1 More Milestone Passed.

I recently completed IOBC. The course was 16 weeks of training to be an Infantry Officer. The course was designed to resemble the pattern of training we should use in leading our troops and modeled to train each individual on how to correctly perform infantry tasks and tactics all while providing opportunities to improve your leadership skills. The focus is on making you a competent Platoon Leader with the necessary skills to train and lead your platoon. (At least, the base skills to train and continue to learn more as you lead and train.)
Overall it was a good course. We had some excellent trainers. The curriculum was a week of classroom tactics followed by a week of tactical field practice. We would learn the theory and then go apply it in the field. I had a good time and learned more fieldcraft.
The end of the course we are awarded an Infantry Blue Cord to wear as we join the ranks of Infantrymen. It is a very symbolic and significant addition to your uniform that only 13% of the Army wears.

Here are the actual narrator's words from the ceremony when we were awarded the cord.

Infantry Blue Cord
Eighteenth Century European armies used cords and aguilettes to distinguish service branches and officers from enlisted. Many Continental Army units adopted this custom. After the American Revolution, cords fell into disuse until the Mexican War. During this war some Mexican military leaders threatened to hang any captured U.S. Officers. Many gallant men defiantly wore short ropes on their shoulders as they pressed home the attack in mocking tribute to their enemy's empty threat. Cords and aguilettes soon officially reappeared to denote various positions and awards and have remained with our Army until this day
General Washington selected the color blue to distinguish his tough and resolute infantry in the Continental Army from other types of soldiers. General LaFayette chose a light blue color to outfit his American Infantry Corps. For the next 120 years, the official Infantry color alternated between blue and white until 1904 when the Army officially adopted what we now know as "Infantry Blue."
In 1951, the Army leadership sought to encourage and recognize foot soldiers who were bravely fighting intense battles in Korea. They soon adopted the Infantry Blue Cord. This cord would only be worn by fully qualified Infantrymen and would announce for all to see that these men would be on the front line when our nation was at war.

The Final Field Exercise

Here is a recent picture from my training. This is my platoon. 41 infantry officers. All freezing our butts off early in the morning. It was about 7 am and around 30 degrees. we had been awake for a couple of hours but people were still moving slow.

We just fininshed our final field exercise for IOBC. It was a 10 day field problem, Platoon live fire exercise and a culminating attack on an Urban village. The culminating attack was supposed to be an Air Assault but we got rained out, so we ruck marched 14 miles for 6 hours(in the rain at a temp of 42 degrees) to the village and began the assault at 6 am. We attacked, seized 5 buildings and set up a perimeter defense to control the buildings and run patrols from for the next 2 days.

The pictures on Shalene's website are from the last day of patrols and operations in the town.

Oh My, an Update!

Its been a long time coming.
We haven't had internet and I have neglected my Blog.
So, just a short update since I last posted about 4 months ago.

I graduated from OCS and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry on June 30. A week later, I participated in a pilot program of BOLC II (Basic Officer Leadership Course) as the Army's "guinea pig" for 7 weeks. Then mid August I began IOBC (Infantry Officer Basic Course), the course I am currently still attending. It 16 weeks long training of tactics and leadership skills focused solely on Infantry Platoon leadership needed to be successful. The course is 10 weeks field exercises of tactics and application and 6 weeks of theory and classroom tactics study. It is generally a week in the field and then a week in classrooms. I really enjoy the variety in the schedule and I am home every weekend.

My timeline following this (for all who are interested) is:
IOBC graduation Dec 14
Ranger School in January
Airborne maybe March
Report to Ft. Drum, NY somewhere between May and June

Of course this timeline is all dependent upon my ability to pass one of the most difficult courses the Army has to offer. Ranger school. In the Infantry it is very important for officers to be Ranger qualified. Sometimes the emphasis on Ranger school makes it seem like the most important thing for a young officer.

Ranger school is 8 weeks of hell. A very physical course that is designed to mentally and physically stress and emotionally drain the strongest of soldiers. Weeks of being sleep deprived and running a calorie hungry body through very physical days on only 2 MREs per day is the standard platform to initiate most of the stress. Being hungry and tired seems to work for everyone. The course is divided into 3 phases: Darby phase at Ft. Benning, very physical portion of the course were the instructors focus all spare time on energy burning exercises in between legitimate training; Mountain phase in Dahlonega, GA, with hours of patrolling in mountainous terrain and very tiring night operations; Florida phase at Eglin Airforce Base, focusing on river operations an jungle type patrolling.

Much of my current training is preparing me to do my job as a Platoon leader, but most of my physical training is to get me ready for Ranger school. Good luck there, I am chasing a bunch of 22 yr old athletes everytime we go running.

Well, that is my world in the military right now. My civilian life on the weekends you usually hear about from Shalene. Each week, I look forward to the weekend to spend time with my wonderful wife and great daughter.

Some of the links are videos if you are interested.

Two Weeks of Playing GI Joe!

I just returned from a two week field leadership exercise and realized many of you do not know what I am doing. Let's start off by saying its no Boy Scout camping trip.

