robcasting

I have been meaning to write this blog for quite sometime but I keep forgetting or something more pressing pops into my mind and I blog on that.
However, there is one thing I think every family member should know who has a loved one heading to Iraq or if you are just wanting to send stuff to the troops.
Now I cannot speak for Afghanistan but I am here to tell you...
That Iraq is set in its fair share of romance novels. Every book shelf over there is stocked with Danielle Steele, Mary Higgins Clark and Harlequin Novels. Every time I went to any book shelf it was stocked with romance novels that people are sending over.
What I can't understand is why? Other than wanting to clean off their shelves would they want to send all those romance novels over? Yes, there are females over there but there is enough of those types of books for each chick in Iraq to be issued one a piece. Looking at those book shelves over there it is like someone sampled my grandmother's book collection and decided at that is what the troops want to read.
So when you decide to send some stuff to your friends and loved ones...don't send your wifes old copies of trashy romance novels.
Quite frankly...they are out of room

Labels: Baghdad, I/A, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, OIF, rob Kerns, troops

As I sit here in the Bahrain airport I am finally putting down my thoughts from the last few days. It has taken me a bit to get away from all the emotion of everything so now I am ready to write.
When me and my merry band of Navy Journalisnts left Iraq we found out that we werent given travel arrangements per say as we just had to get to the airport and sort of "catch a ride," down to Kuwait. Apparently, the Navy Indivdual Augmentees are not given seats...we have to catch what's left on the plane.
So we sat up all night and I had to find us a flight...of which I finally did and we made it to Kuwait!
Next...
We make our way to the Navy desk and are told we are only going to be at this base for a few days and then we will be moved to Camp Arifjan...when are we going. Hmmm...dont know. When will you know...just check back in the morning we will let you know then.
Next morning....
Come back tomorrow morning...
Next morning...
OK get your gear your leaving at 1300!
So then we bus for two hours across Kuwait...I didn't think Kuwait was big enough to bus two hours across...but we did.
Welcome to Camp Arifjan!
We were welcomed by fellow Navy who had our tents ready, and a schedule of events for the next few days. At last someone with a clue!
So we settle in and wait for about five days so we can turn in our gear and take some classes on not going home and killing our families...that blog is for another day.
So we hang around Camp Arifjan for five days and then the fun starts. We spend the day cleaning our filthy M-16's and giving them back all the gear we were issued. Much of which was still in the plastic it was given to me in!
Then we take our two hour class...ok I know not to kill my family when I get home.
Everyone is then told they are leaving then following day....everybody but Robbie.
Yup, Apprarently, there are only two planes a month that go to D.G. from this end of the world and the next one wasent for a week and a half....so I have sat at Camp Arifjan all this time. I called and bothered my brothers, cousin Michelle and kids to keep my sanity.
After all this I am put back on a bus and sent back to Ali Base. The bus driver rode the gas and brake...gas and brake. I felt like I was on a two hour ride at Universial. I was feeling so car sick....
I didn't hurl...but it was close.
So I am in another tent...that night all I dreamed of was leaving Kuwait, and how it could go wrong. As I tried to sleep people were coming and going in and out of the tent all night to come from and go to thwir flights...didnt sleep too well.
Next morning back on the bus...
Kuwaitti International Here I Come!
I get to the plane and I am immediatly accosted by the curb attendants...apparently they work in a rortation and this guy was assigned to me as they jumped on all of us as we left the bus.
I told the guy that rolled up on me I was fine and he seemed to go away. I then thre my bags on the metal decetor to get in to the airport. I then made my way through the detector and guess who was waiting for me on the other side with my bags neatly stacked on a little cart...yup my assigned curb attendant. He then rushed me away fromt the counter so fast I almost forgot my glasses that I had to remove for the metal detctor.
I made it to the ticket counter...they releived me of my luggage and curb guy releieved me of five dollars.
When I was handed my boarding pass I noticed it said my flight is boarding in twenty minutes.
"Excuse me, I think you put me on the wrong flight. I am supposed to leave in two hours."
"No. I put you on earlier flight. You leave now."
"Shouldn't you ask me before you change my flight?"
"No. I put you on earlier fight. You leave now."
Fine whatever.
So I am out of Kuwait.
Neat fact...everyone on the flight had computers out and i-pods on from the moment we sat down to the moment we landed and none of the flight attendandts said a word...intresting yes?
So now I have a 15 hour layover in Bahrain...I catch a ride with some other Sailors...and eventually I end up on base and then sent to a hotel out in town as there is no room at then Inn.
I slept...I showered...I ate Chili's.
Now I am waiting on this flight...the I/A experience that began all these months ago is over. I am spent. I want to sleep in my bed on D.G. tonight, in the privacy of my own room.
It is so near!
What's more a cold beer awaits as well.

