Casey's in the Army Now!!!
Deployed to Afghanistan Oct 6, 2008
Various emails detailing Casey's
deployment and reporting on what's up with him:
Oct. 30, 2008:
Hi all..
Just heard from Casey via phone call. It was about 8pm there ((1030
here). He sounded good, talkative. Here are some highlights:
• His team hiked into the mountains this morning with a squad of about
20 soldiers, went to an "outpost" where the personnel swapped out.
Apparently the folks who go to the outpost stay for about a week and
then are rotated out. Casey's team accompanied the "swap" in case they
encountered any IEDs or explosives along the way.
• After they got back from the hike, they responded approx 40 miles via
truck to an incident, collected some ied stuff, and returned to base.
• I asked if he had seen any "bad people," he was noncommittal.
• Tomorrow is Casey's "day off." They try to give each team member a
"day off" each week for r&r. It basically means they don't have to
do the normal tasks on base. However, he still has to respond to
any "calls" that might come.
• I asked about the "wall" of their base (looked substantial in the
pics from the other day). He said the base is surrounded by huge
barriers, each about 7' tall and 5' x 5' square and filled with dirt.
In some places 2 or 3 of these are stacked on top of each other and
topped with wire. Substantial perimeter protection.
• Casey has figured out some stuff about being on the internet while
there. He goes down to the command post and uses the computers there
(not able to use his own Mac to get online). It is satellite
internet, therefore somewhat slower. He has found that his "gmail"
email account is a lot faster than his ".mil" email account, so that is
the primary one he is using (caseybgilbert@gmail.com), although he does
still check the .mil account each time he gets on.
• While on base Casey said he is often dressed like he was in the pics
around the truck: regular clothes, shorts and t-shirts. As
a matter of fact, he placed an order with me for more t-shirts (white
med with regular callar), shorts (nylon and dark with pockets), and
warm-up pants (nothing "nice" since the water is so dirty and things
don't stay decent very long!!)
• He is using his ipod a good bit, watched a few movies on his
computer, and is playing his PS2 some.
• He is appreciative to Uncle Andy and others at Gibsland Bank
and Trust who worked hard this week to straighten out his "online
banking" access problems. All is good now!
• He feels good, hasn't been sick, and was getting ready to go take his
daily shower. (Nice to know!) The weather is getting cooler and it
rained much of the last night. He should have some more pics to
upload soon.
Continue to keep in your prayers Casey and all of the other brave men
and women who are serving in harm's way and in support of them.
Thanks.
Rusty
______________________________
Oct. 28, 2008:
Hi Lynne (and I copied the "update" list so others can see this info),
Thanks so much for the wonderful note. I think the Parkway FBLA club's
plan is absolutely wonderful. Pat Genre (Casey's "mother-in-law to be")
has indicated a second-grade class in Baton Rouge area is also wanting
to send cards to Casey and his unit.
I'm sure Casey and the others will be very moved and appreciative of
these efforts.
I learned a few days ago that Casey and his unit have put some
information online that might help guide the students in what, where,
how, etc. to send.
Go to www.anysoldier.com
Click on "Where to Send" (located in the menu bar, about 6th from the
left)
On drop down menu in left column "View Contacts Sorted by:" click it
and select "Last Name"
Click the "G" and then look up "Gilbert, Casey B." and click on his
name. You can read what he wrote for his team in the column on the
right. You can also submit your name, etc., to get his mailing address
sent to you, but here is what will come to you:
Casey B. Gilbert
Attn: Any Soldier
3d EOD BN
FOB ABAD
APO AE 09354
We've heard from Casey via brief email a couple of times over the
weekend. They've been VERY busy, with lots of "response" missions.
Excerpts include:
"i was actually able to get on myspace. woohoo!! haha. it's like 2:30am
monday morning there right now...it's noon monday here.
we're all doing fine here. i didn't sleep much last night but oh well,
there's always tonight. we're trying to send senff down to jalalabad on
a convoy within the next week to pick up the rest of our gear so we can
live in luxury!! haha...riiight. i am now in charge of all our ammo and
explosives...that's a pain in the butt. there is so much paperwork to
do for it, it's crazy. we're going hiking up the mountain in a couple
of days. that'll be fun, hopefully my knee does fine. it hasn't hurt
any yet, i hope it stays that way."
Again, thanks for your thoughts, efforts, and especially your prayers.
One of the things I told Casey before he left was that he'd NEVER be
alone. The Lord, and lots of others, would always be with him.
Rusty
____________________________
Sent Oct 13
Hi all:
Quick update on Casey. He and his
unit of 23 left El Paso on Monday afternoon, 10/6, flew to
Germany and spent Tues night there, then flew to Bagrum Air Base in
Afghanistan (near Kabul). They have been in meetings for the past
several days, but will fly within the next 24 hours to another base
near Jalalabad (pretty close to Pakistan border). After a few days
there his 3-person team will deploy into the countryside (prob north of
Jalalabad and toward Pakistan border) with a "counter-IED" unit. This
may be a lengthy "outing." He will be in country for approx 12-15
months. Casey is a EOD Specialist (explosive ordnance disposal) with
the Army.
Their time in Bagrum has been
uneventful. They've slept in a big tent (approx 100 yards long) for
just the 23 in the unit. Some of the unit members have had stomach
problems, and a tactical officer (who do not go with Casey's unit but
who is being attached to his team for the assignment) is hospitalized
right now. Casey has not been sick.
He has called from Afghanistan 3
times (Wed, Thurs, and Today). The time difference is 9:30 (ask Amy
about the 30 mins deal...lol). So at noon today when he called it was
9;30 pm there.
When he gets to his assignment, his
3-person team will be assigned a satellite phone, so he's hoping it
will be easier to make phone calls. In Bagrum he has had to walk about
a mile and then wait in lines for phone access. He is using an
AT&T calling card and the charge is just 1 minute for 1minute (not
bad at all!). He has a master number with approx 2300 mins left,
so we want him to call all he can!!!
He said it will take a while for
stuff to get to him, but that this is the route. He doesn't know yet
what "needs" he might have.
His email addresses are:
caseybgilbert@gmail.com
casey.b.gilbert@us.army.mil
The internet access at Bagrum has
been real slow, but he hopes it'll be better at Jalalabad. We're
hopeful for some video conferencing through skype (casey's screen name
is "caseygilbert") or yahoo messenger (not sure of his screen name
there yet).
Please keep Casey and his unit as
well as all of our brave men and women in your prayers.
Rusty
---------
sent Oct 17
Just talked to Casey again.
Here's an update.
His unit flew on Mon night from
Bagram to Jilalabad. Yesterday he choppered about 50 miles
northeast of Jilalabad to Asadabad. This is where he's going to
be for a while. (Info links about Asadabad are below. It is in a valley
with the Kunar River flowing through it.)
The final of his 3-person team flew
didn't get in till late last night, and he was up most of the night. He
said he was real tired. There is another 3-person EOD team on site (Air
Force EOD?). That team will be responsible for "clearing" and Casey's
team will be primarily responsible for "responding" to incidents. They
are attached to a "multi-branch" IED interdiction unit that has both
military and civilian commanders.
