Well this up coming week is the
halfway point! Can't wait to get back home and chill with friends and
family till my mission!
So for my week. Sunday 10/7 -
Liberty secured at 1600 then we went in and packed for the week and then
we went out and did some combat conditioning. Easy but weird to pt on
sunday. Then we got to hit the racks at 2200 but we had 20 man
firewatch. I was lucky and only had it once.
Monday 10/8 - lights at 0400. we got to go eat at the chow
hall. we did a little pt. Then we went to class. Now for those of you
in high school your in school from about 7 40 to 2 30 right? You have
breaks to talk and walk around between classes, you have different class
rooms, different teachers and 30 minutes to an hour for lunch. Well i
had classes in the same classroom with the same teacher with a few 10
minute breaks to use the head and fill up on water from 0800 till 1630
with 20 minutes in the middle to eat. Crazy. haha. :) I thought i was
done with school. :) After that we went back and practice the first aid
we learned and learned how to use claymores. Yes, claymores... freaking
awesome. :D We then hit the racks at 2115.
Tuesday 10/9 - Lights at 0300. We got our main packs on and
did a slower movement out to the Alpha shelf, the "mountians" to the
south west of the barracks. The movements was about 5 clicks
(Kilometers) long and had an elevation change of about a click to a
click and a half. We then dropped our packs and started to dig
skirmisher holes (6 inches deep and the length of your body). We only
had an E - tool to dig with. (A foldable shovel that we use, the spade
is about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide.) That took about a half hour.
We then paired up with another marine and were told to dig a fighting
hole. For me that was about 5 1/2 ft deep, 2 ft long, and 4 ft wide. We
had been digging from about an hour when i looked at my hand and felt
and noticed a big blood blister between my middle fingers on my right
hand. I remembered that i had a pair of gloves in my pack. I went and
got them and put them on and said a quick prayer for a blessing on my
hand. I dug for another hour the took off my gloves and the blister was
completly gone. You couldn't even tell it had been there. I had just
expecianced a minor miricale. It was absolutly amazing. We kept digging
for another 4 hours and still weren't finished when we got checked.
After everyone in our platoon got checked we were told we had been
compramised and we had to fill in our holes and get our packs on. This
is how most of the guys felt, "You're kidding, right. We've been digging
these freaking holes for the past 6 hours and you want us to just pack
up and leave? Just like that?" I kinda felt like that but not really, I
was in a good mood because of the blood blister blessing. So we filled
our holes, got our packs on and headed down the shelf. We walked about a
click and set up a defensive 360 position and watched our sectors of
fire for the next little while then we got together as a platoon had hit
the rack at 2400.
Wednesday 10/10 - Got up at 0500. Did a slower movement back
to the barracks. We got tested on setting up claymores. After that we
did weapons maintinance. Then we had a wall locker inspection. We had a
class ate at the chow hall and had a gear check and hit the rack at
1940.
Thursday10/11 - lights at 0330. Put on our day packs and
flaxs and did a movement out to Bravo 3, an urban training town. That
was about 4 miles away plus lots of hills. But as a platoon we also had
to take 4 10 lbs ammo cans, 4 35 lbs ammo cans, 1 50 lbs ammo can, 4 5
gallon water jugs, 1 25 lbs log, and 1 100 lbs log. It took 2 hours to
get to the range. After many painful steps and sore shoulders we made
it. We then had classes on what we would be trained on. Midway through
the classes we saw these big rain cloulds coming towards us, "Aw crap."
We went and got our rain gear on and once we did it started to pour. Mud
was everywhere. Your boots were heavy. We sat back down in the
bleachers to finish our classes. Some people somehow feel asleep so the
instructor made everyone take off there hoods so our heads got soaked.
Oh and most of us were already a little sick before this. So the rest of
the class was horrible. After classes we went and practiced what we
learned, how to basically clear a room, how to move down an urban
street, and how to react when your convoy gets contact. Fun stuff. While
we were practicing the rain stopped and the mud started to dry up. We
put all the logs and ammo cans and water in a 7 ton truck to be taken
back, which meant we were running back. We did, i did pretty well. I was
13 out of the 92 guys in our platoon. Always something to work on
right? :) When we got back we did weapons maintiance then had another
wall locker inspection. I got hit on having about an 1/8 or protien
powder residue in my water bottle. So I'm on Delta Liberty because of
that. Lame, but whatever. We hit the rack at 2100.
Friday 10/12 - lights at 0400. Ate at the chow hall then had
pictures for the company. Basically like senior class photos at high
school. Then had classes for a little while and then got released on
liberty.
Well that was my week. I really enjoy hearing about what you
guys are doing back home. Thanks for everyone who has writen me and if
you haven't i'd love to hear from you. Thanks for all the letters and
prayers. Be home soon.
PFC Chipman, Bryson B
