SANTA FE New Mexico
The 2nd phase of your WTC training will take place at the New Mexico National Guard Base in Santa Fe New Mexico.
To
use the "crawl/walk/run" analogy, at Santa Fe you will learn to crawl
and walk, preparing for the running aspect at White Sands. A great deal of
time will be spent in the classroom enduring "death by
PowerPoint." however, you will also be zeroing your rifle, learning
and engaging in "combatives" (essentially hand-to-hand combat or
"grappling"), bayonet training, basic maneuvering and breaching
techniques, Combat Life Saving (in which you will get your CLS qualification),
IED identification, camouflage application, US Army Values and Standards,
weapons maintenance, pugilist training (fighting with foam-ended staffs ala
American Gladiators), and reading more and ore of your Smart Book.
NOTE: Santa Fe is located at over 6,000 in altitude, and you will feel
every bit of it! The thin air will make your AFPT test a pain! The
3K ruck march is also a challenge in the rarified air! The only way to
prepare for it is to be in good (NOT just "okay" or "not
bad") shape!! You should already be able to pass your AFPT BEFORE
going to WTC! If you don't pass the AFPT here in Santa Fe, you will have 2
more opportunities at White Sands, but just plan on coming here IN SHAPE!
The males were kept in large 50-man bays while the females had the cozier
2-person dorm rooms. There is quite a bit of "Soldier's Time",
but it all depends on how much you've accomplished that day. The Cadre
will remind you that soldier's time is a privilege and must be earned.
Sometimes it was an hour, sometimes two or more. Often soldier's time
would be cut or reduced due to need for weapon's maintenance.
You will also be issued your weapon (M16-A2), your Kevlar helmet, flack jacket,
2 canteens, LBV (Load Bearing Vest), some snivel gear, elbow & knee pads, PT
belt, PT Mat, and a few other necessities as a TA-50 issue.
Taking lessons on how to properly apply camouflage at the FOB at Santa Fe
THE FOB (Fwd. Operating Base) at Santa Fe and learning tactical
formations/breaching movements
MUDF 101 and chow at the FOB Santa Fe
Zeroing weapons on the Santa Fe Range
A note about
the Cadre at Santa Fe: They will treat you with more respect than those at
Ft. Sill, and nearly all are veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. You will
soon realize that all their instructions and directives are motivated by a deep
and sincere desire to get you back home alive! They are assertive and
strong, but you can't mistake their intent! They are AWESOME!
After
2 weeks in the high desert of Santa Fe, it's on to
White Sands Missile Range!
Go
to White Sands
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