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.

Deployment

Well folks, we deployed on 30 September to Ft. Bragg in order to conduct training for our impending trip to Afghanistan. We had our farewell ceremony at the armory, which was well attended by family members and friends. Congressmen Reynolds and Kuhls attended and spoke as well. Our journey was a little late in departing because one of the buses broke down on the way to Geneseo. This afforded us all a little more time with our families. We travelled to Ft. Drum and left early Sunday morning for what is called "BRAGGISTAN" (Fort Bragg). The company boarded aircraft and travelled to "Braggistan" where it is hot, humid and sticky.

On the pad at Ft. Drum loading the aircraft.

Our Division Commander, Division Command Sergeant Major, Brigade Commander, Brigade CSM, and our Battalion Commander and Battalion CSM all showed up to see us off and give us words of encouragment.

Once we arrived in Braggistan, one week was spent in the barracks conducting briefings, medical screening and of course shots. We were then trucked out to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Patriot for "immersion training." Immersion training is like language immersion except on steroids and heavily armed. For the next few months the Roughnecks will be living in a FOB that is supposed to replicate life in Afghanistan. We will encounter the enemy as well as local nationals. The FOB is periodically attacked by the enemy which keeps us on our toes. In addition to the FOB we are conducting Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training, weapons qualification and even language training.

1st Squad, 2nd Platoon conducting react to fire drills on one of the training lanes. The bad guys even carry AK-47's which truly do "make a distinctive sound when fired at you."

The boys on the M-4 zero range. We zeroed both iron sights and optics.

These are some bad guys we encountered on the lane. The guy up front fired at us with his AK, but pay attention to the "COBS" (civilians on the battlefield) in the back ground. Leaders are faced with difficult shoot, don't shoot scenarios.

As everyone knows the primary means of transportation for a light fighter is the good ole LPC or the leather personnel carrier (Boots). But, we have also been issued VISMOD HMMVs. These HMMVs are made to look like their up armored brethern overseas. The damn thing sure is ugly, but it beats walking.
Ft. Bragg is the home of the 82nd Airborne, here are some guys who jumped out of a perfectly good CH-47 helicopter. HOOAH

I update this puppy, so here I am. So that all of the family and friends can see for themselves that we have all of the protective equipment here is me in full battle rattle. Body armor, side plates, shoulder plates, knee and elbow pads, and ballistic eye protection. By the way, the weather was really hot this day and yes the stuff is HEAVY.