This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine...

We are only allowed to wear 2 types of uniforms here through the week, our army uniform or our Navy PT uniform (after we are done for the day).  We must carry our weapons with us at all times, or have someone else watch it (as we did during our BBQ below).  I feel kind of like a dork in the Navy PT gear, but no one would say so while I'm packing heat.  It is nice to get out of those combat boots for a while too.  I think that I should name my rifle.  After all, we will be spending a lot of time together over the next year.  Any suggestions?

This is the full 'Battle Rattle' that we have to wear during a lot of our training.  It consists of a flack jacket, helmet, gloves, knee and elbow pads, M4 rifle and M9 pistol. This stuff is heavy, and in the hot and humid South Carolina weather this is not very comfortable.  I am also wearing a camelback  for water as well.  I feel like I must sweat my body weight each day, so I need to constantly replenish my fluids.  On Saturday we spent about 13 hours on the firing range, wearing this stuff a large part of the time.  We completed our pistol qualifications and some rifle firing.  I qualified for the sharpshooter ribbon, I missed 'expert' (the highest) by 4 points.  Not bad considering what I was wearing and the sweat pouring  into my eyes.

On Sunday our barracks decided to have a BBQ to celebrate our one day off.  We were allowed to wear our 'civies' off base that day if we wanted to.  The guy who runs the galley, or 'dining facility' (DFAC) as the Army calls it, gave us some burgers and dogs to grill and we 'borrowed' a grill from the administrative building.  We all chipped in for sodas and chips and stuff.  It was a nice time. 

Sunday was of course also the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a reminder of why we are all here training in South Carolina right now, preparing to go to war.