My first stop was the lab: I needed an HIV test and some kind of titer done. The tech was really nervous, his hands were shaking, he kept dropping things, and he rubbed my arm forever to make sure the vein was where he thought it was. He opened up an alcohol pad and was about to clean my arm with it when another tech told him it was the wrong kind. I don’t know what was on the first one… When he actually got down to sticking me he did fine, didn’t hurt any more than usual and he got the vein the first try. He forgot to put a gauze pad on the spot before he pulled out the needle thing so blood went running down my arm… I told him he was more nervous than I was, but that he did fine. He seemed a little relieved then.

Next I went to immunizations. I got a Hep b shot, a typhoid shot, and my first anthrax shot. The anthrax and typhoid went in my right arm since as the tech said, “The anthrax is going to hurt now and the typhoid is going to hurt later” and I still needed to get my smallpox vaccine on my left arm. The anthrax shot did hurt then, just felt like somebody was pinching the crap out of me. And the typhoid definitely hurts now, it feels like I got punched in the arm. A lot.

The smallpox vaccine I had to come back for at 1pm. It wasn’t bad at all, 15 sticks with a bifurcated needle. I have to try not to touch the area and keep it covered for the next 30 days, so it’s going to be a pain in the ass. I have to go back in a week to make sure it took.

The last thing I did today was take a hearing test. The airman put me in a little sound- and air conditioning-proof booth. I sat there with the headphones on and the button in my hand for about 5 minutes and the test never started… I was getting pretty warm so I took my top off. A couple minutes later and still no test, so I pushed the door open to get some air. The airman was there at the computer and I told her the test hadn’t started. She said it’s starting now and pushed the door back shut. It was funnier in person… I passed the hearing test and called it a day.

Now I have to go back in a week to get the smallpox checked, then go back the week after that to get my 2nd anthrax shot. Two weeks after that there’s another anthrax shot, then I think six months after that is the last one…

The reporting instructions list all the training we have to accomplish before we get to Ft Bragg along with everything we’re required to bring with us and a list of everything we’ll be issued there. The list of stuff we’re required to bring is pretty small, it’ll probably all fit in one duffel. The list of stuff they’re going to issue us there is a lot bigger and includes body armor, helmet and weapons along with a ton of other crap. We’re authorized 4 bags and a weapon case, but it’s going to be a pain carrying 4 duffels and a weapon case. Oh well, I’m not the first one to do it and I’m sure I won’t be the last.

It also mentions that we’ll be expected to be able to complete a 2 mile march in body armor and helmet with a full combat load (~50 lbs) and weapons on the first day of training. We did a 4 mile march a few weeks back with a 30 lb load and it wasn’t bad at all. I’m still going to need to step up the PT regimen a bit before I leave though. I’d like to be in the shape I was when I ran the half marathon, but I don’t have the time to train that much. I can run 4 miles now, I’m going to increase that by a half mile per week until I leave, so I should be up to 7 or 8 before I leave. That should put me in good enough shape to make it through CST and I’m hoping with the stress, boredom and food in Afghanistan I’ll be able to come back in much better shape.

I’m still looking forward to going, though!

The briefing was a big disappointment.  I was expecting to get some information specific to my training and deployment, but it was just a lot of generic info from all the different base agencies about the services they provide.  There was a representative from finance, the Red Cross, deployment medicine, mental health, the education office, etc.  There were folks attending the briefing that were headed to all different places, Afghanistan, Iraq, Qatar, Curacao…  So really no new information at all.  I did get a checklist that I have to complete before I go, though, so at least I know what I can do next.

I talked to the SSgt that was running the show there today and found out that I could get specific information about my training via reporting instructions published on a web site called AEF Online.  So when I got back to the office I looked it up and of course the reporting instructions for Combat Skills Training at Ft. Bragg aren’t published yet!  There are RIs up for several other Combat Skills locations, just not Bragg.  I’ll keep checking it until it finally shows up.  I really just want to find out if I’ll be leaving straight from Bragg to go to Afghanistan or if I have to come back to Lackland first.  I’m hoping to be able to leave straight from Bragg so I don’t have to mess with carting all the gear and weapons back here just to turn around and leave again 2 weeks later.

So that was today, until the reporting instructions are published I’ll just be getting stuff on my checklist done.  There’s a lot of stuff to do, so I’ll be busy!

I ended up with about half of what was on the list and the rest was back ordered.  I got 2 pairs of steel-toe desert boots, about 12 pairs of socks, 6 tshirts (the wrong size…), 2 thermal underwear bottoms (the tops were back ordered), several different pairs of gloves, a CamelBak, earplugs, insect repellent, 4 ABU shirts (the pants were back ordered) and some other stuff I can’t remember.  Also back ordered were the ABU Gortex parka and pants, which are what I was really looking forward to getting.  All together it’s about $1200 worth of stuff.

Tomorrow I have a pre-deployment training briefing where I should get some more information about Combat Skills training.  Right now all I know are the dates and the location.  It’s at Ft. Bragg from early August through late October.

I’ll update again tomorrow when I find out more!