Little 0311 Training at Fort AP Hill, VA

[bgsuwoody]

So just got back from AP Hill, VA. Enjoyed myself learned a lot. I am making this post so you guys get an idea of what we do out there. The downtime and stuff. I wrote a little journal of the events which I will have on here later and I will explain the training a little. I may even post some vids

We did some EMP and CMP ranges. We did range 26 which is a 3 objective squad range with 240's, squad weapons, pyro, and the whole nine yards. It was awesome. We did a lot of patrolling, some MOUT, some patrol bases, about 40 miles of humping, the gas chamber, etc. etc. Had some downtime with a barbecue and sweet **** like that. It sucked balls cause the weather was either storming hardcore which you can see, or it was over 100 degrees and 100% humidity. Made flak and kevlar ridiculous.

Well if you have any questions on the pictures give me a heads up and I will get that journal out to you soon.

Here's the pics
http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g23/bgsuwoody/AP%20Hill/

[yellowwing]

"...about 40 miles of humping...", yeah you are settling in just fine if you include that as an afterthought! :D

[bstewar09]

Isn't A.P. Hill and Army Base, I was there for the Boy Scout National Jamboree in 2005 (Go ahead and laugh a little, i'm used to it). So how often do Marines train on Army Bases and vice versa?

[bgsuwoody]

Here's a little bit of that journal. I changed the names to keep people out of trouble, but everything else is exactly as I wrote it. I hope you guys get some info on me and the Marine Corps life.

08/06/02
Another day in the Marine Corps. Arrived at AP Hill. No one knows whats going on. Ten city crazy. Lots of rules, lots of downtime, lots of higher up running around. Hearing all kinds of rumors about more humps, excess pt, bull****. All the Marine Corps no one hears about. Stand by to stand by. Its been about 3-4 hours and no one has gotten word. This place looks like a cluster**** as usual. Half assed tents, squad filled, as far as you can see. Pounding water cause its hot as balls here. This place is not as I remembered it. Hilly as can be and just stagnant water everywhere. Can’t wait to see the bugs.

Kind of looking forward to the “training” training, not the bull****. Good thing our platoon is chill, other Companys are already PTing, know I’m going to get mine. Either some of my own or from the motivators in the squad. It’s a different Marine Corps. IPODS, Cell phones, power cords, the works. Sometimes I wonder how we’d survive in the past. Still cant beat a nice sunset cigarette with a good friend. The Sir (Our platoon Commander) just walked in, saying down water, lots of hikes…one tomorrow…****. He seems like a good guy. Academy grad, nice, smart, a good grunt, dad was base commander at PI. Can’t wait to see him in action. Then we got David (name changed to keep people out of trouble) on his own program. T.T. playing pranks and The Snowman fighting for chow…literally. We’ll see what tomorrow brings…day 1.

Sometimes I really wonder why we do somethings. Tomorrow is stupid. All **** we could do at Lejeune. IA drills, PT, Comm classes, etc. I just don’t understand how many times I need this ****. Especially in VA. I think the Marine Corps spends its money on the dubest **** like transpo to VA and not on amenities for the Marines. Can’t wait to learn about cultural awareness and ****. I am supposed to learn to conquer the enemy not hold their hands and sing kumbaya. Break in the action. David just walked in through the whole platoon command giving a brief with acquired gear…aka a case of chocolate milk and a case of MRE’s from the chow ten. ****ing hilarious. Welcome to what makes the Marine Corps fun and its already starting.

08/06/03
****ing horrible sleep. Tossed and turned, freezing for most of the night. At least it hasn’t rained yet. I don’t understand why chow is so bad. I didn’t even know eggs came in a grayish green color. Thanks Dr. Suess, I’m blaming you. Skating hardcore this morning. Skating is the act of getting out of the main training activity to do a simple, shorter, less streneuous event. I got to do gearwatch during PT and firewatch during class time. Guess my 2300-0100 latenight watch will make up for it.
Well watch was definitely stupid. You got individuals in individual tents with other individuals watching a group of three tents with 2 people roaming the whole companies worth of tents. At least 3 people watching a tent at one time. ****ing difficult. So I’ve had the idiot Sergeant in my cot all day. No desire to leave. Talking to some crazy skank on the phone about the bible and her physical features. Reminds me of when I was on duty with him and he argues with these preachers about prayer without action. And then whoa the conversation jumps quickly to his ex-wives fake boobs. This guy is a true idiot. We aren’t even supposed to talk to him I don’t think he knows where he’s at ever.

