For Those Coming to the Hospital

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone heard the good news about Patrick passing Mountains phase!  Now he just has 16 more days, and he is finished (providing he passes)!!!  We are also counting down the days until John Gideon arrives.  According to the due date of November 1, we have 10 more days to go.  However, the prayed-for due date of November 9 is just 21 days away! 

For the friends and family who are planning on coming to the hospital when they receive the call that "it's time!":

Here is the name and address of the hospital we are using:
Columbus Regional Medical Center

710 Center Street, Columbus, GA

(706) 571-1000 

 

There is another hospital in Columbus, so make sure this is the one you come to.

 

If you arrive during business hours (5:30am-9:00pm), come through the main entrance next to the emergency room entrance and ask for me at the front desk.  If you arrive after these hours, enter through the emergency room entrance and ask for me. They will direct you to my room from both places.  However, just for your information, here are the directions from the main entrance to the Labor and Delivery ward:

 

1. Enter through the main entrance and go down the hall to the right of the visitor's desk.  You will pass the cafeteria and gift shop. 

2.  Look for the signs to the elevators.  You can use either set of elevators, but elevator B takes you straight to the 4th floor.  This is the L & D floor. 

3.  Follow the signs to the L & D area.  Then look for "Father's Waiting" signs.  This will direct you to the family waiting room.

*The family waiting room has a tv and vending machines located within.

4.  If you know my room number, you can check in and see me, but we'll have to play all of that by ear, as the hospital only allows three visitors at a time with me in the room.

 

If you come after John arrives, I will be in a different part of the 4th floor, so just get my room number from the front desk and follow the signs. :)  At this point in my hospital stay, visitation is from 9:00-9:00.  There is no waiting room or suite in this part of the hospital, so all of our visiting will happen in my room. 

 

Just so everyone knows, when I go into labor, my plan is to notify John's grandparents, aunts and uncles.  They can notify anyone else that they want, and I will continue contacting others as I'm able to do so. 

 

 ()

The Last Phase!!!

Patrick passed Mountains phase!!!  We are so excited!  He is currently on a bus making the seven hour drive to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.  I'm sure they are getting some much-deserved rest.  This is the shortest of the three phases.  If he passes Florida phase, he will be back in Columbus on November 6th.

His new address is listed below.  When I talked to him yesterday, Patrick said that he believes his squad and platoon numbers will not change, but I will post immediately on the blog if I find out that they have changed.

Thank you so much for your prayers and letters.  Patrick cannot say enough about how much everyone's support means to him.

2 LT Peake, Patrick P.
6th Ranger Training Battalion, Squad 2, Platoon 1
ATTN: Class 11-12, CO A
6069 Walkers Lane
Camp James E. Rudder
Eglin AFB, FL 32542

Mountains Phase: Week Two

Hello everyone!  Before I post what Patrick's week has/will continue to look like, I thought I would give a quick update about John and me.  I am currently in my 37th week of pregnancy, and things are going really well.  The doctor says that John is in the right position to be born, so now it's just a waiting game.  FYI:  Babies are supposed to be in position now, so this does not mean that John will come early.  We are still praying for a late baby!  I'm doing really well, besides feeling like I'm going to pop every time he moves!  I just think he's doing flutter kicks to build up his Ranger legs like his daddy. :)

Speaking of Daddy, here is what Patrick is doing this week.  Enjoy!

Day 7 (10/6):  This day you will receive your platoon level patrol base class and conduct cadre led patrols.  Once the class is over, you will move to an open field and conduct a practical exercise in which the instructors will critique the students.  After the practical exercise is complete, you will have a few hours to work on your SOPs.  After dinner that night you will start your cadre led patrols.  You can expect to conduct multiple patrol vases lasting late into the night.

Day 8:  This will be your one full day of cadre led patrols.  This day will be identical to what you can expect for your graded patrols.   This day will start with the Chain of Command receiving the order and then issuing the OPORD in the planning bay.  After the order, you will start movement and move until you make contact with and observation post.  After contact, the Chain of Command will change and you will move to the ORP and conduct actions on the objective for this mission.  After this is complete, you will change the Chain of Command and repeat the process.  When finished, you will pick up and move back to the planning bay to prepare for tomorrow which will be the firs day of graded patrols.  At the end of this day, the Ranger Instructors will select the Chain of Command for tomorrow’s mission.

