Day 7: Last day in the field

Today started ridiculously early, with a wake-up a little after 0400, with just enough time to run to the bathroom before forming up for PT (we sleep in PT gear, so no changing was necessary). The PT—a four-mile run in formation—was pretty easy, except I was in the front and it was very hard to keep a pace slow enough for everyone to keep up. We finished without anyone falling out of the run, and also picked up stragglers from the other two platoons, so I guess it was a success.

Although we had two hours before we had to head back out to the field, none of us in my squad bothered showering, because we knew we would just get dirty and sweaty once we got into the field. Instead, we just sat around the hutmet and ate breakfast (MREs—yum, yum), until one of our instructors came and brought us donuts as a reward for everyone finishing the run in formation.

And then we loaded up into the five-tons again and headed back to the field, where our first stop was the rappelling tower. After a long demonstration by our instructor (her shirt got caught in the rope, so it took awhile for her to get out), we got harnessed up and made our way to the top—fortunately, not in any gear except our kevlar.

Rappelling was fun, even though I ended up upside down on my first rappel (apparently I didn't do a very good job walking down the wall before I began jumping). I did much better the second time around.

Sergeant Henry yelling at me for hanging upside down from the rapel tower

Righting myself on the tower

After gearing back up, the next stop was back to the tactical simulator, where we again were doctors (and nurses, but I was a doc) at a Level II treatment center, and then we simulated running a decontamination area. Then the five-tons took us up a ridiculously steep and rocky path (I ended up falling off the bench and landing on the floor, losing my rucksack in the process), where we had lunch. Then it was back into gear, defending and rescuing casualties from a C-130 again, and then a road march about a mile (with all our gear) to the litter obstacle course, where we got everyone safely to the end. I really do not like low-crawling, by the way.

During a calm part of the drive

All in all, not a bad day, and after formation, they granted us liberty. We're going to be heading out to dinner in a bit; until then, I think I'll be taking a nap.

Our last time hanging out in G-Row