To wast time today after some IA drills we spent some time introducing ourselves and discussing our lives. Though a lot of **** talking happened I think a lot of knowledge was gained and not only do I feel like I fit in more, but also feel somewhat more greatful for the things I have been given and have a deeper understanding for what I am actually here to protect. The Brotherhood of Collective Misery.

Most of the new boots just don’t know who to look up to and emulate. You see a lot of them finding the wrong role models. They feel the loudest most obnoxious crazy ones and not the ones, though not overly enthusiastic all the time, are clearly the ones who know their **** and do their job willfully and correctly and great rolemodels. That’s who I’ll follow.

08/06/04
Well the day started out pretty eventful. Raining all day and night Partial floods in the tent and drips from all over the ceiling making their own streams and lakes all over the racks. This morning David was on firewatch and was supposed to wake up Gunny. Gunny told him to wake up the H and S guys in the H and S tent. Instead of going to the tent to the right he went to the left. Just so happened to be the Batallion Commanders tent. And he insisted on yelling “Gunny said get the **** up”. The BC was like “Are you sure he meant me” and he replied “Yeah get the **** up” The BC was like “are you sure, this is LT COL …” He then said “Oh ****” outloud and the BC wasn’t mad but insisted to ask if training was going ok and if we were ok cause of the rain. Classic LT COL. Amazing story.
A Sergeant just knifehanded another Sergeant and corrected him….****ing the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen.

Got to be an A-Driver for a 7 ton today and talk about a classic Marine Corps cluster****. I got there and am told to come back 30 mikes later. An hour later I finally got control. The triver decides to take his time to eat, smoke, and chat until my SSgt came by and I handled it. Went to get the gear only to find out no one knew where we were going. Walked all around the damn camp. No Gunny, No Sirs, No H&S…nobody. Finially I walked to the BFE side of the camp and talked to my SSgt again. Who laughs about the situation and show me a map and gives me a compass and trusts my skills to get there. Go there, left off the ****, only to get back and get made fun of a little by SSgt and the Sir for the ridiculousness of the situation…good times. Break…the stupid Sgt. Just had a phone war with some guy over this skank who “sucked his dick”
Huge ass storm heading directly for this shanty town. The only plan is to evacuate and get everyone together if a tornado hits and run pass Gunny with the counts to busses and run. ****ing 60 mph windis and nickel size hail expected. Can’t forget our serialized gear though! If it doesn’t hit we hump tomorrow lol.

08/06/06
Well we didn’t get evac and due to the standbye it wasn’t lights out until 2300 and reville at 0400. This day was horrible. The worst since I’ve been in the Marine Corps. We humped 6 miles. We got here and we started shooting almost immediately. I think we shot 6 day relays, 2 sunset relays, and 2 night fires. I easily shot over 1000 rounds today. It was so hot. 104 degrees and 123 with the humidity factor. Therefore it was a nightmare. No breaks and limited water. At one point Gunny got ****ed and made us set up tents and police call and ****. So this new Security Forces Corporal was giving me attitude today and classic me I gave it right back. At one point we had to place our packs in a certain way INSIDE the tents. I didn’t’ understand maybe because it was so stupid or maybe I was giving him hel but for the second time in that afternoon he flipped out on me. I totally flipped back. He’s ****ing treating me, a 23 year old man, like I’m 4. Everyone was on my side thought but they had to show support. I liked that. Today was also a day where I finally learned about the Marine Corps. When everyone is absolutely miserable we get along better and a strong brotherhood is created. The older guys seem to treat me pretty fair. I like that as well. Horrible day Marine Corps ridiculous. God tomorrow is gonna suck.

