Field Training Exercises - - Part 1

Last Tuesday through Thursday we spent out in the field. To the right you can see half of our campsite. My tent sits in the foreground on the left. 20 of us slept in there. Three more tents sat across the road.

Obviously, staying clean in a field environment is somewhat challenging. Our sergeant suggested to us that we get alcohol wipes instead of baby wipes. Baby wipes, he said, leave a soapy residue that over time will irritate the skin whereas alcohol wipes evaporate completely.

I decided to take his advice and picked up a box of them at the PX. Wednesday morning, our first morning to do hygiene in the field, I woke up and reached in the dark for my wipes. I tore open the little packet and pulled out the wipe inside and started to unfold it. I literally tried for two minutes to unfold the small alcohol wipe so I could take my "shower." The silly thing just would not unfold. I pulled and pulled but could not get a corner of the folds to lift up. I knew I was tired, but this was beginning to border on ridiculous. Finally, I took a closer look.

Instead of alcohol wipes...I picked up alcohol swabs! Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash yourself with a one inch by one inch square piece of flat cotton? I wasn't set up very well for cleansing...but if the whole camp need to check their blood sugar...I was their man!

Then I gathered my shaving kit to whisk off the whiskers. Our main sergeant suggested that we did not need to take a mirror in which to shave...just go find a vehicle and use the side view mirror. I found a nice big SUV that had shaded windows that provided a nice reflection. I get about half way lathered up...and then the chaplain in charge of the school comes walking around the front of the vehicle as I peered into the reflection. You see...it seems I picked HIS car to use as my shaving mirror. Thankfully, he was actually quite gracious about it and got a good laugh out of it.

Above and to the right, you see me sitting down to enjoy my lunch...an MRE. There is no longer such a thing as "C" rations. A lot of the prior service people complained about the MRE's...and I suppose if I had to eat them for months...so would I. But, you know, they really aren't half bad.

To the right I squat to refill my canteen at a "water buffalo." They fill these large containers with ice. As it melts, you have ice cold, fresh water.

Here is the set up to provide hygiene for our hands. Rustic...but it gets the job done.

Here we are lined up to get our chow.

It really was a great three days. I have more to tell you, and more pictures that will follow in the next couple of days.