Hey Guys, Im Home Again!

ArmyofOne · September 23, 2005

What is happening y'all????!!! i Just flew back in to Dallas/Ft. Worth tonite at 1154PM. let em tel you what an adventerous journey this has been but before i start, i need to thank a few people:

Bob (Lil4x) for always being there to chat with me on the phone for hours, because i wanted someone to talk to but ran out of things to talk about. we would always find something to discuss.

Blake (Blake918) Even though you are INCREDIBLY HARD to get ahold of, great friend. hope to see you out here shortly.

and all the people who wrote to me THANKS! your letters are what kept me going!.

now who has questions about the training? that crap was not easy LOL. the marches to and from out training excercises, were up to 15 miles, with full battle rattle. this includes an 8lb Kevlar Ballistic Battle helmet, a 20 lb Fragmentary vest, a 50-70 lb rucksack and an LBE with 210 rounds of 5.56mm M16A2 Assault Rifle rounds. and we are in BDU's with combat boots. the march out to victory forge really sticks in my heart. it was 12 miles out and we did it in JUST under 3 hours. like 2 hrs and 57 minutes by my watch. thats Air Assault School Speed right there, and that was just basic training. the march back from victory forge ended up being over 15 miles cause the drill sergeants "got us lost"...right :uh: took us longer to do this one, about 4.5 hours.

we learned basic drills and movements, such as left/right flank and countercolumn. We qualified with our rifles and with hand grenades. im actually a pretty good shot with both, i qualified Sharpshooter in rifle marksmanship (i hit 34/40 pop-up targets) and got 3 out of 5 targets bullseyed with the grenade for a sharpshooter score there as well. i have missed the simple things like soda and TV, but i have learned to live without them.

one thing i HATED about my training, is i have had an AWFUL cold since i got to Ft. Jackson. the conditions they kept us in would not have been allowed in mexico city by the red cross. there were mice, roaches and spiders in these barracks that were over 50 years old and were falling apart. there were anywhere between 200 and 400 of us in these barracks at any given time and we all cleaned up and did out part, but we could never clean enough, everyone was ALWAYS sick. i went to the hospital for pnemonia 3 times thought the 5 months i was training. Im now about to overdose on Nyquil and go to bed LOL.

anyway to top all of this off, it has been over 100 degrees there every day since july 1st to about september 10th. so we did all of our training in the sweltering heat. 12 quarts of water a day was the minimum requirement to keep your body going along with 2 full glasses of gatorade at breakfast, lunch and dinner. crazy stuff.

so...any questions?

as of right no my orders are to take 10 days leafe and report to the 2nd battalion of the 10th mountian infoatry division relacement unit, Ft. Drum NY on Oct 03.

thanks again for all th support guys!

Toysrme · September 23, 2005

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=21964

Welcome back! (Beat you to it!)

blake918 · September 23, 2005

Welcome back!!!!! :cheers:

Hahaha, you always seem to neglect the fact that I have Verizon and a number that has a 504 area code, so yes it will be hard to catch me! Those barracks sound like the dorms I had to live in last year. LOL I'm in class from 9-3, so I'll start trying to call you back after that. ;)

civi · September 23, 2005

Welcome back ArmyofOne - although I do not know you since I am newer here, I wish you well in your future. I am a product of the military from the 80's. Did my basic, back when it was only 8 wks in Ft. Knox Kentucky and my AIT in Ft. Jackson SC - after my overseas hardship tour and then my stateside assignment, I got out, but do miss many of the friendships I made from there. I still keep in contact with a couple I was stationed with in Colo. He is now an E6 or E7 by now and his wife is just out period raising all the kids and working too.

Be proud of your service to your country. Whether you agree with the politics or not, still be proud of it. We are of you.

Be well !

P.S. The hottest place I have ever been to was Ft. Hood TX. OMG ! It was so hot they had to stop all uneccessary activities. We just laid in our tents pouring canteens full of water over ourselves watching the water evaporate. They had to bring in the copters to give us rides in to keep morale high. Felt sorry for the cooks that had to work no matter what. I think it was over 110 F for over a week :wacko:

Lexusfreak · September 23, 2005

Welcome back Army! B) Will they be sending you overseas pr perhaps to assist in the hurricane releif effort? :unsure:

:cheers:

ArmyofOne · September 23, 2005

Welcome back Army! B) Will they be sending you overseas pr perhaps to assist in the hurricane releif effort?

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thanks for the welcome everyone. :D here is the timeline:

october 3rd i will arrive at ft. drum NY, where i will inprocess. i will learn my job for a couple fo weeks and go to cold weather infantry training for a month after that, then possibly air assault school, then i will begin training for afghanistan, doing excercises i am bound by law not to discuss and then i will deploy to afghanistan in early february.

thats tentative, so it could change.

Blake, call the cell anytime, if you cant get through or i dont pick up, call the house. as for you coming over...i need a ride to go car shopping...LOL. I found a 1996 LS400 with 97k for $8950...Forest green with grey body cladding and grey leather interior...mmmmm