Preparations

Okay, so we are slackers and have not posted here in over a year... Well, most of you know it has been a busy one.  So we will skip to the present instead of recapping everything.

After having a bunch of knee problems and other issues that prevented Chris from taking and/or passing a PT test since we have been at Ft. Carson, he did it!  He passed!  His direct supervisor was thrilled and put in the papers for Chris to get a raise and promotion.  Yay!  Soon Chris will be an E-4 also known as Specialist.  

In preparation for his unit to be deployed to Afghanistan last week Chris was gone on a Field Training Exercise (FTX).  It was held somewhere on Ft. Carson, but he didn't get to come home at night.  That kind of sucked.  While he was on the FTX he did a bunch of weapon training.  When he gets deployed Chris will be carrying a M249 SAW.  

Shooting at targets 100, 200, 300, and 400 meters away Chris got 10 out of 11 targets.  The best in his company with his weapon.  The SAW is heavier and holds more ammo than the M16s that most of his unit will be carrying.  When he came home on Friday he was all banged up.  He looked like he was developing cheetah spots.  Also while on the FTX Chris drove a military Hummer.  He is one of a handful of guys that now have both a military and civilian driver's license. 

Here is a picture of a soldier with a M249 SAW.  I will ask Chris to try and get a pic of him on his next FTX later this month.