May 11-13, 2011 This post represents a departure from my trend of single day posts in C-Ville. This is done for a couple reasons: First, much of the training is similar, and simply extends by necessity over multiple days, thus making multiple posts unnecessary. Second, the internet situation here makes it extremely difficult to post, so combining days makes it easier to catch back up. At 0530 on Wednesday, we began the first big chunk of DCC training: the combat lifesaver course. It was held “in the field,” although DCC’s version of the field probably isn’t what you’re used to. We bused out to FOB Voyager, which is a simulated FOB about 30 minutes from the barracks. Rather than camping in tents and setting up patrol bases or bivouac sites, you’ll be inside the wire at the FOB. Everyone is housed in a large air-conditioned tent, which is a lot like open bay barracks. Everyone shares a bunk, and you’ll have a small foot locker. The FOB has a small field for PT, as well as another large tent with a pretty nice gym set up in it (free weights, sparring area, etc). There are separate shower tents for males and females, as well as port-a-johns, which are a ways away from the sleep tent. Overall, it’s a set up that deserves no complaining. We were out there with a group of Infantry OBC students, who were enduring much harsher treatment and much worse living conditions, which put a lot into perspective. The CLS course is taught by civilian contractors, and takes place almost entirely in the air-conditioned DFAC tent. The course taught some great information, and if you’ve had any type of first aid training in the past, you’ll still learn quite a bit in this one. The contractors were mostly good teachers, although one essentially ate the microphone as he mumbled into it, and then got repeatedly angry for us seemingly not paying attention. The classes were a lot like those in C-Ville, as they were done through powerpoint, and sometimes felt like a marathon battle against sleep. Each day was started around 0530 with company PT out on the small field, where we were re-introduced to PRT. As far as meals went, we were able to have two hot meals (trucked out from a base DFAC) per day, along with one MRE, which wasn’t a bad shake. Don’t worry, you’ll get your fill of MREs soon enough from the course. As the course rolls on, you’ll be required to demonstrate the tasks you’ve learned (such as use of the combat application tourniquet), and you’ll take an extraordinarily easy exam at the end. You’ll end up being CLS certified (complete with your very own card…wooohoooo), which is a pretty nice payoff for the first few days of the course. Overall, this “field” experience was a far cry from any other field exercise I’ve done in the past, but in a good way. It’s a long, but productive 3 days, but I was definitely ready to get back to civilization.