Day 9-12:  These four days will be your graded patrols.  These graded patrols are all platoon size, consisting of four squads and a platoon headquarters element.  Day 9 will begin with a full OPORD and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Days 10 and 11 will start with a Fragmented Operations order in the patrol base and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Day 12 will start with a FRAGO in the patrol base and end with a walk back to Camp Merrill.  The graded patrols will consist of one of four missions:  rescue a down pilot, movement to contact, raid, or ambush.  All students should get at least one patrol during this four day period, but depending on the class size, you may get more.  The daily schedule for these missions will be quite similar to the missions at Camp Darby.

Day 13:  The primary mission for this day will be recovery, refit, and critique of the first four days of graded patrols.  On this day, you will spend a large amount of time working through your platoon SOPs and addressing any area that your platoon struggled with during the first days of graded patrol.  This day is for your benefit to fix what you need to work on so take advantage of it and ask questions.  You will likely get three meals, two of them in the mess hall.  The day will end with the selection of the Chain of Command for the first graded mission of the five day field training exercise.

Day 14-18:  These five days will all be platoon level graded patrols.  The missions, Chains of Command, and schedule will be the same as the first field problem.  Every mission will begin with an OPORD/FRAGO and end with a patrol base.  If you passed your patrol during the first field problem, you will likely not get a patrol during the field problem.  Day 18 will end as you walk back to Camp Merrill that night.  Once you arrive at Camp Merrill, you will turn in all of your platoon equipment, not including the weapons, and likely fill out your peer evaluation reports prior to going to bed.

Patrick's Address at Mountains Phase

I got a letter today from Patrick with his new address!  It's really long, so get ready. :)

2 LT Peake, Patrick P.
5th Ranger Training Battalion
2 Squad, 1 Platoon, CO. A
ATTN:  Class 11-12
1 Camp Merrill
Dahlonega, GA 30533

He gets mail while he's there instead of them holding it until the end of the phase.  Please write!!!  He would love to hear from friends and family!

Camp Merrill: Week One

Hello everyone!  As many of you probably remember, during Patrick's first time through Darby Phase, I posted a day-by-day run down of what he would be doing.  Those excerpts are from the book, So This Is Ranger School.  I am going to continue adding those weekly to the blog as Patrick goes through Mountains Phase.  So without further adue, here is what Patrick will be doing this week.

Day 1 (9/30/12):  This day will start with you leaving Camp Rogers by bus and arriving at Camp Merrill sometime in the early afternoon.  Once you arrive, you will receive your orientation brief from your new instructors then move to the gym to get a health assessment.  At the health assessment, the doctors will look at your feet or any other injuries or issues that you might have developed while at Camp Darby.  After this is complete, you will move all of your baggage over to your company area and conduct your duffle bag layout.  Then the instructors will break you down into your new squads and platoons and then issue you the equipment that you will need for mountaineering week.  After all this is complete, you will move to your barracks for the night.

Day 2:  Day 2 starts the four days of the mountain phase known as “lowers.”  During these four days, you will learn the basic mountaineering skills such as knots, belays, anchors, and rappels.  Particularly, on Day 2, your day will start with breakfast in the mess hall.  Camp Merrill has some of the best pancakes ever. After breakfast, you will move to “lowers,” located about 15 minutes from your barracks area.  At lowers, you will get your first class on mountaineering.  On this day, you will rotate between three stations to prepare for your test the following day.  The first station will be your knots class.  At the knots class, you will learn how to tie the knots that you will be tested on the next day and will use during the rest of the phase.  They are:  the bowline, double figure eight, rerouted figure eight, figure eight slip, munter hitch, round turn with two half hitches, square, prusik, and clove hitch.  The second class will be your belay class.  In this class, you will learn how to tie into and test a mechanical belay system.  You will have all day and night to practice the knots and the belay system prior to your evaluations the next morning, so make sure you understand the material.  The third class will be your introduction into rappelling where you will learn to rappel off of a 660 foot wall, and then learn how to tie and rig a SKEDCO for transport.  These three classes will take all day.  You can expect to be at lowers until later that night practicing the knots and belay system.

Day 3:  The beginning of this day will start with the knots and belay system test.  You will be tested on your ability to execute a mechanical belay system. If you fail these tests the first time you will have a chance to retest, but don’t anticipate getting more than two retests.  After the tests are complete, you will receive a class and a practical exercise on a one rope bridge and a V-haul.  A V-haul is a rope suspension system that you will use to transport personnel and supplies up and down the mountain.  These two classes are important for you will have to execute both of these tasks during graded patrols. 

