FTX 3, Week 3 in the field

Our last week in the field where we put together all the skills we learned the prior two weeks. It turned out to be pretty fun even though we couldn’t shoot blanks and had to say “bang, bang”.
Monday we were briefed and reviewed some important aspects.
Tuesday our group was on convoy where we splint into a MAS and a FAS, in which I was on the MAS. We arrived at our point and set up our treatment area, surprising it didn’t take very long and we were ready to receive causalities. We took a lunch break during which I stuck my hand into a red ant hill and they bit the crap out of my hand, it stung for almost on hour or probably until I got to busy to remember my hand was hurting. Either way it sucked. We received several causalities, performed life maintaining exercises and than evacuated them to higher up. We packed up and moved to a second site where we had to clear the buildings first. I was lucky to be on that tuck and took my best soldiers out and we cleared two buildings without any causality, held cover until troops moved in and started to unpack. Than it got a little crazy with 70 people, who all want to be in charge, trying to run a site that normally would be run by 10 made for some interesting sites. Lots of people died because our cadre stated if we didn’t get along they would kill us off and they did. Over all we did well per cadre and I think we did excellent considering we didn’t really know what to do.
We had to start details tonight and I was assigned to masks, which meant we had to clean all 300 gas masks with a team of 30 and it sucked!! It took 20-30 minutes to clean and dry one mask and we thought we were going to be there forever. Cadre called 30 more people to come and help and it took about 3 hours which was way to long. If they would have been smart about it, each person should have cleaned their own mask but that’s the logical way and we are Army now.
Wednesday we were on the FOB (forward operating base) with a medical site that required defense. It was fun, there were guard towers, ‘police’ at the gate with passwords, and way to many people again. I was blessed to be assigned to the aid and liter team, we took the casualties off the ambulances and triaged them, than when through the medical tents we took them to the choppers (that were stimulated by noise over the intercom). The entertainment of the day was when the gate keepers let a ‘local pregnant women’ come in on a wheel barrow and she made it to our medical tent and blew everyone and thing in a 10 meter radius, it was a disaster. We are taught if we did not create the problem we do not have to treat unless life, limb, or eye site involved. We did NOT create the pregnancy and should not have treated, yes that’s mean but we have to set boundaries.
After lunch we were suppose to change up duties so we weren’t lifting people (mostly to largest guys) all day long and some how ended up on the same duty, I pulled the wrong straw this day. We kept it going and the afternoon went pretty smooth. Cadre said we did very well which is always good even though I think they tell us were doing well no matter what.
This evening we had to clean our weapons which had not been cleaned for at least 3 weeks and we were firing blanks so they were pretty dirty. I almost lost it this night, it was freezing cold, I was dead tired and wanted to go to sleep but instead had to the clean the never clean weapon. I did learn some tricks to cleaning the hard to reach areas and will forever now clean my weapon frequently!!!
Thursday, our last day in the field, which means clean up!!! This is the part they do not tell you about. I feel I got shafted but it only made me stronger!! We started the day with a 4 mile ruck sack march. For the first half I really felt like I was going to fall out and there was no way I was going to make it but after we hit the turning point I was home free and my fellow soldiers motivated me to make it back. The problem is it drained me for the rest of the day. We were soaked from sweat and it was cold out so we were all freezing, I had hot packs in my gloves and shivering.
We were pulled for detail and didn’t know what getting into so we took no supplies (i.e. food). We started by washing trucks, I was already cold and now had to wash tucks with cold water, did not make my day. I was assigned to our CPT who runs the FOB, truck first, one of the guys who was spraying the tucks said get everything wet, especially the seats, that’s what he did. Our drivers seats were soaked, when CPT came out he just smiled and said “the seats are wet?” I replied with ‘it was not my doing’ and he continued to smile and happily got in his truck which I had to guide him to the next step in which I ran aside his tuck instead of walking in front. I ended of soaked, my boots and socks were wet and caused me to receive blisters, in which I had not had any until the last day.
We next went to tour the mock CSH (combat support hospital) which was pretty cool and look forward to seeing what today’s CSH looks like.
Our next detail really upset me, we had to return to gas mask detail. We removed all the masks from their case, replaced missing supplies and signed papers. It sucked!!! I never want to see a gas mask again in my life!! Once we arrived I wanted to scream but when it was over it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
We were than pilled back into the truck and taken back to the FOB where our buses were pulling in behind us. Let me tell you how extremely happy I was about that. As were getting on the buses I was talking to others about their days and some were able to nap and play football and had some free time so I quit asking and got on the bus and came back to Fort Sam.
The field was truly a learning experience; I will not forget it for a long time. I only hope when I go to the field I will work with more people who have a better idea of what they are doing so we are not all running around with our heads cut off. I will miss camping with 25 other females and the baby wipe baths, MRE’s, and hoping I didn’t smell to bad!!!
Now back to the class room, a week and a half part one done and on to nurse track!!

