Some pictures

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. We have been busy. We are doing mission specific training, which means that I am having a chance to finally do my public affairs job. Here are some pictures I have shot around Fort Dix.

PFC Matthew Mikolas pays attention during a safety briefing prior to beginning Individual Movement Techniques training for mobilization at Fotf Dix, N.J. Mikolas is from Hillsboro, OR, and is a broadcast specialist with the 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment out of Salem, OR. The 115th is preparing to deploy to Iraq later this summer.

Spc. Brad T. Backus waits in the turret of a humvee for a convoy to move. Backus, from Dexter, MO, is a machine gunner for the 735th Combat Support Company out of Desoto, MO.

Sgt. Jesse A. Whittington waits to drive a humvee to the 735th Combat Support Company's training Forward Operating Base for the night. Whittington is from Dexter, MO, and is training for mobilization at Fort Dix, N.J.

U.S. Army Photos by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Photos are public doiman

Update

Well, I'm here. Fort Dix. Sorry I haven't posted lately -- I have had the time, but not the energy. The training is good, but tough. The weather is anything but friendly -- often near 100 with a high 80% humidity. Obviously I can't talk in any detail about what we are doing here, but we are doing some cool training. We did reflexive fire with the M-4's, and unarmed combatives. Tomorrow I get to go shoot .50 caliber machine guns.

We got issued all of our equipment, and my gear including body armor and technical equipment for photojournalism weighs in the neighborhood of 105 pounds. I really wouldn't care if the body armor weighed 400 pounds as long as it did its job when it needed to. Let's all hope that it never needs to.

Supposedly we are going to have a 4 day pass at the end of this, before we leave for the suck (Iraq.) Unfortunately, it is not really economical for me to try to fly back to Oregon. The good news is, Ajay is stationed at Dover for a while, and I will be able to go hang out with her for a few days before leaving. That should make my whole deployment, at least until mid-tour leave, bearable.

Anyway, I need sleep now, so please keep reading. Keep us soldiers in your prayers, and hope this thing ends soon.