Sunday, June 07, 2009

Deployment After Deployment...

Boy, I have been a traveling fool. For the past two months I have been away from home. In March I found out they needed a hard charging 2nd class for PTP training at Marine Corps Base Camp Fuji, so I immediately put my name in the hat. To my surprise I was picked to go.

I left for Camp Fuji on the 6th of April. Man was it a long day. We were told to muster at 0630 on the parade field at Camp Foster. When I got there at around 0620, there were only 7 personnel including me standing and waiting. 0630 came around and no one else showed up, so we all decided to wait, thinking maybe the muster time was at 0730. 0730 rolled around and no sign of anyone else besides the 7 of us. Come to find out we were given bad gouge. We had to pick up our packs and walk about 500 meters up a hill to the enlisted barracks where everyone was waiting. To make a long story short, we did not leave until later that evening to Camp Fuji. We got to Camp Fuji real late, like 0100 the next morning.

I was mostly on the ranges helping out with crew served weapon systems. These weapons included the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M240B, and M2 .50 cal. The mornings were rough. We had to be on the range every morning by 0630-0700 for set-up and placement of key personnel. I also helped out with the aggressor part of the training. Being the aggressor was quite fun. I had a chance to shot the 249 that was loaded with blanks. I shot it at a standing from the hip.

Besides the training, the view of Mount Fuji was quite breath taking. The mountain still had snow on it and I saw three sides of the mountain. Pictures will tell you more of my exciting trip to Camp Fuji.




As soon as I got from Camp Fuji, I had a week before I was on my way to Cambodia for a Medical Civil Affairs Program (MEDCAP). It was part of CIP-09 (Cambodia Interoperability Program). This would be the third year for CIP. Each year, different aspects would change or get added. This year the budget was increased to purchase more medical supplies, a public affairs officer was added, and combat camera was added.

I was part of an advance party that got to leave for Cambodia two days before the main body would arrive. As a Preventive Medicine Tech, it was my job to scout out the area and produce a list of approved food establishment for the Marine and Sailors on this deployment. I had a blast driving around and site seeing and seeing all the Cambodian restaurants.

It was time that we got down to busy after the initial liberty in Phnom Penh. For ten days straight, starting at 0730 and ending at 1630, we provided medical and dental services to the people of Pursat province. There were times that we get not finish till 1830. We saw a wide range of people; from infant to the elderly. My time spent at the MEDCAP site was priceless. I spent most of the time supervising and singing to the workers and the people waiting to get seen.

Well here are some pictures from my trip to Cambodia.