The 2 weeks were focused on leading in offensive and defensive tactical training environments. The company runs exactly the way an infantry line unit operates but is lead by students from all different branches not just combat arms.

The first week is focused on defense and establishing a patrol base for the company to conduct manuevers from a secure location. We built a patrol base to operate from and maintain security for 130 people. The base was shaped as a triangle with 'foxhole' fighting positions dug for a secure position to take cover and protect the base. Each foxhole had to be arm pit deep and large enough for 2 men. The holes were about 5 feet deep, 6 feet across and 2 feet wide. The holes were camoflaged and postioned to provide the best view to fire each weapon. There were a total of 18 machine guns, 9 grenade launchers and 95 M16 rifles positioned to protect our base. Once we were all dug in and set up, we were attacked by the 'enemy' at least once a day. Sometimes the attacks came just after dark in a dangerous period called 'stand down' when the visibility is poor, other times we were attacked in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes even the middle of the day at the hottest times. Your job as a leader during those times is to maintain order, control and security amidst the chaos that usually ensues.
I was our Platoon Sergeant for about 4 days. During that 4 days we were attacked mulitple times, including the largest attack on our base as we were attacked on all 3 sides of our perimeter. My job was to 'troop' the lines and recieve reports and evaluate first hand for the Platoon Leader our situation and status. It is a difficult and tiring job, running the perimeter and relaying radio messages during an attack.

The second phase of our field exercise was focused on offense. Tactics such as raids, ambushes and patrolling (or movement to contact). These were conducted in the vicinity of our patrol base and at Mock Urban environment built up to resemble a city.

The training in the urban terrain is by far the most fun and high speed training. The 3 principles of MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) inherently lead to that. Speed, strength and agility are the principles of MOUT tactics that influence all movements. The training focuses on clearing and securing buildings and movement through urban terrain. I think I enjoy this training the most because I understand that it most relates to the tasks our soldiers have to accomplish currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The other training we conducted was also fun. Being on the offensive is always more fun. The ambushes at night were charged with energy. We also conducted a 10 mile and 12 mile roadmarch to move our entire company to a designated point.

The roadmarches are in formation that spreads the company out to prevent damage by enemy attack. It is a tactical way to mave a large group. it is not very sneaky but people are positioned to provide security and minimize casualities in the event of an attack.

The 12 mile roadmarch was particularly difficult becauseI was assigned to the weapons squad. The 'weapons squad' carries three M240B Machine Guns. Each gun is manned by a team of 3. The gunner, assitant gunner and ammo bearer. I am sure you can deduct what each person does. The key for the road march is what each person carries. The gunner carries the machine gun, which weighs about 26 lbs. The assistant gunner carries the tripod and attachments, which weigh about 24 lbs. The ammo bearer well he carries ammo, and the spare barrel for the gun, each case of 100 rounds weighs 7 lbs. I was the assistant gunner. The rucksack I carried and the additional equipment as assistant gunner made my total load between 60-70 lbs with water.
12 miles with over 60 lbs was tiring.

At the end of the march we had to attack an enemy patrol base. The weapons squads were responsible for establishing a base of fire, which means we position our guns and fire a whole lot of rounds. We fired about 600 rounds in less than 5 minutes. It was a blast.

Well, there is a little explanation for you. Pictures to come later for the meantime. try to imagine or search for similar pictures on the internet.

April 23rd Letter

I found out this week that we will (most likely) have a pass for mid cycle. The company commander (CO) told me that "individuals who are doing the right thing" will have thier pass. I fall into that category. :) I had a personal conversation with the CO because I was student company commander in the field. I was the "top dog" in the chain of command. I relieved another candidate who was fired after only a day. I really had a good time and learned a lot from personal briefings with different TAC's. It added additional duties but I think I managed my time well. I also got a lot of compliments from prior service people in class. They were impressed at how well I was doing for such little experience. Then, after a couple days I got fired becaus I failed daytime land nav. The CO said I failed to lead by example because I didn't pass. I tried hard and ran a lot of the course, encouraged people along the way. I think I set a good example; I just forgot to write down one of the points and I ran out of time to go back and get it, so I failed by missing only one point. You needed a 5/9 and I got a 4/9 eithout the point. It's okay, I retested the next day and found 7/9. So I passed. I learned the most from those two days.
Well, everything is going well here. I love the field, no matter what we are doing. So, last week was a good week for me. I was disapointed to have not passed Day the first time, but I did pass night the first try (and it is much harder).
We have classes this week and then 4 tests on Friday. The following Monday we will go back to the field for more training.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

April 16th Letter

We are getting ready to leave for the field an I have some free time. Well, it's not really free. I could be studying, but I need a break. So, I am folding some laundry and taking a few minutes to write you.
Well, I am learning a lot here in class. There is just a lot of crap to deal with that really wears down on me. I will try and write a few more positive things, so that I don't sound totally miserable. I am really not doing badly. I yeah, good news. I don't have any tours to walk, so IF we get a pass for midcycle I am free to go.
I am learning a lot in our classes and doing well with the knowlege. We have had classes on tactics, operations, training management, military justice and staff organization. We have had tree exams already. I scored 96,96,88. Pretty good, I would say. I am learning and trying to study more to stay ahead of the game. Also, I am trying to be in the top 3rd of the class, in order to graduate with honors.

