Sour Swinger Predominantly follows my Army & Iraq Deployment. Also has some Geek, School, and other talk.

Though I’ve uploaded these a few days ago, here’s the post showing them off. These mark the last of my videos I was able to upload. Are there more to upload…yes but only a few. Guess we won’t see them until the end of the deployment.

For now, we are all back at Fort Dix, NJ. Not much happening save for some minor training here and there. Basically we’re awaiting to ship out to Kuwait. When? Beats the shit out of me. Will probably find out last minute. Tight lip and all which is understandable. All I do know is we are having a friends and family day this Saturday on the 10th. For one last day any friends and family can come down to visit us and say their final goodbye. :)

Without any more delay…enjoy the videos!

Everyone talking before they head out on mission.

Wallace attempts to dance with his M4.

Our own music video to Vanilla Ice. Funny!

While celebrating Kov’s BDay, he sucks down a bunch of helium from a balloon.

Rhoad’s stresses out about a task of writing up a PMCS table.

Everyone learns about Krammes’s ability to kick himself in the head….Literally!

A completely random taping. This one is actually from Fort Dix.

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I finally figured out how to get the videos from the company issue camcorder working. The fix is was rather simple and kind of stupid but hey if it works…it works. Unfortunately the quality of the videos is not great. Infact, my own digital camera takes better shots. Oh well. Still managed to get some good vids. Enjoy!

Gumby complains about his gay phone.

Rhoad’s was in a motorcycle crash just before mobilization. This is shows some of the damage.

Just a short random clip from within the stryker.

While sitting on the back of a moving stryker, I almost drop the video camera.

Randomly shooting the guys talking, here the subject hits about getting a field fuck.

Just another random shooting of the soldiers.

A bit long, I just walk around while the guys eat some chow. Some interesting things occur.

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Here’s the next batch of videos. These are from Camp Shelby. Enjoy!

This heat trainer helps teach soldiers how to escape from a rolled vehicle. The “humvee” can rotate freely 360 degrees.

This shows what its like from on the inside of the heat trainer. At the end, everyone “floats up” since the camera is still dangling upside.

This video game is suppose to help soldiers get better out shooting the M240B. Its just like Duck Hunt except a big ass screen and a machine gun.

50 Cal firing from on top the Stryker.

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GOODBYE CAMP SHELBY!!!!  WOOO!!! Celebration.  This place sucks and I hope to never return.  To its credit the temperature is pretty nice during the fall as compared  to back up north.  Next up is Fort Polk, Louisiana for JRTC.  Before I jump to there, allow me to explain some upcoming changes to Delta Company.

For the past 1.5 week each platoon has been doing a FTX with their new respective home.  Since the beginning of our mobilization we knew that our Company would be separated and split among the rest of the Brigade.  I couldn’t specifically say here until it was happening.  For the longest time, most everyone was upset about it.  Our family would be torn asunder, and most likely not see each other until the end of the deployment (as of now we’ll come back together in Ft. Dix).  However, after dealing with the chain of command our disappointment turned to a sigh of relief….well for not everyone since head quarters is staying with Delta and not leaving those specific individuals.  Its sad when being split up is a good thing.

My platoon’s new home is B Troop 2/104 Cav.  We first joined them during FTX which was 5 days long though due to several mechanical issues with our Strykers we were sent back early.  Basically our vehicle defeciences made us non-mission capable.  Our “Welcome to the scouts, you’ll get no sleep” wasn’t far from truth.  FTX was very taxing and gave a very clear picture of what my platoon’s mission in Iraq will most likely be.  For OpSec I won’t go into it, but know I’m elated my job will not be tower guard.  Though we haven’t interacted with B Troop’s chain of command too much, they have been very warm towards us and seem pretty awesome.  Infact, one of their platoon leaders I know and deployed to Germany with back in 2002/03 though he was a staff sergeant then.

First platoon has been attached to FA while third is going to 1/112th.  As I mentioned before HQ is staying with Delta.  All of our jobs will differ as each battalion will use us differently.  HQ left for Fort Polk last week.  My platoon leaves tomorrow and the other two leave within the week.  This all throws a curve ball to you my readers.  Those family members looking for pictures and videos will only find 2nd platoon people.  I’ll try to give updates of the other platoons as I hear things.  Hopefully you’ll still like to continue reading my blog.  Be advised, I still have a ton of videos to upload from Camp Shelby which will happen around Xmas.

Fort Polk is very isolated with nothing around.  Cell phone coverage is extremely spotty so there’s a good chance my Sprint Mobile internet and cell phone will not work over there.  With that said, I’ll post my mailing address here.  This is ONLY valid for soldiers in 2nd platoon.

SGT Sour Swinger From D112
B Troop 2-104 Cav Rotation #09-02
7700 Alabama Ave Bldg 1947
Fort Polk, LA 71459

Btw, replace “SGT Sour Swinger From D112” with appropriate soldier’s name and rank.  If you don’t know my name just use “SGT Sour Swinger From D112“.  If you haven’t notice I’m trying to avoid using my real name on here.  Haha.  Don’t worry so long as you include “From D112” it’ll get to me.

In other news, we got a text from our HQ about Fort Polk.  A Stryker from 1/111 rolled during training, injuring 11 some soldiers.  Two soldiers were knocked unconscious and a lieutenant broke both his legs. The tow bar (100lb 9ft metal bar) bouncing around on the inside didn’t help much.  Not sure what company it was from but the 1/111 is the same battalion that had the 9 stryker pile up on the PA Turn Pike.  Hopefully this trend doesn’t continue.

