Dear World

Well, this is my first post, and I guess I will give you the thorough update of what's going on. I'm on a four day pass up in Wisconsin. For the past month and a half, I've been at Ft. McCoy, an Army National Guard Fort which has the purpose of training up National Guard soldiers for overseas missions. The National Guard trains one weekend a month most of the year most years, so I guess the Army has the wisdom to realize that we need to be retrained in order to be prepared for war. I think that that is a fantastic idea.

Some of the things that I've been training on: 

As a medic, I've been training on how to do IV's under less than ideal circumstances. I've already been trained on how to do IV's and different kinds of medications (antibiotics, pain-killers, etc.) to push, but we've been training for the less convenient situations we may face. We've done training in different environments- in the rain, and in the dark using Night Vision Goggles; and in unique anatomical places- in the jugular veins and ankles.

We've learned how to suture, and how to do nerve blocks to numb localized parts of the body for minor surgeries.

As a soldier, I've gone out to different ranges, using my M4 to shoot targets on a qualification range, and different kinds of moving ranges in a Humvee (one of the modes of transportation we'll be using). I've also retrained on how to do different kinds of evacuations of injured soldiers, via Humvee or helicopter.

The training has been good.

The people are pretty cool. I have fairly good leaders this time, which is really nice. WE've barely butted heads. They keep us really well informed of what we're doing and what our mission is. My squad leader, Staff Sergeant Wilson, is a good boss. He is constantly putting our needs above his own. From making sure that we all eat before he eats, to making sure we have good equipment, to making sure we're constantly training and prepared for each day, he shows that he wants to make sure that we're ready for everything. He's also really detail oriented. We have a great relationship because he comes to me for advice based on my experience as a medic who's already been deployed (he was  Military Police when he deployed in 2003), and for some of my people skills, and I come to him for support and for tactical advice. Please keep him in prayer. He's newly married and has a little girl, and is definitely seeking spiritual answers.

Well, that's all I've got for now. My e-mail address, if you'd like to reach me, is robert.michael.jackson@us.army.mil 

I love you guys, and hope to hear from you all often.

In Christ,

Bobby