-Dale

(posted by Shalene)

April 15th Letter

It's been a rough week. We are being punished because a few people accessed unauthorized websites. The cadre, I think, decided to make things really suck. All of our priveleges have been revoked and passes until senior phase. No phone calls, no internet, no PX and no passes.
I don't know if we will earn some priveleges back, but I hope so. Right now, I am running low on motivation. I am using determination to get through class. I think you should plan right now for there to be no pass at mid-cycle picnic. We will only get a few hours together on Friday. If we don't get our passes back, I would recommend not coming. So you may wnat to find out how close to the date you can cancel your reservation. We may get the pass for the weekend back, but I think we may not find out until last minute. It really sucks.
We leave for the field Sunday through Thursday to take our land navigation course. I look forward to being in the field. It helps me forget about all the crap that goes on around here. I like being outdorrs, makes me happy. We won't get any mail, so I wouldn't worry too much about writing back quickly.
Well, that's enough complaining. No matter how much it sucks, I am sticking it out. I am not letting anything stop me from making my comission.
It broke my heart to hear that Rebekah was crying for me at night. I really want to be there for her; not let her down. But, I have chosen a path that won't let me always be there. I will have to work on a way to maintain a good bond. I have worried lately about how this is affecting you two. I hope you are well. I miss you guys and would love to see you.
I will try to get new copies of my orders to send you. Someone told me I would need to get my OCS orders ammended in order to have you move before I have my orders for after OCS. I can't contact my branch rep right now because all of our priveleges are revoked. So, I may have you contact him and find out who I need to talk to and if we should just wait for my orders for BOLC 2. (He said that we should get those orders around mid-cycle) I hope that makes sense. My OCS orders currently read that I can't move you, but according to the branch rep I can. So, I need some info on how to do it.
Miss you guys. Give my little girl a kiss.

-Dale

(Posted by Shalene)

April 10th Letter

I was disappointed wiht our short phone call the other day. But I guess a short call is better than no phone call. Hopefully, we will maintain our phone priveleges. The last week has been pretty rough. We had classes but very little other training. I started to get stressed about the level of park points I had. I think my final count was about 27 points, (and half those points were given as punishment for people around me.) I understand the point of accountability they are trying to teach but I am upset that my point total already has me walking tours (Marching) on our first weekend off. Hopefully, I can avoid getting more tours. Well, the actual class and procedures aren't difficult but our TAC's really focus on minute details and punish you for failing to comply. you really have to be vigilant to stay ahead of the game.
My moral is better now, but last week was really sucking. I think the lack of training, combined with all the park points was making me stressed. We are back into training, so hopefully I will be better. Wemissed three days of training becauseof an OCS Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. The hall inducted 35 people that were high level officers who wereOCS graduates. I didn't like the details we hadto do in order to prepare for the ceremony but having all the officers around was inspiring. It was realneat to see generals that were OCS grads.
Yesterday, we did another roadmarch for fivemiles then we went to a leadership reaction course. There were obstacles andproblems that you had toleadagroupof ten to overcome. It was a lot of fun and I did well. The obstacles wereall over water. Apparently, we weren't getting wet enough on the course; the TAC's madeus all jump in the water and swim fromobstacleto obstacle. So by the end, we were completely soaked. It was a blast. Being in the field, training andconquering obstacles is very motivating for me. I really enjoyed it andit pumped me up for this week.
-Dale

Other than all that he says he is tight on timebutwill try to write at least once a week and that he misses his girls! :)

Posted by Shalene

April 3rd Letter

I am taking some time at church yo write you a letter because this is the first "free time" we have. Class is going well so far but I can already see that it will get annoying. The TAC officers and NCO's are great teachers but also strict enforcers of our policies.
So far on all of the physical events I have done a stellar job. We had our combat water survival test. It was difficult but a lot of fun. 15 meter swim in full gear keeping your weapon out of the water, 3 meter blindfolded drop in full gear and finally a jump into the deep end, fully submerge and drop your gear to resurface.
We also did a 5 Mile roadmarch with rucksacks, and an obstacle course. I did very well on both. I love the physical events and obstacles. I will have to show you the course we did. It was a difficult course.
It seems like the physical side of OCS will be easy. The difficult part will be time management and dealing with sleeping about 5 hrs a night and the rest of the day is extremely busy. OCS is the land of multitasking. Often we are having to sacrifice personal time to accomplish more important tasks. We are having to skip showers every now and then, and do our laundry in halves (wash, then dry it later). We stay so busy we are usually running to our formation just to be on time.
Although it is very busy, I am enjoying it. The worst part remains the DFAC (cafeteria). The procedures are annoying and we have 3-5 minutes to eat. It is just not a pleasant environment to eat in. We are overwhelmed with procedures and policy. We are told how to stand in line, how to enter the DFAC, how to hold your tray, how to take food, how to leave the table and how to put away your tray. It is just rediculous how precise you have to be.
The real negative side to these procedures is the penalty for failure to comply. The punishment is park points. The points are tallied on a weekly basis. If you exceed 20 points in a week, you are gien a tour. A tour is one hour of marching the company area. The real bad part is, the tours must be served before you can have free time. That means if I get a tour or more, I will have to serve them out after the company picnic before I can have a pass for the weekend. Right now I am mentally preparing to have to walk at least one tour. I try hard, but the rules are many and strict. So far I have earned a few points for small things. In the DFAC, and our platoon was all given points for the condition of our rooms.
It seems the point of OCS is to make everyday situations stressful and then monitor people's reactions and leadership. I still think I will do fine but this will not be a pleasant time. I guess it's not meant to be.
Well, I had a meeting with the infantry branch rep and learned more about my upcoming training and career. The good news I heard is that because I am branched infantry in OCS, my orders are PCS with permission to move at any point. I still think we should wait until senior phase, but we are PCS and can move whenever.
They really treat the infantry well here.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