FTX 2, Week 2 in the field

This week we did lots of waiting. The highlights are we stated with CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear). We learned to put on our JS List in under 8 minutes which includes pants, jacket, boots, mask, and gloves. They say we will be protected by what ever we may come into contact with; I guess I have to trust them. We than entered the gas chamber. We started with our masks on and it wasn’t bad, I could spend all day. Than they made us take our mask off and say our SSN and it was ok but don’t need to do it again. Came walking out and had tears, snot, and drooling along with my face burning but it all went away in a couple minutes. So if they say I have to do it again, I know I will survive.
We learned to clear a building using a four man team. I was rear support-no was going to enter the room! This was the best day, we got to shot blanks and shot them at each other so we had a blast. Lots of officers running around shooting each other, you can only imagine!
We were to run a convoy mission but the day we were scheduled there was a REAL fire that caused us to wait until the next day. Because of the fire we were than unable to shot blanks and have stimulated gun fire in the field so it took ALL the fun out of it. We were sitting in our convoys with our weapons pointed out the windows with no ammo and no magazines even in our weapons. Our instructors would inform us if there was suppose to be people shooting at us and we had to say “bang, bang”. It was so disappointing but it’s done, hopefully next week we can go back to blanks.
We had to test out on a bunch of other simple things and than spent Friday afternoon sitting around for 4 hours waiting for our buses to come get us. It was tiring so I took a nap!!
We only have one week left in the field and its only 4 days. It’s kind of sad that it’s almost over. I have thoroughly enjoyed this, it gives me an idea of what my patients are doing on a daily basis because you don’t want me running convoys and clearing buildings!!
Talk to you all next week and will post pics.
Take care!!!

FTX 1, Week 1 of the field

Week one in the field was a true eye opener. We had lots of things not go as they should but worked through it all and came out on top.
This week we did mostly individual events. We were issued our M16 and told they were our new best friends and were not aloud to go anywhere without it. We became very close! We learned to shot (zeroing) and I attempted to qualify, not quite there but with some practice will nail it! We also learned to disassemble and reassemble the weapon, in which I can do it under 2 minutes 23 seconds. It was a lot of fun. We also learned the 9mm. I shot and qualified on the first attempt, very exciting and learned to disassemble and reassemble in which can do under 2 minutes!! Can’t wait to purchase my first one!!!
Land navigation was a big part of this week. We had day land nav where we were give 4 points in which we had to map via coordinate points, find the angle (azimuth) and walk to the points per our pace count with a compass. I must say it was not very hard, I found all 4 points and in under 3 hours!!! We had a night land nav where we did the same thing but with 3 points and 4 hours with a partner. Our class was given the wrong handouts so we walked around and found 3 points that were VERY close to ours, continuing to re-plot and azimuth over and over, after 1 ½ hour we quit to move on to our next point. We stopped and asked for help and were informed we were given the wrong papers and we were right on, so we were a bit pissed but he guided us to our next point. We never got lost until our way home, we were talking and missed our turn and found ourselves off the grounds passing into an area they said not to be in. We did find our way back and made our time schedule, hooah!! We also did a mounted land nav where we directed our driver in the directions in which we needed to go. The one thing was they asked, was what are the street names, we had no idea because our maps didn’t have names on them so it was harder than I thought plus our points came up way to fast while driving but we had a good time.
We ended our week with the obstacle course which was so much fun!! They called it the confidence course, you much try no matter the out come. I was able to do a lot more than I thought and laughed all the way through. I would like to go back and do several of the things we weren’t able to get to!
The hardest part of this week was the weather, you think I am in Texas, its nice right. Guess what, it was freaking COLD and our tent heaters did NOT work. It was in the 20’s and froze our water pipes to the sinks. They even canceled PT one morning due to weather. Sleeping at night was unbearable, we were sleeping in all the clothes we had with us and trying our best to keep warm, I almost cried it was so horrible. Let’s just say I came home and bought long underwear, fleece sleepwear and an extra fleece blanket, and lots of hot packs because I am not doing that again. There is no way I am spending another FREZZZING cold night out in the field.
Next week should be a good time, we have a lot planned. Stick around!