A Slow Transition to a Warrior

We did a half day of practical exercises using the M4 and a majority of the gear. It was a pretty fun day. At the end of the day, we put on the remainder of our gear and did a 1 mile walk to get used to it...very hot. I truly appreciate the work those young Soldiers and Marines do on a daily basis. It would be unbelievably challenging to conduct 8-10 hr missions on a daily basis in all this gear - my hats off to them.




























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Location:Camp McCrady

Basic Marksmanship Training

We learned the absolute basics on how to shoot the pistol and rifle today. As we progress, they are slowly loading us up with the gear. By Friday, we will be in full "battle rattle." They are teaching us how to shoot with and without the gear. I am sure that shooting in full gear will be a trip. I should have great pics by Saturday.


On the way to class...


Waiting for instruction...


Getting accustomed to the various firing positions.

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Location:Camp McCrady

War Face

We received our weapons issue today and some training...getting more interesting. We will be lighting up the range by Saturday.


Slowly getting more gear and training...GET SOME!


M4 and ACH training.

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Location:Camp McCrady

Gear Issue

Well, we got our deployment gear today. There is not much else to say aside from that it was hot hot hot. The bad part is that the rest of the training will be with my new gear...ouch!

Enjoy the pics!


We did have a BBQ...yummy!


Here we are repacking our gear for easy access.


We are waiting for instruction on how to assemble our body armor / Kevlar helmets.

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Location:Camp McCrady

Hurry Up and Wait

Hot! Hot! Hot! I think that pretty much sums it up as far as weather.

I am very familiar with the military's ability to make you hurry up and wait....but sheeesh. I think I can speak for everyone that we are just eagerly watching the clock for something to start. We are going to enjoy 4 hours of meetings today, and we get a major gear issue tomorrow. Sounds like it sucks...right? Not a chance...I am just excited to have the chance to do something apart from hanging out with my new 30 closest friends/room mates. The irony is that I am pretty sure my quality of life will increase once I get in country. Weird...right?


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Location:Camp McCrady (FT Jackson)

Basic Combat Training (The Final Stop)

Well, the inevitable has finally arrived. There are no more goodbyes or surprise visits. I finally arrived at Camp McCrady (FT Jackson) for the condensed Navy/Air Force version of how to act in a combat zone - should be interesting. I will be here for 3 weeks dealing with Army DI's in a non-boot camp fashion (I hope) learning how to use Army toys. I will take as many pics as they will allow, and I should be able to post nightly. After that, I will immediately be on a plane to Afghanistan. I am still unsure of my exact final destination.

The job will be awesome, the experience will be one of a kind, and I am excited to see what lies ahead. All that said, I hope time flies.




My new open bay home for 3 weeks...grrrrrrr.


A view across the camp.

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Location:FT Jackson, SC

Last Class Dinner

We had a great night at an authentic Cuban restaurant in Ybor City, FL. With the exception of a couple, these are my classmates and fellow deployers - we are all going to the same office. They are great people, and it was an awesome opportunity to meet them before I got to Afghanistan. It's a good feeling to have friends before you arrive.


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Location:Ybor City, FL

Baseball Game - Florida Rays

This was the perfect mid-week break. Mark and I went to a Rays vs. Red Sox game (Rays won). This comes during the final week of my training in Tampa (next stop Chicago for some leave). In any case, the training I received here was awesome, and I feel totally prepared for my job (excited too). I have done a number of different jobs in the Navy, but I am particularly excited about this job. It seems very apparent that my work could possibly make a visible difference. In my field, it is rare to see immediate results...but I think this will yield some immediate results.











Oh yeah, it's DJ Kitty...spin that record.




We had awesome seats...and for only $20.

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Location:Tampa, FL

12 years is too long....

I had a great day on Sunday with great friends...we have not seen each other for 12 years. They took me in on Sunday, and we spent the day hanging out on their incredible boat - it was awesome. The best thing is that it was like we picked up exactly where we left off 12 years ago. The military life-style seems to make us very good at maintaining friendships of this nature. I am very fortunate to have friends like Mark and Kim, and I hope the future brings us together more often than the past. There are so many aspects of the military life that I love but leaving GREAT friends every 2-3 years is getting tough to handle...but, it is the life I chose and my family continues to accept. Thanks Mark and Kim for your friendship and being great hosts...I hope to post some pics from the Ray's game next week.






















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Location:Port Charlotte, FL

Jim Versus Food

This is my trip to a restaurant featured on Man versus food. The show featured the Grouper Ruben and I had it. It was flippin awesome. If you ever in Tampa, it's worth the trip. I may try the alligator ribs before I leave...it was sooooooo busy I did not want to wait.


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Location:Tampa, FL

Steve and I living it up...

A great great great friend...











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Location:Steve's House

The last trip to the Mission for awhile

Sarah and I ate at the Mission one last time...if you are in San Diego and do not go...shame on you!





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Location:San Diego, CA

Katy's 1st Self-Portrait with Braces

Katy sent a special gift for me with Sarah...she is apparently drawing self-portraits of the entire family with braces. I guess I should see a picture of me in the near term. She is quite the artists.


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Location:San Diego, CA

Awesome Surprise from my Baby-O

Here is a pic of Sarah and I the morning after she made a surprise visit to San Diego before I left for Tampa.


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Location:San Diego, CA

Next stop Tampa, FL

Sarah and I had a GREAT time with some awesome friends in San Diego last night (fun pictures later), but it is time to get back on the road. Man, it is amazing how great friends can make you miss a place so much...San Diego is great, but they make it 100x's better. Well, as you can imagine, we will be pushing for SOCAL after my next-next tour.

I am headed to Tampa, FL to take a course related to my new job. I am sure it will be a hoot. On the upside, I will be seeing another set of old friends while I am there. I have not seen Mark (college roommate and best man) in almost 12 years - yikes, that is a really long time. So, I am excited to see him and his family on Sunday.

The trip continues, and I seem to add additional luggage at every stop...the largest amount still looms ahead. Aside from the obvious separation from my family, I am dreading lugging all the gear most of all. Sounds weird, but it is pain in the neck - literally.


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Location:San Diego Airport

I've Gone Green...eeeeek

So, the transition is final. I am hanging up my NWU's until next year. I finally received my "half seabag" (it was every bit of a full seabag) worth of Army uniforms - everything from mosquito repellent to a gas mask. Overall, the gear issue was painless and I am all done with in processing...time for training. The next step is laundry, a short out brief tomorrow, and seeing some great friends before I move on to my next stop enroute to my final destination...the other picture is a t-shirt for sale right next to my Army buddy I took a picture with a couple posts ago. Ya' gotta love the Army-Navy rivalry.





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Location:San Diego, CA