Casey has a room in a building where
he stays, with a bed and a mattress. He was able to tallk on a
satellite phone that he thinks he'll have regular access to.
He carries his weapons (rifle
w/grenade launcher and a 9mm sidearm) with him at all times. His team's
equipment is all on site. They have one of the big IED-resistant
vehicles (Casey went to SC in early SEPT and trained with trucks like
this). Casey told Carolyn that he regularly hears mortar fire, and it
sometimes even shakes his building.
He said the weather has been decent.
Casey is well, hasn't been sick. The
satellite phone connection was "warbled" some on my end (at times hard
to understand him, like a digital scrambling especially at
beginning/end of sentences), but he said he was hearing clearly.
There is a couple of seconds delay in transmission to receipt. He
doesn't have internet access right now, but he hopes to have it a some
point. The only time he has had it was for a few minutes at Bagram
about 1 week ago.
Keep praying for Casey and the folks
with whom he is working as well as all of the other brave men and women
who are serving.
Rusty
Here are some links of note:
google: asadabad,
afghanistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asadabad,_Afghanistan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-cRg6JtRY
sorry about some language, but this
is a visual glimpse of where casey is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSVBn617nlY&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_7mkg0Mvqo&feature=related
article and pic on a truck like they
use:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-30-iraq-buffalos_x.htm
weather link for asdabad (note: temp
is in Celsius, not Farenheit--so 25C is 77F, 10C is 50F):
http://www.meteogroup.co.uk/uk/home/weather/world_weather/city_weather/city/9903X1/asadabad.html?cityID=9903X1
here is a Celsius - Farenheit
converter: http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.html
--------
sent Oct. 20, 2008 (use this
mailing address here, not the one above)
Casey called at 1PM. Was tired but
sounded great.
New address (this will go straight
to him, maybe even a little faster) for mail. NOTE: DO NOT PUT RANK AND
MAKE SURE SPACES ARE IN PROPER PLACE:
CASEY B GILBERT
3RD EOD BN
FOB ABAD
APO AE 09354
Casey shared several things:
• His room is about 7' x 10'. He has
a bed with a mattress. There is a "cable" outlet in it, but all he gets
is the Armed Forces Network. Not quite like a hotel room.
• He does has access to a hot shower
in his building.
• He has access to a phone that is
in his building (that's what he has called on so far), and that his
team has a satellite phone assigned to them that is also available if
needed.
• He has been getting up about 9am,
and his team is usually leaving about noon for the daily activities and
tries to get back before sunset. He said this appears to be their
typical schedule.
• He indicated that it was a "high
adrenalin" time while they were out and off base. They drive fast. Said
they drove through several villages, and that people of all ages
(especially lots of kids) come running out waving at them. However,
they don't stop and mingle.
• Today they were gone till after
dark. When driving back (Casey drives the truck) after sunset they
drive without lights (use night vision gear). The truck is a big truck
(close to an 18-wheeler type tractor), very heavy with a huge "v" shell
underneath (helps deflect any explosive that might get hit).
Well....... Casey was driving and the other members of his team were on
board. All of a sudden one of them yelled "Go right, go right" and
about that time Casey said he felt a thud against the side of the
truck. He had run into a concrete abuttment of some kind. Said it
"scratched" the truck some, but these were not the first "scratches"
for the truck. Didn't take him long!!!
• He was nonspecific about what they
did today, although he hinted it was a productive day and that they had
gone and "gotten rid" of some stuff.
• He indicated that the "base" he is
on isn't huge, maybe has less than 100 people or so.
Casey sounded VERY good, somewhat
energized by the day. Said he is sleeping well. Has not been sick. That
all of his team are doing good. He does not sound sad or down or
depressed or homesick.
He said he doesn't know of anything
at this time that he needs.
He was going to go take a shower and
may be able to make a couple of more calls.
As always, it was great to hear from
him.
Rusty
***PS: If you do NOT want to keep
getting these updates, please just drop me an email and I'll remove you
from the mailing list.
----------
sent Oct. 21
Hey to all. I can get used to
talking to Casey every day.
He called this morning at about 1030
am (800PM his time).
He sounded absolutely great, was
very talkative, even hyped! Here are highlights of the conversation:
• His team ran 2 incidents today.
One was planned, the other was a response to a report.
• The planned "incident" was to an
Afghan police station where they picked up some ordnance that had been
turned in. Casey said that as they left the locals came out and
indicated they wanted money for the ordnance. This was his first
contact with locals and the Afghan army folks. He said he didn't
understand them, but "you kind of figure out what they want."
• The other incident was an IED
(improved explosive device) that was discovered in a roadway. All the
roads are dirt, and they felt like this had been recently planted. The
Afghan national army reported it. They had to drive about 1 hour to the
incident, spent a couple of hours there, and then an hour back. The IED
had about 15-20 pounds of explosive ("enough to blow up a hummer").
Casey's team leader actually donned the bomb suit, examined it, tried
to dig it up, and then they just blew it up where it was.
• Casey is writing reports tonight.
They have to write a report for every incident.
• Got some more info on where Casey
is staying. He's at a "FOB" which stands for "Forward Operating Base."
It's not very big, but it is larger than the Outposts which are
scattered around and manned by US military. (Casey said he has driven
to and past several outposts the last couple of days, sometimes
stopping and visiting with the soldiers there.)
• Casey said he feel's pretty safe
in the base at Asadabad. There's only 1 way in and out of the base, and
it's located just outside the city of Asadabad. It does not have an
airstrip (for planes), but helicopters land frequently--almost always
early in the morning or in the evening--intentionally flying in the
dark. Casey said the moon comes up very late (???) and that it at night
it is very dark ("can't hardly see your hand in front of your face").
At night it's "lights out" at the base for safety/security concerns.
While it hasn't happened since he's been there, he said it would not by
unexpected that a mortar or something might be sent into the base.
• Casey said he slept well
last night, from about 11PM till 7AM. He couldn't remember what he ate
for supper (???).
• Casey said that some locals are
allowed to come onto base and set up a "haji mart" (soldier slang) to
sell stuff. He hasn't been yet, but anticipates going there soon. There
is not a recreation area, nor internet access, but there is electricity
(able to use his computer in his room).
Please keep praying for Casey and
all the others who are serving in harm's way.
Rusty
Sunday October 28,
2007
Time
for some catchup...
Casey finished up his EOD training at Eglin AFB with a flying colors on
Sept. 12, 2007. His class was the first to go through 
additional
segments of EOD training on Biological/Nuclear/Weapons
of Mass Destruction. Casey was one of only 4 who finished his training
without "rolling out" of a class (in other words, he passed all of the
divisions the first time through).
Casey learned in August that his permanent base assignment was going to
be assigned to the 741st EOD Ordnance Company at Ft. Bliss TX (near
Eglin AFB). He sent the following email to some that summarized
what's going on:
Hey. I just thought I would send
some links out involving the unit I will be going to in October. The
first link is my company's web page. The second link is the Command my
unit falls under. It is a newer Command, established in '04 due to
current needs of the Military. I thought some of the stuff was pretty
interesting and figured I would pass it along.
