Splash For Cash

There are lots of monetary incentives while you are deployed to a combat zone. Although I'm technically not in a combat zone, we get many of the same perks. We get hazardous duty pay and family separation pay just like the Soldiers in Afghanistan do. But the only way we qualify to for a tax free paycheck, like combat deployed Soldiers, is to do Combat Water Survival Training (CWST) every month in the Red Sea.

This has been coined Splash For Cash.

So every month all the American Soldiers who are stationed at North Camp take a trip to South Camp so we can earn our tax free status. (South Camp is like paradise and has a private beach right on the Red Sea.) And this is how CWST works: you swim out to a buoy about 50 meters into the sea in your ACUs and boots and tread water for 5 minutes and then float on your back for 5 minutes. Then you swim back to shore. And you're done. It's like making $25 a minute. Who else can say they have a job that pays so well!?

I had an absolute blast! I had forgotten how much I love swimming in the ocean since its been years since I moved away from San Diego. I love swimming with the waves, and it was super easy to stay afloat in the Red Sea because it's so salty. There were jellyfish all over the place, but I wasn't stung. I wish I could have stayed out in the water all afternoon.

 

Life vests are provided to wear under your ACU top if you are interested, but I didn't use one. I'm too cool for that. It's a good thing a lot of people did use them; most had never swam in the ocean before and the waves were kind of choppy today. Poor swimmers galore. And I looked like a badass swimming around like it wasn't a big deal.

 

So I splashed for cash today and it was awesome. I can't wait to come back down to South Camp to do this again next month. 

MFO Induction Day

Today was MFO Induction Day. It's been on our training calendar for a few weeks now, but none of us were exactly sure what it was. All we knew was it was to take place in the North Camp Cinema and it was from 0700 to 1630. An all day mystery affair.

Yesterday, just before I went home for the day, the CSM of the Australian contingent came into the clinic and asked me what I had planned for the medical portion of Induction Day. I was like, "Say what!? Medical training!?" This was the first time I'd heard that we were supposed to be teaching anything! So I told my NCOIC and he was like, "Say what!? Medical training!?" At least we were on the same page there. So we told our First Sergeant, and you know what he was like? You guessed it: "Say what!? Medical training!?"

1SG told us to get together a class about how to use everything in the IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit), which every American Soldier has. But the other contingencies don't exactly have an IFAK, so already the thrown together at the last minute training had some flaws.... but we executed said training today and it was passable as useful information. 

Most of our students had just gone through hours of death by power point presentations. They were a captive audience of zombies essentially. But we had a few Australians who wanted to participate and we got a pair of them to volunteer to insert and receive a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA).

 

 

He was a good sport. She was freaking out more than he was! But they did a good job. At least 2 people learned something from our thrown together at the last possible moment hip pocket training. 

And well, to answer the question, "What did MFO Induction Day turn out to actually be?", it's a day designed to give you all the rules and regulations and expectations of your stay in the Sinai. Plus, some medical training, apparently. 

Colombian CLS

Today we flew to the southern border of the Colombian AO (area of operation) to conduct another round of Operational Readiness Checks. The flight was by helicopter again, but it was a much longer flight. Just over a half an hour one way. I wish I could have taken pictures of the Egyptian landscape while I was up there, but photography was prohibited. The sand and mountains are really very beautiful from above. 

The first Colombian outpost we visited had a cat. You know me, animals are the highlight of any trip I take. The cat was very handsome. He was sleeping on the sandtable map of the outpost and was so out of proportion that he looked like Godzilla. 

 

But I was there to observe the Colombian's CLS skills, not play with the cat. There wasn't much to observe, though, as they barely provided any medical attention to their casualties. Once the casualties were moved under cover, the cat was really upset that his human friends were faking pain. The guys were such good actors that they had the cat completely fooled. It was funny.

The second outpost we visited had much much much better CLS skills. You'd think the guy providing the care was actually a medic and not just a guy who knows a little bit about first aide. I was really impressed. Of course, the language barrier made it hard for me to convey that to him. And my interpreter kept ditching me to go sit in the TOC. 

The Colombians were a little more standoffish than the Fijians, but I think it was entirely because I don't speak any Spanish. Their hospitality was generous, though. They made fried chicken and rice for is for lunch and it was off the hook! Yum yum! 

The sun in Egypt doesn't play around, as I found out today. My face is so sunburned. I have an awesome sunglasses tan line that makes me look like a super hero. 

 

Next time I go out to Colbatt, I need to bring a better terp, tons of sunscreen and treats for that kitty!!

Fijian CLS

I was tasked to help the New Zealand Army go do Operational Readiness Checks at a few of the outposts in Northern Sinai today and I will go again tomorrow. My job was to observe them doing combat lifesaver (CLS) skills and assess them. Today we went to Fijibatt to check in on the Fijians and tomorrow we will go to Colbatt and look in on the Colombians. 

Let me start out by saying the Fijians are the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Their hospitality and kindness is through the roof. I can't wait to go back out to the Fijian outposts and teach them CLS... because some of the things I saw being done to "casualties" today were darn right crazy. 

I could tell the Fijians at both outposts I visited today were competent in their CLS skills for the most part. They just were not executing their skills for the right injuries. 

For instance, I moulaged a casualty to have lacerations on the face. By the time the casualty was moved into the building, this is what I saw:

 

He is in an upside down C collar, sitting upright on a long spine board. For facial lacerations. Bless their hearts, they tried. 

I also saw this on 2 separate occasions, I moulaged a casualty to have an open fracture in the lower arm. I got this:

This, first off, has a donut of kerlix around the bone to immobilize it. Then a pressure dressing was cranked down over the fracture. Then some thin strips of cloth were draped around the neck and arm to form some kind of sling. And somehow a tourniquet was thrown on, I didn't see when that got there. 

I asked them who taught them this method for treating a fracture and they replied, "The Americans." Oh Lordy, what have my people done!? 

The Americans they speak of are the National Guard. The Fijians don't know the difference between Active Duty and National Guard-- we wear the exact same uniform! But there is a big difference and their CLS skills showed it! 

I can't wait to get back out to the Fijian outposts and teach them what they really need to know. They seemed so eager to learn the little bit I had a chance to show them today. They're really nice dudes.

 

Sun Bathing

While everyone back home in the States is busy complaining over Facebook about the snowiest, coldest winter in recent history.... 

 

...and here I sit. Sun bathing on this beautiful 70 degree day in Egypt. Its ok to go ahead and be jealous. I know you are. 

I've got to enjoy this while I can. It's only February and it's this warm; I know a hellacious, fiery hot summer is just around the corner for me!