Dear Family
Yesterday night we definately had fun the night before we have a mountain range about 4-5 miles out that I can see from my bed well two nights ago we watched the fire burn up and over the mountain then last night we watched as the fire came within a half milke to a mile away from the carracks we even backed all of our main packs to be able to evacuate across the street to the hovercraft base across the street but during the night it changed directions to head away from the MCRD portion of the base. Today more sitting around we didn't get to do much today weapons maintanence prac, first aid and lecture from my senior drill Instructor the only change is that the power is out and we now have to wear masks to make sure we don't inhale to much smoke. IT still looks like Christmas as the white ash falls around us. I am not looking forward to tomorrow more sitting around and more bordom the plus for the electricity going out is we get 11 1/2 hrs of sleep yesterday and tonmight from dawn to suck. Well I need to go write more letters I think I have 20 or so I am a little behind
Love
Ben
Dear Father,
I didn't have any more room on the family ltter and I wrote that last night and am writing this one tonight. I have realized that it is all a game to night they were messing arond withus before bed because we had extra time basically we were getting in and out of bed a couple of times and getting on line a whole lot more. About 20 of us right around me were trying not to laugh because they drill instructors had to find the mallest thing like one person wiggling their toe to punish us. It was hilarious that they have to try so hard now to find anything wrong with us. It is all becoming a game and we are loving it. 26 more days to go and in one hour I will officially be a third phase rady to gaduate.
Love
Ben
Friday, November 2, 2007
Post 22
Dear Family,
California is burning and the snow is falling by now you probably have seen the news but california is on fire and the fires ae in San Diego area well north of it so I jut happen to be in themiddle of the fire three hours ago we found out that 13 miles north of us on the upper side of Camp Penelton is being evacuated and we are still ago on crucible but there is a possibility that it will be cancelled due to poor air quality already you can feel the heat of the fire it increased from in the sixties to 70's to feeling like it is in the lower 90's the air is becoming dryer and more difficult to breath. It is not rally noticible but it is if you really focus on the breathing. Tuesday night Oct 23 what can I say I fell alseep writing a letter the conditions here continue to amaze me it looks a little like Christmas with all the ash on the ground. The sun today was amazing no longer do we have limited coverage but we have full coverage so the sun is red and barely shines through and when it does it casts an erire glow like the sky just before a tornado. The air is even more difficult to breath like you have a cold the air also causes a lot of dryness so to not be to graphic but boogers are in abundance and hard to get rid of. We have not started the crucible and may not get to because of the conditions both MCRD north and south have postponed all physical outdoor activities until further notice. I am a little bumbed but that is ok I will get plenty of time to try out survival skills in the fleet. I also spend another 3 weeks - 4 weeks up here druing MCT so I will be doing the same stuff just more in depth. Today was boring we sat on our butts for close to 10 hrs studying prac and cleaning our weapons. Tomorrow will probably be the sme if not worse also for the crucible we got a double shot of bacillion in the butt for the third time. I now have received four shoots to the butt now I am not getting very use to shots and now dont care aobut them very much. I guess that comes from having so many I can't remember but I think I am up to 14 shots who would figure tht I would start to not mind the shots. Well not much more to tell I now am going to get some sleep.
Love you all
LOVE
Ben
PS Peachy rings, starbucks, mike & Ikes, Milk Duds, Raisenetts, M&M, milky way, runts, goobstoppers, reeces pieces, nutterbutter, oatmeal pie, twistlers, jelly beans, swedish fish, and jelly bellies, cheese cake, pudding (vanilla, butterscotish and tapioca and carmel) oatmeal raisen cookes & chocolate hip, sugar, Christmas cookies with or without frosting that is what I like so far as far as I remember there may be more.
PSS This is not to alarm you but as I am lying here I am watching the reaper begin to be devoured by flames the view is increadible I am glad I am witnessing this.
California is burning and the snow is falling by now you probably have seen the news but california is on fire and the fires ae in San Diego area well north of it so I jut happen to be in themiddle of the fire three hours ago we found out that 13 miles north of us on the upper side of Camp Penelton is being evacuated and we are still ago on crucible but there is a possibility that it will be cancelled due to poor air quality already you can feel the heat of the fire it increased from in the sixties to 70's to feeling like it is in the lower 90's the air is becoming dryer and more difficult to breath. It is not rally noticible but it is if you really focus on the breathing. Tuesday night Oct 23 what can I say I fell alseep writing a letter the conditions here continue to amaze me it looks a little like Christmas with all the ash on the ground. The sun today was amazing no longer do we have limited coverage but we have full coverage so the sun is red and barely shines through and when it does it casts an erire glow like the sky just before a tornado. The air is even more difficult to breath like you have a cold the air also causes a lot of dryness so to not be to graphic but boogers are in abundance and hard to get rid of. We have not started the crucible and may not get to because of the conditions both MCRD north and south have postponed all physical outdoor activities until further notice. I am a little bumbed but that is ok I will get plenty of time to try out survival skills in the fleet. I also spend another 3 weeks - 4 weeks up here druing MCT so I will be doing the same stuff just more in depth. Today was boring we sat on our butts for close to 10 hrs studying prac and cleaning our weapons. Tomorrow will probably be the sme if not worse also for the crucible we got a double shot of bacillion in the butt for the third time. I now have received four shoots to the butt now I am not getting very use to shots and now dont care aobut them very much. I guess that comes from having so many I can't remember but I think I am up to 14 shots who would figure tht I would start to not mind the shots. Well not much more to tell I now am going to get some sleep.