Days 4-5:  these days will be the trip to Mount Yonah where you will do advanced mountaineering known as “uppers.”  You will foot march out to the mountain site and conduct rappelling off the rock face of Mount Yonah.  Also, while you are there, you will do buddy rappels, casualty assisted evacuation rappels, and balance climbs.  You will spend the night prior to the foot march back to Camp Merrill.  If the weather situation limits you from going to Mount Yonah, you will do all of the same exercises at Camp Merrill off a 120+ foot rock face.  Both of these days are a pretty good time, so enjoy it.

Day 6:  This will be your first day of cadre (instructor) led classes.  The first focus for this day is the Operations Orders (OPORD) and Fragmented Orders (FRAGO) classes.  Your orders’ process during this phase will be quite different than your orders during the Darby phase.  Although the structure of your orders does not change much, the main area that will different is briefing the actions on the objective.  You will still have to make the briefing as personal as possible, but you can develop the plan with much more freedom than what you experienced in Camp Darby.  The second focus for the rest of this day will be the development of your platoon stand

Headed to Mountains!!!

PATRICK MADE IT!!!  He passed Darby Phase!  He came out of the gate yesterday grinning like a Cheshire cat! :)  We had a really nice pass, but it flew by!  By the time we shopped for his supplies, did laundry and ate, we didn't have much time left.  It was so nice to be able to see him again, though.  We really were able to soak in that last bit of time together before the baby comes. He had to be back at Camp at 5:00 pm, where they ate chow and then loaded the buses to head to Camp Merrill.  This is where he will complete the mountains phase of Ranger School.  Camp Merrill is located in Dahlonega, GA.  Below is a summary of mountains phase from the Ranger School website.  I will continue to write the daily activities blurbs, but this is a great general overview.

Thank you to everyone for their prayers!  Keep it up!

**His new address is coming soon, but I'm still waiting on his squad info to be able to have it completed.  I'll post it as soon as I have it.

MOUNTAINS

During the Mountain Phase at Camp Frank D. Merrill in the North Georgia Mountains, students receive instruction on military mountaineering tasks, mobility training, as well as techniques for employing a platoon for continuous combat patrol operations in a mountainous environment. They further develop their ability to command and control platoon size patrols through planning, preparing, and executing a variety of combat patrol missions. The Ranger student continues to learn how to sustain himself and his subordinates in the adverse conditions of the mountains. The rugged terrain, severe weather, hunger, mental and physical fatigue, and the emotional stress that the student encounters afford him the opportunity to gauge his own capabilities and limitations as well as that of his "Ranger Buddies".

Ranger students receive four days of training on military mountaineering. During the first two days at the Lower Mountaineering Area on Camp Merrill, Ranger students learn about knots, belays, anchor points, rope management and the basic fundamentals of climbing and rappelling. Mountaineering training culminates with a two day exercise at Yonah Mountain applying the skills learned during Lower Mountaineering. Students conduct one day of climbing and rappelling over exposed high angle terrain. The second day squads perform mobility training to move their personnel, equipment, and simulated casualties through severely restrictive terrain using fixed ropes and hauling systems.

Following mountaineering, students conduct four days of combat techniques training. During this training students receive classes and perform practical exercises on Movement to Contact, Patrol Base, Troop Leading Procedures, Operations Orders (OPORD), Combatives, Ambush, and Raid.

Students then perform ten days of patrolling during two field training exercises. Combat patrol missions are directed against a conventionally equipped threat force in a low intensity conflict scenario. These patrol missions are conducted both day and night and include Air Assault Operations and extensive cross country movements through mountainous terrain. The Ranger students execute patrol missions requiring the use of their mountaineering skills. Platoon missions include movements to contact, vehicle and personnel ambushes, and raids on communication and mortar sites. Students also conduct river crossings and scale steeply sloped mountain. The stamina and commitment of the Ranger student is stressed to the maximum. At any time, he may be selected to lead tired, hungry, physically expended students to accomplish yet another combat patrol mission.

At the conclusion of the Mountain Phase, students move by bus or parachute assault into the third and final Phase of Ranger training, conducted at Camp Rudder, near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. 

Letters from Patrick

Hello, everyone!  Yesterday, I received a bundle of letters from Patrick!  He likes to write throughout the day and then rip those pages out of his notebook, so they end up reading more like journal entries.  I thought I would share some excerpts from them with you, so you could hear how he's doing in his own words. 

Darby phase ends tomorrow for him, so I am going in the morning to pick him up.  If he meets me at the car, then he passed and progresses onto Mountains phase.  If he does not, then he will be dropped from Ranger School for the time being and come home for good.  If this happens, he will be given another opportunity to complete Ranger School after his first deployment.  I will let you know how it goes.  Now, on to the fun stuff:  Patrick's letters!

