Flying into Iraq is an experience. We had to wait 3 extra hours at the airport in Kuwait because our original flight was converted into a cargo flight so they had to find another plane for us. We flew on an Air Force C-17 cargo plane; they put removable cargo seats in the bay for us to ride in. > more <

I finally made it to Iraq yesterday. However, I’m going to talk about the week of acclimation in Kuwait, mostly because I haven’t had a chance to “discover” the magic of Iraq.

When you fly into Kuwait, it will be after roughly 17 hours of flying. When you leave Camp McCrady, you get to sit in the airport for several hours or longer, as was our case due to the nightly thunderstorms. The local Purple Heart Assocation, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and some other support groups came to the terminal and supplied gifts and refreshments. It was a nice gesture and totally unexpected. > more <

The last week at Camp McCrady is pretty quick. The big events are learning to clear rooms (a la SWAT teams) and convoy operations. The biggest classroom training is SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape); basically how to prevent being captured and if you are, what to do to stay alive. > more <

While stationed at Camp McCrady (Fort Jackson) in South Carolina, I heard about the term “NARMY”. Obviously it’s a combination of Navy and Army, but it’s kind of cute. It’s the unofficial term for Navy Individual Augmentees, since we are augmenting Army personnel. > more <

The second week of training is much like the first:  lots of weapons firing and walking in around with body armour in 90+ degree weather. But it’s also the week when you get to shoot the big guns and go full auto. > more <

When I initially learned I would be trained for Iraq duty by Army drill instructors at an Army base, I expected it to be like the Army’s Advanced Infantry Training given to graduates of boot camp. However, the training is less generalized and is geared towards the type of work Navy personnel may encounter in theater. > more <