Crawl, Walk, Run

Well i have been at Fort Dix, now for a week and its not too bad. We did our first major training today. We packed and repacked and repacked our Large green footlockers. We configured and re figured and disfigured and all figured our body armor and uniform. I think we went through 10 different ways to set up our IBA (body armor). I am loving all this ARMY stuff. I truly love the time i spend here and doing my job. I enjoy taking care of my soldiers. I feel that my only job is their welfare. I am an NCO. For anyone not ARMY savvy or just interested in what an NCO truly is please Google NCO creed ARMY. If you read that and then apply that to what i have said over the past months and what i will be saying over the next year then maybe you can get some insight to who I am and what the ARMY and its soldiers are truly about.

Today we had a class on our new weapon the M4 carbine and the M68 optics. I have never fired this weapon system before and am very excited about it. It is a very light and easy to carry weapon. Our armor is starting to break in and when combining the armor and weapon tactics we can see the little hints and adjustments to make the armor fit better and our mission just that little bit easier. I found out that the gloves I was issued don't work in the heat. I will be wearing the ones i was given, they will work perfectly. I found out that the ballistic sunglasses the ARMY issues just give the sweat a nice channel to your eyes. My Wiley-X's i bought will be very handy. I found out how to make the body armor sit in a better position so it doesn't weigh on my shoulders but on my hips. I found out that just having a half size off in boots wont be something i can "live with."

I got some great training today on how to better position my rifle, my self, how to hold the pistol grip better and even aim better. All the old ARMY ways that i have used for 10 years are being thrown out and new techniques are being shown and i like them. After 10 years of training soldiers and myself to follow certain techs this is taking some getting used to but i like it. The armor makes you sweat and can be uncomfortable but once you understand it will save your life, its not so bad. I am still right next to my best Friend Sgt Jon Sopczak. He and i spend almost every day all day together, just like our first tour. I have some pictures of our packing, our confusion and how we looked today. There will be more and our look will change. By no means is this the last time you will see my in armor.