More NIACT

Along with the M9 and M16, we also were able to become familiar with some crew serve weapons which can be mounted on top of hummers during convoy operations.  We got to shoot a 50 cal, an M 240,and an M 249! 

Here I am playing with the "big guns"

Here is someone else with a "bigger gun"



NIACT

Well I'm not sure what NIACT stands for exactly but it is basically three weeks of weapons and combat training at Camp McCrady (Ft. Jackson) in Columbia, SC taught to Navy sailors by Army drill sergeants; therefore, we call it NArmy training.  When I arrived I was assigned to the female barracks with about forty other girls from junior enlisted to mid level officers.  In the next few days we received all of our gear which included a M9 pistol, a M16 rifle, and fifty pounds worth of body armor.  We were popping Motrin for back pain on a regular basis!

Here is how I looked most days (kinda like a teenage mutant ninja turtle).

There were people preparing to go to Djibouti as well as Iraq and Afghanistan and everywhere in between.  We received a lot of excellent training here by some fantastic drill sergeants.  I qualified as a marksman on the M9, shot pop-up targets with the M16, to fire a weapon under stress, how to clear a room (like a SWAT team doing a raid), how to get out of a humvee if it rolls over, and tons of other training I could never have imagined.  As expected, I was good at some things and not so good at others.  But I did receive some comfort when people would say, "Doc, if we're ever to the point that YOU'RE shooting the weapons, we're in serious trouble."  Still, I gave everything my best effort out of respect for those that have to use this training daily for survival and to protect our country.  Hoo-rah!

Here's a pic of the stress shoot exercise.  It's not as easy to hit the target with someone screaming in your ear!

The Journey Begins...

I am currently stationed in San Diego and my journey began with a week's worth of paperwork and processing called NMPS which was thankfully also in San Diego.  This is mainly the starting ground where they collect a group of deployed persons to make sure all labs, diagnostic tests, and necessary paperwork are in order to prevent you being deemed not fit to deploy later on.  Because it was in my duty station city, I got to go home to my husband each day!  Yea!!

After NMPS, the next step is combat weapons training at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC.  But, because the dates on my orders were incorrect for this next step, I got a two week "stay of execution" before I had to officially leave home.  Yea!! (note the pattern of yea's)


Two weeks later, I arrived at the airport for my flight to Columbia.  This was the line to the security gate at 6:00am.  Yes, we have looped all the way OUTSIDE of the airport!!!! (My flight was for 6:30!!!!)

Luckily, they allowed all active duty passengers to go to the head of the line, so I made my flight:)