08/06/07
Definitely a 3 hour bull**** police call today. Had to go back and play games cause of the mud and tall gras on the range. Then we humped out to the gas chamber about 3-5 more miles. I think. Gas chamber was good…not too hard. Swear that **** doesn’t **** with me too much. Got shuttle back, damn air conditioning and Led Zeppelin playing in that ****. I could have stayed forever. Now its like 1600 and it’s a standown day. Besides the searing heat and humidity its not too bad. Oh and the damn bugs are nuts. Its pretty cool this evening you see the whole Marine thing going on. People playing football and people walking around in cammies being miserable. Others playing volleyball and ll while this warrior program was cooking on the grill for us. Gunnys and higher cooking. Got some chill time and an actual HOT shower. Was told that we were supposed to have a day off today but transpo didn’t come til late. LT told the CO to kank our patrol base until 1200 tomorrow however it didn’t get passed to Gunny and transpo was locked for 0800 with a 0530 wake up call. Another classic Marine Corps moment. No rain for 2 days though. I think that is a 3/8 record.

08/06/07
Lets just say thank God for a good cigarette after a long day. Today was killer. 105 degrees and we were humping through the wood with our ILBE’s on to and from a patrol base. Lots of hills and ****. I never knew a person could sweat this much. Though we were going to train some Air Force Reservists today on MOUT, but they didn’t show up. So we decided to do the training ourselves. ****ing chaos because we got to be our own agressors. Then we did some MOUT with NVG’s. God I hate those things with a passion. Pure tunnel vision in building with no depth perception. Now were just sitting out here sleeping with no tents in the wood. ****ing bugs everywhere. Story of my life let me tell you. I just really want this field op to end. I won’t lie I’m broke the **** off I’ll suffer though and truck on for another day. OORAH MARINE CORPS

<O:p</O:p

[bgsuwoody]

08/06/08 <br />
Well another ridiculously hot day. Pretty easy. Came back to base at like 0900. Went to do laundry and didn’t get done til 1200. Its black flag and we aren’t really supposed to be training,...

[bgsuwoody]

I'll finish the rest tomorrow.

[HurricaneRJ]

I saw the buses pull in by the theater yesterday. Man most of the stories you tell are damn near true. word out in the Bn is that were going to Afghanistan. We've changed up everything. Now were back on the original 3 rifle Plts and 1 Wpns Plt. Training is okay, but being treated like a ***** and made to do retarded as **** ****ing sucks. I thought once you hit the fleet, you get to meet the professionals. I had this team leader from Security Forces, and he's FUBAR.

A little hazing incident where I was the victim now the whole damn Bn is mad at me and a few others because the senior guys reported. I tell you poolees, if you get hazed, just go with it. Don't report it, nothing is worst than having to look over your shoulder 24/7. I hate my damn Co. and BN.

LCpl.s can really make you hate life.

[Crusader20]

I'll finish the rest tomorrow.


It is good to see that 3/8 is still doing some of the same stuff that we did back in the day. OOOH RAHH! 3/8 Lima Company! WPNS PLT!!:nerd:

[HurricaneRJ]

08/06/07
Lets just say thank God for a good cigarette after a long day.

I know exactly what you mean, I just started smoking cigarettes. Yes I know it's a bad habit, but damn after a long stressful day of doing stupid bull**** games with the Senior LCpls. It's all I can do to calm down.

[FistFu68]

:usmc: TOO THE BRAVE GOOD FORTUNE-"GO MARINE GO" :usmc:

[FistFu68]

:usmc: TOO THE BRAVE GOOD FORTUNE~"GO MARINE GO" :usmc::iwo:

[Christ0ph]

ha! you guys think you got it hard? before this deployment we went to A.P. Hill in the winter. absolutely bone shattering cold. it was painful to train. we stayed in squadbays though, i guess sleeping in tents is a summer thing. do you guys get a beer tent?

[JdnSmith]

Thank you LCpl Woodall for taking the time to do this. These are both informative and entertaining to read.

[JoeInVille]

yes, thank you Lcpl.! If you wouldnt mind keeping it going. I can speak for the future grunts in saying that this is a very helpful tool for us to see what some of the training is like before deployments and what some of infantry life is like.