Letter From March 28th

Everything is going wlee so far. They are easing us into the class by introducing us to the procedures. We have a whole binder of policy and procedures. It really seems like the procedures will be the bad part of the course. We finished our first PT test this morning. I did real well (83 situps, 45 push-ups & 2 miles in 14:20). I think I will do fine in the class, but it really seems like it will suck. The course is more of an initiation than a class.
So I think your letters and pictures will be rela important.
Our class is large - about 140 people and most of them have military experience. I will probably learn the most from my class mates.
We have a real busy schedule and they are super strict on lights out, so I might not be able to write often. But I will find time to keep you updated.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

A Couple of Poems for You.

IT IS THE SOLDIER

“It is the soldier, not the reporter,Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier,Who salutes the flag,Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Father Dennis O'Brien, USMC Ret.

A SOLDIER’S POEM

As I prepare myself for a journey to a country so very far away,I think of my wife, children and family, and all the things I would like to do and say.

One of the hardest things that a husband and father could ever do,Is to leave behind the ones that are so very close to you.

How can I ease the loss that they must feel within their very heart?How can I help them to understand the reasons we are apart?

I know they will miss me when I am away from their side,So I pray that their sadness will be replaced with great love and pride.

I am an American soldier, a protector of freedom and of all that is right,It is my duty and my honor when this country calls me to fight.

I must honor my promise to my family to protect them from all that is bad,That is my duty, not only as a soldier, but also as a husband and a dad.

I will fight with my brothers and sisters with fierce American pride,We will restore this country’s faith, and honor those who have died.

Do not think I am not afraid of the terror I am about to face,Or the thought of not returning home from such a horrific place.

Soon this war will be over and returning home you will see,Your husband, your dad and your son for all eternity.

So when people ask you where I am or what it is that I do,Look them in the eye and proudly say,“He is an American soldier fighting for freedom; he is fighting for you.”

GOD BLESS MY FAMILY AND THIS COUNTRY
©Copyright April 16, 2004 by Anthony D. Ewing

Read all about it.

In a recent Army Times, Blogs of War was published. Naturally, it peaked my interest and I read on to find out how the Army is handling the webblog world and ease of accessability for the troops. Apparently, many of these blogs are being read by field-grade officers (the high up strategy and policy makers) and the commanding generals are actually encouraging many to read them. The idea is that you will read candid statements of moral of the troops in the stuff.

I decided to jump and read the words of a few battle buddies. Like all blogs some posts are interesting, some are not. Some blogs focus on sharing opinion and others enjoy narrating their life stories. I enjoy reading both.

Here are a few I enjoyed:

Armor Geddon

Tank platoon leader posts of patrol and convoy activities. Leans more toward military activities of Armor platoons. ** Warning posts are realisitic and can contain some vulgar language**

Major K

An Infantry Major shares his diary of thoughts and opinion. Most of the posts are commenting on current events.

American Soldier

A SF sniper posts opinion and experiences "from family life to war." Fairly candid sharing of experiences as this soldier trains for another deployment. An interesting read, just because I will be in training for at least the next year, probably more.


I think it is great to have the freedom to read and write experiences from those on the frontlines. Of course, as with any opinion, you must take it with a grain of salt.
We all live in an altered reality, as seen through our own rose colored glasses or in this case green colored googles. These blogs are just good reads of people's experiences and their opinion on what is happening.

Military News to Enlighten You to the Truth.

I figured it was time I posted some links from the depths of the internet that help show what the military is doing in OEF and OIF.

For all who do not wish to read articles and editorials written about the subject, I am posting links to Photoessays.

The following links are all taken from the DefendAmerica Website for the months of Jan and Feb 2005. (Apparently, these are the stories that only the military is willing to tell) Take some time flip through the photoessays and see what you think. Also, feel free to follow links on these sites to other photoessays.

The dangerous Sadr City
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p012705a1.html

Fallujah and its infamous insurgents
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p011005a1a.html

A Hospital full of Iraqis
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p010404a1.html

A Large Military Operation
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/feb2005/p021705a1.html

The Future of Iraq
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/feb2005/p021005b1.html


In no way am I trying to say that our military operations are not dangerous and the news media is portraying it incorrectly. I am only sharing a few pictures of what also goes on everyday in these countries. The media focuses only on the violence and what they perceive as failures of the US Military. The progress and improvement that is being made shows that our Military can have an iron fist and a soft touch. I am proud to be part of an organization that can provide humanitarian aid to people that have lived in less than humane conditions for far too long.

