Urban Assault Training

During my short time (3 1/2 years) in the 438th Military Police Company in Murray, KY; I did participate in Mout training at Ft. McClellan, AL. Training took place over a couple of days to include rappelling, entering a high window, crossing open terrain to deal with enemy snipers and room to room clearing. Currently, I am in the 1171st Transportation Company of the Tennessee Army National Guard and have been involved in training for a future deployment to Iraq. During training this past April at the Milan Training Center, the company participated in urban warfare training.

Combat in our modern times is now in urban settings in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to World War II, armies generally wanted to avoid combat in urban settings. Early during Operation Barbarossa, German forces placed Leningrad under siege than to endure the high casualties assaulting the city. Lessons were learned by many armies in the battles of Stalingrad, Berlin, Manila, Mogadishu and in Hue. Lessons learned were that tanks and other heavy armor, and defenders using fortifications in open streets were not effective. Urban warfare is generally fought with infantry.

Which leads to why does a Transportation Company need urban warfare training? Our training we received in April were provided by infantry from the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Tennessee Army National Guard, which has served a tour in Iraq. Our training was for general purpose to know the fundamentals of urban combat but not to be experts since our primary job is to transport materials.

I have found the tactics to be interesting.

Room Clearing: In Milan, we used paintball guns to simulate rifles. A 4-man team is used. A team is stacked to one side of the door and communicates using touch. After the door is opened, the first man takes the path of least resistance, takes out enemy, finds windows/doors and alerts the team verbally. Second man, goes opposite of the first man, takes out enemy, sweeps part of the room. Third man which is the team leader, sweeps part of the room. Fourth man, is rear security and is armed with the M249 SAW. The first three men are armed with M-16 or M-4. Enemy encounter will be shot using the double-tap or the politically correct term "controlled pairs". Since the M-16 using the 5.56 mm or .223 caliber round, it does not have the knockdown power and two shots are needed.

Dealing with a sniper: Tactic may have changed, but during my 1990's training at Ft. McClellan, a team will form up in a V formation, each member holding onto the web gear of the person in front, the team will run across open (street) to cover and disperse. The idea is if the first man is hit, the others will hold him up (hence a human shield) to take further rounds.

Building Clearing: If possible, clear buildings from top to bottom from one end to the other and leaving one end of the building unblocked. Leaving one end unblocked lets the enemy escape were our friendly forces are in position to ambush the enemy in the open.

Shelby Farms

For nearly a year, my job takes me to Memphis on at least a monthly basis. Normally, I would choose to do the P&G caches, good for numbers and keep going. Back in August, I was busted by Circle K contract security at a gas station micro. They are not pleased with the game, me being where I was (side of a car wash) and the cache being there. I began to rethink my caching efforts and now I am gun-shy of P&G caches that are in busy areas, can't disguise what I am doing (pretend to use the payphone) or use my truck to block what I am doing at a light pole or guard rail.

In 2008, my cache numbers are down to 6 finds a week, verses 12 per week in 2006. But on the bright side, I am going after more physically challenging caches and targeting Shelby Farms more often. While there is a muggle presence in Shelby Farms, I figure any encounter in the park will result in a positive experience.

I have been to Shelby Farms once before. In spring of 2006, I drove down to participate in the GOWT CITO. My time was very limited and had my two young daughters with me. We knocked out the virtual and attended the CITO. I been back to the park again to go after the West TN Mega Multi Up the Creek Up the Wolf. This week, I returned to look at getting Alexis' Cache, but unable to go after it with the high winds. I spent the rest of the lunch hour and found Welcome to Geocaching, Christmas 2005, A Sturdy Bridge and Pandora's Box. I enjoyed the adventure in the park and plan to return on future visits to Memphis. I will only be about to get 1-3 caches at a time and will probably stay away from the long hike multi's for the time being.

