07/29/01 - National Emergency Services Academy, Camp Atterbury, IN

I left Blue Beret on the 27th for the all-encompassing National Emergency Services Academy.  I was picked up, luggage and all, and off to Camp Atterbury we go. (Editor's note: Finally the guy gets a ride in the same vehicle with his luggage. The CadetStuff staff had discussed taking out a rather large life insurance policy on this guy, as anybody with luck that bad is a sure payoff. -DN) I had my head out of the window driving in the night air enjoying every second of it, and rightfully so as in the morning I found myself not so cool. 

Chow was the first order of the day, then we're off to the activity HQ meeting the people that I would film and be driven around the activity by.  Once again I met someone I worked with at one of my Blue Beret trips, and he has made sure I'll be at the right place at the right time to get as much footage as I can during my 2.5 days of filming here.

I discovered I have hardly allotted enough time here at Camp Atterbury, as this activity is really 4 activities in one!  Cadets in both the basic and advance ground team schools, as well as the Mission Base Staff and Air Crew schools learn every aspect of the ES mission right alongside seniors going through the same courses. The standardized training promotes the interlocked aspects of each area of mission staffing with the new Incident Command structure.

I arrived just in time to film the first Basic course’s graduation but missed the Air Crew portion.  Today I was able to film a Blood-borne Pathogen scenario, some land navigation, and shelter building for the ground teams, and a little of the Mission Base Staff school.  The students of the ground school graduate and earn the ground team badge, and for those of the advanced course, the ground team leader badge. 

Tomorrow I will film some more, and then I’m off to the revered PJOC!

Scott