Freezin' for a Reason

It's winter alright. Over the last week, I've seen water freeze in a lot of different ways. They say the Eskimos have 50 or more names for various and distinct forms of snow, and I must have seen a dozen or more of them here. Dry snow with big fluffy flakes, icy snow in tiny grains, freexing rain, and even freezing fog. As you may have guessed, this has been wreaking havoc on our training schedule. The entire midwest experienced the worst ice storm seen here in a decade resulting in all kinds of power outages, property damage, and fallen trees. At its worst here at Ft. Riley, ice coated everything- EVERYTHING- and inch thick or more. The weight of the ice split century-old oak trees and pulled them down along with power lines and radio towers.

Despite the weather, we got some training going. Class 37 has settled into out new living quarters, where we are living in 40 man squad bays on bunk beds. The conditions are crowded, but we're all getting along great. My group of 10 is berthed along with a New York Army National Guard group of about 20, all of whom seen to have at least some combat experience in Iraq. Many are Purple Heart recipients, some have been there 2, 3, or more times. They are a great learning resource for us Navy folks who will soon be doing a very Army-like mission in the mountaind of the Hindu-Kush.

So far, I have qualified on two firearms- the Beretta M-9 9mm pistol and the Colt M-4 carbine. I got a "Sharpshooter" designation on the M-4 and "Expert" on the M-9. I also have begun driving a Humvee. THe big adjustment has been the body armor and associated gear. All loaded up with rifle, pistol, body armor, trauma plates, knee pads, elbow pads, helmet, magazines, et cetera, I think I gain about 70-80 pounds. In Afganistan, we will wear "upgraded" trauma plates which are even heavier, and will be carrying about 300+ rounds of ammo to boot. Oh joy! My back loves me already!

Tonight, we had a "cultural immersion dinner", which was a delicious meal prepared by an Iraqi gentleman who is here a a consultant. I rice dish with chicken, peas, raisins, and na'an bread and a brownish gravy. A great meal.

My team, which includes a former Navy SEAL who is now a Navy Physician Assistant, a civil engineer, and other subject matter experts, has choosen the name of Team Tatanka, after the Sioux (?) name for a male bison. We live just off Buffalo Soldier Drive, partly the inspiration for the name. My friend Brian (back home) came up with the slogan "Freezin' for a Reason". Quite fitting.

I haven't been able to download photos from Stephanie's camera, which I'm borrowing, so I've had to rely on photos found online for this post. When I am able to get them downloaded, I'll post a few.

For now, it's late, and I have exercice (PT) scheduled for 5:20am. I'm off to bed!