I would like to say thanks for all the prayers and support while I have
been here at EOD school and also for the rest of the time I have been
in the military. I don't think I would have made it through this school
without your support. I'm proud to say that I will be graduating from
NAVSCOLEOD this coming Wednesday with my Basic EOD Badge and will be
able to spend almost a month at home before reporting to my next duty
station on October 9th. Thanks for everything and see you all soon.
741st EOD site: https://www.bliss.army.mil/741stEOD/index.htm
20th Support Command site: http://www.cbrne.army.mil/
PFC Gilbert, Casey B.
EOD TNG DET
Eglin AFB, FL
741st Ordnance Company (EOD)
Ft. Bliss, TX
casey.b.gilbert@us.army.mil
Casey did graduate
on 9/12 (click
here to see graduation pics; Amy and Gabe and Carolyn and Rusty
went...even celebrated Amy's 23rd birthday on 9/12 in Ft. Walton)
and he drove home that night.
Casey spent the next 3.5 weeks in Louisiana. He worked with the Army
Recruiter out of Ruston the first couple of weeks (trying to identify
contact information 
for
possible recruits), and he spent a lot of time
doing errands/chores (Carolyn moved into her mother's house in Minden
just prior to Casey's coming back), and had some time to relax and mess
around (including a trout fishing trip to a stream just below Norfolk
Lake in northern Arkansas with Uncle Andy and Rusty: click here
for pics).
On Monday, Oct. 8, Casey drove from Minden to El Paso (over 850 miles;
left at 0800 and got there about 2100). At one point on the trip down
as he neared El Paso Casey called Rusty, turned on the radio, and went
through all the channels: everything was in Spanish! Casey
checked into temporary housing and "in processed the remainder of the
week. On Oct. 15 Casey reported for his first full day with the
741st. It wasn't long before they responded to their first incident (an
unexploded grenade in NM) and since then they've trained and prepared
for other incidents.
Casey has now moved into his regular housing (he's in a suite with
another soldier--separate bedrooms, but share kitchen, bath, and living
room). He seems to enjoy where he is and what he is doing. He
texted us last Wednesday in the evening with "In a Ford F250 going down
the interstate at 120 MPH to a call. Talk later." His unit responds to
"explosive" emergencies over a several state region, and are on call at
a moment's notice. He has to get a couple of new "regular" suits
so that when they get dispatched for "protective" details (such as in
the upcoming election campaigns) he'll blend in appropriately.
His address and contact information are above. He plans to be
home for Christmas Dec. 21-27, and there are already plans for his unit
to travel a good bit in the spring prior to an anticipated deployment
to Afghanistan next July (2008) where they will provide support to
Special Forces units who continue to explore and clear the caves there.
Tuesday,
June 12,
2007
Casey
has had a BIG day today.
First, he passed the final test on his latest EOD training
division. What is left is a major division on IED (improvised
explosive devices) and then a new division on
WMD/Biological/Radiological weapons. Of the students in Casey's
EOC class, which has about 25 people in it, only 6 began at the same
time and haven't "rolled out." (The other current students had
rolled out of previous classes and then rolled in to Casey's
class.) Of the original 6, Casey was the only one to pass the
latest division final on the first try. (The other five went on
to pass the retest the next day!)
Second, Casey got his ORDERS for where he will be assigned after he
graduates on Sept. 6. He is to report by Oct. 10 to Ft. Bliss TX
(near El Paso) where he will be attached to the 741st Ordnance Company
(an EOD company) of 1 officer, and approximately 4-5 EOD specialists
with about 9-10 support personnel.
Casey is very excited about his orders. Ft. Bliss, which is near
EL Paso TX, is about 850 miles from Minden, a trip which should take
about 12-13 hours of driving. The website for the 741st Ordnance
Company is https://www.bliss.army.mil/741stEOD/index.htm.
We haven't gotten lots of info, but it appears the company was in
Afghanistan in 2006, so maybe they won't have another deployment to
sandy territory any time soon.
Sunday, May
27, 2007
Casey
got to take "leave" and come home for Memorial Day Weekend. He arrived
late Friday night (after a 1PM "safety" briefing at Eglin), and had to
leave early Monday morning (roll call formation back at Eglin at
6PM). Click here for pics
from the visit. He's continuing to do well and is on track to
finish his EOD training with projected graduation date of September 6,
2007!
Saturday Mar. 30, 2007
WOW....
Casey reminded me the other day that I had not "updated" his page
recently...and he was right! Sorry for the delay.
Here are some highlights from the last two months:
EOD Class: Casey has
continued to do well . They've finished up several additional
divisions, 
including
one on "blowing stuff up" and on various tools. Click here for some pics from his
"field demolitions."
The divsion on tools ended up being very difficult, and that it
included a "make or break" test that trips up lots of people in the EOD
classes.
Casey told me that when his class at Eglin first started there were 25
students. Two "rolled out" pretty early. Of the remaining
23 students, 14 failed the "BIG" test on tools. Three of those 14
eventually "passed" on technicalities, so 11 had to retake the
test. Five of the 11 didn't pass the retake, so they have now
rolled out of the class. Leaves a total of 18 students still in
the class.
Oh, yeah......Casey made a 100 on the test the first time he took it!
(The captain in the class who studies with Casey also made a
100.) Casey sounded VERY relieved. (I think he was
worried/scared about it. ) He continues to do well on his studies.
Army life: Things have
continued fairly normal. They get up early (4 or 4:30) and go do
Physical Training, then eat breakfast and go to class thru early
afternoon. They are "free" until PT late in the afternoon, and
then free in the evening and on the weekends.
Several weeks ago, one of Casey's EOD colleagues from Texas died during
a night in a nearby FL hotel. The soldier finished at Huntsville
a few weeks before Casey, and Casey knew him but not closely.
There were some questionable things surrounding the soldiers
death. As a result, the EOD students have had "overnight"
privileges taken away unless they are on approved "leave."
Visits:
Carolyn and Amy went to Ft. Walton Beach to visit Casey the first
weekend in March and had a great time with him. I think Casey
especially enjoyed the "shopping" trips!
Casey's outings: Casey
and a friend have rented a boat a couple of times and fished in nearby
bays. Then Casey saw a "jet ski"
on a "parking lot" where people display stuff (cars, boats, etc.) for
sale one evening while he was doing "PT" with his group. He
called the guy that night and the fellow said he'd gotten 18 other
calls on the jet ski that day (he'd just put it out there that
morning). Casey went by the next day and looked at it (the owner
said it didn't crank and needed some work but he didn't know what was
wrong) , so Casey actually took it to a jet ski dealer who said that
there were 2 minor repairs (things that Casey can do
himself........RIGHT!!!!!). So Casey bought it. It's a 1999
model. Seats 2. Per Casey, it has lots of extras:
"speedometer, rearview mirrors. Trailer included. Will even
pull a skier! He's keeping it at a friend's house on base (the
friend is married). He's spend a couple of weekends working on
it. Replaced the starter. And IT WORKS! This past
Tuesday he went out and rode it for about 45 minutes (said it tops out
at 48 MPH) and it did great. The only problem was that when he
"killed it" he had to let it sit about 25 mins before it would crank
again. He's working on it.