"Crazy" Cache

One of my all time favorite caches is "Crazy" Cache located just outside of Camden, Tennessee. I begun working for the state in 1996 and in 1997, I was given the caseload for (Camden) Benton County. Benton County is an hour from my home office in Dresden and 30 minutes from Paris, after I was transferred to the Paris office. My caseload rarely exceeded 10 cases and most were in custody. But being that I worked the court, I was in the county one to two times a week. With the distance from the office, more than once I was placed with time to kill between visits or court.

I had seen the movie about Patsy Cline and recall the movie mentioning her plane went down in the bluffs after leaving Dyersburg. Later, I began to wonder about the statement in the movie, the area around Dyersburg is flat....No Bluffs! A few months into working Benton County, I was the sign about the plane crash and followed it to the shrine and boulder. After I began caching in 2005, I wanted to place a cache at this location. But, I don't work the county anymore.

In November of 2005, I saw the new cache pop up and put it on my do-to list. Having the day off on November 11, 2005, I took a drive and sweep all the caches in Benton County and found this cache. Took the opportunity to make pictures too. In my opinion, this is one of the top 10 caches in West Tennessee.

Explosion onboard the USS Iowa

During my senior year in high school, I debated what I wanted to do for the next few years. My family wanted me to apply for the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. I applied, received the nomination from Congressman Ed Jones, and took the medical physical and the ACT test. However, my ACT test was not high enough to gain an appointment. During that time, I set up a backup plan and after taking the ASVAB test where I scored high, I joined the United States Navy. I was guaranteed an “A” School at NAS Memphis in Tennessee, in Aviation Support Equipment Electrician. After completion of basic training, “A” School and later a “C” school in NAS Jacksonville in Florida. While in “A” School, I selected my first duty station in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Arrived in Roosevelt Roads in May of 1985, where most of my tour was uneventful. After a year at the job of ASE (Aviation Support Equipment Electrician), I learned that I did not want to make a career of the job. During air operations, hours could be very long; I recall 16-hour days up to a week at a time. When I look at my left wrist, I am reminded about the long days. While rushing a job, late in the evening, I reached to connect a battery cable, electrocuting myself, where my metal wristwatch melted. Since then, I have never worn metal jewelry, with the exception of dog tags.

Year after year, air operations came and went. F-4 Phantoms were replaced by F/A-18 Hornets. Ships came in and went out. Being the port was shallow; the capital ships did not come into port. From a distance, an aircraft carrier or battleship could be seen. Even when not seen, we knew they were there. At the time, the island of Vieques, was used as a bombing and gunnery range. In the Clint Eastwood movie “Heartbreak Ridge”, the US Marine vehicles landing on the beach of Grenada, was actually filmed at Vieques Island. From my apartment, I could hear the guns of the battleships and bombs hitting the island.

On April 19, 1989, just three months before I left the island, there was a mishap on the USS Iowa Battleship. The number 2 turret exploded killing scores of sailors. I watched the news on TV that night and went to work as usual the next day. But the next day was far from usual; the media was descending on the base and airfield. Some of us were asked if our dress whites were available. Since, I lived off-base, more than 30 minutes away, I was not considered to be one of the honor guards. Some in department were called to extra duty, it didn’t take me long to figure out what was going to happen. In the hanger were many silver colored metal coffins. Helicopters were landing close by and members of the department were asked to transfer the deceased sailors, whom were in body bags, to be placed in the coffins. Later in the day, sailors in dress whites placed the coffins onboard a C-5 Galaxy US Air Force cargo plane.

Caching A,B,Z's

Since the GOWT re-organized and came back online a topic was brought up called the Fizzy Challenge. I looked at it and knowing that many of the requirements of 4 and 5 star caches will elude me, I lost my interest. But the topic of Geocaching A through Z did grab my attention. The basis to log that cache is to first find 26 caches for each letter of the alphabet. Forum conversation continued. One day, I was going through my all finds query on GSAK and noticed I have met the requirement. Went back onto the forum and asked for the GC# of the cache. Informed the cache was not ready yet and Tinksdad01 put out the cache a few days later.