Labels: Diego Garcia, I/A, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, Navy, rob Kerns

This afternoon and this evening I stood outside and watched AFN Team 3 board busses and SUVs and drive off. The members of this unique band of indivduals job is done and it is time for us all to head back t our duty stations.
What started as a group of Sailors meeting in a classroom back in Febuary has come to its end on a curb side in Kuwait.
During this nearly eight month period we trained together in the Pine Barrens of Fort Dix, N.J., and desert of Kuwait and eventually told the military's story from the lines in Baghdad, Iraq.
Was it all good times and laughs...not by a long shot. We were thrown into a environement we knew nothing of in New Jersey with Army training. Several of us like me had very little experience with the M-16 or with land navigation but we made it through.
In New Jersey and then in Iraq we were treated as second class citizens by our leadership of different services. However, we once again sallied forth and made it through.
Whats more is we did not only make it through but in the end we excelled! I think AFN Iraq is a better flowing machine after we left and I know those who have replaced us in Team 4 will contiue in the path we set.
So now I sit in Kuwaitr for another week as my plane back to Diego Garcia dosent leave for a few more days.
As I sit here and ponder I want everyone to know they can be damn proud of the work that those over here are doing and that those who served in my group led the charge of excellence in the desert.
So now...its just me and the desert...guess I'll hit the gym.

Labels: I/A, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, Navy

When I went to the Rolling Stones back in Hawaii, I had field seats. This meant I had seats near the stage. If you had to go you go in line for a port-o-potty. They had them lined up down the field like 50 deep in two rows. When it was your turn a local kid, about 16, came up to you led you to your "port." The kid then went in with a bottle of Spray 9 and a rag and wiped down the whole thing for you from top to bottom.

No such luck in Kuwait.

In these there is graffiti expounding the wonders of Chuck Norris and others. There is not alot of room and if you are lucky there is toilet paper. They hired these locals to come in every few hours and clean them up but some days are better than others. Now here is the real kicker. They didnt position some of these near lights. So if you gotta go and it is night time you have to go in the stone dark of the desert....so bring a flash light.

Now I am in Baghdad...where in this area they have in door plumbing....I never thought I would be so happy to hear a toilet flush in my life!

Labels: I/A, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, kuwait, Navy

So the journey that began on February 7th starts its next chapter.

Tomorrow I fly out of the United States to help fight a war using the written and spoken word. I think bullets work better but hey who am I to judge.

Let's recap the last six weeks shall we:

Arrive at Fort Dix...no one knows where the Navy goes.

We are yelled at by a cranky Army Seargeant so tells us the living on this base will resemble something out of boot camp. It isnt really...we just arent allowed to leave and we cant wear civilian clothes.

We get issued all kinds of gear and enough body armor to make me feel 80 pounds heavier.

Classes begin on everything from land navigation to shooting an M-16.

The class on Land Navigation is especially fun as none of us have ever done this type of thing. The Navy in our class were very helpful and got us through it with minimal damage. Without them I think we would should be wondering through the Pine Barrens of New Jersey looking for our next marker.

Our schedule was very loose with classes changing at the drop of a hat...things being added others taken away. Where everyone that went to Fort Jackson is done and over in the sand box, we are still here.

We are finally allowed off the base and I am able to see my New Jersey family...I miss them.

Now we are done...we are validated...and tomorrow we fly out. The next part of all this is up...the Big Show if you will.

Do me a favor and pray for my small media group. We are heading in!
I will miss my kids the most...I always do.
Stay tuned...I bet the best entries are still to come.

Labels: I/A, Iraq, kuwait, Navy, rob Kerns

After being here at Fort Dix since March 29th my group is finally being let off the base for the weekend. Let me tell you they are really making sure our "i"'s are dotted and "t"s are crossed before we go.
Now if you know me you know I am not a person who goes out and parties down alot so I am going to enjoy the weekend with my family down in good old Stratford. I miss my family there and dont get to see them nearly as much as much as I would like.
So finally I am getting to get the Hell away from this damn base for but a weekend but it is my weekend and I plan to enjoy it.