Sunday,
Jan. 21, 2007
Talked
with Casey again today. He said they did the "Ranger" excercises
both Friday and Saturday. Saturday lasted from 10AM till 10PM and
was on a remote airstrip, while Friday's amphibious assault was on a
nearby island. He was one of 12 who participated as
"Iraqis" and the Ranger instructors played the Iraqi bad guys with
guns, etc.
Here are some links for some interesting (and some pretty recent)
articles related to EOD stuff:
Wednesday,
Jan. 17, 2007
Casey
called tonight and told about a special training his group had
today. They dressed in civilian clothes, were taken to a remote
part of Eglin AFB, and they "played" Iraqi's for an company of Army
Rangers who were finishing up their training. Casey was out in
the woods when the company of Rangers swept onto the airfield aboard
approx 20 helicopters and then the Rangers secured the area, checking,
detaining, and arresting as needed. He said the Rangers had been
"out" training for quite a few weeks and were very haggard and
rough. He said they were told to act up some, but no too much,
because the Rangers may be pretty rough. Casey said one of his
friends got "body slammed" to the ground very hard, and one of the
Rangers actually fell out of a 2nd floor window and had to be medivaced
away. He said this was "very" serious, but he had lots of fun.
On Friday they will do a similar exercise, but this time they will be
taken to an island so that the Rangers can simulate an amphibious
assault.
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007
Last
night Rusty, Amy, and Gabe left Ruston at about 9:30 PM (after Rusty
finished officiating a basketball game in Shreveport) for a quick
48-hour trip to see Casey. They drove to Magee MS, spent the
night, then drove to Ft. Walton Beach where they met up with
Casey. (It's a little less than 500 miles one way, a takes about
8 hours of driving to get there!)
Casey looked great. He had bought a pair of shorts
yesterday, since the weather was very warm (71 degrees) and quite
sunny. (Back in LA it was mid-30's and raining.) After
eating lunch at TGI Fridays we checked into an oceanbside room at the
Sheraton Four Points in Ft. Walton Beach and spent the afternoon on the
beach. After supper Sunday night at Red Lobster, we walked along
the beach, then all 4 slept with the patio door open and the rolling
waves from the gulf providing a soothing backdrop.
On Monday morning Casey took us on a "tour" of Eglin AFB. It is
quite large (the largest AFB in the world). He seems to really
like everything. Casey bragged on the food at the dining hall
(called "The Breeze") and said that his third-floor dorm room has
recently been renovated. His roomate is Daniel from
Oklahoma. Casey recognized him from Redstone (where Daniel
graduated from the class before Casey), and Daniel started his class at
Eglin in mid-December. They share a bathroom with the adjoining
room. He has a private and locked storage area in his room.
And he got hi-speed cable internet hooked up last week!
The Naval EOD Training Building is near the EOD barracks.
Casey and the others go there everyday, but those who are not yet in a
class (approximately 100 of them) just report to an auditorium where
they sit (sleep, talk, do errands) until dismissed each day. (He
says this is quite boring.) They do PT (physical training)
twice each day: 5:50 AM and again at 6:00 PM. 3 days they
run. 2 days they do situps and pushups kind of things.
Other times they play football, etc.
The BX and Commisary are very nice. Casey uses his truck to get
around most of the time (except to PT and to class). He gets to
wear civilian clothes when he's not in training or in class.
Casey said there is no "tactical" training that takes place for the EOD
folks at Eglin (they never get issued weapons, etc.) like they often
had on weekends at Redstone.
Click here to see pics
from our Ft. Walton visit with Casey and tour of the base.
Tuesday,
Jan. 9, 2007
Casey's
first week at Eglin was very uneventful, since nearly everyone didn't
have to report back till yesterday. (However, his EOD class from
Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville AL had to report last week.)
So Casey has spent the week just messing around, exploring Destin and
Ft. Walton Beach. He ate at a sushi place with some of his
EOD friends (said it wasn't all that bad) and played beach volleyball!
He did find out that he probably won't get into the next phase of his
class until maybe mid-February, and that the Navy has added additional
components of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction to
the EOD curriculum, thereby extending the training phase for several
months.
So as of now it appears that Casey will be at Eglin until at least the
first of 2008! We like that address better than what some of the
other options might be!
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007
A
quick update...
Casey
had a great almost 3 weeks home for Christmas. During his
break he spent time.....hunting, golfing, visting with family and
friends, went to TX and watched some friends ATV mudhog, working in the
yard, piddling with his truck, sleeping late, and taking it easy.
Click here for some pics of
his Christmas celebrations.
Casey left EARLY this morning (about 4 AM) to drive from Minden to Ft.
Walton Beach FL where he reported to EGLIN Air Force Base where he will
undergo the next phase of his AIT (advanced individual training) as an
EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) specialist. The Navy
conducts the joint services EOD training at Eglin, where Casey will
study and work for approx the next 6 months.
Wednesday, Dec. 20,
2006
Well,
Casey surprised us last Thursday night. He had prearranged with
sister Amy for her to pick him up at the Shreveport airport after 7PM
on thursday, Dec. 14 (instead of getting in on Friday), and then he
proceeded to surprise is all by already being home that night.
He looks great, is having a ball just "doing his own thing" for the
first time since July!
One note: He has to report to Eglin AFB on Jan. 2 (instead of
Jan. 8 as we earlier thought).
Click here
for some pics from Casey's hunting at Joe Richardson's on Tuesday, Dec.
19.
Thursday, Dec. 14,
2006
Casey's
COMING HOME tomorrow night. He flies into Shreveport Airport
about 7PM and will get to stay home for a few weeks. His "orders"
are to report to Eglin AFB about Jan. 8.
He successfully completed the Redstone Phase 1 of his EOD training and
will enter the next phase at Eglin.
Saturday, Dec. 2,
2006
Casey
has some definite information about his upcoming schedule and he's
almost completed all of his EOD training at Redstone. NOTE THE TEMPORARY CHANGE IN CASEY'S
EMAIL ADDRESS! Use his hotmail account at sign_in_name51@hotmail.com
until further notice.
He went on a field op from Mon-Thurs last week (everything went great),
played with the EOD robots (about $250K each) on Friday (see his email
below and the link), and has one more day of "class" before he
finishes. His unit will deploy again next week for a multi-day
field op. He will be finished with his phase at Redstone on
Thursday, Dec. 14. That day he will fly to Fort Walton Beach, FL,
spend the night in a hotel, and report for his hext phase of EOD
training at Eglin AFB in Florida on Friday, Dec. 15, for in-processing.
Casey will get to leave Eglin on either Dec. 22 or 23 for the Christmas
holidays to come home, and he will have to be back for class on Jan. 8
(prob. return Jan. 7).
Casey bought himself a Kodak Easyshare camera the day after
Thanksgiving and sent some pics. (Click the pic to the right or
the link above for the other pictures.)
He did email today and said:
"Hey. After tomorrow, this
e-mail account will be locked and I won't be able to log back in until
I log in with my security card and change my password. We have to
change our password every 150 days, and I don't have access to a
computer right now that has a port for my security card, so send all
e-mails to sign_in_name51@hotmail.com
until further notice.
I am attaching a couple of pictures. Some are of me, and some are of
stuff on the Arsenal. The signs like the one in the picture are
everywhere on the arsenal. This picture of the building is the dining
hall.
