Finally an Update...
Hello All -
Well, I've been here at Camp Atterbury, Indiana now for a little over 2 weeks, so by my estimations, about 58 more weeks till I get home! (I know, a little bit pre-mature to start counting) We've been doing all kinds of "fun" stuff: Spent an enitre day going over medial records, updating insurance info, emergency contact info, getting a hand full of shots, blood draws, and other vaccination type items.
We had a day where we did combative training, that was quite fun, but more minor injuries than I need to tell you about (fractured collarbone, stitches, pulled muscles, sprains, etc - not to me, but a bunch of others!) Combatives are a type of tai-kwon-do moves, choke holds, self-defense stuff. How to take a fall, how to react to hand to hand combat, and neat things. There are actual levels to gain, we had a 40 hour class, condensed into about 4 hours, so needless to say, I'm no Bruce Lee yet!
This week we've been spending a lot of time at the firing ranges. M16 rifle, M249 (saw machine gun), Mark19 (grenade launcher), and the 50-Cal Machine gun, (the mack daddy of all the guns I've fired so far)... Feel free to google any of these to see what the look like.
I've got a bunch of pictures to post, but haven't had time to download them to my computer so they will be on the next blog post. (Hopefully quicker than this one, for those of you that have been checking this for updates!)
The food here isn't bad, we get hot breakfast and dinner, and normally a bag lunch or an MRE for lunch, unless we're close to the subway here on post! I'm living in a barracks with about 80 other guys, divided into 4 bays. My bay is for the 'Senior Enlisted' so I don't have anyone on the bunk above me, we are a lot less cramped than the other bays!
The base here is nothing fancy - but a lot more improved than 3 years ago when they started using it for mobilizing units. The internet cafe is pretty much a joke - just to get on a computer for 20 minutes, you wait upwards of an hour or more! Me being the 'geek' that I am, have been able to get my computer validated (security checks! ha! I was telling them what should be on it from an information security point of view) so I can use it easier and without the lines!
I'm finally starting to get accustomed to the early days (5am) and the early lights out time of 10pm. We have been able to make it to the gym here on base on average of 4 times a week. Not too bad, but the times are never the same and it's very had to get in a routine. Our Sergeant Major is a marathon runner, so we run a lot as a section. We don't do distances, but minutes... Realize now, that the army physical fitness test is a 2 mile run, which I can usually do in under 15 minutes - we've been running for 30 or 40 minutes when we run...very different!
Well that's it for the updates this week! Check back next week for hopefully some pics!
Over all, this isn't too bad, it could be a lot worse! For those of you that want to 'send stuff' -
My mailing address here in Indy is: My address is:
SFC Jason Wallace
HHC 16th Eng Bde.
Camp Atterbury, Bldg. 300
PO Box 5000
Edinburgh, IN. 46124-5000
I will be here until approximately Nov. 18th.
I miss you all!!!
Well, I've been here at Camp Atterbury, Indiana now for a little over 2 weeks, so by my estimations, about 58 more weeks till I get home! (I know, a little bit pre-mature to start counting) We've been doing all kinds of "fun" stuff: Spent an enitre day going over medial records, updating insurance info, emergency contact info, getting a hand full of shots, blood draws, and other vaccination type items.
We had a day where we did combative training, that was quite fun, but more minor injuries than I need to tell you about (fractured collarbone, stitches, pulled muscles, sprains, etc - not to me, but a bunch of others!) Combatives are a type of tai-kwon-do moves, choke holds, self-defense stuff. How to take a fall, how to react to hand to hand combat, and neat things. There are actual levels to gain, we had a 40 hour class, condensed into about 4 hours, so needless to say, I'm no Bruce Lee yet!
This week we've been spending a lot of time at the firing ranges. M16 rifle, M249 (saw machine gun), Mark19 (grenade launcher), and the 50-Cal Machine gun, (the mack daddy of all the guns I've fired so far)... Feel free to google any of these to see what the look like.
I've got a bunch of pictures to post, but haven't had time to download them to my computer so they will be on the next blog post. (Hopefully quicker than this one, for those of you that have been checking this for updates!)
The food here isn't bad, we get hot breakfast and dinner, and normally a bag lunch or an MRE for lunch, unless we're close to the subway here on post! I'm living in a barracks with about 80 other guys, divided into 4 bays. My bay is for the 'Senior Enlisted' so I don't have anyone on the bunk above me, we are a lot less cramped than the other bays!
The base here is nothing fancy - but a lot more improved than 3 years ago when they started using it for mobilizing units. The internet cafe is pretty much a joke - just to get on a computer for 20 minutes, you wait upwards of an hour or more! Me being the 'geek' that I am, have been able to get my computer validated (security checks! ha! I was telling them what should be on it from an information security point of view) so I can use it easier and without the lines!
I'm finally starting to get accustomed to the early days (5am) and the early lights out time of 10pm. We have been able to make it to the gym here on base on average of 4 times a week. Not too bad, but the times are never the same and it's very had to get in a routine. Our Sergeant Major is a marathon runner, so we run a lot as a section. We don't do distances, but minutes... Realize now, that the army physical fitness test is a 2 mile run, which I can usually do in under 15 minutes - we've been running for 30 or 40 minutes when we run...very different!
Well that's it for the updates this week! Check back next week for hopefully some pics!
Over all, this isn't too bad, it could be a lot worse! For those of you that want to 'send stuff' -
My mailing address here in Indy is: My address is:
SFC Jason Wallace
HHC 16th Eng Bde.
Camp Atterbury, Bldg. 300
PO Box 5000
Edinburgh, IN. 46124-5000
I will be here until approximately Nov. 18th.
I miss you all!!!
posted by Jason Wallace at
6:04 PM
2 Comments:
Well, after all this is over, I can call you my fellow OIF homie!
Being Army, you'll be stuck over there A LOT LONGER than my six months in Fallujah with the First Marine Expeditionary Force, but look at it this way: TAX FREE INCOME for a year! (WOO-HOO)
Well, Sarge, if there's anything you need just holla. Being an OIF combat veteran I know what it's like to be away from family and friends ... and broadband access! As a side note, I hope you took your laptop with you. It's pretty dusty over there, but your "portable morale center" will survive the "waterless beachfront". Mine did.
I want all your family that read your blog to know that it's not as bad as they make it on the news, and that's coming from someone with half your training and experience that was in "the Battle of Fallujah". As a former journalist myself, I was constantly ticked off from what I saw on TV back home (via satellite in my Colonel's office) and what I was actually experiencing in the field. This time next year, you'll be back safe, sound and good as new!
The chow in country is actually not half bad. Mail won't take too long either, about three weeks tops for a package. And Nationwide is a very good company to work for when it comes to being a mobilized reservist.
Best to you and family. Looking forward to your adventures on the web!
By
Anonymous, at 9/29/2005 4:27 PM
J- Thinking about you and miss you already! I miss my cookie and sametime buddy! Keep in touch and I will keep looking for updates from you.
By
Anonymous, at 10/05/2005 1:48 PM
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