Report from the Deployment Pipeline
 

Webstral 07-28-2004, 05:27 PM I'm back from a week of training and admin at Camp Roberts, CA. I'm tired. I've spent a week looking after 2-6 children masquerading as grown men. The good news--and the bad news--is that my team and my squad are the most mature and responsible in the platoon.


My level of anxiety has diminished appreciably, however. Before going to Camp Roberts, I was apprehensive about working with these guys. Now, despite what I just wrote in the previous paragraph, I'm feeling that things will turn out well by the time we go to JRTC in January to execute our qualification run for the big sand box. Though we're not yet ready to challenge the 2nd Battalion for membership in the 75th Ranger Regiment, our heads are starting to get in the right places. The first couple of days, I had to initiate hip-pocket training during our down time and work pretty hard to keep the guys focused on it. By the end of the week, the guys in my squad were initiating their own hip-pocket training. This is very encouraging.


We're getting a better idea of our mission parameters, as well. We aren't going to be traditional light infantry. Like most of the units there, we will be undertaking missions that are essentially police actions. There will be lots of convoy escort, cordon-and-search, patrolling, and MOUT where and when necessary. We will perform all of the first three missions regardless of the situation in Baghdad when we put boots on the ground in February. How much of the latter will be involved is unknown and, I believe, unknowable at this point.


I've started a journal that I hope to turn into a novel when I return. The working title is "Adagio for Strings." I'm going to buy a laptop at Fort Bliss and keep my records there. I'll send regular installments home, since the American bases in Iraq have Internet access. I'll also post installments of "Adagio for Strings" when I can. My experiences will have almost nothing to do with the Twilight: 2000 experience, but I figure you guys might enjoy reading about what's happening to a member of the board.


I'm licked today. I have a throat infection that's kicking my fourth point of contact. I got out and called cadence during platoon marches and runs, and I forgot to call from my diaphragm. As a result, I shouted my voice out. Some opportunistic infection got into the damaged tissue, and now I have a full stick of throat butter rattling around in there. I slept in until 9:30, and still I'm beat. Tomorrow, I'm going to get a facial and massage with my fiancee, however, so life is far from all bad. (And, at the risk of providing TMI, I enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome home last night.)


I'll do my best to stay in touch. With any luck, all you'll be reading about is hard training followed by boring patrols and convoy escort.


Webstral

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TR 07-29-2004, 12:49 AM Sounds encouraging... this could be an interesting read for all of us... question though on the title. Big Samuel Barber fan?



Until Later,


TR

On The Road In Tulsa

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TiggerCCW UK 07-29-2004, 02:57 AM Hopefully things will be quiet and it'll be a personal memoir rather than a gripping account of battle after battle! Stay safe.

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Dogger 08-06-2004, 12:42 PM thanks for the update Web, stay intouch.

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