Love you all
LOVE
Ben
PS Peachy rings, starbucks, mike & Ikes, Milk Duds, Raisenetts, M&M, milky way, runts, goobstoppers, reeces pieces, nutterbutter, oatmeal pie, twistlers, jelly beans, swedish fish, and jelly bellies, cheese cake, pudding (vanilla, butterscotish and tapioca and carmel) oatmeal raisen cookes & chocolate hip, sugar, Christmas cookies with or without frosting that is what I like so far as far as I remember there may be more.
PSS This is not to alarm you but as I am lying here I am watching the reaper begin to be devoured by flames the view is increadible I am glad I am witnessing this.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Post 21 - Oct 21st
Dear Family
Wow where to start so field week. It was amazing the irst twodays were ok we had field fire which was just lerninghow to shoot our rifles faster and accurately at 100 yds or less the third day was gas chamber and orienteering class which m fine eam and me excelled on the course finished close to an hour or so earlier than the last teams. I still had pink eye so I wasn't allowed to do pink eye (I think he meant gas chamber) something like I would go blind if I went in or something. Well anyways then the next day we learned hand signalsand fire team drills. We also had a right fire course which was an obsticle course done at night utilizing night movements tecniques. We also did about 7 different combat obsticle courses. Tomorrow we hike out to our site and set up for the crucible tis is when I will need the mos prayer 72 hrs of sleep depervation and food depervation followed by a ten mile hike up the reaper and thefamous warriors breakfast. Yesterday was cool though we got to watch full metal jacket and in the background SOI (School of infantry) was shooting off their artilery so it sounded like we were in the middle of a battle. The pictures are all good the one of culvers was questionable I really started to long for a rueben. Do I miss work no but do I miss the simplisity of getting up working and then go bakc home and hanging out with friends. I have answers for mom from on e of her priorletters she said she doesnt' know what i like well I started thinking and started getting craves for certain foods. I even wrote a list of what I want to have at Thanksgiving dinner - sweat potato pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie (whip cream all aournd), turkey, cranberry sauce or jello, rolls (homemade), Jello, stuffing, mash potato & gravy, squash, taco dip, ritz crackers and cheese spread. About flight plans the first day I get back to MCRD we got to SATO an on base travel agency where I can arrange a flight. I will then send you the information sothat you can arrange a flight close to mine I will probably fligh from San Diego to Chicago to Milwaukee oherwise I will fly from San Diego to Colorado to Milwaukee since Colorado is a big midway stopping point but I will see today I went to church like usual but it was better imagine over 200 young men crambed into a room where every isle and bulk head has a person sanding or sitting in it, and all sing at the top of our lungs you will see on drad day but we get pretty loud ad we were loud. we also had another 11 men get baptised today. I don't know how this would work but I would like it if you could get a hold of Ryan and see if there is any possibility of him getting aold of me to see if I can do a devotion for youth group when I get back. I figure it would be cool to tell m Christian walk and how hard it is to stick to your principles when you are surrounded by "evil" intentions and just about the perserverence ou need o get through boot camp. Also today it was interesting because it was very windy and you would have sworn it was foggy out but it definately was the "sand storm" (he was probably experiencing the smoke from the fire in CA but had no way of knowing it at the time) outside it was little bit amazing. Well I need to rest before I start the crucibl I wil write afterwards or we might get a phone call who knows we were suppose to get one on Sat but they took awya the phone centr here so we didn't get one instead we got a movie. Well Goodnight
Love
Ben
Wow where to start so field week. It was amazing the irst twodays were ok we had field fire which was just lerninghow to shoot our rifles faster and accurately at 100 yds or less the third day was gas chamber and orienteering class which m fine eam and me excelled on the course finished close to an hour or so earlier than the last teams. I still had pink eye so I wasn't allowed to do pink eye (I think he meant gas chamber) something like I would go blind if I went in or something. Well anyways then the next day we learned hand signalsand fire team drills. We also had a right fire course which was an obsticle course done at night utilizing night movements tecniques. We also did about 7 different combat obsticle courses. Tomorrow we hike out to our site and set up for the crucible tis is when I will need the mos prayer 72 hrs of sleep depervation and food depervation followed by a ten mile hike up the reaper and thefamous warriors breakfast. Yesterday was cool though we got to watch full metal jacket and in the background SOI (School of infantry) was shooting off their artilery so it sounded like we were in the middle of a battle. The pictures are all good the one of culvers was questionable I really started to long for a rueben. Do I miss work no but do I miss the simplisity of getting up working and then go bakc home and hanging out with friends. I have answers for mom from on e of her priorletters she said she doesnt' know