Labels: Fort Dix, I/A, Iraq, Navy, Stratford

One thing I have learned about blogging is it isn't a good idea to do it angry. So that is why I haven't blogged over the last week or so.
My training here has been extended here another week and a half. Where this last Sunday was supposed to be my last week here at Fort Dix , we have been extended another week to do some training with gas masks.
Also we finally had the PAO training that brought us to Fort Dix specifically, this training took all of one day and was a waste of time!
I have been told I cannot go back to Ga. after the training is over. I really wanted to do this to see my family and install some parts I got for my VW.
Thank God I got Jacquie and Joe just down the road from here or I might really go crazy. So tomorrow I got some building clearing training then Wednesday I got our final gasmask training. Hopefully after that I am done. If not I might hurt someone.
In the week I did not update, we did compass training, that was neat after we figured out what we were doing.
We then spent three days having stuff blow up around us to teach us how to handle IED's in Iraq.
Good Times!

Labels: Fort Dix, I/A, IED, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, Navy, rob Kerns

Well to say this last week has been full is an understatement. Not that I could not handle it...I have and I will continue to knock out what is put in front of me.
The week started out with me having to attend a four day class on combat lifesaving(My God even though it was only a week ago it seems like a month).
Since we were only four people in the class we got through all the material in two days and did our test and practical on Wednesday. I got a 86 on the test and successfully started an IV in one of our fellow classmates so I passed the class.
I had Thursday off so I went and hit the gym(kinda crappy here) and rested.
Friday was back in the mix hard.
We had a class on the M-16. Mainly how to break it down and the proper stance for firing it. Then we practiced on this Laser Tag type thing.
Saturday we were up with the chickens and had to "zero in" or calibrate our weapons. This took the whole day and we were up this morning at o500 to finish up.
Now one thing I am noticing is that the Army up here loves to change its schedule and isn't very keen on letting other people know. There have been three times that I can think of off the top of my head where we were at when we were told to be there and there was not another person there. When we asked about it we got the standard line from Office Space, "Did you get the memo?"
So today was spent qualifying in a number of different ways on the M-16. We had pop-up target shooting...we didn't all do too well in that one...and a number of us have to go back and shoot again at 1 pm on it.
Another qual we did was the "night fire."
Despite its name it is alot easier than the pop-up targets. This is one target you shoot at while it is at dusk. The same target over and over. You get 30 chances to shoot the thing...and you only need to hit it seven times.
I got 20 out of 30.
For the pop up targets you need to get 23 out of 40. I didn't get that...no I'm not saying my score.
Now it would be alot easier to shoot these damn targets if we weren't in full "battle rattle."
This is:
Helmet
Eye protection
Hearing protection
Knee and elbow pads
and about 60 pounds of body armor.

All in all it's alot of crap to heave around along with your M-16. However, you are alot safer with it than without.

So next week thrusts us through week three....Were half done this training!
Two weeks to go!

Labels: Fort Dix, I/A, Iraq, Iraqi Freedom, Navy, rob Kerns

So on Sunday me and the five others in my group board a plane to Philadelphia. The flight is only an hour as we flew direct from Norfolk to Philly. This in itself is a testament to how Norfolk is growing.

Anyway, get to Philly and call the Raid Rover Cab. We call this cab company because our orders say to. We are told the cabbie would be there in about an hour and a half. The lady at the counter is kind enough to give us one of the pager coaster things like you get when you go to Longhorn or a place like that. So we all go eat and then we are paged to head to the base.

After some misadventures we finally get to where we are going to stay and are put up into this temporary room.

The following day we are welcomed to the base and told mainly what we are not allowed to do. We were also put into our permanent room. That is all we did yesterday.

This morning we got up at 5 am so we could go get more gear issued to us. That was done in an hour. I now have three full bags of gear that has been issued to me in the last week.

So here it is 9 a.m. Eastern Time and I have nothing to do until 5 p.m. this afternoon, when we have a class to attend.

