FTX Day 2

OK today was MUCH more Army.

After an early breakfast the senior staff was driven out to the Land Navigation course for our refresher. The "announcement of the day" was delivered at that early hour ... that a "large cat" (cougar) had been spotted on Camp Rilea, and they were out looking for it. Good morning to you, too!

The run-ins with wildlife continued as we figured out our 100-meter pace counts, when SFC Michael nearly stepped on a Tiger Slug. The zoo experience continued to intensify when we spent a few stationary moments getting a briefing from the commander, which gave the apparently-very-hungry mosquitoes several very easy targets.

The actual Land Nav course got started when Mr. Alexander gave us a series of grid coordinates to visit, maps, protractors and a compass. After a few minutes we pretty much had the hang of things again and were writing down estimated distances and compass bearings between points. We were a little worried when the first point plotted in the middle of a swamp area, but fortunately there weren't any other obstacles apparent from the map. Smooth sailing, right?

Wrong.

Apparently the topo lines on those maps are 5 or even 10 meters in elevation difference, so the up-and-down terrain that we hiked through definitely was NOT indicated on the map. On our way to the first point some 950m away, we had to do a "jog" to get around a stand of thick trees. That little detour took us through what we thought was going to be a relatively tame and easy meadow (which is why we decided to go that way) but turned out to be a field of 7-foot-tall scotch broom. Great for squad concealment tactics, not so great for keeping an eye on your Land Nav targets.

Several more detours and ravines later, we were still fairly confident as we passed some of the few features that actually WERE on the map, such as quarry pits and crossed roads. We were closing in on what was supposed to be a swamp, but instead it was heavily-vegetated forest. Well, as we entered it became apparent that it was actually heavily-vegetated, spongy-ground forest. Then came the reeds, mud, and water. We almost had the commander convinced to let us backtrack and select another point on his map, but instead persevered and found yet another detour that landed us on a dry road. We thought we were still several hundred meters short of the objective, but this road wasn't on the map! Fortunately we did come across another marker, useful because it would give it's grid coordinates and we could continue on towards our target with a new estimated distance and bearing. After wading through more bog and water to get to the marker, we were rather surprised to find that it was actually our target point!

After re-traversing the swamp on our way to the next point, fighting through more brush and treeline, the commander decided we had learned enough to be able to teach it to our platoons over the weekend. So he gave us new points (somewhat closer together) and we had a more leisurely stroll from point to point and back to the start location. We arrived a bit late, rather worn out, still with wet feet, but rather more confident in this particular skill.

The rest of the unit met at that site for some basic platoon movement training from a 25-year infantryman with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. We got drilled on squad movements (various formations while traveling) and ran some scenarios that included coming under imaginary fire. We were NOT very smooth or coordinated at first, but after a few scenarios we thought things were starting to make sense. Of course, we're just the band and it could be our instructor was just trying to go easy on us.

After an MRE lunch we got trained and practiced at setting up ambushes. The first attempt sort of fizzled when the first person in our line yelled out "Enemy Contact!" as the opposition was coming up the street. That turned out to be a VERY good way to give away the fact that there was an ambush in place! That and the fact that most of us were quite visible to anyone coming down the road (photos to be posted later). Ambush #2 wasn't much better, starting off with someone almost stepping on a snake when entering the weeds. This time the opposition was instructed to just go ahead and walk into the kill zone even if they saw those of us trying to hid in the bushes. Not only were we seen, but the Specialist who was sent ahead (by an E-5 and the commander) couldn't help but to GIGGLE as he walked into what he obviously saw as our concealed position. Probably the photographer walking around our position snapping photos was at least a partial giveaway. Could only get better, right? The next position turned out to be very poor because we set up on a short straight bit of road with two blind curves at either end; thus we couldn't see when the opposition was coming! (And in a real-life situation, we wouldn't have been able to see if they were coming with reinforcements.) Plus we set up this "hasty" ambush too slowly, and the opposition could clearly hear us still calling out instructions and talking to each other as they caught up to us.

If one learns from his/her mistakes, we must have been experts by then.

Ambush #4 was much more "by the book." The position was appropriately chosen, concealment was good, and this time the kill was both a complete surprise and ... well ... complete. That was OBVIOUSLY the right time to end that portion of the training, now that we finally had a success.

After spending some additional time talking about squad defensive maneuvers, identification and selection of cover and concealment, it was time to head back to dinner. (VERY good steak!)

Evening training was spent on the indoor, electronic range again. This time the senior staff went through the process we'll use again tomorrow on the "real" ranges, to "zero" (or adjust) the weapons to the individual, and then to practice actually firing at the pop-up targets. A couple of our members seem to have the whole process down very well and won't have any trouble qualifying tomorrow. The rest of us will get lots of practice. The idea is to have all of us qualify, so we can help run the range when the rest of the unit is here this weekend.

I'm probably forgetting some of the day's events, but my brain and body are tired. Several people were taking pictures (and giving away ambush positions at the same time) so I hope those are shared and posted shortly after I get home next week.

More adventures tomorrow!