Also, here is a write-up about an EOD team in Iraq and one of the
robots that they use (I got to drive this robot some this week). http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/bomb.html#Baghdad_Bomb_Squad
Well, I have to go. Talk to y'all later.
Love,
Casey
Friday, Nov. 24,
2006
Well,
Casey has taken a bit of a back seat since his nephew (Easton Hunt
Sanders) was born last Friday (go to www.rusty1.com for pics and
info).
Casey was unable to fly home yesterday (Thanksgiving) because of class
preparations on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25-26. His EOD class
must participate in their 7-day "field experience" beginning Monday, so
he couldn't keep his reservations to fly home Nov. 23 and return Nov.
26. We have missed him coming home. Casey got to go to a
big Thanksgiving meal blowout on Tuesday night, and took part in
another one on base Thanksgiving Day. (We got a "credit" on his
Delta Airline ticket to use by Oct. 29, 2007!)
Casey has successfully completed all of the modules (he calls them
annexes), culminating in a huge test/practical evaluation last Friday
(11/17) which he passed with flying colors. His class has been
studying tools and instruments and robotics the last few days, and will
finish up when they get back from field experience.
Here are some links Casey sent that detail some of the equipment with
which he is training:
Casey says that the tools are NEAT and the bomb suit is heavy and
hot!!! (Although they do get to wear a cooling system inside the bomb
suit.)
Casey will finish with the Redstone Arsenal of his training December
14. It now looks like he will report (via government transport)
to Eglin AFB in Florida almost immediately for in-processing for his
next phase of training (approx. 32 weeks). The in-processing will
take about 1 week, then he will have a 2-week leave for Christmas and
get to come home during that time. Eglin will be Casey's
"permanent post" because of the length of time for his EOD training
(till July or so), until he gets his duty assignment in the summer.
Wednesday,
Nov. 15,
2006
Haven't
heard much from Casey these last few days. He's been thick into
his class (big final test is Thursday!!!) and trying to make sure he'll
be able to fly home Thanksgiving day and return on Sunday. The
trip home is still a little "iffy." He does have his internet
back (yahooooo!), and a shipment of DVD's from Louisiana should have
arrived to keep him company.
The biggest focus in recent days has been on sister Christy and Tony
and the approaching birth of nephew Easton. (To the right is
Casey's picture with Easton back in Sept!!!) Plans are all set
for "induction" of labor on Friday morning, Nov. 17, at Minden Medical
Center (the date was in "flux" until the top-ranked Minden Crimson Tide
won their opening football playoff game last Friday night and learned
that they would play at home on Nov. 17--the doctor's son is on the
team, and if the Tide had to travel, then Easton would have had to wait
till Monday, Nov. 20!) and everyone is so excited! !
Monday,
Nov. 6,
2006
Casey passed his big test this morning.
He had made an 85 last Friday, but needed an 86 to pass. The
retake was this morning at 6AM...and he made a 95!!! One of the
five soldiers doing the retake did not pass (he made an 85 today) and
had to "roll out" of the class. One of Casey's friends who
"rolled out" of the class during the second module had his wisdom teeth
out last week and then was discovered with a chip/bone spur on his knee
cap. Casey thinks that he'll be "chaptered" (discharged).
He said that the whole company was put on lockdown today because of
some ongoing problems with some of the soldiers (bringing beer into the
dorms, going where they weren't supposed to go, etc.). Casey said
he wasn't one of the guilty ones, but everyone suffers the
consequences. No off-base passes, no PX privileges, no going or
doing much of anything until the "lockdown" is loosened or lifted.
He will have a test tomorrow in the module he's currently in, but Casey
said it's not that hard. They will finish this module (on
reconnaissance) next Thursday (Nov. 16), and he's not sure what is
between then and Thanksgiving. He's looking forward to coming
home Thanksgiving day.
On the Monday after Thanksgiving (Casey goes back on Sunday), his whole
company will leave for their required "7-day field experience" (sounds
like a fancy campout). After that his final module will be
dealing with the robots before graduation on December 14 (assuming all
continues to go well).
Casey sounded good, although he said his throat is a little sore.
He usually gets up around 4:30 or 5, has Physical Training at 5:30 or
6, comes back to barracks where he showers, goes to breakfast around 7
or 7:30, and then marches to class about 8:00 or 8:30.
Saturday,
Nov. 4,
2006
Casey called about 6PM. He got the cell phone reprogramming
directions and did what he needed to do on his cell phone, so all is
fine with the phone.
He said they "drug tested" his company today. It began early this
morning and lasted till after 5P. However, the EOD students were
taken out for a while and evaluated by the dentist folks. All he
needs is a cleaning. They have formation at 7P tonight, and then
he'll go find something for supper.
Casey talked about the test yesterday that he made an 85 on (needed an
86 to pass). He said that 5 of the folks in the class did like
him. 3 of them missed the deadline badly, and Casey and another
soldier missed it by 1. Casey said he just got careless and made
some silly mistakes. Retest is at 6AM on Monday morning.
Friday,
Nov. 3,
2006
Casey emailed this evening:
"I had the final PE today, and
made an 85% on it...an 86% is needed. I re-take it early Monday
morning. I made some careless mistakes on the test today that I will
try not to make Monday. Started Annex D today even though I didn't pass
the test. If I don't pass the re-test Monday then I'll get pulled out
of D. I won't be able to talk about anything I'm learning now because
of security issues. Well, I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Bye."
Casey's cell phone is still not working (he hasn't had the opportunity
to call the cell phone folks about how to reprogram the phone he
has). However, I called them for him, got the information, and
emailed the instructions to him on Saturday, so hopefully phone calls
and text messages will resume soon. I think we all miss hearing
from him.
Need to tell him that Christy's doctor today has tentatively set
Friday, Nov. 17, as a date for inducing labor. (Depends upon if
Minden has a home or away football playoff game that night!!! If
away, then the date will be Monday, Nov. 20.) Looks like Casey
will get to see his nephew when he comes in for a break on Thanksgiving
day!
Thursday,
Nov. 2,
2006
Casey
called tonight. This was the first time to hear from him
since Sunday because of the cell phone problems (still not
fixed...maybe Friday or this weekend).
Casey said he passed his BIG written test for annex C Wednesday (made
94 or so), and that on Thursday they did several "practice exams" for
the practical portion of the examination. He said his "practice
scores" were all in mid-90s and that a score of at least 88 was
required to pass. A couple of folks did not pass the written
portion on Wednesday, but each did pass a retest on Thursday. If
all goes well Friday morning, he will begin the next module (annex D)
on Friday afternoon, dealing with "recon." Apparently, the
content is getting more classified and secure because he talks less and
less about it.
Casey is doing well, feeling good. He said he is working hard,
studying lots and lots.
Tuesday,
Oct. 31,
2006
Had a wonderful time seeing Casey this weekend (Carolyn and I drove
thru Friday night and Saturday morning to visit with him on Saturday
afternoon and Sunday morning before heading back that
afternoon/evening). He looked great (click here to see pics of our trip) and
is doing well.