September 15, 2012I’m feeling A LOT more confident in myself and the material.  Please continue to pray that it will continue to grow.  I’m in what seems to be a pretty good squad, but we’ll see how things turn our after a couple of days at Darby.  It’s hard to believe that it was a week ago that I was on pass.  Only 13 days til the next one through, and it will be a good one because I’ll be going to Mountains.  There are so many things that happen here that I wish I could take pictures of.  I think it would help people understand what goes on here.  There’s a lot of things that are really funny and then there’s a lot of things that are only funny because you’re in Ranger School.

I’m pretty hungry right now.  I think my stomach expanded during pass and my time in Vaughn’s platoon [that’s where Patrick was in between his first and second attempt at Darby Phase].  I’ve actually been pretty hungry the past couple of days.  I guess there’s nothing to do but to drive on. 


September 16, 2012
Today we’ve had a pretty relaxed day, at least for the inserts.  We got about four hours of sleep last night, and I got a major plus!  In the back of my mind I always remember that the Lord knows what I need before I ask, but He’s really shown our so far.  I’ve been able to learn a lot more, and I pray that I’ll be able to retain it all.  This is due to the fact that I’m not already sleep deprived and broken down from RAP week.  However, the down side is that we are constantly hungry!  There is a constant gnawing in my stomach.  Time creeps by as I chew the same piece of gum for 2 hours. 

I’ve got some good guys in my squad that help me stay motivated and positive. I’m finally getting a little excited about the school and career possibilities afterward... I guess we just train up, have faith and drive on.  Whatever happens, I pray that the Lord will give me the desires of my heart as I trust in Him and bring glory to Him by my life.

September 17, 2012I’m sitting in a Troop Leading Procedures class (TLP) trying to stay awake.   With hot chow you have to get creative in order to get more calories.  For example, I put six packets of sugar in my small serving of grits.  Or grabbing extra syrup packets and drinking them while eating bread with jelly.  The creamsicle flavored gum has been pretty good, though.  However, the strawberry shortcake gum is probably the best.  Eventually the hours turn to days and the days into weeks, and I know that nothing but Heaven and Hell lasts forever.  I want to be more bold in my faith.  I really want a Ranger tab, but it’s not worth mine or anybody’s soul. 

September 19, 2012The past couple of days have been alright.  I got to be the actions on squad leader for yesterday’s ambush patrol.  I shocked myself with how much of the information I had retained.  Did a practice patrol base last night.  It went alright.  The conditions really sucked though.  We were all shivering, trying to finish our priorities of work so that we could eat and sleep.  Had a decent MRE, the Veggie Lasagna.  Only got 20 minutes of sleep though.  It rained pretty much all day on Monday, so Hollis Creek was waist deep when I decided to fall into it today with my weapon on my back.  Oh well.  I laughed it off. What can you do? 

Knee pads were a good idea this time.  So far, I’ve been wearing the same ACUs for over a week [that is his own choice].  It’s probably time to change, especially now that we’re going to start graded patrols tomorrow.  I’m kind of excited and kind of dreading it at the same time.  I’ll do my best and leave the rest up to the Lord.  I’ve become more confident in myself and my leadership abilities the past week.  I hope and pray that this only continues.  I’ve noticed that I’ve become a better soldier too.  It’s the small things that make a big difference.  I’m learning SO MUCH!  A lot about myself and the human body, the spirit of a warrior, and just life in general.  I hope I can make it through this school and pass on the wisdom I learned here to help people grow in their faith and lead better lives.

September 22, 2012The squad is starting to work together and guys are starting to understand how things go around here.  I wonder who Alabama is beating today.  I wish I could have had the opportunity to go to a game this season.  Who knows, maybe I can, but probably not.  I’ve become the admin leader of my squad. 

We’ve got another patrol base tonight, which means none of us will sleep, especially me because I’m the RTO.  I’m kind of disappointed because I have the Southwest Beef and Beans MRE for dinner, and I wanted to be able to enjoy it.  Now I’ll have to eat it really fast.  I finally changed uniforms yesterday.  11 days in the same uniform is a new personal record that I do not intend on breaking any time soon, or maybe even ever.  I’m glad everybody had been praying for me.  I can feel the power of their prayers in my day to day life.  I look forward to seeing everyone again and telling them all about this pace and how their support is going to continue to be part of my success here.