Sprout wsa FTF and some cachers have descended onto the new cache. I delayed my business trip to Memphis to await this cache and later for the rain to pass through.

After my visit in Southhaven, MS, I had nRoute take me to the park for Caching A,B,Z's. Found the first stage after some looking. Seen this type of hide before but not at this type of location. Completed a multi More Fun than a Barrel Full of Monkeys, and waded through one foot of water. Then made the 1/2 mile hike to the final stage of Caching A,B,Z's. I had the trail all to myself, I could not ask for better. Found the cache and was very impressed with what I found. Took me some time to coordinate all the blocks. I did have the misfortune to develop a long caching name (Titansfan) in which I log micros with the simple TF and date. After taking the required pictures, I went back to the truck and ended my caching day. Two good caches in the same park and had fun.

Caching in Southeast Missouri

If one looks at my profile, it shows well over 1,000 finds in Tennessee, Kentucky is next with over 200 finds, followed by Mississippi with over 30 finds. After that, the other states have less than a dozen finds and Missouri with one find. A hurry-up and get the cache for the state in Caruthersville, just across the Mississippi River from Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Pharmd93 called about making a cache run on Sunday, March 9. We agreed on working Southeast Missouri to improve on the stats and not show just one find in a state about 50 miles from our home area.

We had to cross the rivers at Cairo, IL; crossing the Ohio and then Mississippi Rivers on a narrow two-lane bridge. Neither bridges make my most favorite bridge list, with both being so narrow. We began our first cache at Mounds in New Madrid. This marked my first ever visit to New Madrid, MO. New Madrid is just 50 miles from Dresden, but a river separates the two. New Madrid is also famous for the early 1800's massive earthquake. The cache location was unusual, a very high mound in a very flat part of the country. Cache was well stocked.

Next cache was Swift Ditch Access, the only hiking cache of the day, about 1,200 feet from parking. This cache had very good camo using the modern military pixel design. The cache was well stocked and information page in plastic attached to the ammo can. One of the most professional caches I have ever found. Area was interesting too, follow the hill from the cache and there was a river.

I found seven caches on that run, but want to highlight another cache, Airport Park (Veteran's Park). Even with the cold wind gusting, we enjoyed looking for the final stage of this multi and viewing the military displays. One of the displays was a US Navy F-4, an fighter-bomber that I used to see during my time in the US Navy from 1985-1989.

Old Salem Church Cemetery/Battlefield

Before I begun geocaching I had heard of the battle fought near Jackson, Tennessee in December of 1862. I had read about the engagement in a book written by Dr. Lonnie Manass, a history professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, called "The Untutored Genius" a book about the military career of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

On May 6, 2005, I had business in the Jackson area and found a few caches on that day and my last find prior to meeting the wife and kids at Pringles Park for a baseball game was Old Salem Church Cemetery/Battlefield by -boatman-. I had saved the best for last. It was a little warm that day and the briers was my biggest challenging in finding that cache. In fact, the briers were so bad, I ended up stomping around and my foot found the cache. That was before I used a hiking stick to poke around.

Found the cache and having some time to kill prior to the baseball game, I walked around admiring the cemetery/battlefield and appreciated that a game that I had found just a few months prior led me to such a great location. I consider this cache one of the best in Madison County. Won't place it in my forgotten cache series; it has been found nearly 100 times. However, I do think the cache should be on more cachers 'to do' list and it does have easy access from Highway 70 and Interstate 40.

Since finding the cache, I met Dr. Manass at a Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting and told him about geocaching taking me to Civil War locations. During the meeting, I purchased Dr. Manass' new book "Lighting Warfare" Forrest's First West Tennessee Campaign December 1862. The new book had in depth information about the battle at Old Salem Church.