Back from the field

So this last week, monday through today, friday, I have been in the field helping with the Logistics Officer's Course. It being an Officer's course meant that I, being a Junior Enlisted Warrior (JEW) would be doing shit way above my paygrade in terms of training.

So all week there were Convoys going out, well...simulated convoys, but we still fought real aggressors, with blanks.

So on all of my Convoys I was a gunner. First convoy I was the M1 Browning 50 cal Machine Gunner on one of these:



It has a joystick that controls the orientation of the turret so that the gunner can acquire targets quickly. I was also fitted with my own COMM gear so I was able to be rolling down the streets listening to all the radio chatter. We saw no enemy contact, though encountered plenty of suspicious individuals.

Second convoy I was a M240G gunner on an up armored humvee. Second vehicle, first gun truck (the Convoy Commander made a bad choice with that one). OpFor used their own humvee in a blocked ambush, and due to being the second vehicle I was unable to engage as the fire was coming from the other side of the lead humvee. Then the IEDs went off and the front two vehicles were declared dead.

Third convoy I was point 50 cal gunner on a 7-ton. Due to the fact these vehicles were not specifically fitted to be used in weaponized convoys, there was no gunner platform in the cab. Solution? Sit on top of the cab with the 50 cal. With NVGs. Was bad ass as fuck. We were engaged in a blocked ambush, but the 50 cal jammed like it had been all week. IED went off nearby and I was declared as having shrapnel in my face (due to now turret shields on the 7-ton).

That last convoy was also the one where we almost started two forest fires from the use of smoke grenades. And due to poor planning by the Convoy Commander and Assistant Convoys Commander, they both ended up getting killed by a second IED.



In addition to the convoys, on Tuesday we had a V-22 Osprey in our LZ and on Wednesday we had 2 AH-1W Super Cobras in our LZ.

The Osprey was there for everyone, including my fellow JEWs and the Entry Level Officers, to get to try attaching cargo to the winch of a hovering VTOL. When the Osprey gets close and you enter its 'vortex' you get blasted by sand and heat, like you're being baked while shot with a sandblaster. Shit was so cash.

The Super Cobras were there to provide simulated close air support on the convoys.


How does your week compare?

Sounds pretty immense.

I've been playing humans vs zombies all week. Kind of puts things in perspective.

On the other hand I've been having a blast and it totally doesnt. Humans forever!

That sounds pretty intense. How did you simulate IEDs?

Ah. God dammit. I wish I was you .
Although, I'm actually looking into joining the Army or Marines, but only if there's a war going on lol

I pulled 3 all nighters working on an animation... did a self portrait for life drawing... and acted in an Improv show

Ringleader wrote:That sounds pretty intense. How did you simulate IEDs?

CO2 canisters with lots of baby powder lol

in refrence to the 50 cal and 7 ton

in vietnam my uncle was in a convoy, flatbed infront of his 2 1/2 ton truck was loaded with 105mm shells, ontop of the stack there was a guy with a M60

they didnt get ambushed so... yeah but i think that would of been pretty big boom there

also, good to see your learning to use some stuff we make up here, the V-22 i mean, i think we make the windows for the mentioned first vehical you where in to.

ive been grounded........