Happy New Year!!!

Well friends, we have survived yet another year. Congratulations to us all!


Let's review this past year:
1) graduated from college
2) joined the Army
3) spent one final summer at Mission Springs
4) left for TX to begin training for the Army
5) moved to Maryland to work at Walter Reed AMC

Holy Heck!!! What a year!!!

Today was a day or touring the city. Our former president Gerald Ford's casket is currently in the Capitol and I took this opportunity to go and pay resepcts to a man that was thrust into a leadership position and did a great job. It was a little surreal to walk into a room that I had seen not long ago on TV when Reagan passed away. To see the Honor Guards standing at attention showing repsect and ready to protect a man that had served our great nation.

Following my time at the Capitol I went on a short tour of the city. I walked down to the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument, and the Korean War Memorial. I wish everyone could have on opportunity following studying our nation's history to come and see the different memorials and monuments to those who sacrificed so much to create and maintain the freedoms that we have today. I am sure my respect has grown since I too have chosen to take a similar route in serving our country.

I hope you all had an amazing time with friends and family during this holiday season!

My Holiday Travels

Random story for you.

During my red-eye from CA to DC I awoke at 0200 to the flight attendant speaking over the intercom requesting that "any doctor or nurse on board to please report to the front of the aircraft." I was hoping she was kidding but when she asked a second time I got up. I checked in the with the flight attendant helping a passenger who stated that the other gentleman was a doctor with her. ("Yes, off the hook!") She then continued and asked that I go check on the other passenger. Yup, there were two! The passenger I assisted had been a little light-headed but felt much better after returning to her seat and being placed on oxygen. After a quick history and assessment I returned to my seat as I believed she would be fine until we landed and medical crews came on board to assess both her and the other passenger.

I thought this only happened in the movies! Here I am with little actual experience trying to assess and care for a passenger on a plane with almost no supplies. I am hoping that since I have now done my good deed as a nurse that I am off the hook for the rest of my career as I travel...yeah right!

Yeah Christmas!

The Hultgrens rock! I had a great Christmas with my Dad's side of the family. We all gathered at my Aunt Glenda's home in Moraga. And by 'all' I mean all of the Hultgrens. It had been a long time since all 22 of us had been in the same room together as we live all over CA and now on both Coasts. Generation Four cousins are growing up so quickly! It is strange to think that I can remember them as babies and Alyson is driving! Holy Heck I am getting old!

Christmas Eve was spent first at church for the 2300 service. While there I got to see members of the music team that have watched me grow up as I used to play with the Brass Ensemble every Sunday. Carolyn and Shirley have been such great cheerleaders for me over the years. I really enjoy coming home and getting to see them.

After the service I headed over to Denny's with the other now "Young Professionals" who grew up with to catch up on old times. We started this tradition a few years ago as it was getting harder to get time with each other in between family time. It was not long until the high school population caught 0n and now they also enjoy this tradition. This night always makes me laugh as I am not a late night person and hanging out at Denny's can last until 2am or so. I love Christmas Eve traditions!

Checking In

I arrived at Walter Reed today to check in . This place is HUGE! I was so lost. Thankfully a Lt Col that I had struck up a conversation with in the elevator took some time out of his busy day to show me where I needed to first go. The first day of checking-in involved turning in a lot of copies of my orders to different deparments all over the campus. I walked around multiple buildings trying to find specific offices to turn in the copies. The old buildings on campus are gorgeous! If you get a chance you should 'Google' Walter Reed Army Medical Center and look at the pictures of the buildines. Gorgeous! Before heading to Falls Church, VA where I am staying with my cousin Allison, my future roommate Lt Spencer came by to say hi. She was on her way to work at Walter Reed and called to say she would come by the gym before going in. It was nice to see a friendly face after walking around lost all day. After a nice workout I headed over to Allison's house. She has a great house and such great roommates as they are allowing me to crash there while I wait for my apartment. It is fun to be staying with family.

My second day at Walter Reed (WRAMC) was very similar to the first. I arrived at Company HQ at 0800 to check in and then spent the rest of the day walking around to different departments. From 0800 until 1700, just walking around meeting people at the different departments. So long. I submitted my DA-31 leave form to Company today and am hoping they will sign it allowing me to go home in CA for Christmas.

Tomorrow I will be meeting with transportation and finance to get my paper work in order so I can get paid for travel and for housing. Let's just say that finance is my favorite department!

Leaving TX

Well, I have left TX. I am currently in NC staying with the John Burdine family. They live in Charlotte which is a 6-ish hour drive from the DC area where I will be living for the next three years.
While in NC my sister stopped by from Fayetteville, NC (that is her on the left). Alex is the youngest of the John Burdine family yet, he is one of the biggest. Just one look and you would think 'football player'. I will be leaving on the 19th to drive to DC and check in at Walter Reed AMC and begin in-processing. While I wait for my apartment to open up I will be staying in Falls Church, VA with my cousin Allison and her awesome roommates. I am so blessed to have such a great family!

Enroute to NC, I stopped with my Dad in Decataur, GA to see my Grammie's old house. That was an awesome house! Bring back any memories?!?

My belongings have left the building

I am getting closer and closer to formally living in the East Coast. The moving company (paid for by the Army) came to my parent's house this week to pick up my stuff.

The two movers are driver Bert Hooper "The Great Bert" up in the van and "Joe aka Junior" down below. Joe lives in San Jose and helps drivers load. Joe has a son who is in Iraq right now. They took the time needed to carefully pack all my stuff. They were very professional and curteous. Such great guys!

My belongings will be in the DC area at an Army base waiting for my call to give them my new address. We will then coordinate a date when the movers can come bring my stuff. Here is the best part, the movers not only unload all my stuff, they will unpack it all too! How awesome is that!

Meeting My Boss

I had the opportunity to attend a reception this evening following classes to welcome Major General Gale S. Pollock. MG Pollock is the U.S. Army Deputy Surgeon General as of October 2006. In 2004 she became the Chief of the Army Nurse Corps and the Commander of the Pacific Regional Medical Command stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI.

