New Cuisine

Julia and I enjoy a nice evening meal at a good restaurant now and again. We have little to really choose from here in Lawton but there are some interesting places that we have tried. One such place is a Japanese restaurant called Kobe. The main style of cooking is hibachi grill. They take you into a small dinning area where your seats are around a hibachi where the chef will cook your food right in front of you. I have seen it done before on TV but never in person. The grill is so close that the heat can be felt on your face. The chef started off by preparing rice for everyone at our table. Some ordered steamed rice but those that ordered fried rice got to watch him fry it up right there. With added flare and the occasional joke, the rice was mixed with egg and veggies and then served fresh from the grill to us. It was great. He then went on to cook the entrées for everyone. Julia has been to a similar hibachi restaurant, but I had never been to one and so it was quite a unique experience for me. I really enjoyed the food and the new cultural experience.

This Week In My Life

This last Monday and Tuesday, my platoon went out for some training in the field; it was just a two day “capstone” for Fire Support. We spent the first day, Monday, doing light FSO operations. Basically it is dismounted operations where we did everything on foot. The idea is to duplicate the kind of operations that an FSO would be doing while with a light infantry unit such as the 82nd Airborne or the 10th Mountain as examples. I learned a lot on Monday about how to keep the whole concept of the battlefield in perspective vs. just the squad or platoon’s small mission like we did in STX or Patrolling for ROTC. Battlefield and situational awareness is essential in this job.

Tuesday was spent on Mech lanes. We had three HMMWVs, a Knight, BFIST and Stryker. A Knight is a HMMWV that is jam packed with all kinds of “gee-wiz” gear. It is used as by a COLT (Combat Observation and Lasing Team) when they are called upon by a commander. The BFIST is a Bradley that has been converted for Fire Support needs, adding specifically radios and lasers. The Stryker is basically the same as its counterparts in Stryker Brigades, but they too have more radios. An FSO’s most effective weapon on the battlefield is his radio. These vehicles allow FSOs to be as mobile and effective as their supported unit.

I had the opportunity to be an RTO in both the Stryker and the BFIST. It was a good experience considering that I am going MECH.