Sand Storms
0315 wake up
0400 standing tall in full gear (The wind is already blowing)
0500 arrive at CQM Range (Close Quarters Marksmanship)
0530 completed download of equipment and loaded ammo
0600 Start breakfast- MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
0630 finish breakfast / clean-up (Wind has become violent)
0645 start training (Sand Storm is now in full effect)
1015 finish training (Sand Storm hasn't let up... well for a few minutes here and there)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1115 second range finishes, begin brass collection of both ranges (Sand Storm... yeah)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1225 buses arrive to take us back to base (Finally)
I hate Sand!!!! By 1000 I had lost the ability to cry the sand out of my eyes, and yes we were all wearing eye protection, but not full fitted goggles, because when we left at 0400 their was no sand in the air and none of us thought "Hmmm, we could be out in the middle of the desert during this, and it could get worse." The effects of waking up way to early after a long day of training the day before. So there we were eating sand with our breakfast, drinking sand with our water and inhaling sand as we breathed for the entire day at the range... not pleasant.
On top of that we were told we would be doing advanced CQM (Because I have been doing basic CQM for the last 4 years, and while it is always good, the advanced techniques are what I need more time working on) And when we arrived it turned out we were learning the basics... all over again! Lucky the group we were with all needed it, with the exception of the five of us from my team, so yet another day of re familiarization. which is never a bad thing, but when you are expecting something more and get less it is always a bit frustrating... added to the fact that I am now out in the middle of a sandstorm for the duration of it... and on we went with all the basic movements and then we got to the shooting part... which is always fun, even in a sandstorm, and after going through all our training and 120 rounds of ammunition (Not much by my standards, but the beginners were all pretty exhausted at this point, because if you have never done CQM in full gear it is pretty painful the first few times) we ended with a 10 round magazine and a shooting competition.
4 lanes, 4 shooters, a piece of blue paper 4 inches by 4 inches as our target and 20 seconds to get as many hits on the target while moving. We started 200 meters back from the 25 meter line and had to sprint up to it, get into the kneeling position and start. Once the first person reached the line and fired the first shot the 20 second countdown to complete the competition started for everyone. After firing one controlled pair from the kneeling position at the 25 meter mark you then ran to the 15 meter mark and shot a controlled pair from the standing position. After that you walked in and fired a controlled pair while walking past the 10 meter, 7 meter and 4 meter points. I finished in 18 seconds and hit 5 out of 10 times. I was the only one to make it to the 4 meter mark out of the 16 soldiers on my line in under 20 seconds, and I also had the most hits, which meant I won... I was pretty surprised and to add insult to injury I was also the only soldier using his iron sights and not an aim point scope, which are supposed to make it easier, and you a better shooter.
You could say it was because I have done it before, but the other five that have had the training before included an SF Major (A proved superior marksman on multiple occasions when firing from any supported position) and my CSM who is in better shape then I am and has an EO-Tech, which is supposedly the best aim point for CQM available... and those two were in a group with a Col... which means they all trotted the 200 meters up to the line, to make sure he got there at the same time as them, versus the full out sprint the rest of us did... rank has it's privileges.(My group said that was what we were going to do, and then our short little 2LT took off as fast as she could upsetting the rest of us, so Dexter and I went into full sprint and left her in our dust for not sticking to the plan... she only got two shots off before I had finished... and that's what you get for not being a team player) It might just of been luck, but I am just going to have to say that I am just plain better at shooting and moving then most =) And since I am never, not counting this time, the best when it comes to marksmanship I am holding onto this victory with dear life =)
Anyways, after that we sat in the Sand Storm (Oh yeah, that was still going on, it wasn't enough so you couldn't see for a few hundred meters, but it was enough to notice when all you could do was sit in it and get whipped by it) We waited for the range next to us to finish and then we cleaned up the brass. After that was all done we sat waiting for the bus, and what a relief it was to be in out of the sand when it finally came! As I was pulling the clumps of sand out from my eyes where it had pilled up at. I still was having trouble making tears to try and force wash it all out and the pain was bothersome to say the least. Needless to say our first stop back at base was a sink, where all of us spent a good 15 minutes or more cleaning out our Eyes, ears and noses out... it was bad.
The good news, we all got today off after being completely warn down from the Sand Storm experience. I have had experiences of being out and operating in three sand storms now, and this one was by far the worst I have ever endured. The other two I experienced while I was on patrols in Iraq and those storms where much thicker where visibility was cut down to a matter of feet, but it was more like being in a mist or fog then it was getting whipped in the face for hours on end... and of coarse today there is no wind what so ever =( Oh well, another story to tell right!? other then that not much else, still surviving, still waiting to go to Iraq. I sent my address out by e-mail, so if you are wanting to receive it and haven't shot me an e-mail or ask someone in my family, I know they have it. Otherwise I look forward to giving you another update once I reach Iraq. Love you all!