Once formally presented to us she spoke to us as a group challenging every officer in the room (from 2LT to Colonel) to fight for our patients and for change. She continued by encouraging us to write down our goals and puruse them, but not to be afraid to change them as we grow in our careers. She encouraged us to live it up as LTs as this is the best time to get a solid base for our nursing knowledge as we work as Med/Surg Nuses (66H).

I had the opportunity to speak with Colonel who went from Med/Surg RN to an ICU RN and has worked her way up to Chief Nurse in the Army Medical Center that she is stationed at. She too stressed how important it is to soak up what time I will have as a Med/Surg RN as it may only last two years before I specialize.

The more I talk with Colonels and LT Colonels I realize that I made a good decision in joining the Army Healthcare Team. The Army wants each 2LT to have that solid Med/Surg base but begins pushing us to be the leaders they want and need us to be both in the clinical setting and in different leadership positions throughout the facility. (We are Charge Nurses at about 6 months. Holy Heck!) I would not want to be anywhere else.

TNCC Certified!

For the last three days I have been taking the Trauna Nurse Core Course with about 140 other Army Nurses. Friday was spent in lecture for 11 hours in a cold warehouse. We covered topics like truama in pregnancy, shock, head and neck truama, pediatrics, and geriatrics. Saturday morning was spent in more lecture. Saturday afternoon we broke down into groups of four and went into classrooms to practice our skills. We had classes regarding securing airways, spinal stabilization, and a class focusing on the primary and secondary surveys. It is no longer the simple ABC method that we all learn in first aid classes. Now we go from 'A' to 'I'. From three simple steps to nine steps. But the ENA (Emergency Nurse's Association) method makes sense so I am glad that all Army nurses are required to take this course to be sure that we are all on the same page when we get deployed.

Sunday we came in for the testing. There was a 50-question written test that took about half an hour and then the three skills. Most of us finished the entire evaluation process in a little over an hour. We all hung around after to get our scores (we all passed!) and then clean up the classrooms. To compensate for making us work over the weekend, LTC Bohlin is giving us Monday and Tuesday off! I am looking forward to sleeping in on a Monday. It will be a little weird, but great!

Graduation!

My parent's stopped by in San Antonio on their way to Kentucky to watch me graduate from OBC today. There was really nothing to it as we stood up as a group once or twice and then headed out!

After graduation, my parents and I headed down to the Riverwalk for lunch and then a brief stop at the Alamo. It was really, really, really cold so we did a little Christmas shopping inside and out of the wind.

One step closer to getting to Walter Reed!

AMEDD FTX Part Two

The AMEDD FTX was a lot of fun. I had a great chance to see how our wounded soldiers get from the battle field to the Combat Support Hospitals (CSH). Many of us had an opportunity to be casualties and see first hand how the process works. While at the Level II facility I played the role of the nurse (a stretch for me, I know). I worked with LT Taylor who is a PA. He taught me a lot about the different injuries we saw and how we would treat them. He too was impressed with my knowledge of truama and my quick throught process of "what to do next". The following are random pictures from the week. Hope you enjoy!

Me holding too many weapons

A cold moring with the girls
Sometimes we actually do our job and secure the area
Our gas masks lined up for inspection before turning them in

LT Gabler ready for action

CPT Hulen skipping along during our road march

Transporting our patients

AMEDD FTX Part One

Let's discuss the weather here in TX. It is freezing as soon as the sun goes down and then amazingly nice in the middle of the day. We wake up each morning long before the sun comes up for breakfast and to get ready for whatever activity we have scheduled for the day. Under our ACU's we wear "sniffle gear". Most of us rely on polypro style sweaters and neck gators while some go all out and wear long underwear or their PT pants underneath our uniforms. Once we thaw out around lunch time we slowly remove the extra layers of clothing but do not put it away as we know that as soon as the sun goes down we will need them again. It is so nuts. I am not used to this extreme change in temperature everyday.

Along with the sudden changes in temperature, there is always the possibility of getting sick. One of the guys in my squad just returned form being placed on quarters due to strept throat. So guess what that means? I, along with a few others from my squad, are now sick as all heck. I went to the clinic on Friday and was placed on an antibiotic and a decongestant. So, this weekend I have slept, slept, and slept. My nose is running like crazy but at least on the weekends I am on post with my own shower and warm bed to snuggle in.

This week at "camp" we have been participating in the AMEDD FTX. We have been running through exercises learning about Level I and Level II medical treatment "facilities" and capabilites. It has been fun so far. Thursday I was assigned to an Ambulance Exchange Point (AXP). Nurses are not used at this level but it was fun to run through the drills anyway. Friday I was one of the two nurses (a huge stretch for me I know) assigned to the Level II facility. We did not actually treat the patients that came in as they were not really injured but we dicussed what we would have done if the injuries were real. I worked with LT Taylor who is a PA. He was impressed with what I knew and was also a huge help with his teaching as he explained aspects of what would have done that I did not understand. Nursing school does not really treach you a lot about true trauma medicine so I had fun working with LT Taylor using our logic and common sense to "treat" what we saw.

Monday when we return to "camp" to finish one last day of Level I and II training. We return to Ft Sam Houston Tuesday night. Wednesday we have our Class A uniform inspection. My jacket is not finished yet so I will have to get mine inpsected later, but when I get it I will be sure to put up a picture so you can all see what I look like as a "responsible, professional" nurse and officer. I will try to get some pictures up later this week so you can see what we have been doing at this FTX.

Meet Maive!

I am so slacking on exciting news. A friend from nursing school Erin McPhee and her husband Mike had a beautiful baby girl last month. Maive was born in October (I think it was the 10th). She sounds like she is an absolute bundle of joy and I am so excited for Mike and Erin. I cannot wait to get a chance to get back to SoCal and meet Maive!

