FTX1: Field Training Exercise. Started out Tuesday morning at 0530 with a formation. We received our weapons...M16 and marched over a mile to our PMI training. Basically they taught us what we needed to know about shooting an M16. Then we got to go to this simulation room which was basically a video game we got to shoot computerized M16's at. I had a minor setback Tuesday afternoon and I am now known as a heat causality. I ended up having to get an IV Wed morning with 2 others and 24 hours quarters. Basically I had to stay in my tent at the FOB (forward operating base) all day Wed. I was given "special" stuff for my camel back (electrolyte replacement that they give cholera patients). I am feeling much better now and don't want to experience that again.
On Thursday we went to the M16 range. This was a lot of fun. We fired at pop up targets. I need some work with the M16. It was a lot of fun to shoot it though. In the afternoon we had warrior leader training. I learned how disassemble and clean the M16. The best part of the afternoon was running and crawling through the dirt. We practiced individual movements that we would use in a combat situation. Our instructor told us to make sure we keep our "J-Lo" down. All I could think of was Forrest Gump getting shot in the butt. He probably could have benefited from this piece of valuable information.
Friday we learned how to shoot the M9. As a member of the medical corp this will be the weapon that we would carry. I had a lot of fun doing this as well. We also did our first land navigation. They call this one Walk the Dog. Basically we had a big group and broke up into battle buddies and all meet at our points before moving on and we had a cadre that helped as well. This was a lot of fun. I had a good battle buddy, Becky, she is a nurse from Georgia. She made sure our we stayed on on azimuth. An azimuth is shot using information we found using our grid coordinates. I keep our pace count. This was a good method and we plan on using it next week when we have to do it just the two of us for a test. We walked through lots of brush and had to duck under lots of trees. We had a lot of fun.
Friday after the M9 range we had to wait for about 3 hours for the bus to come and pick us up. Apparently early on in the planning for our course they thought that we were going to have more people in our class than we did and so they contracted the busses to pick us up at 1800. Since they contracted with civilians apparently they wouldn't come and get us early. So we did one of the things I've learned to do best so far in the Army Hurry Up and Wait. They did let us take our jackets off and rest against our packs while we waited for the busses.
"You didn't come here to practice democracy, you came here to defend it" This was said by our platoon cadre when asked if we could have elections for next week's student's leadership. This made us all laugh during our long wait for the buses. But I began to think about the last part of the the quote "we are here to defend democracy." When we leave Fort Sam to go to dinner, do our laundry, go to walmart and when we left last Tuesday for the FTX we drive past the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. As you drive by there are white headstones uniform in size as far as the eye can see. It reminds of that these represent men and women who gave all to defend our democracy. This week in the field was hot and it was hard and challenging work. During this experience This week in the field I thought about my cousin's husband Dave. He is currently in Iraq. Recently he called his wife Beth and told her that it was a 130 degrees outside and he had a mile walk to work everyday. He does his best to make stops in conditioned buildings to stay cool. Today we were at the PX getting some things that we need for our next FTX. As we were walking in a soldier was being let down from a bus in a wheelchair. He had a foot splint on one leg and special traction on the other. On both legs you could see scars from surgery that he has undergone. Fort Sam Houston is the home to the Intrepid center where many of our wounded warriors go to recover. I am moved by the hard work and sacrifices our American soldiers make. It makes the work that we have done this week seem so easy but it is a. so motivation to keep working hard and to keep being tough. These skills are essential to our becoming soldiers. We need to learn these basic skills so we can do our job and bring back our fighting men and women. In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus talks about watchful waiting. We wouldn't want King Jesus to return to find us idle in our work. He instructs us to work until the day of his return. This section ends with a piece of instruction from Christ.
"From everyone who has been give much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
Luke 12:48
Christ has given me so much, my life and the promise of new life. He has blessed me with an opportunity to pay for medical school. Without Christ I would not be where I am today. I have been given so much. By the time I graduate medical school and finish my residency I will posses the knowledge to save lives. I feel that I can live these verses out by my service in the medical corp.
Wow, what a great blog! Bless you for your willingness to do all this so that you can learn to save lives. The medical corp sounds tough but you are doing it and all for His glory!
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