I’ve got an ambush to be a part of right now, so I’ve got to cut this journal session a little shorter than I wanted.  Night vision, face paint, and vegetation wait to be placed on my body.  Gnats and ants stand by to have a feast on my flesh as I lay here in the prone monitoring the radio while watching a beautiful sunset.  I  guess “Rangers lead the way” has to mean something, huh? 

Back to Darby

 Despite the disappointment of getting recycled, Patrick and I had a great weekend!  He got all of Saturday and some of Sunday off.  We spent a good portion of the visit restocking his supplies and washing his clothes.  (We soaked them in Oxi-clean and washed them twice, and they still didn’t have that fresh clean smell.  Yuck!!)  We watched some of the Alabama game before he had to go back, and he really enjoyed getting to do that.  Last season, he only got to see the Alabama-Auburn game.  He should get to see a few more towards the end of this season.  It was really nice to get to catch up and hear some of his Ranger School stories.  The next time you see him, you should ask him to tell you some of them.  I laughed pretty hard!

This week at Ranger School, he will go through a series of classes for the recycle students before being inserted into the new class.  (The new class is doing RAP week this week, and he does not have to repeat that.)  All he will be redoing is the patrols portion, which will be the following two weeks.

 Patrick told me to pass along how great it was to get letters while he's away.  He said getting letters reminds him that everyone back home is thinking about him and praying for him.  If you want to write him, this is his new address.  This address may change, but for now, his new address is  
 
2 LT Peake, Patrick P.
ATTN:  Class 11-12, CO A
10850 Schneider Road
Fort Benning, GA 31905

**The underlined portion is all that may change, but past policy shows that he will be in A company.

 Before he left, he wrote down some prayer requests.  We would really appreciate your prayers!

 

Please pray that:
~He would bond with his new squad
~He will learn and know the material thoroughly
~He would have courage and tenacity in facing each task
~He would be the leader he knows he can be
~He will be mentally and physically tough
~He would stay spiritually inspired
~He would remember why he’s there
~He will believe in himself

** I would also like to add the prayer request that the Lord would keep little John Gideon from coming into the world until November 9, when Patrick can be there.

God's Plan

If you didn't read the previous blog, we found out today that Patrick is having to repeat the first three weeks of Ranger School, moving his graduation date to November 9.  This puts a kink in our plans, as the baby is due November 1st.  As we have moved through this trial that is Ranger School, it has often felt like we just can't catch a break.  We know in our heads that God is in control, but the feelings of abandonment and disappointment are definitely there.  I just started a Bible study at my church, and today's lesson was just what I needed.

God called people in hard times to hard things.  Noah was alone in his righteousness, surrounded by wicked people when God called him to build a massive ship.  He was past his prime, and he could not depend on help from anyone outside of his family.  Gideon had only known oppression--to the point of threshing wheat in a wine press in order to keep his harvest--when God called him to tear down idols.  He was given no promise of personal safety  or a non-violent outcome because of it.  He felt that God had abandoned His people.  Because of God's calling on David's life, he spent years living in caves, running for his life.  Elijah lived in a time where being a God-follower was a death sentence, and God called him to speak to the king and queen.  He not only ran for his life, but he wished to die.  Ezekiel was forced from his home and made to live in the land of the Chaldeans when God called him to give a hard message to His people. 

These men seemingly could not catch a break.  Their lives went from bad to worse.  Yet they shaped the very history of the people of God, and they are still known today as faithful men of God.  when we are in times of great trial, it is hard to remember that God has not abandoned us.  Our finite minds and our slavery to time make it hard to see God' plan and purpose.  But that doesn't mean it is not there.  God has promised good to those He has called to His purpose.  We may see that good on earth, or we may not see it until we are in our eternal home.  It does not change the fact that good is coming.  We must cling to this truth.  At times, it may be our only anchor.  God's good will come--we need only to hope, trust, and wait.

Trusting the Lord: Darby Phase

Well, as often happens in Ranger School, Patrick got recycled from Darby Phase.  This means that starting Monday, he will repeat the three weeks of Camp Darby.  Because of this, his graduation date is pushed back to November 9.  John Gideon's due date is November 1.  We knew from this beginning that this was a huge possibility, as Ranger School tells you to plan for at least one recycle after RAP week.  We are really working to trust the Lord that He is in control, and that this is what is best for us.  Please be in prayer with us that Patrick will not be recycled in any other phases, and that John will take his time in coming into the world so his daddy can be there.

Updated Dates:
Darby Phase:  September 10-September 29
Mountains Phase:  September 30- October 20
Swamps Phase:  October 21- November 6

Graduation:  November 9

The Last Week of Darby Phase!

