FTX

Last week we got to go on our second field training exercise. I really enjoy these because we get out of the classroom and get to do some hands on training. We started at 1pm on Wednesday to get all of our gear set up and ready to go. Around 7 we headed to our 'FOB'. A FOB is basically homebase when conducting operations. From there we continued getting everything set up. I got to help set up the demolitions we were going to be using and the people in leadership for the first mission started planning. Our first mission was to blow up a crater in a road to impede enemy movement and it started at 1am. For every mission the OPFOR (pretend enemy) already know what we are going to do so we can never 'win' but we still have fun. I ended up getting hit in the head with a paintball and went 'blind'. This is the first time I've done training with paintball guns and I really enjoyed it. It's a lot better than just yelling bang bang. It's also the first time that we have actually been able to use vehicles during our missions. We normally walk everywhere whihc isn't realistic. We had three vehicles:


1 Stryker:

and 2 LMTV's:



After each mission we doing an after action review and discuss what went well and what needs to be improved on. Then went back to the FOB and started the next mission. The second mission was to blow a bridge. All the missions were done by platoon and my platoon has three squads. For this mission the other two squads went up to the bridge and basically walked into an ambush and got slaughtered. My squad then came to the rescue! Haha, we had to CASEVAC (casualty evacuation) about 15 people. Doesn't sound like a big deal but every person that was dead had additional weight on their body due to equipment (about 20 lbs). We had to lift, drag, pull, carry, whatever we could do to get all the bodies onto the vehicles. It took four people to lift a single person on the back of the LMTV since they have to be lifted up to shoulder height. It was a workout! But we came together as a team.

Between missions 2 & 3, we had hot chow and the cadre gave us a 'sapper power hour' to sleep since we hadn't slept in over 24 hours. I slept for about 15 minutes and was woken up and told I had to hang out at the TOC (headquarters basically) for the next mission. Which was a bummer because you just sit around. The third mission was a traffic control point and the other platoon was on a quick reaction force mission. Basically the OPFOR created such a mess that our platoon had to call the other platoon in for reinforcements. It was comical listening to over the radio. A perk to being in the TOC is that I got another short nap but I think it made me more tired than helping. Part of the other platoons mission was to take over the TCP for us and my platoon headed back to the FOB.

After mission 3, it was lunch time but right as we were eating, we were called in as a quick reaction force. The other platoon need our help to evacuate a casualty. As soon as we got there, the cadre called in a mortar attack and killed pretty much everyone in our platoon. Like I said, we can never win!

After that, we cleaned up the FOB and headed back in. After we had accountability for all of the sensitive equipment (radios, maps, etc) we got to go home. I got home around 7, showered, ate, popped in a movie and fell asleep. I slept for 12 hours straight. It was amazing!