There is still months of dangerous security that must be provided in order to allow this humanitarian aid to take place, but as long as there are strong men and women in the Armed Forces the help continue to be provided. Many of the photoessays on the above websites show you what happens on an average day for members of our US Military. Take sometime and look at the photos. Some of pictures show humanitarian aid, some show security patrols and checkpoints, and some will military operations that sustain our activities. These photoessays shed more light on what our military is doing than 5 hrs of watching CNN or FoxNews.

I hope everyone enjoys. I know I do.

Your Tax Dollars at Work!

I really can't believe I get paid to do this. I am currently in a holdover company here at OCS until my class starts March 26. Our daily schedule consists of an 1.5 hrs of exercise in the morning, followed by sitting around our barracks waiting for detail work orders to be given. Somedays there is a lot of work to be done, other days there is little. So, most of the day is spent trying to find simple entertainment that is authorized. We can use the internet, play "bored" games or read. Unauthorized activities include: sleeping, watching TV during duty hours or leaving the barracks without permission.
I spend most of my time in mindless conversations that on occasion may turn into a somewhat intelligent debate. Other times, I just read magazines, the internet or books and remove myself mentally from this dungeon of boredom.

Well, it looks like I have about 4 weeks left of this. I will try to enjoy the time while I can without getting soft. (Honestly, I have found this place to be boring and I like being busy with training) The PT (exercise for you civilians) is the highlight of my day. It is difficult but it will get me in better shape and help me prepare for the training I have in my near future. We run a minimum of 3 miles a day. Most days we run 4-5 miles then follow it with muscle focused strength exercises. I like the training and think I may begin to supplement with additional PT at night.

For all of those who do not know I have been branched Infantry. My next year will be spent in some of the most physical and difficult training the Army has to offer. After OCS, I will attend Infantry Officer Basic, then Ranger School followed by Airborne School. That should constitute about a year of training with some breaks in between. At the end of my training, I will most likely take a position as an Infantry Platoon Leader (probably one of the most demanding jobs in the world.)

I have lots of time on my hands, so any questions about my future are welcome via email or the blog. As for the next 4 weeks, I will be here searching for timewasting activities.

Any letters or packages are welcome. Please send to:

OC Wyrick
HHC 3/11 Inf Regt (OCS)
7480 Riordon St. Bldg 2510
Ft Benning, GA 31905

January 31

Well, today was a fun day so I wanted to tell you about it whiel the day is fresh on my mind.
We had the PT test early in the morning. I did well on the test. I scored a 255 out of 300. Passing score for OCS is a 180. My totals were 55 push-ups, 77 sit-ups & 2 miles in 14:53. I still don't think it was my best, but it was pretty good.
Afterwords, we started our normal day. Classroom lectures on battle maneuvers and calling in fire support. After tat we had a class about IED and unexploded ordnance (bombs)...
The final thing we did was the most realistic battle simulation we have had. Night fire infiltration course. We had to traverse 110 meters of obstacles like logs, water and barbed wire while keeping a low silhouette to stay protected from enemy fire. the course required us to crawl the length while the drills and range cadre (?) fired live rounds from 4 machine guns over our heads. It was amazing. The bullets were cracking directly over head ( not whizzing like in the movies). It was loud and fast. I honestly felt like I was a soldier in WWII attacking enemy bunker positions. It was actually a little scary waiting to go but once the lights were shut off and we were told to move out, the adrenaline took over. I was completely caught up in my objective, without fear I crawled for the bunkers. They fired off flares that lit the sky like mid day. When that happened, we had to lie perfectly still and wait for the flares to burn out in order to avoid giving away our position. The first time I stopped lying in a puddle underneath barbed wire, the next time I was directly in front of the bunker position. I still laid still but realistically I would have had to run or charge the bunker.
It was a real neat experience. I also think it is encouraging to know that I can perform well in a stressful situation that the drill simulated. I actually found myself checking around for my battly buddies nearby to see how they were doing. I really enjoyed it. I finished the course soaked from head to toe and covered in mud and sand, but I did not mind one bit.
I love being a soldier. It actually seems to come natural. I am always looking to help out other guys in the field and I seem to accomplish the tasks easily.
Of course it is real physical and I wish I were in better shape. As for the mental stressos, I think they improve my performance....
It is hard being away but I love the actual training.

-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 30th

Well, everything is going well here. We did not have our PT test yet because of freezing rain the other morning. It is scheduled for tomorrow... I am real excited that we only have 18 days left. Our actual trainning will be done in 10 days. We leave for our final field training exercise on Friday. We will be gone for 6 days and our 9 mile ruckmarch will be the last day. That is the end of training, after that we have recovery and cleaning/inventory our gear.
I can't wait. I have really enjoyed all of the training but basic is starting to get to me. well, mostly the people here and the way the drills run the show. The guys are just acting plain stupid in the bay and it is annoying.
Only 3 weeks to go. I am looking forward to having everyone her for graduation.
I think with the little amount of time left, you should let people know not to write me after the 10th, in order to make sure I get all of the mail.
We transfer over to OCS on the 19th and any mail sent to basic after will get returned.
I am getting excited for OCS. It will be a lot more physicl field training but with better gear and people with experience. I'm sure I will enjoy it.

