#110 - Buddy, cover me!

I am out at the Omaha Beach rifle range. This is a course with burned-out carcasses of cars (including an old Willys Jeep), concrete walls and various obstacles. One must run from obstacle to obstacle (cover) while hitting targets with the M-16 (your buddy does the same on the other lane next to you). Since I am working on an ammo detail, I did not pair up with my regular assigned battle butty, Pvt. White. I was yelled at by the Drill Sergeants for not throwing my grenade far enough at the end of the course, but that was to be expected.

I believe this is a relatively new range - at least in its present configuration. The soldiers who came back from Iraq and Afghanistan apparently were consulted in an effort to make the course appear like an urban environment. We had to don the IBAs to run the course. I was beginning to forget how unpleasant wearing one could be. It was particularly bad since it was about 85 degrees today, which is a lot hotter than it has been lately. Still, I'm not complaining too much, as I know Fort Jackson can be much hotter in the summer.

I suspect that this may have originally been a regular rifle range. There is an interesting historic range tower still standing which appears to predate the other structures on site. It looks to be currently unused, and still has a layer of 1960s-style bluish-aqua paint on the interior. The deck-on-hip metal roof is reminscent of several of the fire towers I've done research while working for the Forest Service in the past. I've noticed several similar old towers here at the various ranges on post. Oh well... I'm an archaeologist, historian, and architectural historian wannabe... I notice these kinds of things wherever I go... even in the Army at basic training.

Unfortunately this makes me miss my job as an archaeologist. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on so much in the civilian world by being here...

...

It is now the afternoon, and working on the ammo detail has made for a boring day. We've been sorting spent magazines on a tabletop floored with wire hardware cloth... which looks quite like an archaeology screen. Yet another reminder... I miss my civilian career.

...

It is now early evening, and I am waiting with Bucking to use the payphone. Apparently she is having a problem with her bank at home, so the DSs have granted her permission to make the call. Unfortunately I am not planning to use the phone, as tempting as it may be, since I haven't been given permission.

We are hoping that if our company is on their best behavior that we may be able to progress to Blue Phase soon. My prediction is that the cadre will likely hold out on changing the phase banner until at least after the PT test on Wednesday.

I am to be on a different detail tomorrow at another range. We will be firing various weapons including a shoulder-mounted grenade launcher and the squad-automatic weapon, basically a machine-gun version of the M-16.

At mail call today, I received a letter from a friend, a postcard from one of my website moderators, two cards from my mom, and a card from my aunt. It was a good mail day.

Just a few more days, and we'll be marching out to Victory Forge. A week out in the field will suck, but basic training is almost over... thank God!

Today I was told by a Sgt to put up my hair, as it was too close to the top of my collar. I was elated! My hair is finally growing back, and is short enough (barely) to put into a ponytail. I had chopped most of it off for BCT and have vacillated back and forth between being sorry for the decision, and thankful that I haven't had to do much to maintain it. My hair was dyed with blonde highlights before I left for basic in December. I was told that the Army didn't like multi-color hair, so I had to re-dye it my natural dirty blonde before I shipped for Fort Jackson in January. The irony is that we've been spending so much time out in the sun, that my hair has been sun-dyed to a very bright blonde color again.