Once again, federal holidays are amazing!!! Veteran's Day was celebrated this weekend and I celebrated with a four-day weekend! Julie, fellow Army RN, and I flew to DC to go apartment shopping in the Silver Spring, MD area. Julie met up with her husband Chris and I met up with my roommate LT Rebecca Spencer. On Friday the four of us looked at a few places but each found the ones we wanted on Saturday. Check out

http://www.montgomerywheaton.com to see where we are going to live. It is a new building in a nice area. We are both really excited!

Saturday night I got to hang out with my cousin Allison who lives and works in the Virgina/DC area. Sunday we met up with Rebecca in DC to see the sights. Don't you worry, it was cold and raining while we were in the city, but we still had fun checking out some museums.

As usual, Monday morning came too quickly forcing Julie and I to jump on a plane and head back to TX.

This week we are heading back out into the field at Camp Bullis for the AMEDD field training. I am not really sure what we will be doing but I am hoping that there will once again be some good opportunities for great pictures!

A Glimpse Into My Life

Here are some pictures to give you a fun glimpse into my life this past week at "CAMP". I will get up some stories soon.

The gas masks came in handy as the days passed...

With Captain Urso as we get "smoked" for someone misplacing their weapon.

Sunrise at the Camp Bullis FOB. (We had already been up for 2+ hours.)

I AM A STUD

Monday, October 23

Ah, Monday morning. We met outside our hotel at 0500 to load up on buses to head over to Camp Bullis. By 0700 we once again had M-16s strapped over our shoulders. At 0800 my platoon began M-9 training at the FOB. At 0930 we began grenade training. That was fun. We reviewed safety protocols and then teamed up to practice moving down range covering each other and then threw dummy grenades at our attackers. It was fun to actually practice what we talk about all week.
After lunch we went to a Leadership Challenge thing called the LDC. We broke down into groups of 10 and had to accomplish different tasks at different stations. We took turns being the leader and worked as a team to complete each task. We did not accomplish all of our tasks but we were successful at working as a team.
Immediately after dinner we had a quick briefing regarding mounted Land Navigation. They were preparing us for Tuesday’s exercise of climbing into the back of the trucks and taking turns getting from point A to point B. We also had a quick brief on how to use the Garmin GPS system that the Army uses. We were done by 1930 and had lights out at 2200. Early nights are my favorite.

Tuesday, October 24

Tuesday morning began with Combatives. So much fun!!! While the Army typically does not engage in hand-to-hand combat, it is the "Warrior Ethos" that they are trying to install into us. It is not so much of an actual fighting but more of an attempt to gain a dominant position. Today we learned the 4 basic dominant positions.
Following breakfast we broke down into three groups. One group went to the M-9 range to qualify, the second group loaded up into the trucks to complete the Mounted Land Nav, while the third went to the M-9 range to load magazines for the group that was firing.
Just before lunch, we went to the gas chamber. Yup, we went into a cinder block building with our gas masks on to learn how to trust them. Just before leaving the building we had to take them off and breathe in the gas. The gas causes your mucus membranes to freak out and as the gas touches your skin it burns. Needless to say, this was not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, it was not as bad as I had anticipated. Those who had been in before during previous training exercises had told us how bad it can be so I was expecting much worse than it was. The picture is of the actual taking off of the mask. The cloudiness of the image is due to the thickness of the gas in the room. It was nuts! But I survived.
Following the chamber and lunch it was my platoons turn to fire the M-9 at the range. I had never fired this weapon before and was a little nervous. My instructor was really nice and walked me through the safety procedures one more time. I did great! We had 30 targets and I shot 28 of them. I only received f=credit for 27 of them, but it was still good enough to qualify as expert.
That night following dinner we once again went out to the Land Nav course to complete the Night Land Nav exercise. We only had to find 2 of our points this time so I was done quickly. I was in bed at 2130. Again, early nights rock!

Wednesday, October 25

Wednesday began with more combatives. It is so much fun to learn how to defend yourself while rolling around in the mud. I worked with LT Gore who is prior service and pretty good at this. The rest of the day was spent learning about Convoy Operations. Statistics show that we lose so many of our soldiers while on convoy so our instructors were very strict about this training. The morning and first part of the afternoon were spent in briefings learning about how to lead a convoy and how to act as a team player during the convoy. The second part of the afternoon was spent rehearsing with our trucks the 6 different battle drills. We rehearsed what to do if we receive enemy fire, if we were to receive casualties, if a truck broke down, or if we dicovered an IED along the road. It was rough for all as our Convoy Commander micromanaged us throughout each step preventing us from practicing with our teams. We all went to bed that evening feeling a bit unprepared.

Thursday, October 26

Thursday again began with combatives. We began to incorporate the different steps we had been leaning so far. It had rained the night before so we spent that morning rolling around in the mud. We got so stinking filthy. Our backs were covered in mud. The icing on the cake was when I was running through the drills with Lt Gore and I rolled right onto a Fire Ant hill. Yup, it felt great!!!! I ripped my blouse off so quickly and began picking ants off of me.
The rest of the morning was spent with final rehersals for the actual convoy. After lunch the convoy began. We received fire between our first and second check point but drove right through it as practiced. We later were hit with a pretend RPG and small arms fire. We sustained 4 casualties and one of our trucks "broke down". We had to secure the area, get our casualties out, and get our broken truck out. It did not go very smoothly as people tried to put themselves in charge of the situation instead of listening to our convoy commander and truck commanders. Once we convinced the rest to follow orders and not do their own thing we got out. At our flaoating rally point we set up for a Medevac before having a review with our instructors. The review did not go so well, but we learned a lot which was the point of this. We later found an IED on the road and practiced how to secure the area and such. On our last leg of the convoy our instructors wanted us to switch leadership. They asked for a volunteer to be the Convoy Commander and the crowd went silent!!! No one spoke up. So what did I do? Of course, I said I would do it. On the drive back to the FOB truck 7 was hit with an IED and small arms fire. That truck was disabled and Truck 8 went into the kill zone to secure the area. I called on the radio to send truck 1 back to offer fire support. Truck 5 and 6 were sent to get the casualties out and tow the broken truck out. We finally got everyone loaded up again and then went to another floating rally point to call for a Medevac. Once we got to an open field we again set up for a helicopter. As the acting Convoy Commander I called the ACE, SALUTE, and 9-Line Medevac reports before the instructors called for a review. The instructors were very impressed how we as a group had taken what they had told us before and put it into action. They were also very impressed with how well I had communicated to all 8 trucks with only 3 radios and hand signals. And don't you worry, I managed to lie down on another fireant hill before becoming Covoy Commander. Yes, I am that talented!
Before we were allowed to call it a night we had to "field clean" our M-16s to turn them in on Friday. We have not yet been taught how to clean this weapon so it was fun to be creative.