-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 28th

Training is going well. We just finished hand grenade qualification. It was awesome fun. We learned all about smoke grenades, fragment grenades & gas. Then we practiced throwing positions from cover and concealed points...
We had a seven part qualification cousre. I scored 7/7 on the course for expert grenadier. It was lots of fun. We threw a lot of grenades with just fuses. They sound like firecrackers but do no damage.
Time is still flying. We had some changes to our training so the last few days went by slowly. A couple of rifle courses fell through so the DS's filled the time by smoking us for hours.
We did just finish a buddy fire course. You dash from one position of cover to another, while you and your buddy fire live rounds at targets in the distance, to cover while the other person runs. I really enjoy the soldiering... I still enjoy the camraderie even though people are getting on my nerves. We have also picked up the level of training intensity for the ruckmarches to prepare for the final march...
See you in 20 days.
-Dale

Posted by Shalene

January 22

We have free time today. Tomorrow we are leaving for another three day campout so we have personal time that we usually get on Sunday. Of course, we have chores to do but we don't have training.
We also have been given a few rewards for doing well in rifle qualification. We got to watch another movie, we could take naps and we are going to play basketball this evening.
It gives us somewhat of a normal life, just wint DS's watching.
Training has been fun lately. Since I talked to you we did another confidence course and hand to hand combat training. The confidence course was great. First, we did an inverted rope slide that was about 30ft long. Then we climbed a platform tower in 4 man teams. Each platform was about 6-8 feet apart. The final big obstacle was called the tough one. Tou climb a 10 ft rope then stand up and walk across beams about 2 ft apart then climb a ladder 20 ft higher, cross over the top and climb down a cargo net. The other obstacles we did were easy - wall climb and that kind of stuff. I don't have a problem with any of the obstacles. I think it is reall fun not scary at all. Some of the guys are real scared of heights so it is a challenge for them.
Then hand to hand combat was real fun. It was focused on self defense grappling - how to maintain a dominant position when you are wrestling. We learned counters and how to move to the best dominant position. We learned four choke holds....
I had a great time. I have never really learned to wrestle so it was all new. The choke holds were real neat...
Our upcoming training should be fun... The training is focused on combat even more than it used to be.....

-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 20th

WE just finished weapons qualification and we have to wait for the guys who can't shoot to qualify.
I qualified the first time with 28 out of 40 targets. A marksman in the army. I honestly am disappointed in my performance. I have been shooting in the mid 30's all week and today I just didn't perform. I was 2 targets away from sharpshooter. The DS's try and say that qualifying is the only important thing and that you can improve your score after training in your unit. Oh well, I am disappointed but it puts me one step closer to graduation from basic. That is definately a plus.
Well, everything has been going well. We had a holiday Monday for MLK day. It was a training holiday, so we watched movies. War movies, of course and we had to analyze them for displayed Army values. We watched Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers and Blackhawk Down. War movies are very different now that I am in the Army. I notice a lot of little details that I never noticed but I also connect with the characters now.
I am still enjoying everything. We just finished another campout. we actually call them BIVuoac (pronounced BIV-whack). I don't really know what it means but to me it is camping out without a tent. It was really cold. I think the low was 25 degrees F. I slept well but it is hard to get out of the bag at 0500. We get extra sleep on the campouts but guard duty is terrible when you have to get out of the bag.
We continue to do Ruckmarches of about 4-5 miles. We have a couple weeks and then we will do a 9-miler. Our rucksack weighs about 40 lbs and our additional gear is another 12 lbs. It is not too difficult but it's not my favorite thing to do. We will all be in good shape for backpacking together.
The last two milestones of basic are the final PT test and 9 mile ruckmarch. I won't have a problem with either one. I am trying to improve my pushups to score higher on the PT test but I only have a week...
I am still curious about what my branch will be.......
-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 9, 2005

"We have been back from our "camp out" for a day now and we finally have some personal time. I have a lot of chores to do but I am finding some time to write this letter. We started basic rifle marksmanship this week and finished total control. I have really looked forward to this. Everything picks up in pace and most of our training will be in the field. We march to our field training with 40 lb rucksacks and often we'll stay overnight. I really enjoy it. Our most recent field training was to learn land navigation. The courses we navigated were through all kinds of terrain. We were given a map, compass and list of points to navigate to by the distance. The first course of 5 points walked us through about a mile and a half of woods, heavy brush, swamps and then stream crossings. We walked to more courses then waited and walked a night time land nav course. You can be proud of me, we correctly found all 10 of our points. We had to work in 3 man teams, I took lead to make sure we found all of the points. The rest of the training we set up camp and learned camp security practices and checkpoint security. We had to set up camp to make secure perimeter for the company. We dug small fox holes to lay in as buddy teams, then rolled out our sleeping bags. It was just like camping w/out the tent. Although we had to rotate through guard duty, keeping 6 people awake all night for security, I slept well. You have to sleep w/ your gear right at your feet and your weapon in your sleeping bad. The DS tried to take my weapon while I was sleeping but I woke up and held tight. They try to keep you on your toes and make all exercises realistic. Next week, we are doing rifles and keeping all equipotent with us for another couple nights in the field. Love it, but after all the marching and being in the field, we are some smelly soldiers. I am really looking forward to this week. We start with the rifles and qualify on Saturday. I am a little nervous but I think I will do well. We shot on simulators yesterday at 300 meter targets. I shot 7/9 without my glasses so I think I will do well. Hopefully we will get to call soon.
-Dale"

