Guernsey, WY. ULK!!!

So as you know, and if you didn't now you do, I am deploying soon. NOw in a normal unit this is easy or maybe just easier. The Marine Corps, and probably all the brench's of Military, has lots of "Annual Training" that has to be made current before deployments. This includes a yearly qualification in the gas chamber, the rifle range(table 1 nd 2) and swim qual(cause we are amphibious warriors and all. Now in most units these are kept fairly current. Apparently not so at a reserve station! This year we went to Guernsey, Wyoming which is home to a small base holding Army, Airforce and the bad high school kids.

Gas Chamber
This sounds a LOT more scary then it actualy is. The qualification is actual called the "Confidence Chamber," as it is supposed to build confidence in our gas masks, but gas chamber is a way cooler title! What this entails is haveing a short class on our how to properly use our masks, a practice run and then comes the dark shack of CS doom. The gas we use is pretty much just a beefed up version of pepper spray which "attacks" any part of the body that is moist(Eyes, Ears, and...wait the human body is made up of 70% water huh.) It is uncomoftable yes but a piece of cake. You must walk into the shack , which usually has a burn barrel in it filled with several tablets of the afor mentioned gas, with your mask on and jsut wait for further instruction.

The instructor inside will count down from three and when he gets do done you have to stick your fingers into your mask, touching the plastic eyepiece which breaks the seal on your mask. then he Yells "GAS GAS GAS" and you put it back on, clear the bad air out, and start breathing again.

Next he counts from three again, you then slide the mask so it is sitting on top of you head. "gas gas gas" and you put it back on and Clear it.

The next part is tricky. He counts from three again at which point you take itcompletely off and hold it straight out in front of you. Now each time you break the seal they tell you to close your eyes and hold your breath as those are VERY moist parts oy your body. Well part of the third section is ensuring that you have the mask off long enough that you HAVE to take a little gulp of air/CS gas and then you feel the effects on your lungs. It makes you cough something aweful and then when he yells gas gas gas, it is harder to clear your mask because you feel like you can't get a good bit of air to blow out the bad gas in your mask.

Now on a side note EVERY jarhead out there has to do this in Boot Camp but there your have about a dozen Drill Instructors in the chamber that are screaming, yelling, challenging your gender, pounding on the walls and floor and just generally freaking you out! Everybody has to make it through this chamber as anybody who trys to run out will be tackled by a D.I. and then they will be "talked' to and sent through again until they get it right.

This sounds a little aweful I know but Marines have to Qual in the chamber every year and after accomplishing it in Boot under the INSANE conditions, it is a piece of cake. I guess you could say that it builds confidence in your self as well as your gear.

The Rifle Range
Now this is where the fun begins. The reservist qual on just the M16A2 service rifle. The active guys, on the other hand get to qual with the M16, M4, 203 Gernade Launcher, 249 SAW, 240 Golf or Bravo(240G, 240B), the Ma Deuce(M2) and the Mark 19 (Mk 19). Each of these weapons hold a VERY special place in my heart. There is just something Beautiful about puttin hundreds of rounds down range and the smell of gun powder in the morning that gets me all excited. The most fun, by far is the M2 and the Mk 19. The M2 browning .50 caliber maching gun is the kinda gun that makes any boy feel like, not just a man, but a demi=god! These rounds will literally tear buildings apart! At a cyclic rate of fire(pressing the trigger and holding on) you can actually fire 450 rounds per minute! With a max effective range of 1.2 miles this is a very effective piece of death dealing. The Mk 19 has the same kind of feel except instead of .50 cal bullets you have grenades. Watching grenades thump out of you machine gun at 60 rounds per min(the cyclic rate being 375-400 a min) is awesome. This one has a max effective range of about 1500 meters. This is just as fun as the rounds used are high explosive M430 grenades. I pull trigger and things go boom.

We did all of this BEFORE the reservist finished there Qual. Apparently they ALL forgot how to use a simple rifle. This gives you an exmple of how difficult they seem to make things.

Oh well. Guernsey was a really fun time aside from the last day. We shot in the freezing rain and wind for 10 straight hours! Apparently we were just on the outskirts of a super cell. I believe the finalcount was 7 tornados between Guernsey and Denver. Lots of damage, lots of hurt, and one poor guy camping who died, is the current toll.

I might add that I am fine and no Marines were hurt.

I guess you could say a good time was had by all.

All I know how to do with my pinky is an eye gouge an a muscle gouge. Both of which are very painful, eye being long term, Musclebeing short term, but neither will kill you in under ordinary circumstances. thats for Mikecito!

Signing out. "In case I don't see ya, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night!"

Trouble, Bones, and Martians

This may seem like an odd title but I promise I will esplain!