what i like well I started thinking and started getting craves for certain foods. I even wrote a list of what I want to have at Thanksgiving dinner - sweat potato pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie (whip cream all aournd), turkey, cranberry sauce or jello, rolls (homemade), Jello, stuffing, mash potato & gravy, squash, taco dip, ritz crackers and cheese spread. About flight plans the first day I get back to MCRD we got to SATO an on base travel agency where I can arrange a flight. I will then send you the information sothat you can arrange a flight close to mine I will probably fligh from San Diego to Chicago to Milwaukee oherwise I will fly from San Diego to Colorado to Milwaukee since Colorado is a big midway stopping point but I will see today I went to church like usual but it was better imagine over 200 young men crambed into a room where every isle and bulk head has a person sanding or sitting in it, and all sing at the top of our lungs you will see on drad day but we get pretty loud ad we were loud. we also had another 11 men get baptised today. I don't know how this would work but I would like it if you could get a hold of Ryan and see if there is any possibility of him getting aold of me to see if I can do a devotion for youth group when I get back. I figure it would be cool to tell m Christian walk and how hard it is to stick to your principles when you are surrounded by "evil" intentions and just about the perserverence ou need o get through boot camp. Also today it was interesting because it was very windy and you would have sworn it was foggy out but it definately was the "sand storm" (he was probably experiencing the smoke from the fire in CA but had no way of knowing it at the time) outside it was little bit amazing. Well I need to rest before I start the crucibl I wil write afterwards or we might get a phone call who knows we were suppose to get one on Sat but they took awya the phone centr here so we didn't get one instead we got a movie. Well Goodnight
Love
Ben
Post 20 Halfway Done
Dear Family
Yesterday wow can I say that was a big mile stone I am now halfway done with training and finished an eiht mile hike with full dear in the rain which probably added an extra 10+ lbs to the pack I am not going int field week and crucible week this is the last letter I will snd until the end of field week possibily till the end of cruicible week. I am going to try to write as I go but I don't know how much time I will have period. The hike out to our bivwac site tomorrow and will hike to our classes everyday in full tactical gear which is flac, kevlar, and rifles, not to heavy but we might have our day pack too which weighs about twenty thirty pounds. On tuesday I go through the gas chamber which will be interesting. I don't want to do it but it is a requirement I might not be able to if my pink eye is still around but I shot a 221 on the range which is an expert mark on wednesday I have to do field firing which is kevlar, flac, and gas masks sooting to see if I can pass if I get 60 out of 100 points I pass and keep my expert score. I don't see any problem but then I also don't want to be cocky because their over confidence usually works against you. I m loving all of the pictures by bible looks werd because that is where I store them. Theyare my book markers I am currently reading Job, Psalms, and Proverbs. To encourage and show that even at the bottom of the pile God still is there and concerned about you and is there to conform and support you. I got to see another eight get baptised today which is always encouraging. I am getting ready to move out tomorrow to our new home for a week and at the end of that eek we move again. They give us nice stuff though my pack is a brand new backpacker pack probaly a loe Alpine bag cost approximately $250 or more our sleeping system is two sleeping bags a gortex cover and a isomat. We have full gortex clothing coat & pants along with poncho and poncho liner also thermo underware. They supply us also with all of our meals for the next week so we are pretty set basically add a few more personal items and you have our pcks. Well I should go finish getting ready if we get done son enough we get to watch "full metal jacket" tonight, a marine movie, which I haven't see. It will be the first priveledge we get since they took both of our phone calls away from us. By the tim you get this I wll probably be on crucible week. By then I guess you are suppose to start planning to buy airplane tickets if you know what you all want to do I need a confirmation number or copy of the confirmation sheet so that they don't make me buy my own ticket a I would like to know what you are all planning on doing while you are down here. I am planning on hopefully getting home before thankgiving dinner otherwise I am open to anything. On visitor day I plan t take you to the museum on base and to the semi formal restaurant on base depending on how busy it is and how long you get to be on base with me. I am telling you this because by probably T-60 Nove 12 is the last day you will beable to send lettrs to me and then only if you send them with two first class stamps because they will get hre faster but after thatI will probably not get them before I lave. If you still want to write and give them to me personally I am all for that. Well I really do need to go love you all and hope to see and possible talk to you all soon.
LOVE
BEN
PS If you need to get ahold of my freinds look on my phone and call them to tell them about the blog if not you can write again and I will send you addresses.
