Lightning Warrior Field Training Exercise Day 7 - (Germany) Day 66

Me posing with the "Gut Truck" owner. I thought his shirt was pretty funny :)

We had an early wake up this morning at 0510…why so early you may be asking yourself, because I was wondering the same thing. We had to get ready and get everything packed and put outside the barracks by 0700. No problem…I still don't think we had to get up so early…especially when the DFAC wasn't even open anymore.

0700: Out of the barracks with all our bags lined up outside. We clean the inside of the barracks. Take out the garbage, sweep and mop.

0730: Barracks inspected by a CPT and then we are locked out.

We're told the bus should be coming at 0930…it's cold. The gut truck comes and we go order some pastries. He gets so many requests for coffee, he quickly drives off in another car to fetch some, while his wife works the grill serving up brats and steak sandwiches along with the pastries. An hour passes before he comes back and I'm still there waiting. He gives away the coffee for free which is awesome. I enjoy a nice cup of Joe and then wait back outside the barracks.

0900: Everyone lines up and does a police call around the barracks area. We continue waiting for the bus.

1100: The bus finally comes, we load up and head out finally. It's good to be inside and warm again.

1211: The bus gets pulled over by the Polizei. The driver was going too fast on the autobahn. Yes…there are places you can go too fast…especially if you are a semi or a bus!

1430: We finally arrive back in Heidelberg after missing the first exit. We unload our equipment and then put it in the office before heading over to turn in our weapons to the armory.

1600: My wife comes and picks me up and I'm off for the rest of the day. It's so nice to be back home with my wife once again!!!

So my final thoughts of the exercise…I think it was a huge waste of my time. It's really pointless for them to send us out to the field to train on infantry type stuff. If they end up putting me…a computer geek out on foot patrols and breaking down doors to take rooms, I think we should just give up whatever conflict we're in. It just doesn't make sense. The army has all kinds of infantry soldiers who's job it is to do this kind of stuff. These soldiers train for this all the time…it's what they do. Why on earth would the army send a computer geek into this kind of stuff? Why do we do field exercises training for this kind of stuff? If they want us to do a field training exercise, then have us setup computers and a network out in the field. Have us try and communicate with headquarters. Have us actually train to do our job in the field. Does the army only know how to do field exercises that involve infantry work?

A sign on the bathroom door during the FTX

Yes...the police pulled over our bus in their mini-van...LOL

Capstone - The End (AIT - Fort Gordon) Day 141

Me and PFC Metal hanging out on the FOB

Wake up this morning was at 3:45 AM. We had formation at 4:30 AM and then breakfast. We then proceeded to turn in our sleeping bags. Once they were turned in we cleaned up our tents. After the tents were cleaned we took everything out of inventory and had to count all the items. It is so freakin' cold here. The heater was turned on in one of the girl's tents. There was always a number of people in there hanging out trying to stay warm. Even with layers of clothes on, the cold wind cuts through like a knife. A sergeant would come in and grab a number or all of the people to perform a certain cleaning task…shortly after that people would find their way back to the tent. 

We then had a shakedown to make sure nobody had any contraband. We all lined up and emptied our bags. No MRE food was allowed out, so there was a lot of people throwing that stuff away. 

10:30 - 11:45 we ate lunch out in the parking lot. They didn't want to dirty up the FOB DFAC since it had all been cleaned. After that we had some more induction ceremony practice.

13:00 Finally we had the induction ceremony. There was a lot of brass there including the colonel. When they pinned our regimental crest on us, they would ask questions like where we were heading and such and welcomed us to the signal corps. The colonel took his time and shook hands with each of us. Once that was through we were dismissed. We waited for transportation back to Charlie….so glad to be leaving this place!!

When we got back to Charlie company I took a long hot shower…I must have been in there for a half hour. It felt so good. Capstone really sucked, but I'm glad I went through and finished it. So many shammers got out of it somehow or another. I'm glad it's finally done.

We celebrated by ordering some Hungry Howie's cajun crust pizza! So good!!! Later on at night we went to Kegler's and had a few beers to celebrate finishing AIT…all we have left is the actual graduation ceremony!!!!!

PFC Metal holding all our weapons while we use the facilities.