Friday, October 27

Friday is our favorite day as it is the day we go back to Fort Sam Houston and our showers! But before we could go home or eat breakfast we had a 4-mile road march with our Ruc-Sacs loaded with specifics they had asked for. We averaged 15:15 per mile. After breakfast those of us who had not yet completed Mounted Land Nav earlier in the week because we were loading magazines had to complete it then. Huge perk! Those who were not doing mounted Land Nav or retesting for regular Land Nav were sent on FOB recovery. Filling sand bags and reinforcing our pretend bunkers in the hot sun. I sat in the shade for an hour while waiting for the Humvee to come back to pick up the next group of us and them spent a little over an hour in the back of the truck completing the land nav. When we got back it was time to load buses and head back to Fort Sam. Such an easy week compared to the previous!

Weekends Rock!

Upon return from Camp Bollis the hot water in the hotel we are staying in did not last long. There were over 200 of us taking showers at the same time on Friday evening. From the moment we returned from Camp it was a battle to get your clothes into a washer. We all needed to wash our uniforms. It was crazy. Thankfully I was able to get mine early as a friend came by my room as he was pulling his stuff out of a washer. Very convenient. The pic (sorry it is turned again) is what my entrance looked like when I first got back as I raced to get my clothes to a washer.

Saturday was spent hanging out with friends and running errands in town. Because the mornings had been so cold many of us needed to get some cold weather clothing to go under the uniforms. Off to the surplus store we went. I am hoping that I am much better prepared for this next week.

Sunday was spent packing and hanging out with friends. A laid back weekend is just what the doctor ordered. A few member of my platoon have come down with a nasty cold of sorts and are already dreading this upcoming week. One in particular may not make it for the first few days. I really hope she feels better so she can complete all her training with us.

Monday, October 16

We met in formation at 0500 to get on buses and head out to Camp Bollis. And no, this was not like camp when we were kids. As soon as we arrived at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) we unloaded our duffels into our tents. We were divided by Platoon and gender in the tents. We slept 30ish girls in our tent. Our FOB had no showers and had roughly 20-25 port-a-potties. Yup, baby wipe baths for a week!

Once our duffels were unloaded we were each issued an M-16 that was to be our buddy for the week. We slept with , ate with, trained with, and went to the latrine with that weapon. It was crazy! One more thing to carry over our shoulder. When we had all received our weapons we began classes at 0830. We had classes on how to take apart and rebuild our M-16s and then perform a functions test on it to be sure it would be functional when fired. With all the practice we had throughout the week I was able to do this in 2.5 minutes. Our second class was the same but with an M-9 pistol. I could do that one that morning in 34 seconds. The two other classes before lunch were regarding putting together our radios and using them with the final class teaching us how to request a MEDEVAC via the radio.

Following lunch we received training regarding Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) gear. We were issued our masks and practiced putting them on in under 9 seconds and the rest of the MOP gear under 8 minutes. (Sorry the pics is not upright.) It was so stinking hot that afternoon and those suits are super heavy.

Just before dinner we set up our tents. After dinner we had 4 more classes to attend. We finished at 2100 and had lights out at 2200 with the next mornings formation to occur at 0600.

Tuesday, October 17

Up before the sun once again. We were up with the 0530 wake-up call and in formation at 0600. As an entire Company we road marched in our Platoons for 3 miles averaging 16 minutes a mile. That may seem slow, but with all of our gear on our backs and our weapons at the ready, it was a long walk.

We returned back to the FOB for a hot breakfast followed by a "Walk the Dog" of the Land Navigation Course. We spent 4 hours walking to different point on the course to familiarize us as to how we would be tested on the exercise. To pass this exercise we were expected to walk successfully walk to 3 of our 4 points in a three hour period. To find the points we are given an eight digit grid cordinate, a compass, a map, and a protractor. During the walk the dog of the course, Captian Hurd who lead my squad on this gave us the coordinates to the furthest parts of the course. We walked another 3-4 miles with Captian Hurd. Wow did my feet hurt!!!

Following our MREs for lunch (see thepic) we had five 40-minute course regarding Basic Rifle Marksmanship. The afternoon courses are held under the cover of trees which help keep us from falling over from the heat.

Dinner was a hot meal which was followed by mandatory study hall. During this study hall we had time to review our M-16s, M9s, radio building, and calling for a MEDEVAC all of which were to be tested later that week. Study hall ended about 2030 and lights out was at 2200.

That night 3rd Platoon was assigned CQ duty. We were responsible to cover the office for the night including the phone and the radio. We decided that the girls would be responsible this week so we set up a schedule to have two girls at a time sit in the office switching every hour. I was assigned the 0500-0600 shift on Wednesday moring with CPT Urso. During our shift we were responsible for a the radio check and to perform the wake up call. I was assigned the wake up call so I had to walk around to all 10 tents and announce the 0530 time and that this was the wake-up call. Let's just say that this made Wednesday a little longer.

Wednesday, October 18

Wednesday started with the wonderful 0530 wake-up call followed by a hot breakfast at 0600. At 0745 we were scheduled to begin our testing for the Land Navigation (Land Nav). However, because an Unexploded Ordinance had been found on the course on Tuesday our instructors were forced to postpone the test until that afternoon. So our morning began with classes held under the trees which consided of ITT. What that consists of is us crawling on the ground. Up that is me in that pic performing the "Low Crawl". I am not going to lie, it is really difficult. We did not have to go far, but it is really trying.