First I have to get my griping out of my system.
New Guy Trouble
Okay I am being a little dramatic as there wasn't actually any trouble but it's my post so I can title it whatever I want!
The shortened version is I had some work to get done. Nothing super important, just normal day to day stuff that can slide while I am, say, on leave. While I HATE, with a Capitol H, paperwork, it isn't difficult if I sit down and just do it.
I told everyone at the shop, "It's no big deal," and "I will do it as soon as I am back," and even "You know me, it won't be a day after I am back that it is finished." ALL TO NO AVAIL!!! Bays, who is brilliant when it comes to fixing cars, doesn't have the slightest idea about paperwork. I know I know sometimes you just need something to do but go do pull-ups or something! Bays, without any promting from our "bosses" went ahead and did my work for me. Thank You I guess. The problem is that it was done COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY WRONG! So now a job that would have taken me a day to do, is taking me a weekend to finish!
Whew now that thats out of my sytem...

Bag of Bones
I don't know if this is my favorite Stephen King Novel, but it is in the top five. I picked it up in the airport and refused to set it down untill finishing. I have my sad moments, I have my very angry moments but in the end I just have to finish the book. For any of those who have found some Stephen King novels to be, hard, difficult, boring, or nigh impossible to read, I recommend this one to one. Easy read, great characters, light language(especially for Mr King) and a haunting love story to boot! I cried, as usual, and then mustered the strength to carry on. Read it, you won't be dissapointed. Of for those of you that like that book Desperation is also a top five Stephen King book and is as highly recommended as well, though I warn you, it is not for the weak of heart!
and finally...

The Martian Child(pg)
What a feel good movie! I have watched several movies in the past few months that I have enjoyed but so few I get to recommend. Just a few that I can't reccomend...Reign over me(R), Atonement(R), Bordertown(R) and Rescue Dawn(R).
Finally a movie that I can recommend.
it was a feel good movie and while I always enjoy John Cusack as an actor it was Bobby Coleman(Dennis aka the Martian Child) that really made the movie. How do kids act this good? I don't know but he really does impress. All star cast by the way. The before mentioned John Cusack, Joan Cusack(of course), Oliver Platt(this sash was a gift to me from the Queen of America) Amanda Peet(Evil Women from saving Silverman) and Richard Schiff for those of you that enjoy West Wing(I'm smiling on the inside)

See I did it. I took three semi interesting subjects and made one AWESOME title.

While I am recommending things, Lacrosse matchs are very fun to attend.

A week a Kellie's

Boy do I love going to Kellie's house.
Jared and I did all the fun sight seeing in DC, Kellie took us to the Air and Space museum and to Arlington, and we got all essential games played for the year. But none of these came even close to being my favorite part!

D.C. and the Mall.
Jared and I walked, and walked, and walked. We got to see the documents that formed our country, the war memorials to our countries finest(me crying all the while), the white House, from a distance of course, and all the other memorials. My personal favorite was the National Museum of Natural Science. We spent almost 2 Hours in there alone. Made me feel like a kid again seeing the dinosaurs and telling Jared to come look every time I found something cool. But mostly I loved the Mammals section. I must have looked at each display at least tree times. Plus I fullfilled my duty as favorite Uncle and got the kids all a exotic cat stuffer animals. I thought I had everything figured out when I got Brendan and Jeremy the same cat(Thanks to Kellie's advice) but boy was I wrong. They quickly decided which one was thiers by the spots. Lose lose situation I guess. However I was a great sucess with Ande as she is now pretty much inseperable from her new Tiger(Ti-ga)

The air and Space Museums
The one in DC was kinda a let down after spending an hour with the boys in the Virginia one. More displays and WAY more fun with the Boys.

Arlington
I seemed to have some sort of, ah Alergic reactions, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Iwo Jima Memorial and the tombs in general. Iwo Jima was by far my favorite. I cried and cried and then held my head up high. One heck of a gun club I've joined. I know it's a sin and all but boy did I fell some serious Pride.

Games
Carcossone:(I think thats how it's spelled) I won! Twice! Plus set a new record for the biggest city(40 some points)
The Farming Game: I didn't win but I had a great time(even though I complained a whole lot) and I came in a close second. Darn cows aren't worth anything!
Careers: I have never cared for this game so i did the only thing I could think to do. Win as quick as possible. Lady luck was on my side and I won, rather quickly I might add.
A Game Of Thrones: This was the gaming highlight of the week. Kellie came at me early on with no pity which really hurt my supply line, and even though I think I had a few good rounds, those early moves made in nigh impossible to fight both Kellie, and eventually Jared. Even though I lost I had a GREAT time and this will continue to be one of my favorite games. so many tactics, so much plotting and planning.

My favorite part by far of this whole trip was my boyz. they are older and talk better now but they are exactlly the same as I remember. They love to wrestle around with me, play video games and just snuggling in my Tiger blanket. I don't know where I went wrong but Ande was all about Jared. "Wheres Jared?" had to have been her favorite phrase. I tried my best to bribe her with monies and tigas but all to no avail. Oh well you can't win em all. the boyz are still mine and we all had a great time.

All in All it was a great week and probably the best leave I have had...ah this year!