A Day in the Life of 2nd Platoon

Each Platoon has its own personality. I will try and capture each platoon through pictures from members of the platoon and myself. Most of the following pictures where taken by Sgt. M.

Some mornings we start the day with combatives, a mixture of martial arts and wrestling. Since we wrestle each other, the guys have their own name for the training... "Man love Wednesday" or man love Thursday or what ever day you have combatives. The name derives from an apparent phenomenon we will encounter overseas.

SPC. C participates in medical evacuation techniques even if he did not want to.

One of the boys scratches his helmet as he tries to figure out his shot grouping on the zero range.

Here is an example of how NOT to pull security in the rear of the HMMV.

Who is pulling security for this guy? And do not get any on your armor.

SPC B. executes Battle Drill 13B, "React to fire fire ants." SPC H. offers moral support.

When you are in the turret the idea is to have your head outside of the vehicle.

A view of night fire through a set of NODs (Night optical device).

Close quarters combat.

2nd Platoon with art sent from Neil Armstrong School.

3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon

Self portrait by the 2nd Platoon PL

Don't ask..But, TAG HA HA HA

TCP Operations

One of the most effective techniques for fighting a counter insurgency within a designated area is to establish Traffic Control Points (TCP). We spent a few days learning how to establish TCPs and the implied tasks that go with the operation.

HEY NOW! The 1st Platoon PSG searching SPC. H for contraband.

This insurgent is not praying to Allah, he was being unruly and had to be secured.

1st Platoon leadership briefing the interpreters (terps)on the TCP.

Securing a vehicle prior to searching.

Conducting the search.

Hey, that insurgent looks familiar.

One of the Docs from 2nd Platoon takes care of a civilian who encountered an IED.

Braggistan fuzzy backed catapillar

Nothing prepared us, not even the in depth high speed in country brief, for the sudden but sort of gradual onslaught of the DREADED Braggistan Fuzzy Catapillar. It strikes without warning, usually after missing particular elements of field sanitation, mainly shaving. Once it establishes itself, there is no small amount of pain in removing one.

Nothing is more embarrasing than not knowing the Catapillar has struck, as evidenced by the look on SSG. W's face.

Some will try and ignore an attack by acting dignified, it does not help.

Some catapillars are fuller than others.

All you can do if you see someone infested is to show sympathy.

For some of us, the cup is half full. Sergeant M. revels in his new look and proudly shows off his lip parasite.

The 1st Platoon PL (Iceman)seems to enjoy the company.

Not even the keenest skills of Doc can protect himself and the CO from an infestation.

Sometimes having a buddy helps, but closing your eyes in hopes of it going away, does not.

Here is a rare picture of an actual attack on the Sergeant Major.

After enduring some itching and scratching while the little critter settles in, it is not so bad. From what we understand, in Afghanistan you are less of a man if you do not have hair on your face. Luckily, here in Braggistan we got a little extra help.

Halloween

We took the opportunity to conduct some American cultural awarness training for our hosts in Braggistan on Halloween night.

4th Platoon trick or treaters visiting the CP. I don't remember that stuff being on the packing list.

THE GAS CHAMBER

We traded in our halloween masks for protective masks and visited the gas chamber.

The high tech CS gas distributor

Doing calisthenics in the chamber.

Apparantly, these guys did not believe the CS was real.

SGT. M also tested the potency of the CS and suffered accordingly.

Doc is suppossed to be the smart one, but he also succumbed to peer pressure and removed his mask. And of course summed up training in one eloquent gesture. Nice Doc, real nice...

FOB Patriot

Welcome to FOB Patriot in sunny, hot and humid Braggistan. This is where we live when we are not out training. Luckily, we are fighting for God, country and family because if we had to fight for the "FOB" everyone would let the Taliban have it. It guess it is a sick irony that we actually do fight for the FOB everyday in training. Most of the action is centered around the now notorious ECP (Entry control point)2. ECP 2 witnesses VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices), regular IED, AK-47 toting insurgents, and curious COBs.

ECP2 from the interior. Notice clearing barrels on the left.
In the Army we try to be efficient as possible. Here is our combination smoking area/motor pool. So if you are not rotting out your lungs with cigarettes you can rot them out with diesel exhaust. The guy bending over is a squad leader in 1st Platoon. Second from the left is the PSG (Platoon Sergeant) from 1st PLT. We are not sure if he is flashing "peace" or "victory." Third from the left is DOC Pirate, king of the smoking area.We have access to internet in the combo internet cafe/language center. However, I have seen pond water move faster then the FOB internet.

We also have access to wireless internet, here is Crazy Horse and the 1st Platoon PL in the C2 internet cafe at the entrance of the command tent pirating signals. Oh yeah, if you do not have Sprint for your cell you will not have coverage. And that coverage is spotty at best. Just look on the ground for spray paint dots which mark the spots you will get coverage. The paint spots are accurate to the inch every way. Here is the combo steam bath/latrine. If you need to spend more than 5 minutes in here and after days of eating MREs you will, there is a good chance you will be a heat casualty. The medics loiter around the latrines like lawyers at a dangerous intersection, except in this case they are looking to practice their IV techniques.
This is the entrance to the chow hall. Chow, thankfully is provided for by contractors. The soldier on the right is washing his hands with the non-potable water source which usually smells like sewer water. If you plan on eating at the FOB bring hand sanitizer.
This is the dining hall, wait I stand corrected, the dining tent. And yes, in the spirit of theater immersion we stand when we eat. Now I have been overseas as many of us have, and no where did we stand to eat. But I digress.
This is the IED education lane that everybody has to go through when you go to chow. The lane is totally up to date and has examples of the newest in bad guy IED technology. As you can see the army takes this training very serious.
My Mom told me never to go into combat with dirty underwear so I do not wear any. But for those few infantry soldiers that do, here are the laundry facilities.
Believe it or not here is the PX, if the trailer does not have it, well then you did not need it.
This innocous object is the FOB Patriot post office. As the sign implies, it is NOT a drive through facility.
For any aches and pains, you can visit the aid station, it is the newest trend in full spectrum medical care.
Here is the high speed shower facility. The tent on the left is the sink area where we shave and brush our teeth with non-potable water. The showers are pull string operated and do not expect hot water, can I say theater immersion?
Here are the notional bunkers for indirect fire. They are near the living tents, the white thing is the air conditioner/heater for each tent.
This is a shot of the interior of one of the tents, 16 joes to a tent. If you were shy going in, you will not be coming out.
Set against the backdrop of a beautiful Braggistan sunset is the dreaded SPEAKERS. Five times a day regardless of your religous affiliation, you can listen to Muslim prayers. The SPEAKERS are strategically placed next to the living areas so that you can listen to every last note, do I need to say it again? THEATER IMMERSION!
This is one of the towers that run along the FOB perimeter near the berm (look left). They are good for picking off bad guys. Notice the steambath/latrine combo.
If there is a brain center for the FOB this is it, the CP. This is where Crazy Horse (the CO) and I live. No air conditioner or heater, HOOOAAHHH!!!!!

An interior shot of the brain trust and the equipment grenade that apparantly went off in the CP. Here is "Raging Bull" and SSG S the PL (Platoon Leader) and PSG for 3rd Platoon imparting wisdom on the CP while in full battle rattle.

Life on the FOB is down right interesting if not sucky. There is some evil Army shrink somewhere that believes everything is on track according to his evil plans. The Army makes FOB life in the states horrible so that we want to deploy overseas, and deploy with a foul attitude. Until next time, see YA.