This week went suprisingly quick for our first full 5-day week of training, and the fact that we were up most of the days before 4am, and in one case before 3am.

Monday started without standard morning PT because there are ridiculous smoke floating around the base because of controlled burns that continue to burn night and day. The rest of the day we spent in the Class Room learning how to do Land Navigation. We were introduced to the delicate interplay between the Map, the Compass, The Protractor, our Pace Count, and the ever feared "Azimuth." I'm not going to go into details, but the classes were quick and to the point, and the day went very quickly with a few practical exercises to anchor in our minds the process of preparing to enter the wood line and find the points that are laid out there for us. Little time was spent informing us on how to deal with the terrain, or exactly what we should expect out there, but we were too naive to fully appreciate the coming events, so we didn't know to ask those types of questions. Monday evening, because we got shafted from our scheduled 7-mile run, BBB and I decided to go for a long run. We headed down to the Airfield and began to run around it, with the plan to turn around after 30 minutes. Well, when that time came, we felt as if we were easily half-way around the airfield, so we (stupidly) decided to continue around. It was awesome, at first, there were all kinds of planes and helicopters flying around, and a really beautiful sunset, but soon the awesomeness wore off, it became very obvious that we were in for a very long run, because the airfield never seemed to end. Instead of getting back before the sunset, we came in on a forested road, in the pitch black, and to some extent luckily found where we needed to be.

Tuesday morning was another morning where we actually got some PT in the morning, a Tabata Workout (Cross-Fit stuff). After showering and eating breakfast (best meal of the day in the DFAC), we headed out to the range or our first experience with Land Nav. We were broken into groups of three and given a list of grid points and sent out on our own to find our "start point." I believe everyone though the "start point" was supposed to be a standard "point" like the ones we'd find out on the range, but it turned out to be some random road sign. So my group and I spent an hour and a half looking for a "point" only to return to the start, utterly defeated, dignity destroyed. When we got there, we were roasted by a Cadre member and informed that the start point was in fact one of the road signs that we walked right too. So, equally frustrated, but with some level of dignity returned, my group and I ran back to our start point, and was able to complete the entire course in less then the hour and half we had left

After lunch we were given new grid points and did the entire process all over again. Land Nav, in the day time, is actually really fun. You basically get to walk around in the woods for a couple hours. There is some added stress, in that your working against the clock and looking for very specific points, but all told, it isn't so bad. After that afternoon session, the class returned to the barracks, where we were informed that we would be heading back out to the range Wednesday morning at 4am, so that we could do INIDIVIDUAL land navigation IN THE DARK!!!. Most of us were very nervous, but we had to do it, because our test would be in same conditions.

Wednesday morning was an early morning, getting to the range by 4:30, we were out on the range, walking in the wilderness in the pitch dark. People were tripped and falling into holes all over the place, but miraculously not many people were injured at all. Night Land Nav is incredibly frustrating, because you follow all the rules, and you get to where you think your point should be, but you have no way of seeing more then five feet in front or around you for the point that should be there. You are allowed a light, but its suppose to be red only, but after walking around in the dark for 20, 30, or 40 minutes looking for the point, the light inevitably turns on, but there is still no guarantee you'll find the point. This morning we were given 3 hours to find 3 points and return to the start point, and you're not suppose to talk to your classmates or use your lights. Well, the lights were used, and in the three hours I had, I was able to find the three points, but only because each point I was looking for happened to have a swarm of people around it by the time I got there, so it was easily pointed out for me.

After the morning Land Nav, we got another individual chance to march around the course in the day light to anchor down our skills before heading home, with a wake-up call of 2:30am to head to the range for our exam, that you need to pass to graduate the DCC course.

Thursday morning, was riduclously early, and before we knew it, we were on our way to a brand new, GIANT course, where our exam would take place. The India Range is roughly 5 square kilometers or rolling hills, streams, and heavily wooded brush. Our exam began at 5 am, but before we set off we were given a lecture on "integrity" in the exam process, i.e. don't talk to anyone, stay off the roads, and don't use your white light, only a red one. Taking this lecture seriously, I started out exactly as we were trained, shooting an azimuth and doing my pace count to my first point through the pitch dark, in VERY thick brush. Within minutes, I was soaked, my boots had turned to muddy puddles, and I was somewhere in the thick over growth of a stream. However, I kept going, and soon reached my point with relative ease. After marking it, I moved on to the next point, and found it, and I did the same for the third point. So I had three out of the five points I needed in less then two hours and the sun was just about to come up. My fourth and fifth points were very close to each other in a creek bed, but it was more then 1100 meters away, which is a very long way to pace count.

So I set out, and quickly found myself plodding through a wooded area that was so thick, I could hardly fit my body between the branches. While pushing through this stuff for 100 meters, I lost my eye-protection from my head, my compass wedged itself and got stuff, and I had all kinds of cuts and scraps on my hands and face. I got to where I thought my point should be using terrain features (i.e. topography indicated on the maps using contour lines and map indicators). I had two hours to find two points, more then enough time. But to make a long story short, I couldn't find any of them, and after two hours, I returned late to the start point, utterly defeated. When I got back, I learned that nearly 80% of the class failed with me. Of the 20% who passed, apparently they were given extra information, i.e. to use their lights and the roads) that I apparently missed, so I was even more angry with the situation because now I and 87 other members of my class had to return Friday morning to do it all over again. After throwing and ending a short pity-party for myself, I moved onto the bus, back to the barracks, where we were excused for the day, knowing that we would be getting back up at 3:30 am the next morning.

Firday morning, we moved out to the same range, in the dark, and given a safety briefing, but this time, there was no mention of NOT using the roads. We were then given our exam and sent on our way. Using the roads and "action points" is definitely the way to go. I was able to find 6 points in two hours and returned to the start point with my passing grade. My "lane" was also extremely easy compared to the lane I had the day before, essentially, all 6 points I had were less then 150 meters from a road, so as long as I had a nearby intersection, I could easily shoot an azimuth and find the points I needed. This morning, we had an 80% pass rate within the class, so the Cadre was much happier this time. There were still plenty of people that came back with all kinds of marks, cuts, and scrapes because they still had to beat brush, because they're points were way off the roads. So, I learned that even though some people used the roads the day before, I couldn't be too resentful because they could have just had an easy lane like mine, OR they still had to break brush even though they used the roads. When it was finished we returned back to the barracks, and after a lengthy detail, we were released for the weekend.

The real take-away from the whole experience was USE THE ROADS. There was mixed information coming from the Cadre and the Range Safety Officers, basically, if the roads are on the course use them. Make sure you have a good plan set in place that flows (as best you can) from one point to the next with as little pace counting and brush breaking as possible. Either way, Land Nav is behind most of us, and for those who are going to do it again, I know they'll do just fine, the Cadre is committed to seeing us all pass.

Lastly, there was a question about being "under weight." I'm not entirely sure what the Army does for those of you who are under the weight requirements outlined in the ARs. I think the logical thing to do is try your best to gain weight in a healthy way, by which I mean, growing muscle. I would NOT suggest over eating or doing anything that might compromise your health, but maybe hitting the gym and doing more strength training versus cardio, and adding some protein supplaments to your diet to encourage the healthy growth of muscle. I will say, that I don't think being underweight is nearly as big a deal as being over the weight requirements, so long as you're not unhealthly skinny or under weight. The Army really just wants you to be healthy.

Thanks for reading everyone, keep asking questions....