First day of CLC...

Disclaimer: The "patience" gene doesn't run in our family and neither one of my kids have the any.

I remember my daughter going to LDAC in 2013 at Fort Lewis and complaining to me (via text message) how messed up everything was the first couple of days as they tried to process all of the incoming cadets. This was at a base where the program had been run for numerous years and she was in the 8th Regiment if I remember correctly.

Fast forward two years and LDAC is gone and CLC will now be taking it's place. To top it off, they moved the entire operation to a whole new base at Fort Knox. When my son was chosen/assigned to attend CLC with the 1st Regiment, I told him from day one to "hold on, because it's going to be a bump ride". As he headed to the airport this morning, I reminded him to be patient because nothing was going to run smoothly based on past experience. Well, I guess it was worse that expected. Aside from hooking up with other cadets he knew at the airport in Louisville, it's been all downhill from there. They were "stranded" at the airport for 5+ hours and he said they absolutely got NOTHING done today. He described the entire operation as a "cluster_____".

Go Army!

Not to defend USACC (I 100% believe it was a mess) but a training event that size, the largest CONUS event in the Army, will just simply have kinks and it's hard to see or understand the moving parts at the individual level, it was for us when we went through and it is now. In all fairness, the only thing that's really supposed to happen the first day is everyone arrive. Compound that with thousands of cadets coming from hundreds of places with next to 0 clue on how anything is supposed to happen, multiplied by 1000's of support personnel that are not stationed at Knox nor understand what is really supposed to happen either (I believe 1stBDE 4thID is supporting this year) and it's bound to take time to get anything rolling. Not that any of that is really an acceptable answer, I sure noticed that it was pretty disorganized at times when I was at LDAC and far too often the platoon and company leadership were just as confused as the cadets. But that also allows opportunities for real leaders to shine...

DS leaves for CIET at 0600 tomorrow! Still having packing nightmares. Since the sleeping system and mat are on his original packing list, they must go....and take up 1/2 the duffle. He obviously needs a second bag of some sort. Everything fits in this huge duffle we have, however, the thing weighs almost 50 lbs and is around 70 linear inches! The airline says for Active Military traveling on orders that 72 lbs and 112 inches are allowed. Anyone know if this is in reality true?

DS is 9th reg. hopefully kinks are worked out by then.

-Bull- said:

Not to defend USACC (I 100% believe it was a mess) but a training event that size, the largest CONUS event in the Army, will just simply have kinks and it's hard to see or understand the moving parts at the individual level, it was for us when we went through and it is now. In all fairness, the only thing that's really supposed to happen the first day is everyone arrive. Compound that with thousands of cadets coming from hundreds of places with next to 0 clue on how anything is supposed to happen, multiplied by 1000's of support personnel that are not stationed at Knox nor understand what is really supposed to happen either (I believe 1stBDE 4thID is supporting this year) and it's bound to take time to get anything rolling. Not that any of that is really an acceptable answer, I sure noticed that it was pretty disorganized at times when I was at LDAC and far too often the platoon and company leadership were just as confused as the cadets. But that also allows opportunities for real leaders to shine...

Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying but I just can't believe that with the amount of $$ the Army has at their disposal and all the lead time they had in knowing where and when this training was going to be held that they can't do things better. Quite frankly, I get that there should be "hiccups" but it should more or less be running smoothly. As a police officer for nearly 30 years in a major US city, I've worked at events and protests with 100,000+ people who were NOT following directions and things *seemingly* run smoother than Army training events.

One would think they would have things slightly under control since LDAC was at Ft. Knox last year.

DS was 1st Reg last year. At least I can report that the weather right now in the area(we are in SW Ohio about 2 hours north of Knox) is unseasonably cool, but temps are due to rise into the weekend.

I loved k2riders comment about working protest in a major city that were running smoother than training events...like just wasn't enough

Hoping there are no major injuries or illnesses during this summers training. Bring any bug off stuff they will allow since ticks were a huge issue along with biting insects. Does your cadet know what poison ivy looks like? Have them google it if they don't. DS had cadets that didn't know and thank goodness he redirected them - nothing like sweat on open ivy

DS also completed LDAC at Knox last summer, but since he is not graduating until December he was one of the lucky few who had to return to Knox this summer for new computer-based testing which Cadet Command decided could not be accomplished in the Battalions. Arrived Tuesday, testing on Weds, Thurs, and Fri, and return Saturday. Two travel days, three testing days. According to what they were told on check-in - 4.5 TOTAL (yes, that's four and one half) hours of testing over all three days! He is a bit incredulous, but as an old veteran, I'm just amused. As I always tell him, "yours is not to reason why..."

Mine has 100% Deet and 40% Deet. Told him not to put the 100% on his skin. Also sent him with needle nose tweezers for ticks - not that he will know what to do with them! He leaves 0600 tomorrow for CIET- I will give him another poison ivy lesson this afternoon. I think we grow it as a crop in our woods and he still is not good at recognizing it!

DS was also assigned to CLC 1st Reg at FT. Knox. Have not heard any horror stories as of yet…hope that is a good sign! As for airline, he was able to check in 2 army duffle bags and a rucksack at no charge.