PSS I amsending this letter with two stamps I heard a rumor that they mail faster you will have to tell me
Yesterday wow can I say that was a big mile stone I am now halfway done with training and finished an eiht mile hike with full dear in the rain which probably added an extra 10+ lbs to the pack I am not going int field week and crucible week this is the last letter I will snd until the end of field week possibily till the end of cruicible week. I am going to try to write as I go but I don't know how much time I will have period. The hike out to our bivwac site tomorrow and will hike to our classes everyday in full tactical gear which is flac, kevlar, and rifles, not to heavy but we might have our day pack too which weighs about twenty thirty pounds. On tuesday I go through the gas chamber which will be interesting. I don't want to do it but it is a requirement I might not be able to if my pink eye is still around but I shot a 221 on the range which is an expert mark on wednesday I have to do field firing which is kevlar, flac, and gas masks sooting to see if I can pass if I get 60 out of 100 points I pass and keep my expert score. I don't see any problem but then I also don't want to be cocky because their over confidence usually works against you. I m loving all of the pictures by bible looks werd because that is where I store them. Theyare my book markers I am currently reading Job, Psalms, and Proverbs. To encourage and show that even at the bottom of the pile God still is there and concerned about you and is there to conform and support you. I got to see another eight get baptised today which is always encouraging. I am getting ready to move out tomorrow to our new home for a week and at the end of that eek we move again. They give us nice stuff though my pack is a brand new backpacker pack probaly a loe Alpine bag cost approximately $250 or more our sleeping system is two sleeping bags a gortex cover and a isomat. We have full gortex clothing coat & pants along with poncho and poncho liner also thermo underware. They supply us also with all of our meals for the next week so we are pretty set basically add a few more personal items and you have our pcks. Well I should go finish getting ready if we get done son enough we get to watch "full metal jacket" tonight, a marine movie, which I haven't see. It will be the first priveledge we get since they took both of our phone calls away from us. By the tim you get this I wll probably be on crucible week. By then I guess you are suppose to start planning to buy airplane tickets if you know what you all want to do I need a confirmation number or copy of the confirmation sheet so that they don't make me buy my own ticket a I would like to know what you are all planning on doing while you are down here. I am planning on hopefully getting home before thankgiving dinner otherwise I am open to anything. On visitor day I plan t take you to the museum on base and to the semi formal restaurant on base depending on how busy it is and how long you get to be on base with me. I am telling you this because by probably T-60 Nove 12 is the last day you will beable to send lettrs to me and then only if you send them with two first class stamps because they will get hre faster but after thatI will probably not get them before I lave. If you still want to write and give them to me personally I am all for that. Well I really do need to go love you all and hope to see and possible talk to you all soon.
LOVE
BEN
PS If you need to get ahold of my freinds look on my phone and call them to tell them about the blog if not you can write again and I will send you addresses.
PSS I amsending this letter with two stamps I heard a rumor that they mail faster you will have to tell me
Monday, October 29, 2007
Post 13 "Late Entry"
Dear Family
I am up north at MCRD North campus at Edson Range were they have the world famous Beta Range where Lee Harvey Oswald was trained to shoot so their is a little history on this base. I was expecting more trees but it turns out that it is located in far lack of a better term desert. It gets cold here last night I froze I believe that it must have been in the lower 50 upper 40's because after I put my cammies on it still was cold. Instead of seeing a airport all we see is the highway and the ocean, and they enterance to a navy base. When you think about waste lands this is it and we have to walk it. Today at church we got to witness 11 recruits get baptised. It was in a really neet chaple which had the baptism pool right in the stage they pulled two pieces up and their was a small pool about 5x7 it was really cool. I am thinking about changing my MOX to electrician but am writing SSGT Smoger to get mor einfor on it. I need to go find a box that got lost in transit so I will write later
Love
Ben
I am up north at MCRD North campus at Edson Range were they have the world famous Beta Range where Lee Harvey Oswald was trained to shoot so their is a little history on this base. I was expecting more trees but it turns out that it is located in far lack of a better term desert. It gets cold here last night I froze I believe that it must have been in the lower 50 upper 40's because after I put my cammies on it still was cold. Instead of seeing a airport all we see is the highway and the ocean, and they enterance to a navy base. When you think about waste lands this is it and we have to walk it. Today at church we got to witness 11 recruits get baptised. It was in a really neet chaple which had the baptism pool right in the stage they pulled two pieces up and their was a small pool about 5x7 it was really cool. I am thinking about changing my MOX to electrician but am writing SSGT Smoger to get mor einfor on it. I need to go find a box that got lost in transit so I will write later
Love
Ben
Post 19
Dear Family
