Enjoying A Long Weekend --- Of Army Training

Well I hope you all are enjoying your long weekend.  Today is the end of a very long weekend down here at Camp Shelby.  It started Saturday morning with a 0430 wake-up call and a 0530 formation for a trip to the M4 Range for weapons qualification.  It started raining the minute we left and kept raining the whole day.  Once we got to the range we all huddled under a small tent and waiting to fire.  I got up to the line in pouring rain and fired off 9 shots.  Then the lighting started and that's all we shot that day.  They pulled us off the line and we huddled again under the leaky tent while the monsoon flooded us out.  For over an hour we waited while those in charge figured out what we were going to do.  Finally, we were told the day was canceled and we were going back home and would have to fire the next day.  The buses took their sweet ass time getting us though and so we huddled and got wetter and colder.  We got home about 1400 but the day was lost.  The next day, Sunday, it started all over again.  0430 wake up, 0530 formation head to the range.  It was relatively dry but much cooler.  We stayed at the range from 0630 until 2000 hours.  We zeroed our weapons and then fired with our gas masks and fired for record.  It was the first time I have fired with the M4, and I did not do well.  I need practice.  I will get another chance to qualify soon.  But for now, it is safe to say that I would have a better chance of clubbing someone with my weapon than shooting them.  Ha ha.  Today it felt good to walk around with out my body armor but my joints and back are hurting me.  This Army shit is tough.  Meanwhile at this moment, I think it is more likely than not that I will be deploying somewhere in about six weeks.  I have an idea, but nothing for sure.  I also will be coming home before I deploy, likely late next month.  So today, President's Day weekend will end, and most of you will be going back to work.  For me...just another day of training.  I miss ya all.