Thursday July 20, 2006

Well the first blog yesterday went pretty well so lets see what we come up with today. It is still blazing hot here in the Midwest. The current temperature as I write this is 104.6 degrees. But, finally this stretch of hot weather is supposed to break tonight and a high of only 88 is forecast tomorrow. That will seem almost early-spring like.

Was out on my walk much earlier this morning and it was a quite pleasant four miles. I have nothing out of the ordinary planned for today. It will be a total stay at home day, I hope.

I thought it might be fun to include a favorite link each day: http://www.sosuanews.com/.

This is my favorite link for keeping up with news in Sosua (my home in the Dominican Republic). I enjoy reading this site when I am back here in the states. There is quite a lot of useful information on this site to include, current Sosua happenings, information on the weather, other useful links, pictures of the area, current popular music being played and many more things of interest.

Today’s blog will be mostly about Matthew’s military experience to date and what is coming up in his future.

After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Matt was assigned to Readiness School at Fort Leonard Wood. He will be training here, close to home, until mid-October.

I have copied the following information which explains what being a Readiness Apprentice is all about.

(From the Air Force site)

Readiness Apprentice:

As a Readiness Apprentice, you will be responsible for your base’s ability to withstand and recover from an attack during wartime and natural disasters during peacetime.

Responsibilities include writing and implementing the plans to be used by members of your unit to react to attacks, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and any other calamities that might strike. Training exercises and disaster simulations designed to test your unit’s ability to respond are also examples of the Readiness Apprentice’s duties. In the event of an actual attack or natural disaster, it is your duty to man and operate the Mobile Command Post to keep the base functioning by relaying vital information on the condition and status of the base and its mission capability. As the title implies, a Readiness Apprentice must ensure that the base is ready for anything that may diminish its ability to defend our country.

All Air Force career fields are based on qualifications and job availability.

Tech Schools:Ft. Leonard Wood, MO

(From the Fort Leonard Wood site)

366th Training Squadron/Detachment 7

Detachment 7 carries out initial and advanced career field training for Vehicle Operators (2T1X1), Pavements and Equipment (3E2X1), Engineering (3E5X1), Readiness (3E9X1), and Security Forces(3P0X1).

Detachment 7 also authors Career Development Courses for Engineering, Pavements and Equipment, Readiness, and Vehicle Operations.

Course Description

Course ID: J3ABP3E931 001

Title: Readiness Apprentice

Location: Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Length: 17 Weeks

Course Description: Training for airmen and civilians before initial assignment as readiness technicians within an Air Force civil engineer organization. Training includes Air Force civil engineer organization and career field structure; general contingency responsibilities; Air force Disaster Preparedness Program, organization, and responsibilities; readiness disaster response planning and supporting document preparation; peacetime response and recovery requirements for major accidents and natural disasters; wartime operations; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive operations including detection and decontamination, plotting and reporting procedures for CBRN-E hazards, and associated reports; installation training program and instructor fundamentals. Trainees will perform wartime/peacetime exercises wearing protective equipment will perform wartime skills in the chemical defense training facility (CDTF) under the direct supervision of qualified chemical specialists. Additional training covers threat vulnerabilities, tactical deception, camouflage, concealment and deception, Prime BEEF and command and control actions.

Course began: 13 July 2006

This week Matt received his permanent duty assignment which will be at RAMSTEIN AIR FORCE BASE IN GERMANY.

Following his graduation from Readiness Training School in mid-October, he will return home for a two-week leave and then go to Germany to begin his regular duty Air Force life. We do not know how long he will be there, but two years is probably a pretty accurate estimate.

I have begun researching Ramstein Air Force Base and will include information that I find on the web site.

Ramstein is one of several large military installations in close proximity in the area. Collectively these military installations are known as the Kaiserslautern Military Community.

Ramstein is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation. Beside Americans, the installation’s population is comprised of Canadian, German, British, French, Belgian, Polish, Czech, Norwegian, Danish and Dutch forces.

It is also interesting to note that the area is home to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Community which is where the more seriously wounded soldiers from Iraq are flown before they are brought back to the states.

The base is located in southwest Germany near the borders of Luxembourg, France, Belgium and The Netherlands. It is located in the German Federal State of Rheinland-Pfalz. This area is the main wine growing region for Germany. It is also near the largest forest area in Germany, the Palatinate Forest.

Next to Ramstein is the largest American-inhabited city outside the continental United States. Kaiserslautern or K-Town as it is known, is home to nearly 35,000 American civilians and families of military personnel over there.

Americans share this community with inhabitants from over 70 nations. The city’s historical past has been preserved even though it has grown to become one of the largest industrial and marketing cities in Germany.

Kaiserslautern and Ramstein are located 80 miles southwest of Frankfurt, Germany. It is one hour from the French border, 1.5 hours from the borders of Belgium and Luxembourg and 5 hours from Switzerland.

If you would like to read more about Ramstein Air Force base go to: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/ramstein.htm

There is a 7-hour time difference between Missouri and Kaiserslautern so if it is 8 am here in Missouri it is 3 pm there. The currency in Europe is the Euro. Currently 1 Euro = 0.79872 dollars. If you were going to buy something that costs $10.50 Euros, it would be $8.39 American.

Also interesting to me is that I have two friends from Sosua who live relatively close to Ramstein.

My friend Chris Belkin and his family live in Leopoldsburg, Belgium. I have a German friend named Helmut who lives in Meckenheim, Germany which is near Bonn. Both live within two hours of Ramstein.

I do plan to spend the winter in Sosua, but next spring, will make every effort to visit Matthew in Germany. It would be a wonderful trip.