Changes in Environment, and a Glimpse Into Morale

Texas so far has been fun. We've been issued our new gear, attended good training (nothing like being flipped upside down in a Humvee roll-over simulator to learn how to safely exit an over-turned vehicle), and the mountains are cool to see.

There are a few noticeable things to remind us we are not in Iowa anymore though. For starters is the wildlife. I've seen a number of large hawks soaring during the days. I've also seen a scorpion near our barracks (fortunately it was dead already), a rattle snake on the road between our barracks (I think I was more concerned about him than he was of me)...and all on our first night here! Fortunately I've not heard any reports of similar occurrences since that night and our area is safe despite how it may sound.

Along with the wildlife a noticeable change is the desert around us. Other than the occasional trees and shrubs it could be a desert in the Middle East. The daytime temps are warm, the night time cool. Our base is also set up as one would find a base overseas, complete with Arabic writing on the signs, and mock guard towers. In addition to those details we also hear Islamic prayer calls/music a minimum of four times a day from loud speakers on post, simulating the prayer calls that come from the mosques overseas. Many of the veterans are used to such calls, but I noticed a few confused looks on the younger soldiers the first day or so when they heard them.

The most frustrating change is lack of consistent cell phone service. Granted for a soldier in war time cell service is a luxury, but it does help with communicating with home. Having just a pre-paid phone I had to map out what areas around here I get signal, but for the Alltel users (which include my laptop) service is pretty much anyplace.

Something I don't think a lot of people realize is how important phone calls can be to morale. Hearing the voice of a loved one can do great things to help a person's day go from iffy to good. Doesn't have to be a long call, but just hearing a voice makes a difference. Sometimes mere seconds can have an impact for a lifetime.

Another simple thing that can have a tremendous impact on morale is letters. Emails, text messages, instant messages, and phone calls are nice, but an actual letter (or even photograph) can be invaluable. A letter is a physical piece of home that soldiers can carry with them, re-read when needed, and fills a gap that exists when phones and computers are not accessible. I can't even begin to count how many times during our last deployment that I re-read the letters I got from home. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has their letters saved some place safe even now. I even have my letters from Basic Training and AIT. Letters are also important to me as I can use the ones I write almost like a journal of my experiences. Its my custom to write at least a paragraph or two a day, then at the end of the week send the letter out. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not asking for anyone to send me mail (at least not until we're overseas), but to just be aware that letters have a tremendous impact on our morale when we are far away from home.

Another morale boost is being able to have fun. So far our training has been just that as well as educational. Our first training day was HEAT training. We all thought that meant being briefed about how to deal with the new environment. What it actually was was an acronym for the Army's term for exiting a vehicle that has been turned over. After going through some dry runs on stationary vehicles and familiarizing ourselves with procedures we loaded into a mock Humvee cab mounted on a system the could rotate 360 degrees horizontal. It was fun! We were shown how it felt when a vehicle was about to tip, while it was rolling, and once it settled on its side or top. The entire thing reminded me of a bumper sticker that reads "I taught my dog to roll over. I didn't realize my Jeep was listening."

Today our training was with the new DAGR system. That's the new term for Defense Advanced GPS Receiver. Think of it as a hand held model of the dashboard GPS navigational systems, only without the lady telling you where/when to turn. I can't speak for everyone, but it makes me feel comfortable knowing the folks at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids made some of the equipment we'll have with us overseas. Our training exercises with the DAGR took us around some of the more remote areas of Ft. Bliss and it was a fun drive.

In closing, Texas has been both new yet familiar at the same time and morale is still high. I've been told that a memo is being written so that I will be allowed to shoot video while we're training, hopefully it will be in my hands soon!

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