Here I am on the Wednesday night before pre-qualification day for shooting and guess what I now have pink eye. Yep pink eye in my right eye so bad that yesterday I was asked by my drill instructor who I got into a fight with it was all red gooped up and swollen shut. I don't know if you know anything about the wrestler "the rack" he was the scorpion king but he has a famous eye brow raised and my face is swollen that way right now it is kind of funny. Even though it looks so heinious (sp) and it is my shooting eye I was able to get some drops from medical and shoot a 222 on the range which is 2 better than expert which is the highest you can get my goal is to only get sharpshooter but if I can get expert I will be thrilled. I don't know if I told you but I fell during my hike and injured my knee by falling on a rock with close to 110lbs of gear on but it is getting better now it only hurts when I kneel on it. I guess God wanted me to have a harder time in bootcamp than I wanted to so in that case I am now reading Job and his struggle with God turning Satan loose on him. It has been a little sureal her lately there has been a lot of military activity and apparently a naval company coming in cobras and I believe they are called hewys they are the little helicopters you see "we were soldiers" have been doing formation drills and reconisense missions over the base and in the last two days I have seen two cruisers and a submarine on the coast. If I haven't told you yet the range is right next to another marine base were hover crafts the big ballon ridding crafts are kept and repaired so I hear them every once and awhile. Well I need sleep so I can shoot well tomorrow
LOVE
Ben
PS Please remind everyone on my blog that I am extremely sorry I don't have enough time to write everyone that I promised. I barely have time to wrte my family
Here I am on the Wednesday night before pre-qualification day for shooting and guess what I now have pink eye. Yep pink eye in my right eye so bad that yesterday I was asked by my drill instructor who I got into a fight with it was all red gooped up and swollen shut. I don't know if you know anything about the wrestler "the rack" he was the scorpion king but he has a famous eye brow raised and my face is swollen that way right now it is kind of funny. Even though it looks so heinious (sp) and it is my shooting eye I was able to get some drops from medical and shoot a 222 on the range which is 2 better than expert which is the highest you can get my goal is to only get sharpshooter but if I can get expert I will be thrilled. I don't know if I told you but I fell during my hike and injured my knee by falling on a rock with close to 110lbs of gear on but it is getting better now it only hurts when I kneel on it. I guess God wanted me to have a harder time in bootcamp than I wanted to so in that case I am now reading Job and his struggle with God turning Satan loose on him. It has been a little sureal her lately there has been a lot of military activity and apparently a naval company coming in cobras and I believe they are called hewys they are the little helicopters you see "we were soldiers" have been doing formation drills and reconisense missions over the base and in the last two days I have seen two cruisers and a submarine on the coast. If I haven't told you yet the range is right next to another marine base were hover crafts the big ballon ridding crafts are kept and repaired so I hear them every once and awhile. Well I need sleep so I can shoot well tomorrow
LOVE
Ben
PS Please remind everyone on my blog that I am extremely sorry I don't have enough time to write everyone that I promised. I barely have time to wrte my family
Post 18
Der Family
Today was the five mile hike, wow, that is the best I can explain it, the very fact that you can sweat off five pounds without even realizing your sweating wa insane yeah you felt the sweat dripping you just couldn't figure out how. The pace we kept was vigorous we did it in about 2 hours or so the pace father and me take when we go on hikes together but with 50lbs pack, 10lb flax jacket, and 5lb kevlar helmet. To say I was tired at the end would be only a half truth. I was tired but mostly because the last half of the hike my pack shifted and was ridding on my shoulders so I had a really bad pain in my back for half of the hike. Then we took part of a practice test for our Prac exam. After dinner we had a concert put on by rewamericansingers.com a christian group of teens and young adults thatput on shows for the armed forces around the world. It was really cornie but everyone agrees it was very uplifting for us to see that we are actually appreciated not just hated like all PI's make you believe. t is amazing how the simple things up lift the spirit and help you continue on even after the body has given up. We are entering rifle qualification week which I am nervous. I know I can hit the target I just don't know if I can hit it well enough at 500yds to pass. It is a little odd I am trying to hit a target that is the size of a human torso at a length of 5 football fields with a buttet the width of 5.56mm it seems impossible but I guess I see how impossible very soon. Well I need sleep as usual butI will write tomorrow after church to answer questions if I can remember them or if I have any questions for you.
Sunday
went to bible study and church today very hectic beginning to the day started out that someone was stupid and overdosed on pain meds at the chaple so we had church outside instead which was quite enjoyable talkd about Pauls struggle with sin and ours. Again another person in the series was stupid they keyed the Senior Chief Drill Instructors car so now we are waiting to get punished because no one will admit to committing the crime so we all ge to be introuble. The Marinecorps way. (Later that night) wellno one got messed up in our platoon and I haven't heard if they found the other guy or not. The rest of the day was boring field day, Senior Drill Instructor talk, and cleaned our rifles so tomorrow we can begin shooting week. I get to shoot in the morning in the second relay on a target close to the barn so the wind should be very minimal and will give me advantage for shooting. We will be there all day but I will probably only shoot for an hour. The other times I will be working in the pit or writing in my data book keeping scores calculating winds and sigh adjustments. I guess I should explan the pits the targets are on carts that go up and down in a pit where people are working them marking where shots hit and the points of the shots also they will be changing out targets for different shooting positions and distances. There are three different targets that need to be rotated and the marks tha the pit crew put onto the targets are to help judge how off the sights are how badly you built your position, how relaxed you are and how well you set up your natural point of aim, use your natural respiratory pause and your perfect sigh alignment which tells you how much I have to think about plus I have toget ten shots off in a minute utilizing all of these elements and building my position. Well I need to go finish setting up my data book for tomorrow and get some sleep.
