Week 2

Gas! Gas! Gas!

The highlight from this week was definitely the day we went to the gas chamber! I wasn't looking forward to it but i was also just as much ready to get it over with. I didn't sweat it b/c i knew what to expect out of my experience from boot camp. This time it was definitely more entertaining! We all had to line up with our masks on outside and march into the gas chamber one day this week. Above the doors read a sign that said, "Even the brave cry here." Yay! I can't wait!
Anyway, we all marched in with our masks on then after we were all in we all realized our masks were in good working condition b/c we could all breath easy with no problems, but that was only the beginning our our "exercise." After that we were told to "break the seal," meaning the seal our masks had around our face to let in the gas...and so the suffering begins! I took a few breaths and immediately started chocking and coughing and my eyes burned and started watering. We all had to keep the seal open with our fingers until they came around and checked every body's broken seal. As each second passed I couldn't wait to close it and clear my mask and breath regular air again! It was horrible! But apparently we were all doing much better than this other guy about 4 guys away from me! In his struggle he panicked and threw off his mask and sprinted across the small room for the door! One of the instructors yelled, "we got a runner!" He then slammed hard against the locked door and the next thing i knew he was on his hands and knees with his face in his hands trying desperately to breathe! It was hilarious! seconds later he was picked up and dragged outside. After the rest of us composed ourselves and completed the rest of our "exercise" we all marched happily outside to air out. The guy who ran out found himself at the back of the line to do it all over again.
Many people said they felt like running, i guess its a natural impulse when you can't breathe properly in that gas but everybody knew you'd most likely be doing it again if you left. One of my friends said it barely irritated his eyes the whole time and could breath just fine! I wish I had his lungs and tolerance! That definitely wasn't a fun day for me!

Week 1 continued...

I failed to mention a story that i had to write about! If you don't like gross stuff please navigate away from this page immediately...consider yourself warned!

We were on one of our conditioning runs one day last week and we went through the woods. it was a company run, around 300 people running in formation broken down by battalions. I'm in 2nd Battalion and we were running behind 3rd Battalion. As a squad leader i was running in the front row of 2nd Battalion and we were about 20 feet away from 3rd Battalion's stragglers. Anyway, we were making our way through the woods and i started to smell sewage! It was really gross, i couldn't tell if it was a skunk or maybe we were passing by some porter-potties we couldn't see through the woods. After about another quarter of a mile the horrible stench didn't go away! it was really gross! and when you're running hard you can't help but take deep breaths as you run! When running with alot of people you do get the occasional cloud of fart that you pass through but that usually goes away after a few seconds...but this stench stayed with us and the guys at my side were just as grossed out! Then i started scanning the guys in front of us and i noticed some brown stuff on one of these guys' legs! so i followed up his leg and sure enough this guy pooped his pants and was running like it was nothing! SO GROSS! ...and INHUMANE! I pointed it out to the other guys and we were all disgusted and finally one of our advisors got him pulled from the ranks and got him to the rear of the everybody else so we didn't have to smell him anymore! It was so gross. He is now called Mr. Poopy Pants.

CREST Wk 1

CREST has been like boot camp so far. I suppose it is in a sense a boot camp for the sailors preparing to move on to military life with the Marine Corps. We have PT'd numerous times almost every day. I'm glad I prepared myself physically because getting in shape here is not something you want to do because you will be pushed and pushed harder if you're not performing at the expected level.
Currently I'm taking courses online during the day that teach you about driving and maintenancing a HMMV. It was somewhat unexpected that we would have to learn how to repair and fix everything on the HMMV as well as be able to drive it!
So far we've also been in numerous Combat Life Saver lectures that range from heat stress to setting up an IV. I've been through most of this training before when i went to Kuwait so its not that foreign to me.
I wake up at 0330 in the morning and we all have to muster up by 0430, as a squad leader I have to be out there first! The days usually end around 5pm, then we eat dinner and head back to the barracks to prepare for the next day.
So far my favorite meal was this buffalo chicken meat over some lettuce, it was sooo good! The first day i tried the pancakes but they tasted like syrup flavored sponges...not good!
We had an easy hike the other day, just two miles with a pack but the pack was empty. Its the first of many we will go on to condition us up to 8 miles.
I'm glad we have weekends off, its been nice to be able to relax and sleep in and take it easy! Its going to be rough waking up at 0330 again on Tuesday!
If anybody was thinking about sending mail, thank you but don't. I've heard that when you get mail you get to do push ups, the heavier the mail the more you do!
Oh and i haven't had a drop of coffee since my first day here last week, i guess i'm off my addiction. I look forward to picking it up again when training is over!

Sorry there's no pictures this time...i'll try to take some for next weeks post!

In it Together

Great video to remind us of whats really important in this world.