As most of you know my contracting team is headed for the Middle East within the next month or so, but what you might not know is that it takes quite some time to get to this point. We found out mid/late 2009 that we would be deploying and it seems that we have been in some sort of training environment ever since. Each of the four Soldiers on the team have completed numerous classroom training requirements along with a few weeks down in Anniston at Fort McClellan and another couple of weeks at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.
The classroom training is the easy part...the only real risk is that you could scald your tongue on the coffee. On the other hand, the risk of hypothermia was prevalent during our time in Anniston. Visit SSG Richardson's Facebook page @ if you want to see the pictures...it was snowing when we left Huntsville! It got down to 8 degrees a couple of nights and wouldn't you know that we had generator problems...no heat. The training at McClellan was fun, not contracting related, but fun. We all felt as if we were back in grade school with all of the running / jumping / crawling through the mud that we did.
Each of us have spent / will spend 2+ weeks at Fort Irwin in California. This place is a geographical oddity...45 miles from anywhere! It's basically a huge training ground for large or small units. Before coming here I had always heard tale of this place...turns out most of the stories are true. Once you get off of I-15 you drive straight out into the desert for 40 miles or so and then all of a sudden you crest a hill and down in the valley sits Fort Irwin. Last night the wind was gusting around 70 mph...I realize that no one will believe that statement, but apparently that is perfectly normal when you don't have trees around.
SSG (Rich) Richardson and I will have the weekend off over the next couple of days and hope to spend some time with his son who lives out this way. Rich did take me to Hollywood, L.A., Venice Beach, and other parts of California last weekend and we had an excellent time. Although Loni has always said she could live in the "big city," I think she would change her mind after a few minutes in that traffic.
So, now that you're more or less up to date I'll do my best to blog often on the happenings of our team. One final thought for the night...I've attached a picture of the team having a bite to eat at Chili's near the hotel. Please notice the look of joy on the faces of Daniel and Jeff! Persons pictures are (left to right):
SSG Rich Richardson - 1960th CCT
SSG Daniel Martin - 1960th CCT
CPT Jeff Campbell - 1960th CCT
SSG Joe Crowell - 626th CCT (Redstone Arsenal)
MSG Leatrice Person - 614th CCT (Fort Benning)
CPT Todd Floyd - 1960th CCT
Oh yeah, in case you don't know a CCT is a Contingency Contracting Team. Soldiers need it, we get it!
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