-Chris
0400 standing tall in full gear (The wind is already blowing)
0500 arrive at CQM Range (Close Quarters Marksmanship)
0530 completed download of equipment and loaded ammo
0600 Start breakfast- MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
0630 finish breakfast / clean-up (Wind has become violent)
0645 start training (Sand Storm is now in full effect)
1015 finish training (Sand Storm hasn't let up... well for a few minutes here and there)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1115 second range finishes, begin brass collection of both ranges (Sand Storm... yeah)
(Sitting in Sand Storm Waiting)
1225 buses arrive to take us back to base (Finally)
I hate Sand!!!! By 1000 I had lost the ability to cry the sand out of my eyes, and yes we were all wearing eye protection, but not full fitted goggles, because when we left at 0400 their was no sand in the air and none of us thought "Hmmm, we could be out in the middle of the desert during this, and it could get worse." The effects of waking up way to early after a long day of training the day before. So there we were eating sand with our breakfast, drinking sand with our water and inhaling sand as we breathed for the entire day at the range... not pleasant.
On top of that we were told we would be doing advanced CQM (Because I have been doing basic CQM for the last 4 years, and while it is always good, the advanced techniques are what I need more time working on) And when we arrived it turned out we were learning the basics... all over again! Lucky the group we were with all needed it, with the exception of the five of us from my team, so yet another day of re familiarization. which is never a bad thing, but when you are expecting something more and get less it is always a bit frustrating... added to the fact that I am now out in the middle of a sandstorm for the duration of it... and on we went with all the basic movements and then we got to the shooting part... which is always fun, even in a sandstorm, and after going through all our training and 120 rounds of ammunition (Not much by my standards, but the beginners were all pretty exhausted at this point, because if you have never done CQM in full gear it is pretty painful the first few times) we ended with a 10 round magazine and a shooting competition.
4 lanes, 4 shooters, a piece of blue paper 4 inches by 4 inches as our target and 20 seconds to get as many hits on the target while moving. We started 200 meters back from the 25 meter line and had to sprint up to it, get into the kneeling position and start. Once the first person reached the line and fired the first shot the 20 second countdown to complete the competition started for everyone. After firing one controlled pair from the kneeling position at the 25 meter mark you then ran to the 15 meter mark and shot a controlled pair from the standing position. After that you walked in and fired a controlled pair while walking past the 10 meter, 7 meter and 4 meter points. I finished in 18 seconds and hit 5 out of 10 times. I was the only one to make it to the 4 meter mark out of the 16 soldiers on my line in under 20 seconds, and I also had the most hits, which meant I won... I was pretty surprised and to add insult to injury I was also the only soldier using his iron sights and not an aim point scope, which are supposed to make it easier, and you a better shooter.
You could say it was because I have done it before, but the other five that have had the training before included an SF Major (A proved superior marksman on multiple occasions when firing from any supported position) and my CSM who is in better shape then I am and has an EO-Tech, which is supposedly the best aim point for CQM available... and those two were in a group with a Col... which means they all trotted the 200 meters up to the line, to make sure he got there at the same time as them, versus the full out sprint the rest of us did... rank has it's privileges.(My group said that was what we were going to do, and then our short little 2LT took off as fast as she could upsetting the rest of us, so Dexter and I went into full sprint and left her in our dust for not sticking to the plan... she only got two shots off before I had finished... and that's what you get for not being a team player) It might just of been luck, but I am just going to have to say that I am just plain better at shooting and moving then most =) And since I am never, not counting this time, the best when it comes to marksmanship I am holding onto this victory with dear life =)
Anyways, after that we sat in the Sand Storm (Oh yeah, that was still going on, it wasn't enough so you couldn't see for a few hundred meters, but it was enough to notice when all you could do was sit in it and get whipped by it) We waited for the range next to us to finish and then we cleaned up the brass. After that was all done we sat waiting for the bus, and what a relief it was to be in out of the sand when it finally came! As I was pulling the clumps of sand out from my eyes where it had pilled up at. I still was having trouble making tears to try and force wash it all out and the pain was bothersome to say the least. Needless to say our first stop back at base was a sink, where all of us spent a good 15 minutes or more cleaning out our Eyes, ears and noses out... it was bad.
The good news, we all got today off after being completely warn down from the Sand Storm experience. I have had experiences of being out and operating in three sand storms now, and this one was by far the worst I have ever endured. The other two I experienced while I was on patrols in Iraq and those storms where much thicker where visibility was cut down to a matter of feet, but it was more like being in a mist or fog then it was getting whipped in the face for hours on end... and of coarse today there is no wind what so ever =( Oh well, another story to tell right!? other then that not much else, still surviving, still waiting to go to Iraq. I sent my address out by e-mail, so if you are wanting to receive it and haven't shot me an e-mail or ask someone in my family, I know they have it. Otherwise I look forward to giving you another update once I reach Iraq. Love you all!
-Chris
posted by CalmInTheStorm at 3:55 AM
6 Comments:
Oh yes, there was a PAO SGT out there taking pictures and video, which I will be getting from him tonight, I know he took a few of me, so hopefully I can post those here later in the week for you all to see.
Awesome storm! You should be good at running and shooting with all that soccer experience!!!
Love You, Dad
Wow....what an experience!! Looking forward to seeing the pictures! Love you, Mom
I guess you won't be craving a 'sandwich' anytime soon.
People should read this.
Merry Christmas!
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