January 11, 2005

"I am standing on the firing range right now writing this letter. Today is our fourth day on the range. I am shooting pretty well so far, but having some trouble with 300M targets. The silhouette is about an inch tall at that distance. It is about equivalent to 3 1/2 football fields. I generally hit that target abut 40% of the time. I am having a real good time at the range and passing all of my prequal. Testing. I think I will probably qualify sharpshooter. This (is) definitely the most fun we have had. We also have started to ruckmarch a lot to prepare for the 5 & 9 milers. The pack right now weighs about 4o pounds & our flack jacket, helmet & weapon weigh another 14 lbs. It really wears me out but we have a good time. Our most recent bad experience was inspection of the bay & wall lockers. All of the drill sgts came to the bay and started checking lockers & removing ceiling tiles looking for contraband. A couple of the guys left their lockers unsecured and the drill sgts started to have fun. They dumped everything from the lockers and threw it all over the floor. Clothes were everywhere, shampoo & foot powder were spilt all over the floor. The worst part was that one of the lockers that was unlocked had a cell phone. He got yelled at and we were yelled at because we "supposedly knew" he had the cell phone. Most people didn't know. We got smoked later that night for disappointing the DS's and not having enough integrity to tell. I had no idea he had the phone, but I paid dearly for it. We ran 1 1/2 miles in full gear. (helmet, flack jacket, BDU's & combat boots) Then we came and changed into our PT clothes and were smoked for an hour by two different drill sergeants. We were exhausted but the platoon stayed strong and united."

January 14, 2005

"Today, we had bayonet training. It was real fun. We started by fixing bayonets to our rifles and then learned combat maneuvers using the bayonet. Imagine 140 men in BDU's with rifles and bayonets practicing stab and slash moves on a field; ... They love to say, "no matter what your job is, you are infantry first." So after lots of dry runs we got to practice our moves on each other with pugil sticks. They look like big Q-tips but are firm pads. So we padded up and beat the hell out of each other for a couple of hours. Face off was against 1 other person about your size. The first to 3 pts wins and only legitimate bayonet moves scored points. All other moves were just for pain. I can proudly say, I won my match but I did get my bell rung. It was a lot of fun. After our platoon fought, we had a company competition with a few winners from each group. Well those are my stories for now. We are back in total control for now b/c of the cell phone. It's not really a big deal but hopefully we will get out soon.
(yada-yada-mushy love stuff)
-Dale"

posted by Shalene Wyrick

Notes From Basic Training

December 1, 2004
Reception

"So far I am enjoying things. The SGT assigned to process us is cool but he doesn't discipline the goof-offs in our line. I expect we will pay for it soon. We have stayed really busy from 0400-1800 everyday. Lots of standing in lines waiting to be fitted, pictures taken, finance, shots, etc. I am already dressing like a soldier. It makes the adjustment exciting. My hair is cut to 1/16" all over, so I look like a bald inmate. (The look for basic) The line I am assigned to is as expected, 14 people (4 OCS, 10 enlisted --> 4 are goof-offs). Everyone is pretty cool though, just immature and trying to push the limits. I hope when we ship downrange to basic they straighten up.
So story time now: We have gotten 6 shots and blood drawn twice and flu mist nasal vaccine in a day and a half. All of this fun combined has left me with a low grade fever and a headache to make this enjoyable. The first shots were the worst. After your blood is drawn, they walk you behind a petition, ask you to pull down your pants and proceed to inject peanut butter in your left butt cheek. At least it felt like peanut butter. Shortly after, the soreness begins to set in, leaving you with a feeling like you have a bruised charlie horse. The bad thing is 2 days later it still hurts. Every time I roll over in my bunk it reminds me that I had a shot there. The next day of shots was much better. We lined up, sleeves rolled up, arms relaxed; preparing for the shot. The good part was the medic was fast and stealth-like. I only felt it after he threw away the needle. The shots were really the most interesting story. Clothing issue was only neat when we were issued class A uniforms. The barracks are crazy at night. Goofing off, yelling, arguments. Etc."
-Dale

