SRP at KSRTI

Yesterday I had to get started at 0500 so I could get to my SRP in Salina. After standing around for a few hours I finally found out exactly what my mission was and moved out. I just had a full medical checkup with my infantry unit back in November so doing all of this again was a pretty senseless waste of my time and the state's money. I had a long time to talk with some of the guys who were going with the same unit I am, some of them seem pretty relaxed and others kinda nervous because of a briefing they all had a day or so ago.

Apparently the 1/161st will be doing convoy security in a place called Ashraf. Its a small Iranian refugee camp just north of Al Khalis Iraq. The area is about an hour north of Baghdad itself. From satellite photos it looks pretty green, theres a few small rivers that run near the city and they feed fields, small forests and orchards. A few of the E4s and E5s seem a little nervous about going back even though it is their second time. Nobody except me likes the idea of being a unit responsible for convoy security. I'd rather run the risk of being shot at than spending all day inside a FOB doing pogue work.

I feel sorry for the other guys because they are going to be stuck in Salina for a month total and then Ft. Bliss for a week when I just get to go home. I ship on January 2nd to Texas, and I'll make up some of the classes I'm missing there. I guess somebody decided that the 161 really needed a few infantrymen, becuase they seemed to act like it was important that I get through all the admin stuff. It seems kind of odd that they would throw me into the group at the last minute and go through all this work for one soldier.

I woke up this morning to a phone call. I'm going to KSRTI on Wednesday to get my TA-50 issued to me and have all my paperwork taken care of. I just volunteered in late November so this is all happeing pretty fast.

I'm supposed to leave for Fort Bliss, TX. on January 1st to start my training. I could have left as early as the 15th of December but my 1st SGT. hooked me up because that was just way too soon. I''l be in Iraq with the 1/161st FA instead of my Infantry unit since they won't deploy again until after 2009.