After lunch the temperature rose to the upper 90s/low 100s. At 1300 we began the prep for the Land Nav test. Our instrictors reviewed the rules with us and then handed out our 8-digit grid points. We had four pointson our list and we had to find three of the to pass. This was an individual exercise but half of us were out on the course at a time. We stepped out of the Forward Operation Base (FOB) on to the course with 3 hours to come back. I do not think I can express how HOT is was. We were each issued a whistle in case of emergency and had instrictors positioned throughout the course in case something happened. Well, a few people had to use their whistle as they were at the point of passing out from the heat and being dehydrated. Upon returning to the FOB we were allowed to head back to our tents and cool off in the A/C. My uniform was soaking wet from sweat. While on the course we still had all of our gear on our backs including our weapon and our gas masks. It was so difficult. Climbing the hills to get to our points was such a struggle. I thought I was going to pass out on the way to my second point and then again on the way back to the FOB following finding my final point. It was ridiculously hot!!! I returned with an hour to spare so I had plenty of time to cool off and change in the tent. While I was cooling off others were still returning from the course. As we returned we had to check in and then get our points checked. While in line people began to fall out like dominos. Yup, people were literally falling out of the line as they passed out from being too hot. It was nuts! We had 20-25 heat casualties. We had two in my tent. I was then assigned to take care of them the rest of the evening. I felt to bad for them. They were miserable even after the IV fluids they received. Most everyone was better but still slow the following morning. (By the way, I passed!) My points were: NH 38518306 (start point), NH39768303, NH40488265, NH39108271, and NH38748257.

That evening after the hot diner was again spent reviewing the M16, M9, and such with lights out at 2200.

Thursday, October 19

Yup, up again at 0530. A hot breakfast at 0600 and then my platoon hopped on a couple trucks called a Duece and a Half. I am assuming that the name refers to the weight of the vehicle. They are huge trucks. I have never had to climb into a truck like that, so tall. Think of the stereptypical Army truck to move troops and that is the truck that I am talking about.

The trucks dropped us off at the firing range where we shot our M-16s for the first time. We were learning how to "zero" our weapons. It was so, so, so, so cold. The wind was blowing so hard that we had to postpone the actual process of zeriong. There were no trees around to block the wind so we received the brunt of it. We were so cold that we all eventually had to put on our rain gear to block the wind. It was crazy! I was not very good at zeroing. I was able to finally zero, but it took 10 magazines of three shots each.

After lunch we went across the street to be tested on our M-16 and M-9 skills along with our radio skills. My 9-line sounded like "Dustoff 3A this is Animal 6. I have a MEDEVAC. Over." (waited for a response) "Line 1 - HG 23497452, Line 2 - 60 point 25 break Animal 6, Line 3 - A2 break D2, Line 4 - A, Line 5 - L1 and A3, Line 6 - P, Line 7 - A, Line 8 - C, Over." Get any of that? Don't worry, very few do. I successfully passed all four of my tests that afternoon. (I like passing all these tests.)

Here is the kicker of Thursday. Remember back to Monday's post when I discussed the relationship we were supposed to have with our M-16s? We eat with it, sleep with it, and take it to the latrine with us. Two students accidentally switched weapons when they left their tent in the morning. On a regular day that would not have mattered but since we were actually firing our weapons, the accountability was extremely important. So this one girl could not find her weapon. We had repeated searches of our weapons while at the range. The weapon was finally located back at the FOB with her bunkmate. Upon our return to the FOB Major Dolin wanted to be sure that understood how important this really was. So he had CPT Teters "smoke" us with a "half-right, face". (We turn right and do way to many push-ups in cadence very slowly on a rocky surface in full gear with our weapon on our hands.)

Following dinner we had a brief FOB improvement of spreading out some rocks before heading for bed with lights out at 2200.

If you are heading to OBC, DO NOT LOSE YOUR WEAPON!!! MEMORIZE THE SERIAL NUMBER OF YOUR WEAPON!!!

Friday, October 20

The last day of the week! Up with the 0530 wake-up call and at breakfast at 0600. We again loaded up on the Duece and a halves to head to a different firing range. This range had pop up targets.

Before I got to try my hand at the range I went with my platoon to pass the NBC testing. We had to put on our masks in under 9 seconds and then all of our MOP gear in under 8 minutes. Thankfully it was a chilly morning so putting on all the gear felt good. We finished very quickly so we had an little over an hour to eat lunch.

At 1100 my Platoon marched over to the range to qualify with our M-16s. We were given two magazines with 20 rounds in each. One clip was for when we stood in the foxhole and the other was for the unsupported prone position. My friend LT Gillespe was my spotter and he was great. He kept me calm and talked me through the process of what was about to happen. I shot a 28 and hit the 300-meter target twice. I know that that score is not the greatest, but I qualified and hit a target twice that so many did not even try for. I was stoked.

Just after we finished cleaning up the range the trucks had left to bring back the first group of students. So we had about 45 minutes to kill. (See pic.) Needless to say we found ways to kill the time.

Upon retrun to the Forward Operatng Baes (FOB) we returned our weapons and began to clean up the camp. We were so excited to board the buses at 1700 to head back to Fort Sam Houston. We finished all our briefings by 1830 and I was in my shower by 1840. That shower felt so great!!!

We have the weekend off and are preparing to go right back out Monday morning to do this all over again.

Off to Camp

I packed my Army-issued duffel and my Army-issued ALICE pack and am ready for camp! We have a meeting this evening to load our gear onto a U-Haul-ish truck as we will be leaving Ft. Sam Houston at 0500 Monday morning. We are heading for Camp Bollis which I was told is about a half hour drive away. We will be loaded onto buses with our LBEs (suspenders with belt that has cantens and such attached) and Kevlar (heavy bullet-proof helmets) before daybreak. While at camp we will "qualify" for our weapons, learn how to navigate our way form point A to point B, stand the gas chamber, and many other "fun" activities.

