Ft Jackson Day 4

What a day, I got to sleep in to 5:00 am, Woo Hooooo!! But I did have to get up to stand a weapons watch in the barracks from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM, never really did get back to sleep. Up at 5:00 AM and out the range again. Today was the M16 Qualification. You are given 3 clips, one with 20 rounds, and 2 with 10 rounds. You begin with shooting the 20 rounds from a supported prone position, 10 from unsupported, and 10 from kneeling. You are shooting at pop-targets at 50 meters, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 meters. The closer the targets the shorter the time that they stay up. With the 40 rounds that you are given, you have to hit at least 23 targets in the various positions. I hit 31. That should give me a Sharpshooter qualification, and I should get a Marksmen qualification from yesterdays Grouping and Zeroing. I finished the first time through the range, so once again I got to sit around and watch everyone else qualify. Priceless!!!! This takes some pressure off, as this ends my weapon qualification. The rest of my time here is just training, nothing that requires qualifications. I should be in bed by 9 tonight for a Gooooood night's sleep.

Tomorrow we are going to another range, for "Close Combat" training scenarios, mainly just to go through it. I am finding that the Army is a one stop shop for training. That is, everyone will get the same training, whether they need it or not. Much of the training that I will get next week, will be stuff that I will never use again, but that is how the Army works. The term here is that we are in the "Narmy". Next Monday, we will get to shoot Heavy Weapons, which will include the 50 Cal machine gun, and the "SAW", which is a high speed machine gun. Should be lots of fun!!!!

I should find out next week my travel arrangement to Kuwait, and then to Baghdad. I will let you know as soon as I know. There is a rumor that we may get liberty this Sunday, which would be nice, but you never know.

Well so far, this 51 year old his holding his own here at Ft Jackson. The worst has been wearing the 60 lbs of body armor all day, and marching around in it. I'm starting to get used to it somewhat, as the last several days don't seem as bad as the beginning of the week, but it is still tiring, and wearing on the back and shoulders. Off to bed, more tomorrow.