May 8-9, 2011 Sadly, I’ve already lied to you all-I promised to jump right into things, but I’m going back on that one. There are a couple loose ends I want to address first: 1) The training schedule does not typically run like many of the Army training experiences you may have had. The day typically ends around 1700, but there are frequent exceptions. There are very few days that have training events ending with “until complete,” which generally means that the training only ends when the task is complete. For those well versed in Army training, you know that often makes for long days. 2) You will be allowed to keep your cell phone, although the rules are different than in C-Ville. You’re not allowed to have them on you during the duty day, unless you have a special requirement and clear it with cadre. 3) Bring books or seriously consider buying an e-reader. There is lots of downtime during training days (and you’re not necessarily allowed to go back to the barracks). Save yourself and make the investment now. Day 0 of DCC - 8 May 2011 Once you graduate from C-Ville, everyone will be put on a pass from then until your report time on the following Sunday at Ft. Benning. Again, I strongly advise you to use the time to dump off extra belongings. Reporting happened at 1500, with most people arriving to post or Columbus that day. We filed into the cadre building (across from our barracks), and were rushed through a few initial processes. The first involved getting a bit of equipment (i.e. knee and elbow pads, blank firing adaptor). You then went to get your room key, and were dismissed to go set up your room. If you read the first couple posts in this series, you’ll know the conditions are sparse. We had a follow up formation at around 1630 where we were quickly introduced to the 4 or 5 cadre, and had some initial information, including the initial class leadership rotation put out. Day 1 I wish I had something terribly interesting to say about day one, but alas DCC began with a slow fizzle rather than a bang. I suppose the same was true with Ft. Lee, except that the Lee phase carried with it the excitement of a new experience, whereas DCC seems like a 6-week speed bump in between our jobs and us. We spent the day in a series of random classes on leadership, while also handling a few in processing matters with S-1 and finance. The main classroom used by the company is about a half mile away, and is a far cry from anything in C-Ville. One thing that those unfamiliar with military training environments should prepare themselves for is marching-everywhere. This isn’t really a big deal (especially for those of you at Benning in the cooler months), but those here in May/June can expect to hoof it in the heat. In any event, don’t expect DCC to explode out of the gates, but the training starts in earnest later this week, as we’ll head straight out to the field.