Post SERE

SERE was intense. It was probably some of the best training I've ever been through. It was really interesting and, as expected, it was really difficult. The terrain was very rough and the temperatures were very cold, some would say extremely cold. From what I understand, at night the lowest it got was somewhere between -17F to -30F, I don't know what the wind chill was. Despite all of that, I would say that the hardest part was the leadership aspect. It was a huge challenge leading my team across the terrain and through the different scenarios. A lot was expected of me and I'd like to think I did a good job. It was literally the first time I've led a squad of Navy people since the Naval Academy and the first time I've done so while in the woods, so there were a lot of new experiences in addition to the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training.

I got back and immediately got to work unpacking my things and setting up my room. I didn't do that because I was feeling great and energized after my little camping trip. I did that work because I was sore all over, exhausted, 13lbs under my normal weight and kinda wanted to sleep in my own bed. It was totally worth the effort.

There were so many things after SERE that stand out in my mind. I remember my first real meal (excluding the Wendy's that I bought not more than 5 minutes after I left the building the day we returned from the woods... I looked scary). My stomach had shrunk so much that I could barely eat half a plate of Nachos. The next night, however, I ate an entire lobster down in Portland, ME.

Portland is a great town and the three of us who stayed long enough to enjoy the city had a fun time there. We found a local brewery and a number of other cool bars. The next day we found a great diner for breakfast and cruised the drag, looking at shops and stores. I even found an antique map of a place in Maine that I used to visit as a kid for over 60% off. It was really great to be back in civilization, to be surrounded by people, food, water and heated buildings. Nature's great, but there's a reason why the cavemen moved on up.

In the two weeks since SERE, I've been pretty busy just settling into Virginia Beach. I've gone out a few times, in fact last night was the first night when I felt comfortable having a reasonable amount of alcohol with the guys. Until then, my tolerance has been very low as I think my body is still recovering. I know I'm still about 10lbs shy of where I need to be, but I do look good, which is nice.

In other news, I'm going back to the USS George H.W. Bush to be one of the duty officers (not flying) for the next carrier qualification detachment (CQ Det) from VAW-120. I'll be gone from Monday to the 16th (possibly the 17th). It'll be awesome to head back to the boat I qual'd again. It was such a blur when I was trying to land on her, it'll be nice to see what it actually looks like. After that I've got a fun weekend planned with some good people in DC and out here.