Editor’s note: As a special service for our readers, WND is running a series of dispatches from Allan Wall chronicling his transition from civilian life as he prepares to fight with his National Guard unit in Iraq. Allan will write for us as often as he is able in order to let our readers vicariously experience what people in his position are going through. We hope you will check regularly for Allan’s dispatches and encourage your friends and family to do likewise.
On Aug. 21, our deployed unit moved from our training camp to Fort XYZ, where we are scheduled to reside for the next few months while training for Iraq.
Our unit was getting larger too, at Fort XYZ others joined us, as guardsmen from various units were amalgamated into one.
From Aug. 21 to Aug. 23, we stayed in the section of Fort XYZ usually reserved for the National Guard. One of the things we accomplished there was to exchange our National Guard ID cards for Active Army ID cards.
On Aug. 23, we made the big move to the main post of Fort XYZ, and moved into our barracks. These were not the typical temporary billets used by National Guardsmen, where everybody sleeps in the same big room. These were regular Army barracks, and resemble in some respects a college dormitory.
The barracks had just been vacated by another National Guard unit which had completed its training and shipped out for Iraq. They had been thoughtful enough to leave a number of useful items in the rooms, which we can use. There was laundry detergent, coat hangers, Q-tips, padlocks, a boot brush and even Ziploc bags, very useful to soldiers for keeping things dry when it rains in the field.
Being on a regular Army base implies several things for the National Guard. It implies keeping uniforms up to standards, and correctly utilizing military courtesies – saluting officers, for example, in which guardsmen sometimes tend to be a little lax.
On Aug. 24, we spent the day in an auditorium hearing lectures on various relevant matters. For example, we were briefed on how on our pay, suicide prevention, health and the Red Cross. We learned about health threats in the Middle East. Not only is there malaria, but also cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by the bite of a sandfly. There is also a camel spider, which is not venomous, but can cause an infection. We were also briefed on the rules of engagement in Iraq, and heard various anecdotes from a soldier who had spent time there. And, we saw a short film about anti-terrorism narrated by John Glenn.
Today, Aug. 25, we went through a medical screening and treatment process. I had blood drawn, and several vaccinations including shots for typhoid, for smallpox and for anthrax. That last one burned!
Our unit has been informed of our specific mission in Iraq, and the unit is being organized to serve that mission. But we have a long way to go.
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WND Staff