Anyone checked the weather lately for the San Antonio area? Well, if you haven't allow me to update you. It is supposed to rain. Yup, we are going to get soaked. I have packed my gear as if I was going canoe camping. Trash bags and Ziploc bags are holding all of my gear inside of my bags. I hope the rain only lasts for a day or so.

Hey APUers! Is it time for midterms yet? If so, GOOD LUCK!!!

Run Forrest Run

With wind blowing between 15 and 20 mph and a temperature of 56 degrees this morning before sunrise, I passed my PT test!!!

The three high points:
1) no more worries about not passing
2) can sleep in two days a week as I will only have to report three days a week for PT
3) it remains easy for me to ask for passes to leave the area on weekends

Yeah for no more PT tests while in TX!

I want tomorrow morning to pass quickly

Tomorrow we have our first PT (Physical Training) test. We are meeting at a glorious 0515 for morning formation (fancy method of roll call). The push-ups begin promptly following the raising of the colors (0535). Following the push-ups (I only have to do 17!) we will have a ten minute break and then will begin the sit-ups (only have to do 50!). We will have another 10 minute break and then hit the track for the 2-mile run. I have to be under 19:37. Thankfully I am can easily finish in about 18:00. The down side is that we are expecting rain. The only thing that could postpone the test would be lightening. So, we are planning on looking like the old army movies as we do our push-ups and sit-ups in the rain and mud in our shorts and t-shirts. It will be great. I am really looking forward to getting this over with.

Today our new student leadership was announced. We change these positions every two weeks. I have been chosen to be my squad leader. Usually this is a cake position as all we do is go to class. But for the next two weeks we will be at Camp Bollis sleeping in tents, qualifying on the M16 and M9, working on our mounted and dismounted land navigation skills, learning how to storm a building like the SWAT teams, and so much more. And the squad leaders are supposed to know what they are doing. HA! Let's just say that this will be an adventure (and it is supposed to rain off and on all next week). It is going to be hard, but I cannot wait to get there and learn how to be a soldier. Oh, and today we were issued our NBC (nuclear, biologic, chemical) gear. Yup, I will be walking into a brick building with a gas mask on and then be required to take it off and breathe in the fumes while performing specific tasks before being able to leave. I am hoping I can have one of our instructors take pictures of me while I do this so I can show people how sick I will probably come out.

A taste of my past

Just before leaving for TX I had an opportunity to see my childhood best friend. I met Scott in Pre-School. We both lived on Mockingbird Ct. in Novato. Scott and I were always hanging out. I have such fond memories from Novato and Scott is in most of them. I moved to Walnut Creek just before third grade. We stayed in touch via snail mail (see I do remember life before computers and the internet) through Jr. High and then lost touch. He is working for his father's business as a Supervisor. His current job is one that my Dad's business is working as the Geotechnical Engineer for so I got to go to work with my Dad one day and see Scott. It was a short visit as Scott was on the clock, but it was great to see him agian. Randomly throughout the conversation we both kept bringing up the fact that we have grown up and now have real jobs. It was weird to realize this as I looked into the face of my childhood best friend, but it was fun to realize too. What a great guy!!

Act as if it is not raining

Well, the heat has finally left us. It rained all morning and a good chunk of the afternoon on Tuesday. Our classrooms are a 1/2 mile walk from the "D-Fac" (dining facility) and we are instructed to "act as if it is not raining". What does that mean? It means no umbrellas. Our issued rain gear is acceptable but since we are going to the field next week all of our gear is packed. So, we walked in the rain. Not like a light drizzle but similar to the CA rains those of last year. You know, the really hard rains. The roads were like SoCals, flooded. There is no drainage here. It is crazy.

Tomorrow is our final day to prep for the field as we will have to load all of our gear onto some trucks Friday afternoon immediately following class. These next few days before the field will be spent finishing some homework and preparing for some presentations that are due while we are away and right when we get back.

I am hoping to be able to get some cool pictures while out in the field. In caes you were wondering, we will be at Camp Bollis. I am sure you could Google Earth if to see where we will be.

Columbus Rocks!

Federal holidays are amazing! Because Monday is Columbus Day we have the day off! Even better, we were given Friday as a "training day off". Translation, I am in the middle of a FOUR-DAY WEEKEND! Can you guess how stoked I am?!?

This past week was fun. One of my favorite parts was getting to put all of our gear together for our trip to the field in a week. We had to put together our packs and helmets. I had no idea how to do everything neither did the girls I hangout with it so the boys helped us out. We ordered pizza and hungout in the 2nd floor lobby and had a few good laughs at each other. Everyone seemed to have a good time. (That is Cpt. Todd Hulen helping to put together a pack.)

So far this weekend we have been pretty low key. We went out to lunch at the Rainforest Cafe on the Riverwalk. I had never eaten at one and I loved it! What a fun environment. (Although I would never be able to work there as it could very quickly become too overwhelming.) Later that night we went to see "The Departed". Martin Scorsese is brilliant but there was a little more violence and usage of the "F-Bomb" than I was expeting. Today we went to the Colmo River and "tubed". It was great. An hour and a half of floating down a river with good conversation with friends was a great way to start the day.

And to answer a popular question...no, I am not yet tired of wearing the same thing everyday. It is actually nice not to have to think about what to wear or what to do with my hair (you know, ponytail or ponytail).

A week from now we will be in the field at Camp Bolis. I cannot wait. It will be very different and difficult, but I am very excited to play "soldier".

Hey APU SONers! I would love to answer any questions you have. Look me up in the Cougar's Den E-mail system as I should still be there.

Thursday Morning

This morning we reported for PT at 0500 for a Battalion Run. The 187th ran together in our companies for 2 miles. Thankfully I am getting better and am able to stay in formaiton but I am amazed as to how many people cannot. For most I think it is a mental game that they are losing and for others they are simply not in shape nor are they making any effort to improve.

This week has been lecture after lecture. We begin at 0830 and finish at 1500. Each lecture or briefing is 50 minutes long. Yesterday we covered things like convoy operations, military operations on urban terrain (MOUT), and writing orders. There is so much information that I have yet to grasp. We have a four day weekend in "honor" of Mr. Columbus and I am sure that some of that time will be spent reviewing what was covered this week.

