Life at CRC

Hello from El Paso, Texas where it is very dry and very busy. Before arriving in Iraq, I needed to spend a week here at the CONUS Replacement Center to draw special gear and attend some specific training so that I can be considered "validated" for a tour in Iraq. Before coming here, I feared that it would be a very chaotic process and would only serve to stress me out even more before I departed overseas. Much to my delight, the CRC turned out to be a very organized and well run organization. We've been quite busy (waking up at 0345 today), going from one training session to drawing our gear and then back to another training event. But I am getting something out of it. For example: today, after 17 years in the Army, I finally got some training on how to kill people up close. I participated in a 9MM Pistol Combat Range, specifically designed to simulate how to engage the enemy up close and personal. I'm proud to report that I knocked down 28 out of 30 targets. We're not being told when we'll leave here and actually fly out due to security reasons. So my next post will probably be from "over there".

Take care, Bill