*reads off blog entry prep list*

-Computer turned on?...check!

-Currently on the internet?...check!

-At proper website?...check!

-Coffee?...check!

-Cigarettes?...check!

-More coffee?...check!


Okay folks, all systems are a go and we're ready for take off...

-Memoirs of a Veteran [Episode II]-

It was January 2, 2000 and I was still suffering from pneumonia, which had originally started on Christmas Eve. Regardless of being able to breath normally or not, my orders were to head out to 29 Palms, California for a Combined Arms Exercise. The Combined Arms Exercise, or CAX as we called it, consists of various units combining forces to simulate desert warfare. Each training evolution lasts a month, and usually there's two evolutions back to back to make what's called a double CAX. They are split biannually, so every year there's a Summer double CAX and a Winter double CAX.

Well, this was obviously going to be a Winter CAX, with it being January and all. This would be the first CAX I would be participating in, and I was pulled to do a double (usually my unit only did a single.) I was also selected to go with the advance party, which left two weeks ahead of everyone else for the purpose of getting tents, vehicles, and supplies ready. That meant my stay at 29 Palms would total to two and a half months. I didn't mind being in the Mojave Desert for such a long time considering I had never seen it before.

So anyway, I had pneumonia and was still leaving with the advance party. I had seen one of the doctors at Camp Lejeune to get x-rays on my chest done before heading out. The x-rays didn't show any fluids in my lungs, so they figured I would be okay to train (which was crap.) All I was given was an inhaler and a "good luck" from the Corpsman before I loaded on the plane. Gee, thanks man. The advance party loaded on the plane at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point after we had arrived there six hours earlier. Please keep in mind that the Marine Corps likes to arrive to events early...really early.

The flight to California consisted of two bad movies, bad airplane food, and sitting uncomfortably the whole way there (the officers had first class of course.) We had left out of North Carolina early in the morning and arrived in California late that night. Once landing in California, we took a three hour bus ride to where 29 Palms actually is. Considering it was dark, I didn't get to see much of California right away except for various fast food joints and Wal-Marts.

Upon arriving at 29 Palms, I exited the bus and received my first taste of what night time in the desert is like - extremely cold! We unloaded our gear, sorted it out, and then made way towards the "A frames" (metal buildings shaped like the letter A that had the desert sand for a floor.) The platoon was exhausted, as was I, so once we settled in it was time to get a few hours of sleep before sunrise.

I awoke the next morning and exited the back of the A frame to get some fresh air. Immediately I took notice of the beautiful mountains located in the area. The scene was breath taking at first, but after the next few weeks I'd end up sick of it. We were given instructions by our superiors to climatize for the next three days so our bodies could adjust to doing strenuous activities while there in the desert. I had hoped that during this time my pneumonia would begin to fade away. No such luck.

The three days passed and we began preparing the M1A1 tanks located there for the upcoming CAX evolution. It was hard work that consisted of removing old tracks and putting new tracks on, changing out road wheels, making repairs to the engines, replacing vision blocks (the little glass blocks tankers see through), and fixing any other miscellaneous problems that the tanks had. My first impression (and final impression) of 29 Palms was that the place was an absolute dump. There were only two cool things about the place, a great chow hall and free movies at the theatre there.

By the time all maintenance had been completed on the tanks, our two week window had come and gone (but my pneumonia remained.) The rest of the battalion had arrived and it was time for the CAX to kick off. By the end of the first week into the CAX my body had finally had enough. We had been going on a run at the time and suddenly I found myself on my face in the sand. Not good. I remember being carried back to the A frame where a Corpsman administered IV fluids and kept a close watch on me. The end result was confinement to the A frame for a week of bed rest. It was during this time I finally managed to get over the pneumonia and regain my health. It could have been avoided in the first place had they listened to me from the beginning. Oh well.

Once my bed rest was over I found myself back in the training evolution. Each day was a blast because I got to roam the open desert, fix the tanks, and watch the tanks do their live fire exercises. The funny thing about the desert is that everything looks like it's only a mile away, when in reality it's actually ten or twenty miles away...maybe even fifty at times. Some of the Marines who had desert experience before were able to estimate the distances between landmarks pretty well, I eventually picked up this skill myself after being there for awhile. By the time the first CAX was coming to an end, I began to find myself tired of the scenery and was eager to see the trees back home in North Carolina. Unfortunately I still had another month to go before that was possible.

So over the course of the second CAX, starting to feel a little homesick, I became bored with redundancy. "Yes, I see the scorpion crawling across my boot, show me something I haven't seen a million times already" and "Yes, I hear the coyotes, they always howl this time of night" became often repeated lines from my mouth. Of course there were the random freak training accidents that would occur and always get the blood pumping for a few hours. I think it was those times that actually kept me from going insane while I was there. Probably the worst one I saw during that whole time was the tanker who was hit with the breech from the recoil of the tank's 120mm main gun. No, he didn't die, but I'm sure you can use your imagination on what he looked like after having that happen to him.

I learned a lot during the two and a half months I spent out there in the desert. And it didn't all have to do with how to fight while on desert terrain, part of it was from seeing the freak training accidents as well. After experiencing something like that, you really begin to appreciate the fact that you still have all your fingers and toes. Not that I was able to avoid injury myself, I managed to pick up a few scars along the way as well. But none of my injuries were anything life threatening or horribly damaging. Besides, scars give you character...right?

When it came time to go home I was thrilled. No more dealing with sand storms, scorpions, hot days, cold nights, and constantly having sand in your hair. I was off back to Camp Lejeune where there's grass, trees, and a beach! The flight back was the same as the previous one; two bad movies, bad airplane food, and sitting uncomfortably the whole way there (the officers had first class of course.) We arrived back at Cherry Point sometime in the middle of the night, and once again I had to adjust to the climate. Walking in the grass after having trudged on sand for two and a half months was a miracle for my legs and feet. Woo-hoo! It's kind of spongy like!

After the bus trip back to Camp Lejeune we received our debrief and were given four days of liberty (time off without penalty of losing vacation time.) I remember the first thing I did was have a few beers with fellow platoon members back at the barracks. Well, okay, it was more than a few beers. You get the idea. It was great to be home again where you could see trees and grass, the desert sand and rock gets boring after awhile.

In the months that followed I was awarded my first Meritorious Mast for all the hard work I did during the CAX evolution. By then everyone knew that I had also been out there even though I had pneumonia, yet still managed to get the work done. So perhaps the Meritorious Mast was also awarded for that reason as well. Either way, it hangs on my wall at home still today, along with all the other awards I have.

So anyway, yeah, that was my first time out in the Mojave Desert as well as my first CAX. There were good times, bad times, and ugly times. If you ever pass through 29 Palms, keep driving, chances are you're not going to want to stop. Trust me on this one.


H-K-D