(no subject)
It's that first sip of cold beer at the end of a long day which somehow relaxes my entire body. I must have disassembled and put back together the 249 (same rounds as M16 only shoots more rapid and effectively) and the 50 cal. (a weapon that has a round that will break a persons neck if it passes by there head without striking them) at least twenty-five times this week. The 50 cal. is an amazing weapon. I think the last time they updated it was the Korean War, but it is still used throughout every branch of the military.
Anyway, as you might have already guessed these past two weeks have been familiarization of tanks and tank crew serve weapon systems. Most of these days have been spent in a big warehouse full of tanks. We Lieutenants spent the majority of our time being taught the computer systems that operate the tanks as well as how to effectively fire the tanks.
The up side to all this rather dry training is the simulator. Most people have seen in movies the flight simulators. Well, the Germans built a tank simulator that allows the crew to traverse terrain, find target and destroy them. Basically, it like a gigantic computer games only when you move the controls to drive/fire you can feel the (fake) tank moving. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it is pretty intense 3D game play.
It gets better. Next week we actually go to the range and do it on the real deal. 'Steal on Target' maneuvering and firing a platoon size element of tanks. It will probably be the best part of this course.
Much of this school is in the class room. This is especially true I've heard when we reach the tactics phase. Most days we work around 12 hours and the few days we do get off are spent catching up on normal day to day errands/chores, or studying for the next exam. That aspect of the course sucks, not a lot of free time. When you're away from your family for six months this is sometimes a blessing because it flies by.
The accommodations are decent. They basically gave us one bedroom apartments to live in except that a maid comes around each day to do stuff like vacuuming and making the bed. That's a first in my eight years in the military. When I was enlisted it tended to be four to forty guys all living together. Zero privacy, but plenty of snoring soldiers.
The vibe here is also different then I expected. It's almost funeral somber at times amongst my fellow students. Pretty much every week someone in the platoon (about twenty guys) gets changed orders that send them to a new unit which is deploying. This is especially hard on the married guys because the families are planning on being at one fort and are already trying to get set up for that move only to be told that they will have to a completely different state and that their husband/father will be gone for the next one or two years. When the guys are frustrated they hold it in. No one looks for sympathy because everyone assumes that if they haven't gotten orders for pending deployments that they will shortly.
We talk about the change in view of the army in the past five years. Right after 911 if soldiers were anywhere in uniform people would constantly come up and thank them for their service. Now, often it's angry stares or worse.
I feel that's ok. Americans don't have to love the military or the war. That's one great thing about this country is people have the right to have an opinion. The thing that irks me is the people that claim to separate the two. I'm so sick of hearing "Oh, I'm opposed to the war but I support the troops." Well I'm sorry to have to tell you this but that isn't the way it works. This is especially frustrating when it is the government officials I voted for that claim to oppose the war yet still are agreeing to fund it.
I don't claim to have a solution. In fact, the more I hear about what is happening over there, the more confused I get. Enough ranting.
Can't wait to go home. By the time I make it back to Vegas I can take him swimming outside. Lawrence loves the water. I think all kids probably do. I remember spending hours swimming with my brothers in the creek behind our old house.
Anyway, as you might have already guessed these past two weeks have been familiarization of tanks and tank crew serve weapon systems. Most of these days have been spent in a big warehouse full of tanks. We Lieutenants spent the majority of our time being taught the computer systems that operate the tanks as well as how to effectively fire the tanks.
The up side to all this rather dry training is the simulator. Most people have seen in movies the flight simulators. Well, the Germans built a tank simulator that allows the crew to traverse terrain, find target and destroy them. Basically, it like a gigantic computer games only when you move the controls to drive/fire you can feel the (fake) tank moving. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it is pretty intense 3D game play.
It gets better. Next week we actually go to the range and do it on the real deal. 'Steal on Target' maneuvering and firing a platoon size element of tanks. It will probably be the best part of this course.
Much of this school is in the class room. This is especially true I've heard when we reach the tactics phase. Most days we work around 12 hours and the few days we do get off are spent catching up on normal day to day errands/chores, or studying for the next exam. That aspect of the course sucks, not a lot of free time. When you're away from your family for six months this is sometimes a blessing because it flies by.
The accommodations are decent. They basically gave us one bedroom apartments to live in except that a maid comes around each day to do stuff like vacuuming and making the bed. That's a first in my eight years in the military. When I was enlisted it tended to be four to forty guys all living together. Zero privacy, but plenty of snoring soldiers.
The vibe here is also different then I expected. It's almost funeral somber at times amongst my fellow students. Pretty much every week someone in the platoon (about twenty guys) gets changed orders that send them to a new unit which is deploying. This is especially hard on the married guys because the families are planning on being at one fort and are already trying to get set up for that move only to be told that they will have to a completely different state and that their husband/father will be gone for the next one or two years. When the guys are frustrated they hold it in. No one looks for sympathy because everyone assumes that if they haven't gotten orders for pending deployments that they will shortly.
We talk about the change in view of the army in the past five years. Right after 911 if soldiers were anywhere in uniform people would constantly come up and thank them for their service. Now, often it's angry stares or worse.
I feel that's ok. Americans don't have to love the military or the war. That's one great thing about this country is people have the right to have an opinion. The thing that irks me is the people that claim to separate the two. I'm so sick of hearing "Oh, I'm opposed to the war but I support the troops." Well I'm sorry to have to tell you this but that isn't the way it works. This is especially frustrating when it is the government officials I voted for that claim to oppose the war yet still are agreeing to fund it.
I don't claim to have a solution. In fact, the more I hear about what is happening over there, the more confused I get. Enough ranting.
Can't wait to go home. By the time I make it back to Vegas I can take him swimming outside. Lawrence loves the water. I think all kids probably do. I remember spending hours swimming with my brothers in the creek behind our old house.