The First Day

December 07, 2007

Hello all,

Well, I made it to Virginia without any bumps or bruises. Figures I would arrive here the day of their first snow of the season! Oh well, its sunny today and the cold is nothing new.
So there are me and 2 other guys here getting ready to go over. My title is “International Corrections Trainer”. The 2 other guys have both been over already and are now going back for more. One is a hillbilly from Oklahoma, (I’ve had fun rubbing in the Fiesta Bowl loss thing!), and the other is a retired Assistant Warden from Washington. He spent 27 years at Walla Walla! Of the 2 he has given me the most insight as to what I can expect. I won’t try to explain everything now. You’ll have to wait until I get there so I can explain it first hand.

So, this morning I meet these two guys in the lobby while we wait for our ride to “The Crucible”. (It’s a private training place out in the country, and I have no idea why its called that.) So while we wait these two guys start telling me all their stories from Iraq…who got shelled when, who was there when so-and-so got hit by an IED, the time an Insurgent tried climbing the wall and got shot, the time a trash truck full of explosives drove into a hotel and blew up like Hiroshima, etc, etc, etc. It was kinda hokey because I just sat back and listened as these two embellished their exploits but neither looked a bit like Rambo…so I was a bit skeptical. I listened to it all, but mostly with a grain of salt. Hillbilly asked me if they had succeeded in scaring me and I told him “Nah, because I come from SRCI Minimum!” I just kept thinking to myself, “What Would Clark Do?” I felt good and safe then.

So we get to the Crucible and sit in on a class full of Civilian Police trainees gearing up to go to Afghanistan and Africa. The class was on “Mind Set” and I found it rather helpful. The instructor was an X-Army guy who was animated and funny and cussed like a sailor. I was reminded that “In Country” one must always remain at a high state of alertness. (Ya think!?) “Yellow” was the color code he gave it. White = SRCI Minimum, Yellow = Me in Iraq, Orange = the common soldier on combat patrol in Iraq, and Red = Anyone taking direct fire from someone trying to kill you. I guess I could go from Yellow to Red while I’m there, (according to my 2 new friends), but I will try my best to avoid that. The instructor said the best thing to do when faced with a “Red” situation is RUN LIKE HELL and try to get to a better spot to fight from. I like that advice and will adhere to it always.

So then the 3 of us peeled off and fired some weapons. The fun stuff…finally! We fired the M-4, AK-47, and Berretta 9mm. It was mostly for familiarization, but it was fun just the same. Then we went and got all our gear. And boy is there a lot of gear! I asked the lady after she scanned all mine in how much she thought it all cost and she said about $2500. I bet most of that is inflated as is typical for government associated costs, but it still seemed high under the circumstances. So now I have 2 duffel bags full of crap I have to tote around while I’m here and when I get to Ft. Benning Saturday, and then when I head to Iraq. I’m going to take a few hours today and find out just how well I can pack. I still have to get a Kevlar vest and helmet, and then a rifle and pistol once I get to Iraq! I may need an extra set of arms and hands, but I’ll do my best to manage.

Take care all. More later,
-Jim