Another long week

Just got done with another set of gruelling training days.  Up at 5:00am and in bed around midnight or later.  It sure is hard on an old body like mine.  The things we do in the name of “safety” and “control” are ridiculous.  the whole “train as you fight” thing is a bunch of crap!  The venerable “First Army” or “worst army” as we affectionately call them are just plain crazy.  We must adhere to unrealistic training scenarios that we would never even attempt in combat.  For example, we were required to man a full outpost at 100% security for an entire training day with one company’s worth of personnel.  We had no one for any other required support or rotations at all.  One company would never do that in combat.  Why do it in training to see how we would handle it?  It is ludicrous!  In addition to that, my own company leadership is not inspiring much confidence.  It seems we can’t move from one point to the other without getting lost.  We have spent the last two nights making u-turns after end ending up dead ended.  I hate mediocrity in people who are in charge!  I hope it gets better before we go.  I am still hanging in there.  Health-wise I’m not too bad with the exception of a monster migraine and some nausea last night.  I think I got a little too much sun.  It was nice yesterday, 65 degrees.  I hear they had snow at home yesterday!  I miss you all, both family and friends, a lot.  Keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I’ll post when I can.  Talk at you all later!  JT