Finally Shooting

This is Taylor field, the heart of the U.S. Army Infantry School. This is where we do PT in the mornings and where we have formation to begin just about all of our training. Sure it looks pretty and peaceful now, but don't let the picture fool you, the grass is watered with blood, sweat, and tears.This is Petko Baremov. He is an international student from Bulgaria. He is a very funny , very to the point type of soldier who doesn't mind pulling punches about cultural diversity. He is a constant reminder that the U.S. has very poor Yogurt (which according to Petko, was birthed in Bulgaria)
The nice thing about being outdoors constantly is the occasional amazing view.
It has taken roughly 7 weeks however we have finally began training on what is the core of being an Infantryman; Shooting, Ruck Marching, and Sleeping in the woods. This past week we have done a lot of shooting. We spent a night in the field as we transitioned from the night fire ranges. The temperatures during the early morning eventually went down to the 20's and 10's. Talk about fun!This the obstacle course we did last week. It consists of 15 to 20 obstacles that supposedly "builds confidence"

This is a reflexive fire range. The targets actually move and and require a quick eye to engage.
This is my platoon, 2nd PLT which has a little trouble loading buses.

The best news is that my knee is almost completely healed. During BOLC II I think I stressed my knee on the Land Nav course and over the past few weeks I have managed to rest the legs and recover. Last Thursday we had a 4.5 mile ruck march (which is relatively short) but there were no problems with movement. I am definitely glad to be back in fighting shape!