Let's
see......Casey showed off the PX (post exchange...like a Wal
Mart; apparently Casey goes there pretty often), went to the military
uniform store (called a shoppette) where he wanted to get a new set of
ACU ("army combat uniform", as contrasted with BDU "battle dress
uniform") but they didn't have his pants size, he got a haircut ($7.40
for a "high and tight"...takes about 4 minutes, and there's always a
line--he has to get one each weekend), ate at Burger King on the post a
couple of times and pizza once, rode around a whole lot, and just
visited. We saw where his EOD classes are held...a secure
location with fancy fences and all.
Casey wasn't able to go off post because he hasn't "phased up"
yet. There are different "phases" that soldiers can go through in
gaining additional freedoms as they demonstrate more
self-discipline. See this link http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/l/bltraining2.htm
for a more thorough description of the phases. Casey is currently
in Phase 1 because he "hasn't had time" to memorize and recite
for
the drill sergeant the required items (such as Army Song, General
Orders, Chain of Command, etc.) due to his ongoing studies.
Casey said he is going to study hall each night in order to stay on top
of his work. The information they study is secure, so he can't
even take his notes out of his the classroom, so when he wants to study
he has to go back to the classroom. This module (or what he calls
"annex C") will conclude with big tests on Wednesday and Thursday this
week: written as well as ordnance identification and description.
Casey said that of the 18 students who started his class Sept. 26, 7
have "rolled out" leaving just 11 although others who "rolled out" of
previous classes have "rolled into his." Of those 11, six have
been in the Army for some time, have served overseas (including 3
sergeants, a couple of combat engineers, and so on) and observed what
the EOD specialists did and how they were treated , so they chose to go
back through Advanced Individual Training to become EOD specialists.
Casey said that if all continues to go well with his training, he
should "graduate" on December 14. It's his understanding that
they get 7 days leave upon graduation, and that all AIT folks will get
2 weeks for Christmas. He doesn't know if all of this will
combine for 3 weeks off and then report straight to Eglin AFB after
Jan. 1, or if he'll have to be in Huntsville a time or two during that
span. His training at Eglin will last (we think)
about 32 weeks!
One problem for the weekend showed up Friday morning when Casey's cell
phone went completely dead!!! He had text messaged me on Thursday
night, but on Friday morning all was blank and black. We're
currently working on getting the problem solved. He does have
easy access to a pay phone on his barracks's hall, and I hope that the
cell phone will be up and working soon.
The trees along the way thru Alabama and especially in the hills
surrounding Huntsville were very lovely. When Carolyn and I drove
to the Gate 10 at Redstone, Casey had to walk to the gate from his
barracks so that we could go onto the base after the vehicle was
thoroughly searched.
We found out the specifics about Casey's availability at Thanksgiving
and made flight arrangements. He'll fly into Monroe about 2:30 on
Thanksgiving afternoon, Nov. 23, and will leave Monroe about 11:30
Sunday morning, Nov. 26. We all look forward to Casey coming
home, but plans will remain somewhat "loose" as we also await the birth
of Easton (Christy and Tony's son) who is due on Saturday, Nov. 25!!!
Wednesday,
Oct. 25,
2006
Talked to Casey this afternoon. He had a break between class and
supper when they could "take care of things that needed to be
done." He didn't have anything, so he called!
He said that there is a lot of studying with this class, but he feels
he can handle it. He said the class is "tough," and "I'm actually
learning rocket science right now." Of course, these days you
don't have to be a rocket scientist to be a rocket scientist!!!
He said they have "roll call" regularly to make sure no one has gone
AWOL. I asked him if some have, and he said, "Oh, yeah.
Probably 50 or 60 that have been here in recent weeks have left.
The folks here don't care that much, tell them to leave their army
stuff and take their civilian stuff. Someone else (higher ups)
have to deal with them when they become AWOL so the folks at EOD
aren't that concerned." Interesting! I was surprised.
Casey said he hasn't gotten internet access back yet (he lost it when
he had to change dorms a couple of weeks ago) because the building
where the "get your internet access" office is located was found to
have black mold, and the lady who ran the office is "allergic" to the
black mold...so, no access to to her to get the internet changed.
He sounds like he misses it. There is a computer lab/room in the
dorm where he is staying, but he hasn't been able to spend much time
there. He said he doesn't get back to his room till 9 or 10 at
night, and his roommates (he has 2!) are already asleep.
We talked about our upcoming weekend visit. Plans are that I will
leave after my ballgame in Shreveport at Northwood HS Friday night,
stop by and get Carolyn in Minden and possibly Amy in Ruston, and then
drive most of the night (approx 9 hour drive) to Huntsville so that we
can spend a good bit of the day with Casey on base at Redstone until he
has to report back to his company at 6P. Casey won't be able to
go off post, and will probably be restricted to the normal places on
base where he can go now. (I told him it didn't matter if we had
to just sit on the steps outside his building.....we want to see him
very much! He said there are "plenty of things to do on
post.") Then we'll stay in a hotel Saturday night and see him
Sunday morning after "roll call" at 0930 until just after noon, before
heading back to Louisiana. I asked if he knew of anything in
particular he wanted us to bring and, as usual, he said, "Nope."
He's a man of few words!!!
Tuesday, Oct. 24,
2006
Casey text messaged last night (he wasn't able to talk on the phone for
some reason) that he DID PASS his big test Monday morning and had
"started on annex C. It is also 2 weeks long." I don't have
the foggiest idea what "annex C" is, although I assume it is the next
phase/module of his EOD training.
We are giving thought to a quick trip to Huntsville this weekend (Oct.
28-29: leave real late Friday night or real early
Saturday morning and come back on Sunday afternoon/evening) to see
Casey...depends on if he will be available.
Saturday,
Oct. 21,
2006
Casey has some things to celebrate. He (and apparently quite a
few others) in his class found that the "content" testing has gotten
more difficult. Several soldiers have "rolled out" of the class
(will have to re-enter the next class at this same module), and Casey
and some others faced a big "re-test" Friday morning. HE
PASSED!!! He plans to spend much of Sunday in study hall (they
can't take any of their materials out of their class area (security
measures), so they make "study hall" in the class area available during
off hours) in preparation for the FINAL of this module to be taken on
Monday morning.
Casey and 59 other soldiers got to go off base on Saturday night as
they went on a "field trip" to a hockey game in Huntsville. He
called from the game and said it felt kind of like normal (except
everywhere he went another soldier had to be along---called battle
buddies!).
He is thinking that Thanksgiving break will be Thursday through Sunday
(leave Thursday, get back Sunday), but that's not set in stone
yet. He is still in a dorm room with 2 others, but he things
they'll graduate and leave by Thanksgiving.
They did get to go to range the other day, and each soldier was
responsible for constructing a "timed fuse" and then each soldier
detonated a couple of explosives (like 1/2 pound of TNT) with their
product. It was neat.
On Saturday morning his platoon went through First Aid training.
Tuesday, Oct. 17,
2006
Casey called Carolyn early this morning and told her his class was
going to the artillery range today and would see demonstration
demolitions of the ordnances and explosives they've been studying.
