Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center

Last night I reported to the Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center at the Camp McCrady training grounds of Ft. Jackson, just outside Columbia, SC. The Latin on the shield below translates to "Sailors First."

Columbia, SC is the home of the "other USC" and several of the fans here have already gone out of their way to tell me how this USC was first, is better, is the only, blah, blah, blah. I let them go but do admit that I would really like to see the two teams play each other if only for the fantastic color commentary and tee-shirts a Game Cock/Trojan match-up would produce.

I’ll be here for two weeks to complete the Navy Individual Augmentee Combat Training Course before I leave for Kuwait in a few weeks. All participants, regardless of rank, are housed in army barracks (below).

Fortunately, it is a light week and in the Junior Officer Barracks, we only have maybe 20 guys in a space that accommodates 80. They just installed wireless internet in the buildings, so even better. I was surprised to find that of the 120+ folks here, there are only maybe 10 reservists and everyone else is active duty. Note next to the bed the highly-tactical, camouflaged and upside down Home Depot five gallon paint bucket that also doubles as a night stand, chair AND seabag liner. Thanks to the eminent LCDR(s) Kevin Coyne for this useful tip.

The first week here will be primarily weapons familiarization and qualifying, along with some first aid training. Below is a photo of what is called a clearing barrel – We’ll be issued weapons tomorrow and part of the process of acclimating folks to carrying a weapon is the clearing barrel. Prior to going into a building, weather it be the galley or an office building or housing, everyone ensures that their weapon is “clear” by 1) visually inspecting the firing chamber and then 2) pulling the trigger to dry fire the weapon.

If you actually fire a round into the barrel, you failed at step one, which is bad, but would be worse if the round was loose.

Last week started at Port Hueneme, in Ventura County, CA at the Navy Mobilization Processing Site. This is where they go over all your records with a fine tooth comb, making sure you are medically qualified to go forward, switching you from the reserve pay system to the active pay system (I hope that worked), giving you a legal brief, a family support brief, etc. Since I was the only person mobilizing at that site on Monday and Tuesday, I was finished in under a day and a half. My folks came up to visit on Wednesday night and we I had a fantastic last home-cooked meal not far away at the home of long time family friends the Dabkovich’s.

Thursday morning I got on a plane and headed to Battle Creek, MI to meet the civilian side of the operation and the folks I will be dealing with while I am in Iraq. It generally reinforced my conviction that a civil service job would drive me crazy. All good, well meaning people, don’t get me wrong, but maybe just not for me . . . .