LOVE
Ben
PS Along with doing an hour of fire watch
PSS I loved the pictures and leaf I even laminated the leaf so It wouldn't get ruined.
Today was the five mile hike, wow, that is the best I can explain it, the very fact that you can sweat off five pounds without even realizing your sweating wa insane yeah you felt the sweat dripping you just couldn't figure out how. The pace we kept was vigorous we did it in about 2 hours or so the pace father and me take when we go on hikes together but with 50lbs pack, 10lb flax jacket, and 5lb kevlar helmet. To say I was tired at the end would be only a half truth. I was tired but mostly because the last half of the hike my pack shifted and was ridding on my shoulders so I had a really bad pain in my back for half of the hike. Then we took part of a practice test for our Prac exam. After dinner we had a concert put on by rewamericansingers.com a christian group of teens and young adults thatput on shows for the armed forces around the world. It was really cornie but everyone agrees it was very uplifting for us to see that we are actually appreciated not just hated like all PI's make you believe. t is amazing how the simple things up lift the spirit and help you continue on even after the body has given up. We are entering rifle qualification week which I am nervous. I know I can hit the target I just don't know if I can hit it well enough at 500yds to pass. It is a little odd I am trying to hit a target that is the size of a human torso at a length of 5 football fields with a buttet the width of 5.56mm it seems impossible but I guess I see how impossible very soon. Well I need sleep as usual butI will write tomorrow after church to answer questions if I can remember them or if I have any questions for you.
Sunday
went to bible study and church today very hectic beginning to the day started out that someone was stupid and overdosed on pain meds at the chaple so we had church outside instead which was quite enjoyable talkd about Pauls struggle with sin and ours. Again another person in the series was stupid they keyed the Senior Chief Drill Instructors car so now we are waiting to get punished because no one will admit to committing the crime so we all ge to be introuble. The Marinecorps way. (Later that night) wellno one got messed up in our platoon and I haven't heard if they found the other guy or not. The rest of the day was boring field day, Senior Drill Instructor talk, and cleaned our rifles so tomorrow we can begin shooting week. I get to shoot in the morning in the second relay on a target close to the barn so the wind should be very minimal and will give me advantage for shooting. We will be there all day but I will probably only shoot for an hour. The other times I will be working in the pit or writing in my data book keeping scores calculating winds and sigh adjustments. I guess I should explan the pits the targets are on carts that go up and down in a pit where people are working them marking where shots hit and the points of the shots also they will be changing out targets for different shooting positions and distances. There are three different targets that need to be rotated and the marks tha the pit crew put onto the targets are to help judge how off the sights are how badly you built your position, how relaxed you are and how well you set up your natural point of aim, use your natural respiratory pause and your perfect sigh alignment which tells you how much I have to think about plus I have toget ten shots off in a minute utilizing all of these elements and building my position. Well I need to go finish setting up my data book for tomorrow and get some sleep.
LOVE
Ben
PS Along with doing an hour of fire watch
PSS I loved the pictures and leaf I even laminated the leaf so It wouldn't get ruined.
Post 17
Dear Family
I just got your pictures and letters they definatly made me happy especially the leaf. They all went into my bible with the rest of my rememberences they definatly keep me going and remembering why I am here. I have no idea waht T day it is lost track life up here is crazy this is truelythe first opportunity I have had to write and that is because I didn't fall asleep right away like normal. Tomorrow is Saturday and it will be challenging tomorrow is our 5 mile hike with full gear, I really think I will be able to do it but the pace they go at is truely insane. The three mile one was done in under an hour and we had day packs (40lbs) Tomorrow we shoule be maxing at 110lbs or so. I have been informed by third phasers that the 5 mile is the deciding point. It is the hardes hike we will do, because of pace and conditioning. To father I am kind of upset that I am not there to watch this amazing season. Hopefully we will go along wasy and end Bretts carrer on a great note. The training I have received here is of course the best in the world they teach us how to "build" positions which means we learn how to properly get into prone, sitting, kneeling, and prone position, and by using bone support and complete muscle relaxation are abl to hit a 12in target at 500 yds . I haven't done it yet all we got to shoot was 15yds to perfect the sights on our rifles. The rest get really complicated and require me showing and explaining the reason that it works. Next week is firing week we will shoot about 100 yds a day and then shoot to qualify or get dropped. Hopefully I will be able to succeed so far I have even when I think I have failed. Please write me and tell me how the McGinnetts are doing they definately seem like they have a hard road ahead of them. I am also a little disappointed that I was not there to help trim more branches out of the trees. I know the one in the front yard needs it. Well I need sleep so that tomorrow I will have some energy to walk that 5 miles.