Sunday,
Oct. 15,
2006
Casey had to move on Friday night from his room in one dorm (where he
had moved a couple of weeks ago due to renovation taking place in
original dorm) to another dorm. He knew the change would happen,
but his situation (although still temporary) is less than ideal right
now. There were already 2 other soldiers in the room, so Casey's
bed was placed in the middle of the room and, as he says, "I don't even
have a wall!" He has to store all of his stuff in his pack,
although he does have one lock drawer where his computer and other
valuables can go. Hopefully, this won't last long (maybe a week
or so) until another change can take place.
The HARDEST thing is that he lost internet access in the move, at least
temporarily.
His class is going well, passing all of his quizzes and
activities. They had an evening session tonight (1830 to 2030),
and his day was pretty laid back until formation at 1730. Casey
thinks he'll finish this module on Friday of this week. What's
next? "I don't have a clue," he said.
On Saturday his platoon practiced "urban warfare" tactics. Casey
said this was "just like back at Fort Jackson."
Wednesday,
Oct. 11,
2006
Casey emailed tonight. Said: "Class went good today.
It was a real long day, I didn't get out of class until about 9:00
tonight. Spent 11 hours in the classroom. Have a test in the morning at
10:10, have to make an 80% or better to pass. I should do just fine on
it. It looks like today was a "normal" day for Annex B EOD classes.
Thankfully it doesn't last too long."
He also talked about the fact that he is getting to point in training
where some information is more sensitive, and that we need to recognize
he won't be able to always tell us everything he does and/or study.
Tuesday,
Oct. 10,
2006
Casey called late this afternoon. He began his second module in
his EOD training, this one involving different kinds of ordnance and
explosives. He said that they will spend some time on the range
in this module. Today was kind of boring (except for getting up
at 0430 for the first time after a 4-day holiday weekend), but he
expects the next few days to be pretty interesting.
He continues doing well. Says the food in the mess hall is very
good. There is one cafeteria that services all of Redstone
Arsenal. He has been exploring "flights" in order to come home
during Thanksgiving break, but he doesn't know specifics about when he
can leave and when he has to be back. He did discover that he
can't go "POV" (personal vehicles) more than 250 miles away, so he will
have to fly.
Casey said his internet and his new laptop are working GREAT! So
go ahead with the email thing...he'll appreciate it.
Wednesday,
Oct. 4, 2006
Talked with Casey tonight. He successfully completed his "Basic
Electronics" module on Tuesday (one day earlier than scheduled, they
move at their own pace), and will begin his next module next
Tuesday. He does not yet know what they will include, although
the EOD
website lists the subjects as:
"fundamentals of basic
electronics (DC Power); EOD publications and procedures; Identification
and hazards of both US and foreign conventional munitions; Maintenance
and use of EOD specific tool sets and kits; Demolition materials and
procedures; Hazardous material transportation procedures; and, EOD unit
operations."
He said that he got up at 0430 today and the whole battalion
(approximately 1000 soldiers) participated in a 3-mile run. Casey
then spent the rest of the day moving furniture and lockers out of the
first barracks/dorm where he stayed at Redstone, because the building
is condemned and going to be either demolished or remodeled. He
also had to take a drug test tonight.
This will be a long weekend (Columbus Day holiday), and while they
won't have much scheduled he's still restricted to the base.
Monday,
Oct. 2, 2006
Talked with Casey early this AM. (He got up at 3:30 am!) He
successfully completed his PT (physical training) evaluation (before
6:30 AM). He did 53 situps in 2 minutes (the exact amount
required), 57 pushups, and ran 2 miles in just over 15 minutes.
Each of those marks surpasses the requirements for him. Last
Tuesday he did fine on the pushups and 2-mile run, but completed only
49 situps--so he had to join about 30 others in getting re-evaluated
again. He won't have to be evaluated on PT again until he reports
to his next duty station at Eglin AFB in Florida (prob. in 2-3
months). However, they continue to do PT.
He also said he and a suite-mate are going to get internet access
installed in their dorm room with secure wireless access. He
doesn't like going down the hall to the TV room (and the access there
was totally down on Sunday!).
Casey said he's doing great...has 4 days of class this week as they
complete the Basic Electronics module. This weekend will he will
have 4 days off (Columbus Day). He hopes that by the next weekend
he'll be able to have an "off-base" pass for the day!
Saturday,
Sept. 30, 2006
Casey is high as a kite----he went to the PX (post exchange---like a
local Wal Mart) and bought a HP Pavilion laptop (15.1 screen, 512 mb
RAM, 80gb drive, DVD recorder/player with CD record/play, Windows XP
and Microsoft Office stuff, wireless card, and so on). He can get
on the internet (wireless) in the TV room which is just down the hall
from his room, but is not able to make the connection from his dorm
room. He is very excited!
Casey's weekend is very free....as long as he stays on post at Redstone
Arsenal. He doesn't have "off-base" pass privileges yet! He
got up at 8:30, had to report for "formation" (roll call) at 0930 and
was free till "formation" at 7P. Then on Sunday his only
"scheduled" activity is "formation" at 5:30PM.
He'll probably spend a lot of time playing with his new computer.
This is the first "new" thing (well, really anything of any
significance) of any consequence he's had since mid-July.
Thursday,
Sept. 28, 2006
Casey and many of the EOD students moved from the building they have
been in for the past week (it is condemned and destined for
destruction/major remodeling) and moved into quarters with Company
B. He thinks they won't stay there the whole time, and will
probably move into other quarters in a few weeks as soon as some
advanced students graduate and move on. He has a roommate (young
man from St. Louis) in his room (two beds, etc.) and they share a bath
with another room of 2.
Casey said he is giving thought to buying a laptop computer. He
also noted that if he had begun EOD training 2 weeks earlier he would
get to come home for the long Columbus Day weekend! He sounds
kind of homesick. We're usually able to talk to him just after 9
PM, although he often text messages us during the day.
Wednesday,
Sept. 27, 2006
I found a couple of other links that are pretty interesting:
http://www.omems.redstone.army.mil/default.aspx?site_id=112&page_id=204
This is the homepage for the Redstone Arsenal EOD Training Department
and identifies the course content of Casey's 10 week Phase 1 Army
Explosive Army ordnance Disposal Specialist Training.
https://www.npdc.navy.mil/ceneoddive/eods/index.cfm?fa=courses.eodstraining
This is the page that describes the different divisions in the Phase II
EOD Training at Eglin AFB in Florida.
http://www.bragg.army.mil/eod/
This is the page for Army EOD recruiting of currently enlisted soldier;
has lots of interesting links. The FAQ's and the Video Briefing
are particularly interesting.
Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006
Casey started EOD classes today, and he is in an 8-day module on basic
electrical design (mostly done on computer with a circuit board, etc.
at his workstation). 
Classes were from
8:30 till 4:30, and he
should conclude this module next Thursday. He does not know what
his next module/session will be.
He got up at 4AM and had to be outside for PT (physical training) at
4:30. It was 48 degrees....and they were in shorts and
t-shirts. But PT evaluation didn't take place like he hoped
because there were not enough Drill Sergeants available to evaluate
them. Maybe Wednesday morning.
Casey really likes the food (hamburgers, pizza, etc.) at the dining
hall!
Casey is hoping to get a laptop soon. The soldiers have greater
privileges at this AIT than they did at BCT, and he has more personal
time.
