YLOK Infantry X

Hey ya'll! I want to thank all the parents who are taking the time to read these posts. As much as I enjoy writing them, I enjoy even more knowing that you're living vicariously through me. As hard as I try, words from a chaperone really can't express the experience your son or daughter is having this week. I hope these daily recaps will provide you and your child with reminders of what happened this week, so that when they return home on Friday, you are able to use these recaps to jog the memories of your child so that they may tell you their own stories from the week. While everyone is participating in the same activities, everyone has different experiences and reactions to everything, and I look for all of the participants to return home with even more stories to add onto my own!

At 0500, we packed up and shipped out to Fort Sill, where we were greeted by three drill sergeants, who led us to a pavilion where they led us in a realistic, but yet a more trimmed down version of the daily PT (physical training) routine for those on base. Check out this video of one of the exercises.

Following PT, the girls and guys split up for a quick shower in the barracks before heading over to a DELICIOUS breakfast! We were all starving after such a workout. Next, we headed over to the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 Facility, which is where soldiers come to train with model guns on giant screens with a video game-like training program. The students broke into three separate groups and rotated to each building and participating in the training sequences. I can’t remember the name of the model guns used, but I do know they made it as realistic as possible, even the kickback! This was the most popular answer to the question of their favorite activity from the day.

 

After saving civilians and roasting turkeys (just ask them about that later…), we all gathered together for lunch, MREs! (Meal Ready to Eat) These are the same packages that soldiers use on the field. We finally got the hang of “cooking” our pre-cooked meals and we definitely had some good results.

                                 

Afterwords, the group hopped back on the bus and headed to the Ft. Sill museum for a tour, followed by a tour of the first barracks when the fort was open.

 

 Our last stop at Ft. Sill, and my personal favorite, was to the Joint Fires and Effects Training System Facility (JFETS). This facility is entirely dedicated to training soldiers by designing realistic situations they may face on the field. Perhaps most interesting is that they contract with Disney to build specific sets that place soldiers in lifelike situations which form the setting for their training modules. In fact, one simulated “location” we visited is a life-sized abandoned house in a Middle Eastern town that they turned into a base of operations for a particular overseas troop. The one-bedroom house came with four windows which held screens that showed computer graphics of what would be seen if the building were actually in the Middle East. They even make the temperature as much as 110 degrees to reflect the summer afternoons! Our tour guide said that as silly as some feel it is, many soldiers return from duty in the Middle East thankful for having gone through the simulations.

 

 

 

 Aaaaaand we’re off to Ardmore! Nearly the entire bus fell asleep for the 2-hour drive for much needed rest, myself included. We arrived at Lake Murray Lodge, where we had a “cook-in”, because of potential troublesome weather. We then high-tailed it to the train station in downtown Ardmore to catch the AMTRAK to Norman! This was a very enjoyable time, as it allowed us to stretch our legs and move around a bit, while still traveling to our hotel destination. Perfect picture time! Meanwhile, the bus driver drove up to Norman to meet us at the station.

 

 

 

 

 

We finished the evening with some pool and relaxation time at Embassy Suites in Norman. However, most were ready for bed the minute we got to the hotel following such a tough day.

Tomorrow we're off to Tulsa!