LOVE
BEN
PS It may seem simple to you bt the pictures are definately the only thing keeping me going.
I just got your pictures and letters they definatly made me happy especially the leaf. They all went into my bible with the rest of my rememberences they definatly keep me going and remembering why I am here. I have no idea waht T day it is lost track life up here is crazy this is truelythe first opportunity I have had to write and that is because I didn't fall asleep right away like normal. Tomorrow is Saturday and it will be challenging tomorrow is our 5 mile hike with full gear, I really think I will be able to do it but the pace they go at is truely insane. The three mile one was done in under an hour and we had day packs (40lbs) Tomorrow we shoule be maxing at 110lbs or so. I have been informed by third phasers that the 5 mile is the deciding point. It is the hardes hike we will do, because of pace and conditioning. To father I am kind of upset that I am not there to watch this amazing season. Hopefully we will go along wasy and end Bretts carrer on a great note. The training I have received here is of course the best in the world they teach us how to "build" positions which means we learn how to properly get into prone, sitting, kneeling, and prone position, and by using bone support and complete muscle relaxation are abl to hit a 12in target at 500 yds . I haven't done it yet all we got to shoot was 15yds to perfect the sights on our rifles. The rest get really complicated and require me showing and explaining the reason that it works. Next week is firing week we will shoot about 100 yds a day and then shoot to qualify or get dropped. Hopefully I will be able to succeed so far I have even when I think I have failed. Please write me and tell me how the McGinnetts are doing they definately seem like they have a hard road ahead of them. I am also a little disappointed that I was not there to help trim more branches out of the trees. I know the one in the front yard needs it. Well I need sleep so that tomorrow I will have some energy to walk that 5 miles.
LOVE
BEN
PS It may seem simple to you bt the pictures are definately the only thing keeping me going.
Post 16
Dear Family,
The day sure are long extremely short it is odd trying to get adjusted to the desert climate after getting us to the ocean climate. Today was hot about 78 degree and we were wearing combt fatiques, combat boots, and a sweater under the combat blouse which learning to shoot. We have about six hours of class a day learning everything you would need to know about an M16A2 service rifle. Also today we took our first hike it was rather short only a three mile hike with day packs and refles which only weigh about 40 lbs so it wasn't too hard our hext hke is saturday a simple 5 mile but we will be in full combat gear which means Kevla helmets, flac jackets, full packs totally around 110 lbs maybe heavier but it shouldn't be too hard at least at the beginning. Tomorrow we start shooting to adjust our sights so that we can learn how to adjust for wind and distance. Again keep sending letters I don't get there till the weekend but then I get a lot
LOVE
Ben
The day sure are long extremely short it is odd trying to get adjusted to the desert climate after getting us to the ocean climate. Today was hot about 78 degree and we were wearing combt fatiques, combat boots, and a sweater under the combat blouse which learning to shoot. We have about six hours of class a day learning everything you would need to know about an M16A2 service rifle. Also today we took our first hike it was rather short only a three mile hike with day packs and refles which only weigh about 40 lbs so it wasn't too hard our hext hke is saturday a simple 5 mile but we will be in full combat gear which means Kevla helmets, flac jackets, full packs totally around 110 lbs maybe heavier but it shouldn't be too hard at least at the beginning. Tomorrow we start shooting to adjust our sights so that we can learn how to adjust for wind and distance. Again keep sending letters I don't get there till the weekend but then I get a lot
LOVE
Ben
Post 15
Dear Family,
Yesterday we went to the pool to qualify for first level of swim qual. The facilities were very nice. It was pretty easy we wore cammies and had to swim 25 meters jump off of a high board which was about 20 to 25 feet up then we had to tread for 4 minutes and finally another 25 meter swim. I don't know if you remember how bad I am at treading but they gave us some pointers and I was able to tread for four minutes with barely moving my arms hands & legs. The technique is to life up your head to the sky and breath in deeply and then hold for five minutes (I think he meant seconds) and then quickly breath out and in a full lung capacity and hold it and slowly move your arms and legs to keep a little balance the fasteryou breath and the faster you move the quicker you sink. Same with our swimming we did the dame breathing technique to stay a float better. So any ways I was the second one done and I qualified without a problem. Now I have four or three more levels I can qualify at. Later day we got to do the confidence course which was a lot of fun. Basically it is a big obsticle course with some elements peaking at 40-50 feet which was quite interesting people kept messing aournd though so we ended up running a lot probably close to two miles or so when you add all of the sprints and double timing in place. I got to do the "climb for life" pictured on the front of this paper it is probably 40-60 ft long you go about 20 ft on your stomach then flip over and do 20 up side down and then another 20 after they have you take your fee off of the rope and switch hangs in a differentdirection and get your feet back on to the rope wire thing. Today we got to go to McMap again today we learned three moves to get out of choke locks and we learned two different choke holds. I ama little sore from hitting the deck so many times and got a head ache from hitting someone