Hello, everyone!  This is a wonderful week, because I get to see Patrick this weekend!!!  If he passes Darby Phase, he will receive an 8 hour pass on Friday.  If he does not pass Darby Phase, he will receive an over night pass on Saturday.  I'm super excited!  However, I can't have too many expectations for this pass, because most of it will be spent washing clothes, restocking and repacking supplies, and possibly taking a well-deserved nap!  I also taped the Alabama-Michigan game, so we may be watching some or all of it, as well.  I will post on facebook whether he passed or not on Friday, and then give you a full review of the weekend on Sunday.  Until then, please be praying that he will pass Darby phase--putting us one step closer to having him Ranger qualified and back home!

Day 14-16:  (Day 14 is Sunday, Sept. 2)These three days will be your platoon level graded patrols.  For these patrols, the chain of command will consist of a platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and four squad leaders.  Additionally, there are 2 new ungraded positions, the RTO (radio man), and the forward observer.  Day 14 will begin with a full operations order and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Days 15 and 16 will start with a fragmentary order in the patrol base and the platoon will move together to the ORP where the squads will either break off to conduct her individual missions or work together as in a platoon sized mission. 

 Day 17:  Day 17 is your last day of graded patrols.  This day will start with a fragmented order in the patrol base and end with link-up for transportation back to Camp Darby.  Once you arrive back at Camp Darby, you will turn in all platoon equipment, clean up the planning bays and weapons, and then move over to the Darby Dome to fill out your peer evaluations.  After peer evaluations, you will individually meet with the RIs in your platoon and receive your reports from your patrol.  This will be the first time you find out if you passed.  After you receive your report, you will likely have your first Dog-ex.  The Dog-ex will probably cost $5 for four hotdogs, a bag of chips, a snack cake, and a soda.  After the Dog-ex, you will go to sleep for a few hours before waking up and going back to Camp Rogers.

 Day 18:  This day will start early as you begin your final clean-up of Camp Darby and begin movement back to Camp Rogers.  Most students will stay at Camp Darby to clean-up the camp, and a small detail (group) will go back to Camp Rogers to begin cleaning the weapons.  All of these weapons will be turned back in prior to leaving for Camp Merrill (in Dahlonega, GA).  Once everyone returns to Camp Rogers, the rest of the day will be spent cleaning weapons.  You may get a 10 minute phone call this night to let your friends and family know that you passed or to call to coordinate for transportation the following morning. 

 Day 19:  If you passed Darby phase, you will receive an 8 hour pass starting around 9:00.  If you did not pass Darby phase, you will receive a two day pass starting Saturday morning.

A Productive Week

I needed a week like this!  Whenever Patrick leaves, I usually have a few days of doing nothing around the house.  Dishes don't get done, clothes don't get washed, and nothing gets cooked.  After a few days like that, I'm in desperate need for something to shake up the monotony that I created for myself.  This week was perfect for that.

First, I went to church and sat with two ladies that were super nice.  They were about my mom's and grandmother's ages.  They were very interested in me and the new baby.  I will probably seek them out to sit with again.  Then I attended a three day seminar called Army Family Team Building.  These classes were about how to be the most successful in the Army.  We were trained in how to deal with crises, difficult people, how to build dynamic teams, etc.  It was very informative, and I had a great time visiting with other Army wives.  Today, I was motivated to catch up on all of the house work that I had previously been avoiding.  Not only is the house (on it's way to being) clean, but I am doing some baking for my scrap-booking club tomorrow. 

So, this was the perfect week to pick myself up out of the moping hole and say, "Hey, life can still be fun and meaningful while Patrick is gone!"  Now I have plenty of things to write Patrick about in my next letter.  :)

Speaking of Patrick, no news yet, which in Ranger School, is always a good thing.  Please keep praying for him as he continues through this tough school.  Your prayers are working!  He is no longer in A company, but in C company.  This is an excellent change, as this is the company we had been hoping he would be placed in originally.  You all are such an encouragement to us both!

ADDRESS CHANGE!!!

Hello everyone!  I mentioned in the previous blog that Patrick had been placed in A company.  Well I received a letter from him today saying that through God's providence he had been moved out of A company into C company.  This is wonderful news!!!  His address has therefore changed.  Here it is below.

2LT Peake, Patrick P.
ATTN:  Class 10-12, Co. C
10850 Schneider Road
Fort Benning, GA 31905

Aside from being very tired, he seems to be doing well.  Please keep him in your prayers as he continues in Ranger School.

