may train untill about nine tonight on other languages. yeah.

March 25

ok the 4 is total days and the 1 after the slash is days at Atterburry. Yeah just my own little mind of catologing things. dang this thing needs spell check. Ok these pics are of Atterburry taken today. this is my little home for awhile, i need more room lol.

Well I finaly found an internet conection at the library on post. I can’t use my computer untill it has been approved by the computer gods here. so the pics I have to uplaod will have to wait. there was a million people lined along the roads as we left town all waveing flags and stuff. that was pretty cool, there was people at every over pass all the way to valley city too. It was a 21 hour bus ride from bismarck to here, my but is about to fall of, which would make me feel better. things are hecktic here yet but to be expected as we have only been here a few hours. Of course I lost on bag already, just my luck, but it turned out that it was here just that some officer took it by mistake so I have all my gear know. The meal at the chow hall tonight was great, tasted good with a nice salad bar and it was air conditioned whitch is good because we have been sweating bad ever since we got here. it sounds like we will be working from dusk to dawn every day so internet might be limited because this library is only open untill 10 PM. We have 24 days to get everything done here and then its off to Kuwait. We start with all the paperwork, shots, medical, leagal stuff tomorrow. I can’t wait to see the dentist, he is my favorite. lol. Ok once I can get my computer up and running i will post some pictures of my beutifull living quarters. lol

March 23

Today consisted only of the send off ceremony at the armory. The place was packed and was actually a prety good ceremony. Mick and mom, fransis, cindy and her family were all there. After that was over we had ID cards made for Marla and the kids and then went to Jacks steak house for lunch. We then went to the show and after that we went to Cindy’s new house to visit everyone. We had a good time visiting and seeing everyone for the last time before heading out. Now we have untill tomorrow at five to spend time together before I get on the bus to Indiana.

March 22

Well day one in Bismarck went quickly, we formed up at 1PM and began the task of inspecting all our gear to insure all was there and servicable and then packed in prober bags and labled accordingly. bags were than loaded and read to head to Indiana on saturday. Following that we practiced for the send off ceremony scheduled for tomorrow. We got released about 4:30 and went back to the motel room to spend time with the family. I must say everyone was there way early and all was in very good spirits.

March 21

Hi everyone,

Well I am all packed up and ready to head to Bismarck for mobilization. I am starting tomorrow with day one, lets hope I don’t tally up to far past 365!!! My intent is to keep a diary so to speak on this site of my time at war untill I get home. I will post pictures also as I take them. This is of course dependant on the fact I have internet conection while in Iraq. I still do not know where I am going to be over there.

what are the odds I will be able to import blogs from myspace to my web site blog???????????????