So here is the short version… this was the best time I have ever had being completely miserable.
Zero day… got on the bird at 2030 at striker, landed on hammer around 2145, got billeting went to sleep.
first day... 0430 wake up, on the range 0800, 100 degrees bad sand storm no rest, 15 minutes to eat, came back 1700 do reports, bed 2300.
second day… 0430 wake up, on the range 0800, 117 degrees, no shade (for me, the kids got to rotate in and out) 15 minutes off to eat, came back 1800 bed 2230.
third day… 0630 wake up (got to sleep in!) on the range 1000, 113 degrees slight breeze, no shade didn't get to eat, came back 1700, got on the chopper at 2300, back here at striker 2400 went to bed…
the bottoms of my feet are bused back and blue from the golf ball sized rocks I walked on for three days, I got all bit up by ants, my underwear stayed wet from sweat and rubbed the inside of my thighs raw, at the end of the second day when I pulled my pants down at my bunk I had blood that had run down the inside of both my legs. I got really sunburned even though I used SPF 70 sun screen which I got in my eyes and that made my eyes as red as my face. I snatched what I thought was an empty ammo can off the truck, it was full and around 50 lbs and I tore something pretty bad in my right shoulder and I got the heat rash all over my back from sweating so much without getting any air to it.
I kept up with them young troops step for step right up until I ripped my shoulder, then I slowed down just a bit. I had a great time!
Pictures to come...
Take care.