Camp Darby: Week One

Hello, again!  I have Patrick's full address and will post it below.  He would love to get letters from anyone who would like to write him.  I remember when he was away at Basic Training, he talked about how getting letters from friends and family helped him stay connected to the real world.

Patrick has been placed in A comany, which is known for being the toughest of the three companies.  PLEASE be praying that he will be successful in whatever he attempts, and that he will find favor with his instructors.

2LT Peake, Patrick P.
ATTN:  Class 10-12, CO C
10850 Schneider Road
Fort Benning, GA 31905
(**I have edited this address to be current)

Day 8 (Monday):  This will be your first day of cadre-led (instructor-led) patrols.  For cadre-led patrols, the RIs will let the student chain of command make all of the decisions for the patrol and only add in feedback when necessary.  These patrols are not graded and will not count against you.  Nevertheless, this day will be very similar to an actual graded patrol so if possible, be in the student chain of command for extra practice.  The day will begin with the operations order and end with actions on the objective for either an ambush or a recon. 

Day 9-12:  These four days will be your first graded patrols.  These graded patrols are squad sized, 9+ members, and the chain of command will consist of a squad leader, A team leader and B team leader.  These missions will all begin with the Chain of command receiving the order in the morning and end once you link up with your trucks to move back to Camp Darby.  The two missions you will conduct for these patrols will be either a recon or an ambush.  All students should get at least one patrol during this four day period. But depending on the class size, you may get more or less.  These days will have a wake up time of approximately 5:00am and a bed down time of 2:00am.

 Day 12-13:  The primary focus of these two days is recovery of personnel and equipment and transition from squad level patrols to platoon level patrols (made up of four squads).  During these two days, you will receive platoon level classes on a recon, ambush, and patrol base.  On the evening/night of day 12, you will do your first platoon-sized patrol base.  On day 13, you will continue your platoon level classes in the morning.  The rest of the day and night you will conduct an instructor led patrol in which you will occupy a patrol base prior to returning to Camp Darby.

Day 14-16:  These three days will be your platoon level graded patrols.  For these patrols, the chain of command will consist of a platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and four squad leaders.  Additionally, there are 2 new ungraded positions, the RTO (radio man), and the forward observer.  Day 14 will begin with a full operations order and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Days 15 and 16 will start with a fragmentary order in the patrol base and the platoon will move together to the ORP where the squads will either break off to conduct her individual missions or work together as in a platoon sized mission. 

The first week of Ranger School

Hello everyone!  I am pleased to report that Patrick completed RAP week!!!!  This is a huge accomplishment, as most Ranger School recycles occur during this time.  As soon as I receive his mailing address, I will post it, as I am sure he would love to hear from everyone.  Below is the rest of what he did/is doing this first week of Ranger School.  The beginning of this week was posted two blogs earlier, if you missed it and want to check it out.

Day 5:  The main event for this day is the Darby Mile and the Malvesti obstacle course.  The Darby Mile is approximately 1.5 miles of light hills and various obstacles that you will have to either jump over, crawl through, or maneuver around.  You will conduct this event with your Ranger Buddy.  After completing the Darby Mile, you will move directly over to the Malvesti Obstacle Course.  The Malvesti Obstacle Course consists of the following events in order:  cargo rope climb and descend, monkey bars, low crawl under barbed wire, and chin-ups.  The Malvesti Obstacle Course is completely in water so you will be wet for the entire course.  In the afternoon, you will receive your first 20 board class on crossing danger areas, formations and order of movement, ambush, and reconnaissance. 

 Day 6:  The main event for this day is the Airborne jump.  If you are not Airborne qualified (Patrick is not), you will assist on the ground.  Following the jump, all students will be loaded onto buses and be transported to Camp Darby.  Once you arrive at Camp Darby, the RIs will give you a short tour of Camp Darby, showing you the bathrooms and planning bays, and giving you the rules of the camp.  At some point in this day, you will receive a shot.  Later that night you will receive classes on Warning Orders, Operational Orders, and Fragmentary Orders.

 Camp Darby

Day 7:  The Darby Queen is the first big test at Camp Darby.  It will be conducted before noon on this day.  The DQ is an obstacle course consisting of 20 obstacles.  This is not a timed event.  You will execute the course in a buddy team, but complete the obstacles individually.  After the DQ, you will likely receive 20-board classes in the afternoon and a practical exercise in which you walk-through actions on the objective for an ambush and a recon.  Later that night you can expect to do a practice Operations Order.