December 3-5, 2004

"Basic Day One:
0900 lined up at reception to be ready to ship. We stood and repeated the soldiers creed - yelling as loud as we can. It was actually pretty neat to hear 150 soldiers in a small area. It lost its appeal when we had to hold a 40lb laundry bag over our head and repeat the creed. We then loaded buses to ship down range to basic. Crammed in a school bus w/ full duffel bas & laundry bags was not my idea of a nice ride. Upon arriving we unloaded the buses, merrily greeted by 9 drill sergeants yelling at the top of their lungs. Our introduction included holding our laundry bag over our heads for 10 mins. Every time you dropped the bag the drill sergeants (DS) were in your face yelling. From there, we moved into platoon formations and were introduced to our DS for the next 9 weeks. DS Nettler, Shearing & Williams. The rest of the day was introduction to life for the next 3 weeks. TOTAL CONTROL! We do nothing, go nowhere and say nothing unless instructed to do so. We had to remove our watched, also. Total control and time deprivation combined makes normal tasks stressful. Eating meals in the D-Fac is stressful b/c of rules on how to walk, sit and how long you have to eat (usually less than 10 mins.) showering was stressful. 47 men, 4 showers in 25 minutes. It amounted to about 45 secs/person of actual shower time. Total Control is what weeks 1-3 are about.
If we make a mistake, the DS give us corrective reinforcement training or better known as smoking the whole platoon. This happens almost every time we are in formation and sometimes in the barracks. If you do something wrong and stand out or if you address the DS incorrectly you will get dropped. Luckily, this has not happened to me yet. I am sure eventually it will, but for now I have been safe. The corrective training is designed for muscle failure and torture to remind you that attention to detail and teamwork will lead to success. So far, we have done pushups in cadence, yelling teamwork. We have done overhead claps long enough to make for sore shoulders. We have held our 12lb out in front until you can't hold it anymore. These are just a few of the exercises for corrective training.
Overall, the 1st day & now the 2nd day have been difficult but not as hard as I thought. We have a lot of phrases we yell on command while marching in formation. That is fun when done correctly. It really is a neat sound, 47 men yelling in unison. We march everywhere we go in formation and count cadence.
I really am doing well at training. I have lots of friends and we always travel and work with a battle buddy, who is your bunkmate. The crazy thing is, his name is also Wyrick. Who would have ever guessed 2 people with a rare name like that get put in the same BCT and platoon."

December 8, 2004

"We haven't had a lot of personal time. The schedule is rigorous and busy. We wake up every morning at 0400 hrs with lights out at 2100 hrs, but we usually still are working by flashlight after lights out. So right now we are getting about 5-6 hrs of sleep; sometimes it gets interrupted with guard duty at night. Needless to say the 17-18 hrs a day are filled with training, classes, marching & PT exercises. A lot of the classes right now are introductions to the army, regulations and policy information.
Today we had a training activity that was a initiation to soldier life and warrior ways. We ran our first trip through the obstacle course as platoons. The course was about 700 yds long. After the DS's demonstrated each obstacle, we ran in squads of 17. The first obstacle was 20 ft rope climb, followed by a short wall, monkey bars, tires, log cross, two short walls, rope slide using hands and feet upside-down, low crawl on our backs through mud, water & sand and under barbed-wire, next was a 7ft cinder-block wall, high crawl through sand, crab walk through sand and finish climbing thru a pipe. The course was tough but a lot of fun.
Those are the highlights of training. Classes are full of info but when you only sleep 6 hrs a night it can be hard to stay awake. So the DS's find ways to keep people awake. They encourage you to drink water from canteens or stand. If you don't take the initiative to do it yourself, you get smoked. The classroom is usually the 'electric chair' squats holding out your weapon. But if too many people are looking tired, they smoke us all. That corrective training always involves holding your chair by the bottom of the legs straight out in front of you. After about a minute the chair weight seems to increase. The other favorite for classroom wake up is the overhead clap. It sounds easy but at repetition # 125 or so it really starts to hurt. I generally think the point of corrective training is to hit muscle failure.
As for me, I have only been dropped twice. Once for asking a question about shaving profiles (a medical permission to have some facial hair) and the other time I was adjusting my field hat in formation. Usually, the punishment is just pushups. If you are really a screw up they get creative. Today someone in our platoon was playing in the sand with his boot, the DS made him slide around the platoon (all 47 of us) on his stomach. He was covered in sand, head to toe, b/c they made him slide on his stomach. That is basically how the corrective training works. You mess up or get out of line, they use physical training to remind you to straighten up."

December 10, 2004

Our platoon just got smoked tonight. I am not really sure why, but we did a ton of pushups. We spent time today practicing formation for the long road marches we will do with our rucksacks. It was neat, we were all decked out. Kevlar helmets, flack jackets, LCE belts (w/ ammo holders and canteens) our rucksack & weapons. It's a lot of weight to carry and we march in tactical maneuvers. So every time we stop, each person will kneel in battle buddy teams and set security by aiming the weapon. If you stop for a long time, each person goes into the prone position, takes off the rucksack & uses it for cover. It's fun for me. It feels like playing war games again. Oh yeah, we also learned to camo our faces today. So while we did it our faces were painted green.
Well, as for the normal daily routine; its all pretty easy. It's just hard to find time, so we do some things early in the morning by flashlight. We have to clean the barracks everyday, make out bunks, straighten our wall lockers, shine our boots and personal hygiene and they only give us an hour a day to do all of it which is not really possible, so we either stay up late or get up early with the lights out."