Business time.

Now that we're all settled in, we're starting to be tasked with various tasks on a daily basis. Our rotation for duty is approaching, so we are in the preparation phase. This week has been especially busy, doing driver's training hosted by the New Zealand Contingent Force, Combat Water Survival Training for our federal tax-exemption duty, and unfortunate daily police calls of the entire Camp. Picking up trash hardly seems like a soldierly duty, but at least our Camp looks nice and pretty.

Today we received our second installment of the Anthrax vaccination. I'm not afraid of needles, but I really hate having knots in my shoulder for a week, every time they decide I need to be protected from miscellaneous organisms. It didn't burn as much as last time, I guess that means the first vaccination is working.

Every day this week, we've also held Squad-based classes on our Rules of Engagement, how to draw range cards, pre-marksmanship instruction, inspection outlines, among other various topics. They're all review training courses, but we are constantly tested to ensure we know the in's and out's of our job. Aside from training, those already possessing a MFO driver's license have been tasked out regularly to escort VIP's to the airport, take supplies to our Observation Posts, and perform other duties outside of our Camp's perimeter.

Since our first mission has my squad set to be the Quick Reactionary Force, we're required to sleep in a different building, directly across the street from my current room. The building is surrounded by fence and concertina wire (similar to barb wire). Our QRF vehicles (two uparmored HMMWV's) are also contained within the wire. We will sleep there for a few weeks and have constant watch over the radios in case of an emergency. Our job, obvious by the title of our mission, is to react to situations in a timely manner. I'll be sure to write more about this once we start the mission.

I continue to go to the gym on a daily basis; hopefully I'll start to see progress in numbers. I weighed myself and currently weigh 183 pounds. My goal is to get down to 175 pounds at a maximum by the time I get home, but preferably I'd like to be closer to 165 pounds. I doubt that'll happen.

Picture today is of Herb's Gym. It's a pretty inclusive gym, including a full weight room, exercise bikes, 3 heavy-bags, a basketball court, 3 climbing ropes, and 2 racquetball courts, among other equipment available for rental.