Important Dates

Hello, again!  I know I just posted, but I have discovered some dates for Ranger School that will help us get a good time line of each phase.  Keep in mind that if he is recycled from a phase, he will repeat it before progressing, thus changing his graduation date.

Ranger School:  August 20- October 19
Darby Phase:  August 20-September 8
Mountains Phase:  September 9-September 29
Swamps Phase:  September 30-October 16
Graduation:  October 19 at 10:00am

Back to Ranger School

Patrick left for Ranger School Sunday morning.  He was both excited and nervous to have another opportunity to complete the school.  It is a 61 day course, starting with Day 1.  Day 0 is a paperwork/processing day, so it doesn't count.  My plan is to update the blog once a week with information about what he is completing that week.  This blog will just address RAP week, which is the first and hardest four days of Ranger School.  This is the week that got Patrick last time.  Please be praying that he will pass all of the events with energy to spare!

Ranger School

Phase One:  The Darby Phase

 
RAP Week

Day 0:  This is the day before Ranger School stars.  This day is merely a reporting day, not an actual class day.  By reporting, you are letting Ranger School know that you are intending to report on your scheduled class date.  When you report, yuou must report in ACUs prior to 1300 on the day before your class starts. 

Day 1:  The first day you start will not be like basic training.  The Ranger Instructors (RI) act like professionals and treat you like a professional.  You will typically report at or around 0400 and be sure to bring all of your baggage with you.  The RIs will separate you into three separate companies, doing their best to balance the total numbers as well as the number of enlisted and officers per company.  Once all of the companies are set, you will march over to the PT field and begin the RPFT.  The events of the RPFT in order are:  two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, five mile, run, and chin-ups.  Do not stress the RPFT.  Contrary to what some people may say, RIs are not looking to fail you.  Later that day you will do the Combat Water Survival Assessment (CWSA).  This will consist of thee main events in no particular order:  equipment removal in the water and 15 meter swim, the beam walk and rope drop, and the zip line.  The beam walk consists of walking across a beam that is 35 meters high, then crawling across a rope before dropping into the water below.  The zip line is a 75 foot height that the soldiers zip line down before dropping into the water.  Once your company completes both events, you will dump your bags and have a packing list inspection.  Once the inspection is complete, you will then move into your barracks.  As a final thought, this day will seem like it never ends.

Day 2:  The second day will be your land navigation test.  The test will begin in the morning during the hours of limited visibility.  You will be given five points, or locations, to be plotted and found.  You must find four points in four hours.

Day 3:The main event on the third day is testing your familiarization on the M240B and the M249 machine guns.  First you are tested on your ability to clear, load, fire, and reduce stoppage on both machine guns.  You will be given 30 seconds on each machine gun to accomplish this task.  Secondly, you will also have three minutes to disassemble each machine gun, and three minutes to reassemble each machine gun.  The land navigation retest is in the morning of this day.  Thus it is to your benefit to pass the land navigation test the first time for you will likely get to sleep twice as long as those that will take the land navigation retest.

Day 4:  The main event for this day is the 12 mile road march.  You must have 40 lbs. in your ruck sack dry (not including any drinking water), and it must be completed in  3 hours and 15 minutes.  In the afternoon you will receive a basic engineering demolition class.  This class will consist of making expedient explosives that you will use during your graded patrols.

Ranger School and Other News

Hello friends and family!  I am starting the blog again because Patrick began Ranger School on July 22nd.  As before, I will keep everyone up-to-date on what he is doing and how we can pray for him.

Ranger School is one of the hardest schools offered in the Army, and possibly in the entire military.  It is very common for a soldier to be "recycled," or made to repeat a portion of the school, at least once.  Patrick was recycled from the July 22nd class and is now home training for his reinsertion into the August 20th class.  As you can imagine from what you know about Patrick, he did not want to come home.  He was disappointed that he had to leave the mud, extensive exercise drills, and battle buddies, and he is ready to go back and conquer Ranger School!

In other family news, we have just entered our third trimester with baby John Gideon.  He is certainly a little wiggle worm at night, but he takes after his mom and likes to sleep through the morning.  Currently, everything is progressing as normal, and we are looking forward to adding a healthy baby boy to our family on November 1st.

Prayer Requests:

• Patrick to remain motivated to train and study in this waiting period
• He will be able to absorb as much scripture and teaching as he can in this time, as he will only have church services a couple of times in the 61 days
• He will be able to encourage his friends who were also recycled to remain motivated to train so they can enter and stay together through this next cycle.
• John will continue to grow and develop according to schedule for a healthy welcome into the world.