Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, Its Into The Field We Go!

Last weekend, San Antonio finally got rain!  It was crazy, each storm only lasted about 15 minutes but they were complete down pours and everything flooded!  The city has little or no drainage system so all the water pools in the streets.  It only takes a couple of minutes of hard rain for there to be standing water everywhere!  Thankfully the rain doesn't last long and the water quickly evaporates.  We were planning to go to Sea World but when the rain came we cancelled that trip and went to the Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not Museum, and the Alamo.  We also saw the movie, Contagion, which was really good!  If you go to the Wax Museum and Ripley's you can buy a combo ticket for both.  If you buy it at the Ripley's museum it's $20 with a military discount.  If you buy it at the Wax museum, it's only $5 with the discount.  Don't know why, but we weren't complaining because after we walked through both museum's we decided they weren't even worth the $5 we spent!  Maybe our expectations were too high, I don't know but they weren't very entertaining.  We then walked across the street to the Alamo...good thing that place is free because it's really boring.  I've been there once before, in high school, but didn't really remember it.  Now I know I didn't remember it because it only took us 5 minutes to walk through the entire thing! 

Our last week in the classroom is FINALLY behind us!!  It seems like it took forever but it actually went pretty quickly!  It was a really busy week for everyone.  We started off Monday morning in the classroom and then had PMI in the afternoon.  PMI is Preliminary Marksmanship Instruction.  We marched to a field area on post and learned all about the M-16's.  We then go to practice clearing them, assembling, disassembling, and doing a functions test.  It was hot out but it was nice to be doing something that wasn't sitting in the classroom listening to powerpoint presentations.  We also practice two different drills to work on aim and breathing.  Tuesday we had an initial ASU inspection.  We all got dressed and one of our cadre gave us a quick once-over so we could make any last minute corrections before the actual inspection on Friday. 

(This is me in my ASU!)

We had a lot of homework and stuff due this week since it was our last chance to get everything done before we leave for the field.  If you can, try to get the online training done early and get it out of the way.  There are three different courses you have to do, CRM (Composite Risk Management), Terrorist Awareness, and GAT (Global something something).  The cadre wait to assign all the homework until the last week, it's frustrating because I would have liked to have been working on it sooner but oh well.  There is also a presentation everyone has to do, it's 5-7 minutes on whatever topic you want relating to the Army or health care.  I chose the History of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Seemed interesting enough and wasn't too hard.  There was time set aside in the schedule on Thursday, Friday, and Monday before we leave for the field to get all of these done but our cadre didn't want to wait so over the last two weeks we've been doing some every day and by Tuesday of this week, we were completely done and got out early on Thursday and Friday!  If you are a nurse, there is additional homework for the Nurse track due this week also, although ours got delayed because they don't have the computer system set up correctly right now. 

Wednesday was a really long day.  We were in the classroom all day and then we had to attend a Commanding Generals reception in the evening.  Our entire company had a meet-and-greet with several of the Colonel's and Commanding General.  Each person was introduced to one of the Colonel's, we chatted briefly and then we were all able to walk around and mingle with some other brass in the Battalion.  It was ok, but we were all really tired and wanted to go home and eat and study for our final. 

Thursday was a short day since we were done with our presentations already.  The morning started out with EST 2K (Engagement Skills Trainer 2000).  This is a simulation weapons range.  We practiced zero-ing our weapons and did a practice qualification on the range.  One thing I learned is that I really suck with the M16!  A total of 40 rounds is used for qualification, 20 rounds in the prone supported position (on your stomach, weapon resting on sand bags), 10 rounds prone unsupported (removing the sand bags) and 10 rounds kneeling.  If you hit less than 20 targets you don't qualify, 20-29 is marksman, 30-34 is sharpshooter, and 35-40 is expert marksman.  Well they didn't explain very well the lanes on the range and I'm pretty sure my first 20 rounds I was shooting at someone else's targets.  Needless to say, I did not qualify.  We don't actually have to qualify to pass BOLC and even if you do "qualify" it doesn't mean anything.  We have several more opportunities to practice next week in the field though.  After M16's, we moved on to M9's-handguns.  Unlike the M16's, I did awesome with the M9!  Out of 42 rounds, I hit the target every single time and only about 3 shots were outside of center mass.  The instructors were telling everyone to watch out for me...I was just happy I wasn't completely inept at shooting! 

HHG (Household Goods) shipped.  It's quite a process filling out all of the paperwork correctly and getting it submitted to the right office so they can send movers but I think I got everything squared away.  After lunch we had a quick brief in the classroom then went outside to practice our inspection D & C (drill and ceremony).  There are lots of specific things you do for an inspection, different commands that you don't normally get when you're in formation so we had to make sure everyone was on the same page so we didn't look stupid in front of our Captain. 

Friday we started off the morning with our ASU inspection, and we looked pretty good.  Everyone knew what was going on and we brought the whole show together pretty smoothly for it being the first one.  After the inspection we had our final (yes, there is a mid-term and final for the classroom portion but it's pretty easy and they give you a review that tells you exactly what to study).  All you have to do is pass with a 70% or better--50 questions, that means you can get 15 wrong and still pass!  On each the mid-term and final we only had one person in the class fail (and no, neither time it was me...)  If you fail, they just make you take it again until you pass...there aren't any real consequences for not passing stuff at BOLC because they don't want you here any longer so they do everything they can to push you out the door to your next duty station.  Since we were already finished with our presentations, once the final was over, we got our weekend safety brief and were done for the day about 1100. 

Kinsey and I ran a bunch of errands in the afternoon.  Lots to get done before we head out to the field and a few last minute things to buy.  Then we went and got massages at the spa on post.  It was pretty nice, even though I'm a little partial to my personal massage therapist back home, the lady did a good job.  After that Kinsey and I grabbed some dinner at Taco Cabana.  One of the cadre told me they had great margaritas so we figured we'd better try the place out.  Lucky for us, we showed up during happy hour so the margaritas were only $1.50!  Pretty good too and I don't really like lime margaritas.  Taco Cabana is interesting, it's basically fast food with a liquor license, but the food is far better quality than fast food.  After dinner we went across the street to see Lion King 3D in the theater.  What a great movie!  We enjoyed singing along to all the songs, even though there were lots of little kids in there, we had a good time.

Today Kinsey and I went to the San Antonio Zoo!  It's a pretty nice zoo, quite a wide variety and lots of vegetation and good exhibits.  I give it 4 stars out of 5.  There are only 2 zoos that have 5 stars, the Franke Park Zoo in Fort Wayne, IN and the St. Louis Zoo.  San Antonio did a good job though.  Tomorrow we have to finish getting our gear ready to throw on the truck for the field and then we are heading out Monday evening.  We come back on Friday's, have the weekend off and then leave on Monday again.  That will be the drill for the next three weeks.  We have land navigation, and shooting this week as well as some other random stuff.  I'm looking forward to it, should be a good time!  This is getting far too long so I'm done for now.