Catching Up...

This is totally my fault. It's been far too long since I've updated the blog but we've slept in the field for 3 days and did some other training. You want to know what's the best par t about it though? We are ALMOST done with training. I'm sure 99% of the people at Camp Atterbury are extremely happy about this. It's time to get work done downrange soon. I strongly believe we are all ready and have the skills and knowledge to get done what needs to be done.

Here I'd like to mention thanks for those that are following me and that are keeping up with my blog. After hearing one of the LT's tell me "My family says thank you for the blog because it keeps them updated on what I'm doing", that just motivated me to continue this little side project I got going on. Again, what I write on this blog does not reflect nor speaks for our PRT. This blog is simply something I am personally doing on my own time for y'all. I know many people like to go on here for the photos of their loved ones so here goes some photos. I will still write throughout my posts though. =)

So these next set of photos were taking during one of our classes. I won't give out the name of the class because I don't know if it violates anything so I won't post it BUT nonetheless, we had fun during the training and learned alot. Thank you crazy sky for giving me an interesting background. Can't complain!



PRT Zabul transitions to the next training area




SMSgt Simmons hustles to SSG Winkowski during a training exercise




Had to get that Red, White, and Blue in the mirror




Check on Learning




Corporal Bregel looks back at his team during an exercise




One of the happiest people our PRT has.




Trooping it!




This vehicle is a Beast!




Spc Carabia cleaning his weapon

 Clean, Clean, Clean is something we do all the time, whether is our personal areas, the latrines (bathrooms) or our weapons. Yes, we clean our weapons all the time.

So I bet most of you have seen the movie Hurt Locker, you know that movie where lots of the things he does is NOT what really happens. Yea, that movie. Well we got to play with that robot that's in the movie. Might not be the same exact one but it basically does the same thing.



PRT Zabul gets familiar with the basics of the iRobot




Soldiers practive their iRobot skills




Anddd a close up

 So did 24 hour ops of mounted patrol. Another long day but what's new right? I'll show you most of what we do during a training day. Basically it's shoot and rest, shoot and rest, shoot and rest... You get the idea. We also play a little. You'll see some soldiers acting like fools on here. Got to stay motivated ya know.



We sometimes stare at this for hours.




And that's the shadow of our turret




I really have no caption for this one.




Spc Wedderburn ready to engage during an exercise




The colors that never bleed




Spc Fox watches his sector of fire




Interesting shot I think




Rolling on out




Spc Regina takes a nap. And we do ALOT of this throughout the day
I mean ALOT!!!




and... SSgt Bibb does alot of this!




I wasn't lying. We sleep wherever!




This is definitely not the best NVG photo I can take. I will show you
at the end of the blog why I say this.




Oo 1st squad. Y'all are some characters.

We then went out for 3 days for STX. It's an exercise where we went about an hour away to simulate a scenario. It basically just felt like a really long day. Perhaps, it was because I kept my boots on the whole time but it is what it is. The first night I slept in a basement of an abandoned insane asylum alongside to 3 other dudes, I mean Soldiers and Airmen. HA! Not to mention, It was on Friday the 13th. What an interesting night it was. None of us were afraid though. OK I'm lying. We had Spc. Perez that was scared of the entire place. I guess he hates spooky places lol. The second night I slept sitting up in a leaking Humvee. I woke up soooo many times throughout the night due to leaking water and a sore body. It SUCKED! Then when I woke up without going back to sleep I has a puddle on my elbow from leaking water and frozen toes. This results to me saying... Freedom isn't Free. Here are some photos of the exercise.




A detail show showing American Forces and Afghanistan
culture uniting to accomplish our mission




Spc Perez and Private Mills find some old documents of the
abandoned insane asylum. Those papers were from 1938. Pretty cool.




That paper is almost a century old




Keys we found and it opened nothing!




Lt Lopez calling through the radio.




This is us messing around in that basement. Set on timer baby!



WOOOOOOOOO! enough said!

Lt Col Holliday rockin` and rolling! Hopefully he likes that caption. lol



Spc Lacorte being him.




Sgt Lovett looks out the window for any threats




This was kinda our home.




Our interpreter drinking tea. It's a culture thing but I love the tea

 So I didn't mention that we had to perform a few key leader engagements but for security purposes I will not post those photos.

These next few photos was just a fun day for us. Fun = Free rounds for us to practice shooting and only 3 hours of training. Wooo! We needed that!



Airman 1st Class Fuerst fires off some rounds




A Humvee speeds through the lane to pick up a patient during an exercise




Staff Sgt. Sutton calls for a MEDEVAC during an exercise




Get Some!

So that is all I'm posting for today. I think I posted quite some photos though. My next post will consist of us in combative training and at the bowling alley. Yes, a bowling alley. Thanks to our leadership, they managed to allow us some free time and get us off base to go bowling in civilian clothes. Way to keep the motivation up! Now, I did promise you all one photo for the end. I told you I couldn't get great night time photos for a reason. I've shot through an Astro Scope (night vision camera lens) before but thanks to my home unit [not], This is what I resorted to. Not to mention, I've missed out on ALOT of great night vision opportunities due to not having an Astro Scope. Bummers!!!!  So check this out!



Yep that's tape all around my camera with a Night Vision Goggle on the front.
Sucks when you don't get the equipment you NEED!

 Well folks, that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this longgg entry. Might be my longest so far not quite sure. That's what happens when you fall behind on work due to training but once I get downrange I should have a semi-routine. Thanks for reading and soon enough you will be getting images of downrange. Thank god the world did not end! HA! I kid I kid...

On the way!

