Daniel in Iraq

So, one of the coolest traning events is the Leadership Reaction Course. It gives the chance for each soldier, usually a young and inexperienced solder, to take control of a team of four or five soldiers and execute a mission. The challenges are difficult and oftentimes bizarre. But most of all IT’S A BLAST!!! The course is separated into 16 different obstacles or missions. Missions are focused on real life scenarios. For instance, one might read: “The company that you are with is in desperate need of ammo and has requested an air drop to resupply. The ammo has landed across the river and you must take four soldiers and retrieve the ammo. Upon arriving at the bridge that was your waypoint you have discovered it to have been destroyed by enemy fire. All that is left of the river is the frame and stumps in the quick moving water. Cross the river using the supplied materials: a rope and two planks of wood. Bring back the ammo to the company along with all of your ...

So, by popular demand, or by request by my mother (which ever one you want to believe) I am going to update my post to include some of the most intense and entertaining things I have done in the past 24 hours...or week or two, or month. Well, today I'll describe Close Quarters Combat training that I was involved in. CQC is a style of combat that is probably the most dangerous and most unlikely to happen during my deployment. I, being a mechanic, might be close enough to throw a wrench or a ball peen hammer at someone when I'm in close quarters combat. It is the style of combat when we are kicking down doors and running through rooms trying to rescue the princess or someone else of import. It is intense and demanding physically and mentally. We are constantly yelling out commands and communicating amongst one another. Here in the picture you see a building with walls that are made for people like Gooby and maybe an umpa-lumpa. This is a "glass house", a house...