No wonder this training takes 45 days

Labels: Army, Fort Dix, I/A, Iraq, Navy, training

As I have been preparing to do this I/A I have been looking around the web for info on the process of what I am going to be doing at this training. All I basically know I have to show up and be screened medically and I had to alot of online learning.
So here I am at NMPS Norfolk. I have completed the first two days of my week here so I will break down what has happened so far.
Day one: Show up in uniform. They don't seem too picky on which uniform. Though the orders did point out it should be blues or whites...depending on the season.
Drop off records in front of class room.
Brief from the Officer in Charge.
Brief from the Chaplain.
Brief from the Uniform Fitter.
Lunch
Fit for Uniforms
Records redistributed with everything written down that you need to do.(The more of the stuff you have done before you get there the better off you are.)
Go Home.
Now the home part is interesting as we are currently staying in hotels(no I am not saying which one).
Day two started off with P/T in the morning. Not bad...I'm a bit sore now...but not too sore. The rest of the day was spent going from line to line making sure all the stuff you needed, medically, was done. I was lucky and only had to get one shot.
However, I did have to have an audiogram done and get a fresh set of X-Rays.
The breakdown in the ranks of all the Sailors in my group is amazing. We have over 200 Sailors in the class ranks going from captain to third class and every rank in between is represented! Everyone is getting along and talking...no clicks here.
So tomorrow is P/T at 0630 and then a class at 1 p.m. on the family service center....real snorer there.
So until later...
By the way I am going to try to write on my vacation to Atlanta a bit later.

Labels: Baghdad, I/A, Iraq, Navy, NMPS, NMPS Norfolk, rob Kerns

I am not a fan of flying. I really don't think I really ever have been. It really developed for me when I got stationed in Hawaii and I had to fly over water for five hours. Lets face it, if that warning light comes on there is no where to land out there in the middle of the big blue.
However, this is something I endure as it is part of my job.
Leaving Diego Garcia...heck I don't know how long ago it's been. Time gets wishy-washy when you are out here going from country to country.
Anyway, I left Diego Garcia on a military transport KC-10. Talk about no frills flying...me, some cargo and a box lunch I paid $3.85 for. There were also some other people and their lunches too.
So 10 hours of flying between Diego and Yakota, Japan, with no in flight movie or flight attendents. Just me and the cargo.
You know it really wasen't that bad...a bot boring but not bad.
Now I am sitting in the Narita, Japan, airport waiting to get on this HUGE 777 to fly back to the states.
It looks like a sound aircraft..but I still hate flying.
So...in 11 hours I will be in Chicago...more then...I wonder what the in flight movie will be?

Labels: Diego Garcia, I/A, Japan, KC-10, Kerns

In preparing for this I/A to Baghdad I was instructed to do several NKO courses. Two of them were on proper traveling both inside and outside of the United States. In these courses we are told in this post 9/11 age it is best to do whatever you can to not make yourself stick out. Do not wear clothing that singles you out as a American. With this in mind I was very surprised to go to the Exchange today to pickup a garment bag for my uniforms and all of them have United States Navy written all over them. If we are worried enough to make all of our Sailors do these NKOs teaching us the proper way to travel, shouldn't we follow it up with selling products, in our very own stores, that support the theory?

Labels: I/A, Iraq, Navy, NKO

When people ask me how much longer I have on the island. I often give them an answer like "11 and a wake up."
To a person in the military this answer is quite valid and they go along with their lives with this knowledge.
For people in the civilian world they tend to look at me with their head tilted slightly to the side with a puzzled look on their face. It reminds of my old German Shepard Pepper when I would ask her to fetch something for me.
So I will now explain how to count backwards in military terms and why it is done this way.
You often count back to mark major landmarks, like returning to port from a major underway or a transfer(like I am about to have).
So when you count back you don't count the day you pull in or transfer. That is the day it happens so it is counted as just waking up and you do the event. You just simply count the days and subtract the day of the actual event...you simply say "11 and a wake up."
Isn't that easier...and it gives you one last day to have to count.

Labels: Diego Garcia, I/A, Iraq

With me recently posting that I'm going on I/A to Iraq the question I get from most of my civilian frineds and family is, "What's an I/A?"

Well I will try to explain this in the next few paragraphs.

There are a few ways an Active Duty Sailor can end up in Iraq.

The most common way is for a Sailor's ship to deploy and sit off the cost of a certain country for a number of months. In this case Iraq.

The second way, which is becoming more and more common is to get follow on orders from a current assignment to do a year in Iraq. This is alot different from say the Army or the Marines as the Navy is just there to fill individual assignments where the Army or Marines will send entire units of people over.

Then you have the Individual Augmentee or I/A billet. The I/A billet is where you go away from your current command temporally to do a certain job. These I/A billets are normally six months long. The most common places you see I/A billets are Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and the Horn of Africa.

So I am going to be on temporary loan to Baghdad for the next six months. Upon the end of the six months I will return to Diego Garcia for my last few months here and then...well I don't know where I am going after that, but it sure is gonna be interesting.

Labels: I/A, Iraq, MC, Navy