Thursday 03MAY07

Thursday has come and gone now. We had fun today shooting all the big guns off at trucks and tanks. It was cool to shoot the guns that Mail Call show always shows being shot off. My favorite was the gernade launcher. The shells are about the size of the Rambo fireworks single mortar shells. You can see them even in the daylight as they head towards their target and then explode on the target with a big bang. It is like a fireworks display on the ground level. Today was the winding down day for the training and the 1st Srgt said we did a great job with our training the past 2 weeks. Friday will be our last day of training. I plan on doing my laundry and finish packing all my gear and try to get it into 3 sea bags or less. I am going to need lots of luck in doing this task. I have a lot of gear to pack away and they are not small items at all. Plus several of the items do not bend at all or very little. I will have to be very clever when packing, but I think I should come close to 2 1/2 sea bags if it works as I plan. In total I will have my gun case which holds both my M16 and 9MM hand gun. It is similar to the case my Dad has for the 22 rifle. My backpack and the 3 sea bags to lug around to Ft. Bragg. Do not know if we keep all of this gear or get more yet. Working with the Special Operations there may be a need to change some of the items or add or subtract items too. I just want to let everyone know that I am feeling great and in very good spirits and ready for this assignment. I feel with the training I have so far will be helpful incase I get into a BlackHawk down situation and come out with all my shipmates in one piece. Since that time our training has prepared us better for those type of times that go not as planned and be able to stay safe and get back all together. I plan on trying to let you all know that I am doing good and where you can send any care packages and what is needed for me and the troups over there. This is not a walk in the park, but with the training we have obtained it makes it closer to a walk in the park. I will give an update Friday and then hope to pick back up when I arrive in Ft. Bragg. I do not know what access I will have to a computer there, but hope there is a computer lap like this one. I did not bring my laptop with me, but now wish I had. Love to hear how everyone else is doing. It is fun to read things everyone writes on here. I will try and write something back when time allows. I hope to get a few more photos put on tomorrow. It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day already. It has been a heavy load for everyone here to carry and after this afternoon you could feel it being let drop off everyones' shoulders. Everyone has a smile back on their faces and feeling more like their old self for the time being until it is time to go on to the next training. Food has been good and I am not sure if I lost much weight, but with the heat I have not gained, so I am happy about that part. I did have my teeth looked at the other day and the Dentist said I was healing faster than the average person and should have no problems with my teeth or lack off my three wisdom teeth that was taken out just a couple weeks ago at San Diego. I have to say I really never had any true pain, just some discomfort and no trouble with them being pulled at all. I am glad God has been by my side through all of this. I also feel my Grandparents have been near and helping me over come any hard times. We have both the active side of the Navy and the Reserve side. Age is from around early twentys to close to sixty, so no I am not the old one here. I am above the average age. Thanks for supporting me again and hope to hear from everyone some more.