It Fits!

It looks like everything will fit in my assault pack, brief-case, and weapons case.

My pack will look roughly like the jalopy heading west in The Grapes of Wrath, with random little bags hanging off the side.

I have my whole little cargo bay sleeping kit strapped to the top. I've got my inflatable thermarest, camping pillow, and woobie (little camo blanket, among the best pieces of kit we get issued) in a large compression sack. My hammock is in it's pack bag hanging off the side.

So floor or hammock, I'm ready for either.

It helps that we aren't packing our armor since we have to keep it accesible during the flight.

I had to cut out some of the foam in the weapons case to make room for my headset, headphones that both reduce loud noises while amplifying ambient sound and can be hooked into our radios.

I should have cut out more of the foam to create custom spaces for all the M4 magazines, cleaning kit stuff, and random slings, sights, lights, etc. I guess I was reluctant to do so earlier, but the case does belong to my unit and is assigned to me for the rifle that is assigned to me. And I'm pretty much at the end of this rotation and don't care as much about what the weapons storage gnomes back home might say.

My rifle is very clean. I took the time to scrape off every little carbon deposit on the firing pin and the bolt. I then lubed it back up, reassembled it and made sure the sight, light, and laser were all off. Just add ammo and flick a few switches and I'm ready to rock again.

When it goes back into storage I'll need to take the batteries out of everything. Everything but the sight. That belongs to me and is going right back on my rifle at home.

Once we get to Bragg I'll need to rearrange this mess one last time. The armor will need to be packed for real. I'll probably just take my jalopy ruck and toss it in the extra duffel along with some other random junk and just check it as my fourth piece of checked bags.

My briefcase will be my only real carry-on for the commercial flights home.

The bag drag to the lodging at Bragg, lodging to my ride, the curb to the terminal, and then from the baggage claim to my ride at my home unit will be rough. Four giant bags with only the weapons case being within weight limits.

Maybe that's the real reason we PT.


And before I forget, I got a copy of an ancient (late 60's) SOWT recruiting film. It starts with this incredible footage of an old-school HALO jump (High Altitude/Low Opening). Classic.

But He-Man knuckle draggers that we are, I found 13 Going on 30 on in the team room here.

They said it was the only thing on.

The Waiting Game

All that's left is to pack.

And clean my rifle. I had a few full magazines left that I didn't get to fire off last night, but I just traded them for empties. Once everything is cleaned and lubed, I'll turn my weapons case in to where we are consolidating them.

I guess there are still a couple last loose ends to tie up too.

I need to turn in my acces badges, which I've been saving for the last minute. Then I'll turn in the keys to my hooch, which is now my replacement's hooch, and then get a key to the temporary room where the other guys are staying.

Everything is scheduled with set show times for the last days.

They made reservations for my flight back my home unit from Bragg, but I'm going to try to re-book the flight. I want the first available flight, not a leisurely slow day. I just need to double check the I can, in fact, take the earliest flight back the morning after we arrive in the North Carolina. I'm working under the assumption that they just booked later flights so people could sleep in, but they may have padded the schedule to ensure everything was taken off the aircraft and accessible to us.

I'll find out.

Meanwhile, back at home, my wife is trying to manage the cats and the dog. We're scheduling training classes for the dog and introducing her to all our neighbors.

I have verified all the dates for my post-deployment leave and even drafted the paperwork. All goes well I'll just sign it when I get back and be done.

Almost an entire month of paid leave with full benefits and a fixed pension plan.

Try finding that in this economy.