Good Training!

Well, we've had several days now of training at FOB Herat. I've gotten to drive a Hum-Vee for the first time since 1997, I've had the opportunity to be gunner in a Hum-Vee, and learned all kinds of neat stuff about searching detainees, spotting IEDs, negotiating with Afghans, and analyzing artillery craters to determine where the round came from.

I've also zeroed my M-4 carbine, Iron Sights and Optic sight, qualified on day fire and NBC fire, and have washed my laundry.

I've completed reading C.S. Lewis's "The ScrewTape Letters" which is a good, simple book that takes the perspective of a demon advising another demon who is tempting a human. Lewis had many good insights into why we sin, and how Satan and his minions muddle our thoughts and keep us away from God.

I've almost finished reading John Eldridge (I think) "Wild at Heart," which has as it's thesis the idea that a man should be willing to be confrontational, or he is not living in God's Image. I'm almost done with "Thief of Time" by Terry Pratchett, which is quite entertaining. I think I'll be exploring his other books about Discworld. And, I'm almost done with Lewis's semi-autobiographical "Surprised by Joy" which posits that Joy is best described as "the one thing that, once you've had it, you will ALWAYS want to have it again." Some readers may not understand, but I certainly do. He describes joy as a curiously satisfying longing, not for a Thing, but for an experience. I guess the best way I can put it, is that it's almost like Homesickness, only it's much more enjoyable.

Sleeping in the HQ tent while out at the FOB, by the way, is obviously different than sleeping in a platoon tent. The officers are more polite, oddly enough (maybe because they're often younger?) than the line soldiers. However, the platoon sergeants can be much more profane, one in particular (*laugh* you know who I mean). It's an interesting dichotomy that I would probably think about a lot more if I weren't busy with all sorts of questions of theology. But, the officers in Bravo are not only competent (unlike several I've served under back in the day when Bravo was Delta company), they surprise me with their insight, and their hard work. The more I train with Bravo company, the happier I am to be back with this unit.

I still have to do drivers training with the new up-armored Hum-Vee, Land Nav (both on foot and mounted, both of which should be knock-me-down easy), and Combatives, at least. So there's a lot of hard training still out there in my future. God willing, it'll be good for me and I'll learn something from it!