Next Friday, 13OCT is our PT test. A 2-mile run with push-ups and sit-ups. Newly promoted Lt. Col Bohlin, who is our nursing advisor, has challenged the nurse corp (all 141 of us) to pass the test the first time. I hope and pray that we can all pass.

The picture is of what we wear to PT each morning. The yellow belt is a super-duper refelctive belt. We are asked to wear it when we run on our own as well. Our shorts have the reflective ARMY and our t-shirts have some relfective quality too.

Class has begun

Today was our first day of real class. Our day began at 0515 with PT (a run and pull-ups). Following PT we spent the morning receiving more briefings in the main auditorium as an entire class. Following lunch we broke up into our platoons and went to class to meet our instructors. Today's class was a formal introduction to our instructors and a lecture on Army Customs and Traditions. A little on the boring side as we have figured it out by now but it was good to finally hear.

Following the class time the entire class was sent to the NCO Club to a reception hosted by the Commanding General of Ft. Sam Houston. He was a very nice man who seems to really like his job. While at the reception the students were encouraged to mingle with the Colonels and Majors in our specific field. It was great. I spent some time with Major Bohlin who is incharge of the Nurse training here at Ft. Sam. He too is a great guy who really seems to like his job. Once we finish OBC at the end of November we will then spend 2 weeks under his direct supervision taking classes such as our Trauma Nurse Core Class and spending 3 more days in the field learning about field medicine. It was fun to stand around in this hall with a lot of really high ranking people and for them to take an interest in us as students. It was great! The day finally ended at 1930.

Completion of the first week

Thursday we were issued our TA-50. (I had no idea either.) It is all the equipment that we will need to have when we go to Camp Bliss for our field training. Everything fit into those huge packs that you see in the truck. Thankfully Cpt Hulen drove his truck over to the CIF where we received our gear so we did not have to walk it back to our lodging facility. It is not really far away but it would not have been fun to walk all the gear back in the heat and humidity.

Friday morning was our first Alpha Company run. Our First Sergent called it the OBC-500 Fun Run. We only ran about a mile and a half with cadences but it was hard for some. Thankfully I have been running a bit with friends so it was not really that bad. I have never run with the cadences before so it was kind of fun. Towards the end one girl began to fake an asthma attack which really frustrated a lot of us. She too is a direct commission and I don't think anyone told her like they told many of us that you can be medically discharged for asthma. I hope she finds out soon and does not continue to cry wolf like that.

My formal welcome to military life happened Friday before we were dismissed for the weekend. Our Company Commander Cpt Wade pulled us all together to remind us to be safe and to travel in groups at all times. He then proceded to remind all the married folks that they were married and he expeccted them to remain that way while at Ft. Sam. He then reminded all of us that are single to be "safe" and make sure that whomever we are with is not an enlisted member of the military as that is super against the rules. He shared with us that he would have no problem ruining our career if he found out we were disresepcting the uniform that we wear.

Last night there was a BBQ behind our lodging building (known as 1384). Cpt Boseski and I went for an hour to go meet some more people. It was interesting to hang out with people that were on the road to get drunk. Some already were drunk when we got there and others were gettign very close. After spending the past three years at a religious school and a religious camp in the summer this is a little different than what I am used to. I met a fellow RN from CA (Melanie I think) who took her NCLEX with Michelle Siemens up in NorCal. Such a small world.

Well today we are off to hang out in San Antonio. We are hoping ot hit the museums and the zoo during the next few weekends to get a taste of the history here. Hope you all have a great weekend!

First Salute as a 2LT

Today was a few firsts. It was my first formal morning of physical training (PT) with my company and platoon. It was a light morning with most time spent teaching us direct commissions how everything works. It was light but still a good workout.

Following the workout we all returned to our rooms to clean up and put on our Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs) for the first time for most of us as Officers. Walking to class I was saluted for the first time as a Second Lieutenant. It was an amazing feeling. Throughout the day I saluted my superiors and was saluted by the Enlisted members of the Army. It was amazing but weird at the same time. Because I have no prior service and personally have not done anything to earn the resepct I receive it will take a while to get used to. It is amazing to be a part of such an important aspect of our freedom here in the United States.

Today's breifings were the standard seminars that you would have to get anywhere you worked. We were formally welcomed by our Brigade Commander who is a Colonel. He was very business-like but also very polite. Following lunch we had a briefing regarding spying and espianage. Just remember that loose lips sink ships!

Tomorrow is a later start as we do not report until 0730 to get our gear checked out to us for field training. It is not happening for a few weeks, but since the next few weeks will be spent in the classroom this is the best time for it.

The picture is of some of the girls I hangout with. Second Lieutenants Scott and Baumann and Captain Boseski. It is fun to get to train with people from so many different career backgrounds and career ambitions. While there are aspects that are not easy, we all seem to be having a good time.

Briefing Break

A glimpse of a break in between briefings today. I sat with 2LTs Gillespe and Bodily and CPT Hulen. They are all prior service and have been teaching me a lot. Especially in regards to simple customs and traditions.

Hey Anita

So, because it was my first day in a real uniform with rank and all I thought it would be fun to give you a shout. I wore some of John's socks under my uniform ones. Yes, you came with today!

First Few Days

Today was our first formal day of training. There are over 200 officers in this course ranging in specialties from medicine, to nursing, to piloting helicopters, physical therapy...there are so many different professions here. Nursing seems to be that largest as there are over 140 of us. I have met a few that will be at Walter Reed with me in January and we have hit it off.

Yesterday I was ordered to appear on base at 1pm to sign in. And literally that is all that we did. We signed in and got our lodging rooms. Yup, that was it! Since we had time off, Heather and I invited some new friends out to dinner. We went to the Crackel Barrel. It was hilarious! That place cracked me up!!!! I think the North Carolina Burdines took my family to one of those once as it looked a little familiar, but I was still giggling at the little gift store in front.