elses head on the way down. The deck though is made of a pit of cut up tire pieces it doesn't hurt very much at all. I also have a little head ache from the choke hold since they were blood choke holds instead of air choke holds which means instead of killing someone by suffication which would take close to two minutes we cut off the blood supply to the brain via the croaded (sp) arteriec in the neck so they are either dead or pass out in the max of eight seconds. They later we got to have our (medical) physical which means more shots currently my butt still hurts from the butt shot. I know you kno how bad I hate shots but I am getting better. I don't panic anymore two at a time we kind of just walk a line they prick yu and you continue down the line. For those of you keeping track at home that is now eleven shots in the arms, three in the butt and four vials of blood that they have given or taken at book so far and we have anoher battery when we get back from up north. The butts shots if you are wondering two more bacillin (sp) part of they penicillin family and one antibiotic coctail. Then I also get a flu mist up both nostrils. Before we go up north we have a lot to do when have a Pxcall, museum tour, pogil sticks, PFT (physical fitness test) up noth orientation series inspection and finish packing all before Saturday morning. To say we aren't busy would be a lie. To answer moms question yes I do know about Assassin they play it a lot at whitewater and it takes place in the winter too, I believe. To Grandma Peiffer my address doesn't change when I go up north it just takes longer to get t me and I am only able to receive it the first two weeks up there the second to I am not able to since I am in the field the whole time sleeping on the dirt. To the rest of you and mom & grandma I am over my bronchitis and my ear has healed thanks to your prayers I still have what is effectionately know as the boot camp slug through which is minor cold and little slug in the lunds well for no I need to sleep.
I LOVE YOU ALL
BEN
Yesterday we went to the pool to qualify for first level of swim qual. The facilities were very nice. It was pretty easy we wore cammies and had to swim 25 meters jump off of a high board which was about 20 to 25 feet up then we had to tread for 4 minutes and finally another 25 meter swim. I don't know if you remember how bad I am at treading but they gave us some pointers and I was able to tread for four minutes with barely moving my arms hands & legs. The technique is to life up your head to the sky and breath in deeply and then hold for five minutes (I think he meant seconds) and then quickly breath out and in a full lung capacity and hold it and slowly move your arms and legs to keep a little balance the fasteryou breath and the faster you move the quicker you sink. Same with our swimming we did the dame breathing technique to stay a float better. So any ways I was the second one done and I qualified without a problem. Now I have four or three more levels I can qualify at. Later day we got to do the confidence course which was a lot of fun. Basically it is a big obsticle course with some elements peaking at 40-50 feet which was quite interesting people kept messing aournd though so we ended up running a lot probably close to two miles or so when you add all of the sprints and double timing in place. I got to do the "climb for life" pictured on the front of this paper it is probably 40-60 ft long you go about 20 ft on your stomach then flip over and do 20 up side down and then another 20 after they have you take your fee off of the rope and switch hangs in a differentdirection and get your feet back on to the rope wire thing. Today we got to go to McMap again today we learned three moves to get out of choke locks and we learned two different choke holds. I ama little sore from hitting the deck so many times and got a head ache from hitting someone elses head on the way down. The deck though is made of a pit of cut up tire pieces it doesn't hurt very much at all. I also have a little head ache from the choke hold since they were blood choke holds instead of air choke holds which means instead of killing someone by suffication which would take close to two minutes we cut off the blood supply to the brain via the croaded (sp) arteriec in the neck so they are either dead or pass out in the max of eight seconds. They later we got to have our (medical) physical which means more shots currently my butt still hurts from the butt shot. I know you kno how bad I hate shots but I am getting better. I don't panic anymore two at a time we kind of just walk a line they prick yu and you continue down the line. For those of you keeping track at home that is now eleven shots in the arms, three in the butt and four vials of blood that they have given or taken at book so far and we have anoher battery when we get back from up north. The butts shots if you are wondering two more bacillin (sp) part of they penicillin family and one antibiotic coctail. Then I also get a flu mist up both nostrils. Before we go up north we have a lot to do when have a Pxcall, museum tour, pogil sticks, PFT (physical fitness test) up noth orientation series inspection and finish packing all before Saturday morning. To say we aren't busy would be a lie. To answer moms question yes I do know about Assassin they play it a lot at whitewater and it takes place in the winter too, I believe. To Grandma Peiffer my address doesn't change when I go up north it just takes longer to get t me and I am only able to receive it the first two weeks up there the second to I am not able to since I am in the field the whole time sleeping on the dirt. To the rest of you and mom & grandma I am over my bronchitis and my ear has healed thanks to your prayers I still have what is effectionately know as the boot camp slug through which is minor cold and little slug in the lunds well for no I need to sleep.
I LOVE YOU ALL
BEN
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
