Grenade Qualification Day and Blue Phase!

Hm....today...GRENADES! Finally something fun once again....anyways I woke up and did my hygiene crap and got my gear ready......and Johnson once again is waiting for me....then we would head downstairs to the CTA and grounded our gear...then the PG would report in and we would then march to chow...yum...breakfast chow....the usual stuff...cereal, sausages and eggs...here's a tip put ketchup on your eggs...trust me it's FABULOUS..and tastes great. Besides Breakfast is the best meal of the day when you're here....anyways after chow we would get back to the company and get on our gear and head to trans..where they would take us to the Grenade range...when we arrived there we grounded our gear at the assembly area...and then they would tell us to be get in formation as a whole company and by ranks the cadre would have chalk and put 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 on your helmet...to split us up for better organization and do which courses first. There are a couple stations, the live grenade station where you'll throw two live grenades, another one, where they make sure you can throw the grenade (spark one)far enough, the grenade qualification course...and then proper technique on how to throw grenades....I'm not going to go into how they throw grenades but that's how we did it...here's a picture....

basically there's a standing stance and then a prone..but anyways after the ranks we would go into the windscreen and get a BORING safety briefing and they would talk about certain grenades...and then show us a car and then threw a incidiery grenade in it and it went thru the hood...I said whoa...that's some cool shit...but after that then the DS's would show us the grenade qualification course on what to do and how far we're supposed to throw...there's 7 stations one's written and the rest you throw the grenade the proper way and distance....looks easy though...after that since I was in group 5 I would be going to the station where they would teach us how to throw it properly....we're throwing dummy grenades...oh well....after that they would sent us to the station where to judge that we can throw far enough.....we would be in our IBAs and then we would assume the stance and duck in the bunker after we threw it...
well I passed and eventually everyone passed..and then we would be sent to the Live Grenade range....there we would be marched with PV2 Gloyd...when we're marching he's singing cadences...he's not bad at all I'll say...he's like a DS...I can see him as a DS though...great man...but finally we arrived at the live grenade station where we would throw live grenades. We would get inside a bunker and watch fellow Privates throw their grenades and damn they are loud...good thing they told us to have on your headphones...imagine in a combat zone..you are going to lose some of your hearing...because you won't have earplugs in a combat zone...while I was waiting the Company Commander was with us...Captain Stoffel...warmhearted guy, he is...but then he asked us while we were waiting for our turn to throw the live grenades..."hey Privates, what kind of car do you drive?" I said a 2003 Convertible Mustang...."holly god Private Harris you are some lucky private eh....get some chicks?" I'm there smiling and laughing and said "yes Sir I do" Then he said" I drive a Ford 1995 truck...boy you're lucky man" wow I think I like officers now....but then it was my turn to throw the grenade....I assumed the position and then threw 2 live ones...they went decently far...finally we finished watching the grenades blow up..we headed back to the picnic table area where they had the MREs setup....Some groups ate early so they did the qualification course....meanwhile for us..though it WAS TIME TO EAT! I got the Country Captain Chicken one! Yum Skittles......Candy! then we would see some groups who finished the qualification course and I asked them on how they did the course...some got expert, some got marksman and some got sharpshooter....they said it was easy though....then after lunch chow we would then go the Grenade qualification station...there we would do the written test....then on to the throwing stations....but I got to admit when we throw the grenades we had to say some KORNY things...like "Battle Buddy cover when I throw my grenade. then your battle buddy would say Got ya covered Battle Buddy" Also like this "Battle Buddy cover me while I prepare my grenade" "Got Ya covered Battle Buddy lol...god this is hilarious though....but I threw the grenades and they passed and did the usual procedure...but when you move between each station..you have to be motivated...meaning that you would have to run with your War FACE! saying AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!but anyways finished the grenade qualification course and made expert...after leaving the course...we were then checked by STO-2s on our hydration cards...I said oh shit...I don't have mine...and then they would write my name down to give to the First Sgt that I didn't have my hydration card....oh well...we passed them but then I went back and remembered it was in my pocket all the time...and then they scratched my name off...oh goodie..I don't want to be smoked for that shit....finally we got back and chilled...at the windscreen...then they would call for volunteers but I didn't go....but some Privates went....but I would just sit back and chill and we would get a nice debrief from the SDS....and then we would get back on our gear and head back to barracks by trans....this time we got buses....hooah! I love this kind of training......but after we got back, we grounded our gear in our lockers and headed back downstairs for formation! It's phasing time baby! The company commander would come out and we would be at attention and he would take command from the first Sgt. and declare we go to Blue Phase....and we did...no more white banner...it's blue now...after that we would be at ease and hear a nice blurb from the Company commander. About what he could have done...and what's coming up like FTX and stuff...and what to expect...we have two more weeks before BCT is over...after that we would get around him and give him suggestions and ask him questions...like when is FTX and what are we provided with and such...we finally finished at and got in formation once more...giving command to the First Sgt and then the DS's....wow we're at Blue....we would then get a little lecture from our DS and then we would march to Dinner chow....BBQ ribs today..wow it gets better and better day by day eh...but after that mail call, shining our boots and shower and then sleep....tomorrow is the day we're going on pass...this time it's a on post pass....yay!....gotta sleep now....