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About one week ago, Delta was given our first day pass.  We were all elated but then quickly disappointed when the uniform was ACU.  Meaning we weren’t allowed to wear civilians.  To date, I nor anyone else has worn anything else besides our PT Uniform or ACUs.  Why we couldn’t is beyond me.  Someone up there doesn’t realize how big a difference it is to take a break from the military uniform.  Otherwise its hard to feel relaxed.

The pass was only from 1000 to 2100 hours.  Half of that was spent being bussed around to different shopping stores.  That was getting annoying so most of us broke off and walked every where else.  We went to the local mall and enjoyed a late lunch at a sit down restaurant.  My taste buds appreciated experiencing flavor.  Unfortunately a no alcohol policy was and still is on us.  I really could have used a nice glass of wine and I know many of the guys wanted to enjoy a can of beer.  Oh well.  Speaking of restrictions, since this pass further restrictions came down and now we are no longer allowed to even be in a restaurant that serves alcohol!  Fast food only.  I guess us children are not responsible enough to handle ourselves.  We’re only training to go to war.  Training that requires us to handle weaponry with live ammo.  Good call 56th, start treating us like kids, and we’ll start acting like kids.

Anyway, following lunch a bunch of us walked 1.5 miles to the movie theatre.  Everyone watched Saw 5 except me.  I hate that movie series.  Instead I watched Max Payne.  It was an alright movie.  Afterwards we all walked back to mall for what was left of our time.  While walking back we decided to take a shortcut.  Boy was it a crazy idea.! We first had to hop a _____ _____, then proceeded to ____ a 4 ____ _____ ______ with ____ _______ __ at __ ___.  There was quite a bit of _______ and all I could see was the newspaper heading “6 Crazy Soldiers Die While ________ _______”.  Just imagine camouflaged ______ _______ in between ____ and all of us _________ and _______.  Felt like _______ for a bit.  HAHA!

I blanked that out because my chain of command reads this and I certainly wouldn’t want them to know exactly what we were doing.  Especially since I got grilled about the porn comments in a previous posting.  If anything, it adds a certain mystery now.

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LT Price is the greatest PL ever.  He plans really cool missions and we kick butt when he does.  One time I saw him take out a building with 12 insurgents in it by himself while carrying his wounded driver on his shoulders.   His driver went in the building by accident because he did not sleep like the LT told him to.  That is another story……

FYI: I left my computer briefly and found that LT Price wrote this as a joke for my blog.  I decided to keep it and post it.  HAHA

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I haven’t talked in depth with some of the specific training I’ve been doing in Shelby. Unfortunately, most the training done thus far hasn’t made me feel more prepared for Iraq.  Quoting a fellow soldier, “Training here on Shelby is like someone showing you how to bake a cake once then expecting you to go out and start your on Bakery.” Now don’t get me wrong, some of the training has been pretty awesome but we only do it once and that’s that. In retrospect, Shelby probably isn’t designed to get you ready for Iraq but get you familiar with certain soldier tasks. Tasks that active duty trains on a regular basis. Hence why Reservists/National Guardsmen require a few months of pre-train up. Its at JRTC/NTC where the mission specific training will come in.

Today and yesterday we learned/conducted base security.  Yesterday involved 3 classes each 3 hours long.  Today was the execution of that power point hell.  The FOB (Forward Operating Base) we stayed at for the night is a mock base one may see in Iraq.  There’s a bunch of conexes that act as barracks as well as tents for showers.  The perimeter is surround by a concrete wall with several guard towers posted along.  There are also a few barn like buildings that are used as a day room, chow hall, and classrooms.

The power point classes were boring and waste of time.  Correction the one hour block on personnel and vehicle search was interesting.  Though it not being a power point probably helped.  Otherwise, my ADHD kicked in and I zoned out everything else.  I learn via practical application not by some Joe Shmoe talking for several hours.  The day was shorter then normal with classes ending by dinner.  That night we pulled ammo and practiced the mission we were assigned for the next day (today).  First and 3rd platoon were tasked with ECP (Entry Control Point).  Basically its the entry gate where vehicles are checked and searched.  Headquarters took roving base security, PSD (Personal Security Detail) took QRF (Quick Response Force) with some excess going to help 2nd platoon with the tower guards.

Day two involved (supposedly) multiple assaults via insurgents.  With all the above assignments, you’d think this would be awesome training.  Instead, it was a major lack luster.  The ECP saw the most action with a couple of mortar rounds or something exploding up there.  I’m sure they learned a bit as they were able to practice searching people/vehicles and reacting to contact.  The rest of us sat around doing nothing.  QRF went out a few times but were never actually used.  Only a couple tower guards saw anything to report to higher.  In the end, hardly any rounds were expended and a general consensus of this being a waste of time was reached.

For example, here’s how my training day went:  Spent the entire morning and part of lunch (5 hrs or so) standing in a cramped guard tower with my bunk mate, Woody.  Our sector of fire covered an out of play road which meant no enemy attacks would ever occur in our area and no surprise…NOTHING happened!  My ADHD was driving me nuts so half way through I popped on an iPod and did a white man dance for quite awhile.  My climax came when my right foot got tangled in the camo netting which made me flop to the ground backwards.  The impact shook the tower enough for my rifle to fall off and slam into my head.  Woody laughed for a good 10 minutes.  Halfway through lunch, Woody and I switched out with the roving base security.  Since roving security consisted of two teams, my team took the first break.  I managed an hour nap, before being switched out.  I then did a lap around the base (took an hour) before training ended.  I helped the clean up process a bit and then played catch with a football for almost 2 hours while we waited for chow to arrive.  Yup, that training was time well spent.  Shelby needs to rethink that one, though I thank them for an easy day.

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