1 Week Down

I have now been at Ft. Dix for just over 1 week. The training is not quite as rigorous as our previous round of training and thankfully we are not repeating what we did last time as we were told we would. In fact, we actually have a lot of down time in which we are injecting our own training into it based on our mission set, mostly Dari language training so far. The food is not too bad this time, seems to be a little better than last time, or I am just getting in the mindset that it is free  and edible. I am able to hit the gym pretty hard each day as well which has been nice. I anticipate a lot of gym time in Afghanistan as well

This past week we have been going through medical and administrative processing. This constitutes making sure we have all of our shots, vision screening, and a basic physical to ensure we are fit for deployment. On the admin we get new ID cards if needed, update pay, insurance and other emergency contact data.

We also went through a test with our protective masks to ensure the seals were not leaking. Here are some pictures. I had to go through the test 4 times myself as myself because my seal kept failing. The mask was leaking around my chin. Once they changed the head harness to a special kind I passed with no problem. I guess I just proved the test actually works. Sometimes you wonder in the Army if are just doing it because.

We checked out vehicles for training this week as well. This is our ride. I t is an up armored HUMMV. These are only used for training on and base operations now. They are pretty much obsolete for combat with the IED threat and their flat bottom design. We now have a new class of vehicles called MRAPS that can take an IED blast with better survivability.

The next week we will be in cultural awareness training which should be fun and informative. Everyone is pretty much ready to get over there and get to work at this point.

Christine and I have been able to talk quite often via phone and video chat. She is just about 3 weeks away from her due date. We are both getting very excited. The baby’s room is pretty much done. Thank you all again for all your thoughts and prayers. We can definitely feel them.

Day One

Christine and I spent our last day together running around town taking care of last minute business. We saw our midwife for the last time before I took off and all was well. She is progressing well and is only 4 weeks away from her due date (Feb 6^th). I should get about 4 days of leave to come home to see her and the baby, so that will be nice.

This morning, we had an early breakfast with my mom, sister & her kids, aunt & uncle, and my in-laws. It was nice to say good bye one last time. We did have a little dinner earlier in the week with family and friends as well.

After breakfast we were off to the airport. Christine and her parents got to go to the gate with me to see me off. We arrived about 40 minutes prior to boarding and just enjoyed our time together. Then boarding started and the emotions started to kick in. We waited until everyone else boarded the plane then Christine and I said our good byes. I do have to admit, it is the first time I have shed a tear in as long as I can remember, and there were a lot of them. I literally had to pull myself together before I got on the plane. Even though we will see each other again only a few weeks, this is the beginning of a long separation. I can definitely say I love Christine more today than the day we got married.

I had a layover in Detroit (Rock City) before jetting on to Philadelphia and was on schedule to arrive well ahead of the other Soldiers on the mission. Now this is very important because in barracks living, he who gets to the room first gets first choice of bunks. The bottom bunk is very coveted and preferably away from the door so folks going in and out do not disturb you. Top bunk is not good because you have to climb up and down all the time and you really have no other place to sit. Therefore, getting here early was key. Once I arrived in Detroit and made it to my connection, I found that they had canceled my flight due to weather. I later found out it was because it was not a full flight from another passenger. I was promptly rebooked on a flight 2 hours later, which still got me in before the main body. The departure time came and went as that flight was further delayed about 45 minutes. Now I would be arriving pretty much with everyone else, so my advantage was lost, but was it. I had an inside man, yes, one of the Master Sergeants I work with was in charge of rooms and already on the ground 13 days, a quick text and that problem was solved. He let me know that I was in a 4 man room with just one other guy. This was great news considering I was in a 12 man room with 12 people last time around. Also solves the bunk issue, we each get 2 beds to ourselves. With that minor detail taken care of, I was off to Philadelphia.

Once I landed, I promptly proceeded to baggage claim to retrieve my bags. Well, at least I thought I was going to retrieve my things. All the bags came and went, but no sign of my bags. I am thinking oh crap, everything I have is in those bags; towels, hygiene stuff, sheets, blankets, shoes, etc… I checked with the Delta baggage office to see what was up. She informed me that my luggage was coming in on the next flight which was set to arrive about 30 minutes later. (RANT) Now I am thinking, after my earlier flight was canceled, and the later flight I was placed on delayed by 40 minutes, how in the world did my luggage end up on an even later flight? This is the mystery of baggage and what we now pay extra for.

Once I finally got my bags, I head via an airport shuttle to Fort Dix, which is about an hour away. Received my room and began the moving in process. The bunks are much more comfortable than the last time and the barracks in much better shape over all. I also learned that I got the “privilege” of being the class Officer in Charge (OIC).  This is good as I get to influence how we do business on a daily basis, but the downside is that it entails meetings…

That’s all I know for now, I am ready to hit the hay. I hope this was not too long winded, as I just wanted to get this kicked off again.

Until next time, TTFN!

Departure Update

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We are doing well and getting Christine all settled in. For those that are unaware, and most of you are, my mobilization date moved from January 2nd, back to January 12th. This gives us 10 extra days to get everything ready for the baby before I depart. As is typical with the military, there have been a lot changes to the mission over the past few weeks. The mission I am part of is called NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A). If  you are interested you can check out the official website at http://www.ntm-a.com/ for more information.

The baby's room is almost complete, and we have been collecting all the necessities over the past few weeks. Christine is now 5 weeks away from her due date and I will most likely be at Ft. Dix when she goes into labor unless she goes really early, but once she starts labor, I will be doing my best to get on a plane back to Richmond to be with her. I will get about 4 days back home with Christine and the baby before I have to return.

Beyond that we have been enjoying our time together and getting reacquainted with friends and family. Until next time, take care and God bless.

Travis