We did it. After several days in the woods, living in a hole, and trekking all over creation, we have finally made it back from the field. The event we were executing was called FEX II (Field Exercise). The purpose of FEX II was to implement platoon level skills and work as a team to play “war” with the other platoons. Although it wasn’t necessarily a great time overall, we had favorable weather and proved that our platoon makes a great team as we dominated the battle space.
When I say we played “war” I just mean that we spent time conducting attacks on the enemy (another platoon with blank ammunition) for a day and then defending our position against that same platoon. That’s an overly simplified explanation.
On Tuesday we arrived to our designated site to then dig in (literally) for the next four nights. My buddy and I dug a hole to live in, fight in, and stand security. We did a pretty okay job considering we hit a boulder mid-dig and had to modify our plan. Wednesday our platoon continued to stand security and build up the defense while also sending out patrols to prepare us for attacking the enemy. Thursday we attacked. Twice. Both attacks had some faults, but what really matters is that we won both engagements. Friday we defended our position and won yet again.
As we defended our position on Friday, we came to realize that our enemy may not have done as good a job at patrolling the area. They took a very long time to find us and attempt an effective attack. When they came back at night, we once again won the engagement because, well, the engagement involved the enemy destroying itself on accident. Yes, the enemy (again, this is another platoon with blank ammunition) shot at each other on the hill we were observing and we were sitting in our holes watching everything unfold. Our platoon has many humorous stories from that night.
This week we have a 10-mile hike which is our final physically challenging graded event. We conduct that first thing Monday morning. Pray we all make it without injury. Phase III is going to be over on Tuesday when we take the Phase III Exam. Later in the week we will hit the range to practice some more platoon things. Once we get to the end of the week, it is time to start getting ready for the final exams and graduation.
Looking forward to graduating from WOBC, attending my MOS school, and getting into learning how to navigate my new role and responsibilities. Please continue to pray for health, safety, and favorable weather. We have been blessed so far. Until next time: Be strong. Love God. Love others.
rejoice.always
The Wild Ride 