EOBC 12 weeks down --
Heading out to the field
Monday April 22, 2002
Well, tomorrow we go out to the field for two weeks
so I won't get to give you an update until I get back.
I have mixed feelings about the Field Training Exercise
(FTX) Coming up. In one way, I will be glad to get out
of the classroom. If I look at another powerpoint slide
presentation I think that I will vomit. So it will be
nice to be outside breathing fresh air and moving the
muscles. We haven't received the packing list yet. I
can imagine that it will be around 65 lbs. Plus, I was
lucky enough to draw the short straw and I get to carry
the entrenching tool. So add another four pounds for
me.
The first day of the field is going to consist of what
is called "Sapper Stakes." I have NO IDEA where they get
the "Stakes" from, but I know that a "Sapper" is an old
term for an army engineer. The guys that used to dig
zig-zag trenches up to the enemy's position, and then
tunnel under (or through) their defenses. Glad that
things have changed. If you do well at the Sapper Stakes
you can become a "Super Sapper!" No kidding. For real.
Also, the top Supper Sapper gets recognition at graduation.
I guess that he would be the "Super Duper Sapper!"
I can settle for being a "Soup Sapper" or maybe a
"Super Napper." But seriously, I'll do my best for what
it's worth.
In preparation for the field. I (don't laugh) have been
eating matches. Two per day. It is supposed to keep the
ticks off of me. I don't know if it is an old wife's tale
or not, but I figured that it couldn't hurt. I hate ticks.
Oh, and, by the way, did I mention that I HATE ticks! If
that doesn't work, there's always good old "Off." But I
prefer not to turn my uniform into a big chemical dump.
Four of us Aggies held Muster Monday night. There are no
Aggies in my class, but there are three in the class after
me. We just met up at a local restaurant (the Hub again)
had a couple of beers, ate, and reminiced about good ole
Aggieland. They were very amused to find out that I was
in the Singing Cadets. Of couse they gave me hell for that.
It turns our that two of the guys are in the Texas National
Guard and drill in Waco. Of course I gave them hell for that.
At our Battalion command briefing last week, I received a
"certificate of achievement" for hiding easter eggs. Again
no kidding. A few of us voulenteered to help hide easter
eggs for the local kiddies. I had no idea that they would
put us in front of the whole battalion and single us out.
I was just thanking my lucky stars that didn't have to
play Easter Bunny!
I got my AT (Annual Training) orders yesterday. They have
me going to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana for a week just after
I get home from EOBC. It'll be a nice change of pace though.
Today has been a very long day. We have two huge tests at
the end of the course and today was one of them: Horizontal
construction. A three and one-half hour exam. I took every
minuite of it too. I did pretty well... 96%. Then we spent
the rest of the day doing pre-combat checks (fancy name for
checking if you have all of the stuff you thought that you
did) So we counted mittens and drew field gear including
a fake M16 rifle called a "rubber duck." It's as heavy as
the M16 and it looks almost exactly like it, but it's made
of rubber. We are going to take those out to the field.
Then, at the end of the day, when everyone was dismissed a
little early so they gould get their stuff ready to go out
for two weeks, a pig pile of doo doo landed right on top
of my head. Guard duty. Someone had to pull guard duty
on the stuff that we had already shipped out to the field.
And yours truly drew the short straw. Guard duty from 17:00
until 23:00. So now I am DEAD DOG tired and we have to be
at the company HQ at 04:30 with ruck sack on back ready to
move out.
So, I had better get going. I will be in the field for
the next two weeks so it may be a little difficult to get
ahold of me. But I am expecting a bunch of emails in my
inbox when I get back !!!! Only the field FTX and then
Vertical construction and I am pretty much home free.
Take care!
Your favorite lieutenant,
-Nick