Carolyn and I are hoping to talk to him pretty regularly....maybe each
evening after 9AM (free cel phone usage!!!). Also, text messaging
is really neat. Casey doesn't have his phone with him during the
day, but he does have it during personal time.
Monday, Sept.
25, 2006
Casey found out that he starts EOD class tomorrow at
Redstone. He had feared that it might be several weeks before he
could get into a class, but he was picked to be in a new class.
There were 12 students who were already on base who had not yet started
a class, and then they had 29 new ones who came in over the weekend (of
which Casey was one). When they start a new class, they do so
with 18 students. So the new class will consist of the 12
carryovers and of the 6 chosen from Casey's group. He said his
name was the last one called, so he was really relieved. The
students who were not called will have to wait until the next class
forms.
He went through all day "in-processing" (began at 0430) and found out
more about what will happen.
The EOD class at Redstone lasts 10 weeks (assuming he passes all tests
and progresses without any problems). Only 1 in 18 students
completes the course in just 10 weeks. Each student must "pass"
each week to continue forward; if the student does not pass, then
he/she must repeat that week.
The EOD training at Redstone is really "pre-EOD" training. The
Army is the only one of the service branches that has a "pre-EOD"
training like this. The others just send their EOD personnel
straight to regular EOD training.
After Redstone, then he will go to Eglin AFB in Florida for 34 more
weeks. This is where all EOD training takes place for all
of the service branches.
Casey is REAL excited that he got chosen to begin his training tomorrow.
Casey is in a platoon that has over 100 soldiers. He says that
things are lots "looser" at Redstone than at Ft. Jackson. On
weekends he is freer (can go to PX, etc.) and hopes that within a few
weeks he'll be able to have "off post" pass on weekends (but must be in
Class B uniform),.
Saturday,
Sept.23, 2006
Casey, Carolyn, and I drove from Atlanta thru Birmingham and Casey
reported at Redstone
Arsenal in Huntsville AL. Here is an email I sent out that day:
Hi friends,
Well, Casey graduated from Basic Combat Training in a stirring
and moving ceremony at Ft. Jackson in Columbia SC on Friday morning,
Sept. 22. He is doing GREAT and we are so PROUD of him!
If you'd like to see some pics, here's the link:
http://www.rusty1.com/caseybg/060922grad/index.htm
Here's the link for pics from Thursday's family day:
http://www.rusty1.com/caseybg/060921familyday/index.htm
(These links are on the bottom right of the www.rusty1.com home page.)
Casey's got to be at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville AL by 5PM on
Saturday, but hopefully will be able to get an overnight pass so we can
spend a few more hours with him before we return to Louisiana on Sunday.
If you'd like to email Casey, send it to:
casey.b.gilbert@us.army.mil
It's possible he may have a few days off (4???) at Thanksgiving,
and most probably he'll have two weeks off at Christmas.
Again, thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, Sept.
22, 2006
Casey graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson in Columbia
SC.
Click here for pictures.
After graduation Casey, Carolyn, and I drove back along I-20, stopped
by Augusta GA (saw
the golf course!), bought some new jeans and a shirt, and went to
Atlanta where watched a movie, ate at Outback, and spent the night.
Thursday, Sept.
21, 2006
Family day at Fort Jackson in Columbia SC.
Click here for pictures.
Here's an email I sent out that day:
Casey graduates from Basic
Combat Training tomorrow (Sept. 22) at Ft. Jackson in Columbia
SC. Today (Sept. 21) was family day, and we were so glad and
proud to see him for the first time since we left him at the
recruiter's office in Ruston on July 12. Here is a link to pics
from the family day:
http://www.rusty1.com/caseybg/060921familyday/index.htm
We will "deliver" him to his next assignment (AIT--advanced
individual training) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville AL on Sunday,
Sept. 24 where he will be for 6-10 weeks and then go to Eglin AFB in
Florida for the remainder of his EOD (explosive ordnance disposal)
training for approx 8 more months.
He is doing great. Finished a 7-night outing last Friday
(rained and rained on them for 2 days), and then spent Saturday and
Sunday days and nights in the Medic area with pneumonia getting
IV's and antibiotics. He looks all "healed" now.
Sat.-Sun., Sept.
16-17, 2006
Casey spent two nights in a "medical facility" getting IV antibiotic
treatment for pneumonia which he contracted on his 7-day camping from
which he returned on Friday, Sept. 15. It rained two of those
days, and many from his company got sick (some 40 or so were treated).
Thursday, July
13, 2006
Casey flew from Shreveport thru Houston to Columbia SC (arriving at
near midnight) where he was taken to Fort Jackson for his Basic Combat
Training.
His address there was: B Co, 3rd-60th Infantry, 2nd
Platoon; Fort Jackson SC 29207.
Casey spent the first week processing in and didn't begin his basic
training until the following week.
Wed., July 12,
2006
Carolyn and I dropped Casey off at the Army recruiting center in
Ruston. Here
is an email I sent out on June 28 about Casey's enlistment:
Hi folks....
Some of you may already know (and if you don't, then you do
now!) that Casey has decided to join the Army. As of 3PM today
(6/28---one day before his 19th birthday), he is now "Private Gilbert."
Casey said he has been thinking about this for a long time
(since before high school graduation last year) and that he recently
made up his mind to move in that direction. He let us know in the
last couple of days.
As you might imagine, this has been a "surprise" and is taking
some adjustment and getting used to.
However, we are all very proud of him and support him in this
endeavor.
Casey said he leaves for Shreveport on Wed., June 12, to spend
the night there and then go to basic training (in South Carolina) early
the next AM for 9 weeks, home for a handful of days, then off to
Advanced and Individual Training (Eglin Air Force Base in FL?) for 32
weeks.
Casey will train to become an EOD technician. EOD stands
for "explosives ordnance disposal".......
Since this training and career track is something that has
caught our attention (to say the least!), I've looked up several links
about EOD specialist/technician job that might help us better
understand some of what he's going into. The links are below if
you are interested in learning more.
If you'd like to contact Casey you may do so in any of the
following ways:
email: sign_in_name51@hotmail.com
mail: 1106 Rathburn, Minden LA 71055
phone: 318.382.8452
cel: 318.245.3737
Please keep Casey (and us!) in your thoughts and prayers during
this time of transition.
Rusty Gilbert
General "public relations" articles:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-07-31-bomb-specialists_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-10-24-robot-war_x.htm
http://www.army.com/news/articles/article_011305_02.html
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1084/features/feature07.htm
http://www.jackboulware.com/writing/index.php?p=3
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Navy_EOD_Expanding_Needs_Recruits.html
Excellent "job description" dealing with qualifications, etc.:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/89d.htm
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/89d_2.htm
http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=147
http://www.navy.com/careers/enlisted/specialops/
Description of the EOD badge
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/arbadges/bleod.htm
History of bomb disposal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomb_disposal
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Bomb_disposal
Old 2001 article about the "bomb suits"
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2001/n05252001_200105251.html
This is probably where Casey's EOD training will take
place: Eglin AFB in Florida which is just a few miles north of
Destin and Fort Walton Beach, (altho he says something about "Redstone
Arsenal" which may be in Alabama)
https://www.npdc.navy.mil/ceneoddive/eods/
Spring 2005
Click here for Casey's senior pics
