Kelly's amusing day at work. (Seriously)

[piplover]

Well, today was actually quite and interesting day. It began with a 3 am wake-up call, letting me know that formation had been moved from 630 to 400 and that I had better be there 10 minutes prior. I just came from Korea, where this happens all the time, so I just jumped in the shower, dressed, ate, and got there about 20 minutes early, just to be on the safe side. And the gate to the motor pool was locked.
We sat around talking and being silly, and then had formation at aproximately the right time. 430.
Then we sat around some more, moved some vehicles from one spot to another, and then sat. Then the convoy started. At 730.
By now, you might think I would be grumpy, but I was actually having a good time. Like I said, I like convoys, even if you have to put up with a lot of b.s. to get them moving.
The first serial started out, then my serial about 15 minutes later. And this was the funny part. I don't think we managed to get above 30mph until about 20 miles down the highway. Where the speed limit was 65. The poor civilians driving past us must have hated us!
So, at 50 miles later, we go to our turn-around spot and a giant semi hauling cars pulls right out in front of us, running a stopsign and everything.
And then he stopped. Right in the middle of our convoy. With about seven of our vehicles still in the middle of the highway!
I think I started laughing at that point.
Then we finally got back to the motor pool, and I was sent to drive in the third serial.
Let it be known that at this point, almost all of the drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel on the highway. Me included. Something about the CO2 level in the vehicles and the hum of the motors, and vibrations, just makes a person sleepy. That and most of us only got about 3 hours of sleep.
The third serial went even slower than the first! Lucky for us we only went about 60 miles. Then had to wait 10 minutes for fuel when we got back. Then had to move to a different fuel spot. Then were told that we couldn't get fuel there. Then put all the vehicles, without fuel, back on line.
For those of you who stuck this account out, sorry it was so long, but today was just one of those days where you have to laugh. Like I said, it was amusing, and all in all showed me just how much we have to learn before we get deployed. That is NOT and amusing thought.
But 30? On the highway?

Comments

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

My last Air National Guard unit was a combat communications squadron so we convoyed on a fairly regular basis. At least twice a year the whole squadron would be on the move, once to go to our deployment site and then back, and individuals might get tapped to drive two or three times a year besides that. Since I learned to drive a stickshift in a deuce-and-a-half, you can bet I preferred the five tons. It's really mortifying to be stuck halfway up the Bourne Bridge (which leads to Cape Cod) because every time you try to get into first gear the truck and the tow start rolling back into the summer tourist traffic.

It always takes a while to get a convoy up to speed, because if you're doing it right, you're checking your speed to the person behind you, and the last truck always seems to be the truck with the problems. I hope you guys had your flashers on when you were under the minimum speed limit!

If your unit isn't used to convoys, maybe no one's told you that on the interstate the roadside markers are set at the right distance apart for convoys to travel. The interstates were built for the US military, and that one little feature has managed to survive fifty years of mucking about.

The most interesting convoy I was ever in was driving back from Cape Cod in a blizzard. You would not believe what the civilians pulled. Damn near white out conditions, we've got five people piled in the cab of the 5ton, because it's too cold for anyone to ride in the back, and all five of us are watching the road like hawks because the driver can only see one side and the guy on the passenger window is keeping us from going off the road. And the civvies are passing us! And when they've managed to get far enough in front of us, they see that the truck in front has left a slightly clearer pair of wheeltracks so the bobos bring themselves over into our lane, so close in front of the truck that we literally can't see their cars over the hood of the 5ton until they inch forward a little. By the time we got back to our unit, not one of us could get out of the truck without help because our knees had gone to goo.

[marigoldg.livejournal.com]

My poor baby sister!! I so admire you, I hope that you know that : )