Notes from California-EMV Part 1

So I am now out at Twentynine Palms, CA for Enhanced Mojave Viper training, our last hurdle before deployment. We have been at the main training camp called Camp Wilson all week and will push out to the remote training areas today. It has been an interesting week out here. It all started with a charter flight from Cherry Point on Sunday afternoon/evening to Ontario, CA. We had to arrive on base 10 hours before the flight to draw weapons and pack up, etc. We loaded the buses and headed down the road to Cherry Point and the bus I was on got lost twice on the way there. Not to worry because we were at the terminal for hours before the flight left. For military flights they weigh you in before you get on which was a new experience for me. The flight left about 90 minutes late for various reasons so we didn't land until about 11pm California time, got on buses for another two hours and finally had our gear here in the desert at about 4am. Back up at 8am for the normal day to begin.

Most of the week was training for the Marines so RP and I got some good PT in and basically worked out of the chapel on Camp Wilson. Many classes and meetings throughout the week. I also got the honor of getting my smallpox vaccine on Wednesday. Man it is itching right now. The other infantry battalion chaplain and I got to do some visioning of our plans for deployment as he will be in an area close to ours on deployment and it was nice to have deep theological discussions like in seminary again. We are both from different backgrounds and had some great discussions on a wide range of topics and how we do worship, etc. One of my Chaplain School classmates is stationed out here and he stopped by for a few hours on Thursday to catch up and offer some tips on deployment, etc. All in all a good and productive week with some good counseling and lay leader training as well.

We held a Bible study on Wednesday night and had a movie night on Thursday for anyone interested. Not much turnout, but the guys have typically been exhausted each night after training. Other than yesterday the temperatures have been quite comfortable and makes me glad we are here training because it is dry and there is usually a breeze to cool you off. I'll get one final run in and hopefully have time for a shower before we push out for 4 weeks. I have decided that if I were to deploy to a place like this, I'd probably go crazy. I'm too much of a personality that needs to get out and do stuff to be stuck at an established base with restaurants and such for a long period of time. This week has been long enough and I am ready to get out there with the Marines and get this show on the road.

Hopefully I'll be able to get some updates as we are out there training. If not, I'll provide the select few of you who read this an update when I get back to this bastion of civilization in a few weeks.