Week Seventeen

Ten weeks ago I was talking about leadership panels, preparing for the field, and running physically demanding events (check out that post here). Although it was not so long ago, ten weeks at Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC) feels like twenty. Many lessons have been learned, friendships have formed, and we now hold a basic understanding as to where our Marine Officers have come from.

This week we executed the MOUT FEX (click here to see the previous post where I mentioned MOUT). Monday was a very early morning which included personnel and gear movement. Our packs went to where we would be sleeping as our platoon was sent off to what is called UTC. The UTC is another type of urban simulation in a separate area from the MOUT training area. My responsibility that day was to lead a squad attack and clear/seize buildings. After briefing my order we executed on the plan. It seemed to go well. Plus, the Marines in my squad can execute any plan (with the help of our Gunner). It wasn’t a bad time out at UTC.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday our responsibility was to defend against another platoon’s attack, patrol an urban town at UTC, and attack other platoons. It was a busy two days. I can confidently say that we were successful in all of our endeavors and had a decent time conducting operations. Once we were finished, we were able to get picked up on Wednesday night instead of Thursday morning. That’s a win!

The last two days of the week were a whirlwind of activity. We cleaned our issued gear and weapons thoroughly so they could be turned in on Friday. Great success! Serialized items are no longer in our possession. Oh, and Friday was also our platoon function. While we did end up getting a late start, we still had a good time together. Our Staff Platoon Commander came out and we were able to present her with a gift that possessed our platoon logo. By the way, has your platoon ever had merchandise and branding? We are a fun, belligerent bunch of folks, but we’ve cultivated a pretty solid culture. Fifth (“fiF”) Platoon Marines and culture made WOBC more bearable.

Believe it or not, next week is graduation. We will start the week with administrative items and end the week headed home or to our next station/school. The Basic School is hosting a Family Day which should be cool to check out. Realistically, Family Day is more so going to be Help Me Move Out Day. Are you headed here to see graduation? Let me know and I can provide more details.

Many thanks to those who continue to pray for our time here at WOBC. We have been blessed with favorable weather this class, and that is saying something since it was supposed to be freezing and snowing most of the time. The next part of my Warrant Officer journey will take me to my MOS school then back to my unit in Greenville, SC. It has been a wild ride out here at WOBC, but it has also been an unforgettable journey. Shoutout and special thanks to the prayer warriors, people and Marines I’ve met here, and the Lord for His help throughout. Until next time: Be strong. Love God. Love others.

rejoice.always