First Drill Weekend AAR (After Action Review)

First drill weekend has come and gone. Don't want to bore everyone with all of the details, but want to include enough information so that you know what went on.

Got to Camp Grayling after hours of driving Friday night. In-processed, which included signing in, height and weight checks, uniform (BDU) issue, and "supper" (brown-paper-bag-lunch style meal). Got to barracks and had to make beds, get ready for morning, etc. Got to sleep around 0100 (that's 1 AM). Lights on was 0445 (that's 4:45 AM). Shaved, got dressed in PT (physical training) outfit, and went outside for PT. PT was at 0515. Temp was in the 20's (or maybe lower).

To keep it brief, I did well at PT. Felt it, but it wasn't too crazy. Most of Saturday was filled with the "NSO" briefings, all of the basic things they try to teach new National Guard recruits, like phoenetic alphabet, rank structure, military time, General Orders, how to march, how to salute, etc. Exercise was plentiful, food was light to medium, and yelling at us was kept to a very minimum.

So, pretty much what I expected. They are trying to get us ready for BCT (Basic Combat Training), not scare us away.

Funny story. Warning a "your Mom" follows.

It was Saturday night. Me and the rest of 2nd platoon were in our barracks squad bay (sleeping area). We were all in various stages of taking showers. I had already taken mine and was laying on my bunk. I was facing South. A bunch of other guys were hanging out at the South end of the squad bay. One guy had just gotten done with his shower. He had just worn shorts to the shower without underwear.

Now, this guy is the guy that is our talker. Whenever someone has a comment, he has one too. Or if no one has a comment, he has two to fill the void. He is always talking and giving sarcasm to someone.

Anyway, the guy starts talkig with a guy accross the bay. They are giving each other a hard time about something. This guy starts to look in his bag for underwear. At this time, talker's back is to the door. He says "I hope I can find some clean underwear, otherwise I'll have to go commando." (Commando is a term that means wearing pants without wearing underwear underneath.) Just as he says the word "underwear", in walks a sergeant. Of course it is the young, angry sergeant. Before anyone can yell "At Ease", which is the proper thing for recruits to yell when a sergeant enters a room, the sergeant hears the end of talker's comment. The sergeant says "You better not go commando." Unfortunately for talker, the sergeant's voice sounds a lot like the guy that talker has been giving a hard time. Apparently, talker didn't realize the difference.

Talker responds with "Well, your mom goes commando." I still haven't seen any of this, only heard it. At this point I see the guys at the South end of the squad bay start laughing like they just saw the funniest thing in the world. I turn over to see what is up. That's when I see the sergeant standing there with the best "Oh, you did not just say that to me!" look on his face I have ever seen.

Then, talker turns around and sees the sergeant. Talker says "He deserved it," apparently thinking the sergeant was upset by the sarcasm directed from one recruit to another. Talker still doesn't get the fact that he said that to the sergeant. Sergeant says "I said it, bleep bleep." (I am keeping this blog clean, but had to let you know the sergeant swore, as it takes a particularly spectacular screw up to make one swear at a recruit.)

At this point, talker's face goes completely white. And, again to keep it short, let's just say some extra exercise was involved.

For the rest of the night, about every minute or two, someone would utter the phrase "Your mom goes commando." It will become legend.

I got to meet the Major in charge of my Battalion. He was the only officer that interacted with us the entire weekend. Everything else was led by NCO's. The Major is a cool guy. He asked to talk with all of the people slated for his battalion, after he spoke to the entire company. There were about 20 of us going to his battalion. He was getting the names of all of us. When I told him my name, he said "that rings a bell." After he was done talking to us, I stayed around and mentioned that he probably remembered my name because I am the zero-nine-sierra (officer candidate) assigned to his HHC (headquarters company). He indicated that that was it. He said he was glad to see me and looked forward to pinning my gold bars on.

So, overall, it was a good experience. I think this will help me get up to speed quickly. It was a lot of work, but I had a good time.

Aloha.

First Drill Weekend

Well, in case you are the person who reads this blog who doesn't know I joined the National Guard, you now know. I have signed up as a Specialist with a O9S MOS, which means that I am an Officer Candidate. I still have to go to BCT, which I will do on August 29, 2006 until sometime early November. Until then, I will be drilling with the RSB (Recruit Sustainment Battalion).

My first drill weekend is this weekend. I really don't have any idea what to expect. I have to be at the appointed meeting place to catch a ride up to Grayling at 1645 hours on Friday. It could be a weekend filled with PT and yelling, or it could be a weekend of filling out paperwork, listening to people in classes drill me on the phonetic alphabet and rank structure. Not sure what sleeping conditions are like (if any) and not sure what food will be like. Not sure how many people will be there. Should be interesting. About the only sure thing is that I almost certainly won't get to shoot anything or blow anything up. Bummer.

Anyway, I will write on Sunday night or Monday about my weekend.

Aloha.

Shooting in the hood

Remember how I say "I used to live in the 'hood'?" Well, there was another shooting on the city's SE side. The location is .2 miles from where I lived for 6 years.

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4854945

Middle of the afternoon, broad daylight. That's the kind of neighborhood it is.

Glad I don't live there anymore. Six years was enough.

Aloha.