Throwing deuces

Here’s today’s news flash. I am brutally honest, probably to a fault. It’s been a really tough few weeks in training, mostly because the things we’ve been doing for the past two weeks are hitting really close to home. And for all of the questions I have about what it’s really like “in country” (time for you to get used to that…it means “in Afghanistan”), there are a dozen or so guys who have been there and done that to help fill in the blanks.

This entire week was weapons week. I’ve been practicing my ability to walk around with an M9 pistol and an M4 rifle strapped to my body. I’ve also been practicing my ability to hit a target at ranges between 5 and 300 meters when said target pops up on me unexpectedly both during the day and at night while wearing night vision goggles. I tell you what, the Army knows a thing or two about training for combat. And for a girl who started the week very uncomfortable with a rifle, I now feel confident that I can kick the crap out of the bad guys if I had to.

Rangerboy left this week. That was a sadder moment than I had anticipated. I guess I didn’t realize just how awesome it was to have such a great peer mentor sitting next to me in class. This week he was pseudo replaced by Juicebox, who is a 24 year old badass from California. I would take that guy anywhere, anytime with me.  More about him another day. Rangerboy is getting settled in Iraq for now.

Back to the deuces. We’re coming clean today. Want to know what I’m really doing in Afghanistan? Yes, I am mentoring the Afghan National Army on women’s leadership issues. I’m also leading convoys. Practically every day. A huge majority of my life will be spent “outside the wire” (which means not on the military installation, but rather out in the country of Afghanistan). There really aren’t people in my career field who have led convoys. Certainly not female majors. So while you might be reading this with your jaw on the floor, I assure you that I am going into this new job with the same open mind with which I approach everything else in my Air Force life…find someone who has already done this, pick their brain, then build the best team you’ve ever seen once I get there. Oh, and be safe.

So the picture you see here was taken the first day I was ever a truck commander. We’re in an up-armored HMMWV (in country I’ll be in an MATV, which is even safer). There are four of us in the truck – the driver (Texas), the dismount (Hillbilly), the gunner (Juicebox), and me…the commander. I’m in charge of all things communication. That means if we end up in a bad situation, I am the one calling over the radio for help. I was “throwing deuces” (saying goodbye) because we were headed out on the road (we call that “rolling.”)

I still have so much to learn…and a few more weeks in Louisiana where I can keep learning from some of my favorite Airmen in the world!