Today we reported at 0430. If you don't speak military, that is 4:30 AM. Yup, that early in the morning. We in-processed all day (dental exams, immunization updates, HIV test updates, DNA updates, and much more). The group that I seem to be hanging out with finished at 5:30pm and headed off for dinner. Before ending the evening with a 2-mile run we all set up our internet in our rooms.

I am sure that I will get questions about the food, so I will address that now. Surprisingly the food is pretty good. There is a decent selection of healthy and not-so-healthy foods to chose from. Soups and salads are always available (which is a big hit with the nurses). And yes, there is an all-you-can-eat soft serve ice ceam machine with three or four flavors. The enlisted guys come back to their tables with huge bowls of it as they have physical training everyday and can afford the calories.

October 13ish is my physical training (PT) test. It consists of a 2-mile run, 2 minutes of push-ups, and 2-minutes of sit-ups. The only aspect that I am not looking forward to is the 2-mile run as I will have to complete it in a specific time.

As requested by some here is my mailing address while here (I will be here until Dec 14)

Elizabeth Hultgren, 2LT
2250 Stanley Rd. Unit 93
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6401

Here in San Antonio

Well, I made it safely to San Antonio. My dad, who drove over with me, flew back to CA last evening. The drive was long and thankfully uneventful. We spent Friday night in Kerrville which is about an hour outside of San Antonio. We went to a charming ampitheatre that night and saw A Streetcar Named Desire on stage. It was great. I had never seen and did not really know the story line but I really liked it. The actors were great. If you get a chance to see it you should.

I spent last night at my friend Heather's house. She graduated from BIOLA with a BSN. She will be stationed here at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) following OBC so she was required to get here a week of so ago to set up housing. She has a great apartment really close to the base. And she has a yet-to-be-named cat. Any suggestions? Heather and I will be in OBC together which I am leaving for OBC in about an hour. Wow, only an hour left of freedom. Well, it was fun while it lasted!

Leaving California

Well, the time has come to leave my beloved California in search of my future. I am about to spend my last night in CA as a resident. Tomorrow I will jump on Interstate 10 and head east. It is no longer "Go West Young Man" but rather "Go East Young Soldier". I have had a great time in the LA area hanging out with friends. (Holly you are fabulous!) It was a great way to spend my last few days of freedom before facing my new reality.

I cannot wait to get to TX and begin this new chapter in my life. After talking with a few different Army Officers I am still a little clueless as to what truly lies ahead of me but excited to go. The only thing that I am sure of is that there will be a lot of running, push-ups, and sit-ups involved. I am excited to keep you updated on what I am about to do. Don't be a stranger. Email me and let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear it.

Second Lieutenant

This evening, in front of friends and family I took the Oath of Office to offically become an Officer in the United States Army. Friends and family came over to my parent's house in the San Francisco Bay Area to witness the start of a new chapter in my life. We celebrated with a BBQ dinner and amazing conversation.

The Oath: "I, (Beth), having been appointed a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army under the conditions indicated in this document, do accept such appointment and do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."

Tomorrow, I leave for the Los Angeles area to hang out with some friends before leaving for San Antonio on Thursday. I have been waiting for this to happen, and it is finally here!

I put up a few more pictures on the myspace page. Take a look! www.myspace.com/bhultgren

Camping with my doggie!

Before leaving for the Army, I went camping with a friend from home. Adrienne and I have known each other since were little kids. We had talked about taking our dogs canoe camping for the last year. We finally found a few days in which we were both free and could go.

We drove up to Utica Resevior by Bear Valley Ski Resort on Labor Day arriving as everyone else was leaving to back to the "real world". We loaded up our gear and our dogs and then paddled out to a little island. The island was surrounded by trees with a large open patch in the middle. We let the dogs run around while we set up camp.

The second day was spent talking, reading, paddling, and swimming under the gorgeous sunny sky. Other paddlers came by to eat on the island throughout the day.

My dog Blake, the Cocker Spaniel, loves camping! He thinks it is the greatest thing since he gets to run around off leash all day and then snuggle next to me in the tent at night. Lucy, Adrienne's dog, was a little new at the camping thing. She did eventually learn that it is better to be in the canoe than swimming next to it. Lucy was not really into sleeping in the tent and ended up sleeping just outside of the tent.

All in all, it was a great chance to get out of the city and enjoy time with Adrienne before we both head out in the real world.

An Officer and a Nurse

Hello friends and family! Yes, the rumors are true. I am an Officer in the United States Army and a Registered Nurse in the wonderful State of California!

Allow me to elaborate on my answer to the famous "what are you doing after college" question. I am preparing to leave the San Francisco Bay Area and move to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX for 10 weeks of Officer Basic Course (OBC). Upon arrival at Ft. Sam I will formally be known as Second Lieutenant (2LT) Beth. Strange, I know! While at OBC I will be taking courses introducing me to the Army and its customs, spending four weeks getting "infantry trained", and taking leadership courses. Prior to graduating from OBC in mid-December I will also be required to take a course known as Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC). Every nurse in the Army is required to complete this course as we are all eligible for deployment at all times.

Once I graduate from OBC I will be moving to Maryland as I will be stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. I am to report for duty on January 2, 2007. While at Walter Reed, I will be living with former Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing classmate (and soon to also be a Second Lieutenant) Rebecca Spencer. Yes, I am aware that December/January is not the best time for a California girl to be moving to the East Coast, but it is what Uncle Sam has "requested" me to do, so I will do it. My orders have me at Walter Reed until September of 2009 at which point I will either leave the Army or remain on the active duty roster and work my way towards getting my Master's Degree.

The photo is from my informal commissioning as a 2LT at Azusa Pacific University following being "pinned" as a graduate nurse on May 5, 2006. Captian Warren Stewart a fellow Army Nurse is leading me through the Oath of Office in which I promise to "defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States".

You can also find me on MySpace if you so choose. It is a little less formal but there are and will be more pictures available on that site. Give me until October before you start looking for current pictures. http://www.myspace.com/bhultgren