Yes! Next month we should be in Afghanistan. Who knows what day we'll arrive but the day is slowly approaching. Although I would love to say time flies, time has not flown for me here at CAIN (Camp Atterbury, IN). Last night, I wasn't able to finish the entire post I wanted to blog but I'm here again less than 24 hours later to continue and show you the rest of the images I have taken recently. Well as a little summary of some of the training, we did Gunnery Skills Training a few days ago. It consisted of live rounds being shot downrange after identifying targets. The gunners practiced their communicating skills with the truck commander so identify a target and engage if need be. Here are a few shots from it...




SSgt Wishnewski AKA Sgt Wish aims downrange during an exercise




Preparing for their time to shine




Rounds and more rounds!




SSgt Hines and his weapon.




The commander taking shots while I'm taking shots. Just 2
different types of shots.




Sgt Wish once again. I'm normally in his vehicle so he's lucky to
have pictures being taken of him all the time




This is the nicest sky we have ever had on Camp Atterbury. I'm serious!




Lt Riley waiting for his turn to go. And no this was NOT posed.




Didn't I say Sgt Wish get many photos taken of him. I forgot to mention,
there are no showers out in the field.




This would be Cpl Bregel running the squad during an exercise.

This week we have a busy schedule. We will be lacking sleep and getting trained intensely. Of course we do it the safe way but I'm sure there will be many tired 'warriors' as we get called here. I won't spill what we have coming up but just know that it 'should' be a packed week. Reason I say 'should' is because things like to change around here. and you just never know!

Now for this next photo, I'd like to say that carrying a camera on your can be good. I mean having it on you at all times. I try to carry it with me about 75% of the time. The other 25% is because I'm either at the gym, in the shower, or in some sort of training I have to FULLY participate in but it's normally still in my bag ready to shoot.

I try to tell people that I shoot more than all the infantrymen put together. Then I remind them I shoot with my camera. But It's TRUE! ok ok Enough with the jokes. I got one last pic for y'all. I thought it was hilarious!



This is Lt Riley. You GOT to admit. This is hilarious!

 Alright folks. I kept my promise of posting tonight like I said I would in yesterday's post. There are some more photos for you all to enjoy. Also, to my team, feel free to send the link to any friends and family you want if whether you are on here or not. I will be updating this throughout the deployment so basically a whole year. You can 'follow' the blog or check it periodically. Till the next post....

Did you get any good pics?

I've been a photographer for about 3 years but never in my life have I heard this line so much, "did you get any good pics?"

I mean it's no one's fault it's just something normal for someone to ask the photographer of the unit. But DANG! lol I do hear it alot. It's not bad though. All I do is respond, "Come on! Look who you talkin` to!" I got to keep it funny, I'm really not that cocky.

Anyways!!! I'm sorry I haven't been updating this as much as I wish. It's tough to keep dragging my work computer from my barracks to the work center back and forth and it's a fragile piece of equipment I definitely have to take care of. Plus, we do have some longgg days where last thing I think about is photos but I'll try to stay motivated. Especially since there is alot of 'hurry up and wait'. You know what I mean if you read my last post. If you didn't, GO BACK!

So recently, we have done ALOT of training believe it or not. And I'm going to go in order. This post should be long by the end but then again it is 0100 and I need to wake up at 0530 for chow and more training. This is what I'm doing for y'all.

Some of us did Combat Life Saver training. It was some cool stuff. I've done it before but I will not compare the 2 classes [for my own good] lol. I was part of the class [i think i mentioned that in my previous post] but I was able to take a few frames of the following class so here they go...



Pulling Security during CLS




Airmen rush to get a patient onto a HUMVEE




Airman 1st Class Todd Fuerst gets dragged through the mud
and this is the result of it.




Master Sgt. Laun checks the patient's heartbeat during a
CLS exercise



Tech. Sgt. Garcia treats a patient during a CLS exercise



Master Sgt. Laun covers an open chest wound during
a CLS exercise

 So CLS was a success. We all got a 'Go'. Not surprised though because everyone gets a 'Go'. Haha! Well after CLS class we had mounted patrol with different scenarios thrown at us to test our reaction. I'll have to admit that I definitely did not shoot as much because I had to take part in the training. Like I've mentioned before, it's a juggle.  Here goes a few more 'good pix' as my PRT like to call it.



PRT Zabul receives instructions for the exercise




PRT Zabul gunners are ready to depart for training




Senior Airman Thorton prepares to take his place during an exercise




So we were just walking to the vehicle and I told him around and pose.
This is what happens when you have a few minutes to spare and want to
bash on the driver that gets us stuck in the mud [he hates me now-lol]




Staff Sgt. Giles takes a nap on the way back to the barracks after
a long day of training




Staff Sgt. Giles listens to instructions prior to departure

 After this training we had MORE training. but hey, what's new. That's what we're here for. You will also see in MOST of my photos that it is raining. I didn't lie when I said 'if it ain't raining, we ain't training'. It is alwaysss raining here. It sucks! [in my opinion]. We have manyyyyy early mornings and many times with little sleep but they can result in some good images. Not saying mine are good but they can be good images. and more...



Vehicles are ready to depart for another early morning of training




Staff Sgts Sutton and Fryson load a vehicle to depart for training




Airmen load and unload the vehicle



Private Washington speaks to a battle buddy about the day's exercise



Airmen and Soldiers wait for instructions on the day's exercise




A couple of HUMVEEs




Our morning meet

 Ok so it is now 0147 and I have a ton of photos left to show y'all but unfortunately I need a few hours of sleep to function tomorrow so I will leave you with these. I do have more photos to show you all. Stay tuned for them to be post in the next blog. The next blog will either be tomorrow night or the night after. Just as a little hint, they will be photos of Gunnery Skills Training and all gunners were able to use live rounds. That's always fun. Well hope you all are enjoying my blog as I update it. If not let me know how I can improve it. Also, I am thick skinned so feel free to critique me on my photography because I can always get better. RAH!