Dismissed!!!

The word echoed in all of our brains. When we heard it, we couldn't believe it. Maybe it was because of all those times when things were promissed and never delivered. Maybe it was just the karma that had been dealt thus far. But, yes, LTC Shattuck did indeed dismiss the entire battalion from OCS for two weeks. It's Exodus time!

It was by far the hardest week of OCS yet. As my last blog stated, the week began with the terrain walk. It was the first taste of what the field environment with this company might be like. One squad kind of failed the test when they went off into the woods and slept. They were caught. Their punishment? The entire squad had to carry machine gun tripods everywhere they went for the rest of the week. I'm not sure what machine gun tripods have to do with sleeping, but then again, punishments here don't make much sense.

Physically, it was a very difficult week. Monday was an all day walk around terrain, which was not really that difficult. Tuesday was a 5 mile ability group run that our trainer thought should be run at an 8:15 pace. Wednesday was some crazy platoon PT. The candidate who planned it this week didn't take the run from the previous day or the upcoming graded 5 mile run into account. We did a full body workout including squats. Thursday was the graded 5 mile run. I ran it in 37:58. I was extremely surprised that I ran it that fast. It was less than an 8 minute mile. Friday was yet another visit to the Bolton obstacle course. More on that later.

This week was loaded with classes. We had classes in listening and communication, tactical radios, training management, and supply. The tests in training management and supply were not easy, either. I studied most of the previous night for both of them and was still baffled by about 50 percent of the tests. Hopefully, I managed a passing grade.

This week was also big on the mind games. Most days saw our precious study time reduced for wierd and stupid things. Monday night was linen turn in that had to happen during study time. Tuesday was a platoon brief. Wednesday was the kicker: the cadre 1SG decided that two areas in the cadre area were not properly cleaned. Because of that, our study time was revoked for Wednesday and Thursday and would be replaced by a GI pary. (A GI party is a big organized barracks cleaning party. ) The problem is that we had an OPORD due on Thursday, a presentation due on Thursday, a paper due as soon as Exodus is over, and two tests on Friday. Taking away study time puts the class up for failure. Now, I'm guessing someone intervened, because we didn't have to continue the GI party on Thursday. The games this week were numbing. The student leadership took its share of licks for things as simple as missing a facing movement. Also schedules would change and twist giving the entire company mere minutes to complete tasks that take hours. Things were sacrificed. In my case, I had to employ the "field shower method" for about 4 days. In other words, instead of a shower, I had a baby wipe bath. Those things are the greatest invention since sliced bread. Tonight when I took my shower, the sediment gathered nicely on the bottom of the shower. I may have been a little unclean. Also, we were tasked with waxing and buffing an entire hallway with only 20 minutes to complete the task. Considering it takes on average of 20 minutes to lay the wax, 25 minutes for it to dry, and about an hour to buff it, we didn't make our deadline. Thankfully, the punishment wasn't that painful.

And then there was Bolton. Ah Bolton. This obstacle course can be linked to 5 people being pulled from the course due to injuries. One person broke a femur on it and the other 4 received injuries that they thought they could tough out only to get worse later. I was scratched up, bruised, and in complete muscle pain when we did this course in week 1. First off, the company insists that we run there. There wouldn't be a problem with that normally, especially since it's only about a mile away. However, we have to run there in uniform and boots. I love Army boots, but they are obviously not designed to sustain your feet for distance running. Very, very painful. When we arrived there this morning, a dirty haze covered the course. The obstacles were glazed with it. To make things more interesting, it was 6 AM. Still night time. Even though we skipped the two 50 foot obstacles, which scared the heck out of me last time, there were still some climbing obstacles that were slippery. Our squad managed to run through it in 7:09. That time was well above average. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough to help our platoon win. (All squad times were averaged together. The other three squads did not score high enough to earn a good average.) We didn't lose either. 4th platoon won and 2nd platoon get to keep the dud. (The dud is a spent artillery shell that the loser platoon gets to keep until another platoon loses. Any platoon that gets the dud have to repaint it to their own particular style. They also must never leave the dud unsecured. It must never leave the posession of a platoon member. Someone has to sleep with it, carry it, protect it, and have it always on their person. 1st platoon had the dud previously and constantly left it unguarded. I considered stealing the dud several times, but decided it might be hazardous to my career.)

So, that was our week 5. Friday at 1300, the Colonel dismissed us for two weeks of Exodus. Unfortunately, the battalion told us earlier we couldn't go anywhere until after 1700 on the 20th. It wasn't until a week ago that we were told that we could leave on the 19th. I wasn't able to reschedule an earlier flight. So, I will remain in Columbus until Sunday morning. After that, I look forward to seeing my gorgeous wife and daughter when I arrive in Killeen, Texas.

So, for two weeks, this blog is closed. When I return, it will be the beginning of week 6. Just 7 weeks left in this OCS experience. Yes, it is worth it.

BOC Sharp