Ready, Set, Reset!

Wednesday afternoon, 31 January, we reported to the armory at 1400. From the time we had formation we were in "lockdown." No one leaves the armory premises.

I bedded down approximately 2300 on the concrete floor of the armory, after digging my rucksack out of a pile of rucksacks by feel (I had a concrete box in the ruck that has my weapons cleaning kit and a rag in it). After digging out my ruck, I had to take out my new "Sleeping System, Modular" and figure out what it was and how it worked. (It turns out it's a sleeping bag with a liner inside, and a folded outer weatherproof shell.) Wishing I had a flashlight.

At 0430 we got up. I rolled up my sack (called a fart sack in the military, and now I remember why), put it away, shaved and brushed my teeth. Chow was served at 0500, and it was passable. The eggs were very runny, but at least they weren't grey. After chow, I looked outside. Snow was falling heavily, and sticking to the pavement.

We loaded the A bags on a 2 1/2 ton truck approximately 0600. The unit is very aggressive, very motivated. Things got done without the NCO's having to tell anyone to do anything. I jumped up in the truck and positioned the duffel bags, and my back was really suffering for it later. Oh, my achin' back. And I forgot to bring any painkiller.

We drove to the airport in the snow after 0645. Police escort. The drive from the armory to GSP took at least an hour and a half, when normally it would take approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Snow was really sticking on the highway. We sat at the airport (on the busses) for about an hour, then we offloaded into the airport facility, checked our ID's and dogtags, and prepared to mount the airplanes.

Then we waited for another hour. Then our pilots were sent to a hotel. So we remounted the busses, went to the nearest armory (not our homestation) and offloaded our personnel onto their drill hall floor. 45 minutes later, we remounted the 2nd and 3rd busses (the first bus had headed back to it's home station for something) and sent those two busses back to our armory. The flight had been cancelled. Another 15 minutes, we loaded up the first bus (after cleaning up the guest armory) and went back to home station.

We arrived back at our home armory about 1400, and remained in lockdown.

Reset.

Today, 2 February, 2007, we woke up at 0430. I slept on a military cot last night, and it was WORSE than sleeping on the cement drill hall floor, oddly enough. Just like yesterday, I rolled up my sack (I know better how to work with the sleep system, modular, now) brushed my teeth, shaved. Chow at 0500, 0615 formation and we loaded up the busses. 0645 we departed for the airport.

By 0915 we were in the air, despite heavy fog, and headed for Gulfport, Louisiana.

"Be Flexible" the 1st Sgt. told us on the very first day. He's a really good 1st Sgt. He does not permit BS on our side, but he protects us from a lot of BS coming down. When he says do it, he's cut out all the extra slack, and we need to do it. And the NCO's know it.

This company is Hooah. I'm glad I'm back.