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A day of training
There's really no average day of training at Missisippi's Camp Shelby, said Sgt. Matt Dunlap, of Lovettsville, who with 120 or so soldiers from the Virginia National Army Guard's C Company out of Leesburg left June 26 for training.The company was deployed to Iraq earlier this week.
For these soldiers, days at camp started between 4 and 5 a.m. with physical training, and ended at 6 p.m.
Indoor classes were held during the heat's peak hours, between noon and 3 p.m.
Long days ended at 9 or 10 p.m.
Mississippi's climate in mid-summer offers tremendous heat and humidity. The average temperature is in the high 80s, low 90s. But temperatures can reach the 100s.
"The temperature is a lot hotter and definitely the humidity is a lot worse," said Dunlap.
Pre-deployment training can last between two and four months.
During the early stages of camp, soldiers faced individual training such as weapon operations. As their time at Camp Shelby continued, they began team building, focusing on the tasks they will perform in Iraq.
"There are some days that are very, very intensive," said Lt. Col. John Epperly, who oversaw his soldiers' training at the camp.
For C Company, which will be moving supplies between bases in Iraq -- serving as convoy escorts and security -- this meant "mounted combat control training," Epperly said.
He said the soldiers were put onto transportation vehicles, like Hummers, and simulated the conditions of transporting supplies between bases.
They were fired on and attacked, said Epperly.
During the rough days, "They're not getting a lot of sleep and their stressed."
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