Dentists Need Battle Rattle, Too

After Dad's commissioning

Doug:  I'd like to join the Navy Reserves Dental Corps.

US Navy:  No (3 times)...ok, Yes, fine, you're in.

Doug (now LT Tomlinson):  Thanks!  This is great...my daughter will commission me.

(Fast forward 7 months)


Now, can you please send me to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA so I can qualify a weapon, prepare myself for a Humvee rollover, learn how to scout out Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and test my skills avoiding rattlesnakes during land navigation?

US Navy:  Seriously?...  Um, ok, you can go 6-11 April.  Enjoy!
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Undisclosed location - CA

So if the "conversation" above didn't translate too well let me explain what's going on here.  Last week my Dad headed off to California for a few days to participate in what I believe he called "Smith's Shooter Training" at Camp Pendleton, CA.  I was under the impression that he was headed off to fire a few weapons and re-live some of his favorite childhood memories of firing guns at small helpless animals on the farm in southern IL.  I quickly discovered how wrong I was when I checked in with my Mom to see how he was doing.  She replied with "Dad's doing great, just finished up with Humvee rollover training and heading to chow with his platoon"!  My head immediately started shaking and wondering what in the hell he had gotten himself into.  I finally got the scoop from him today and wanted to share a few of the experiences he told me about with all of you.  Dad, feel free to provide some editorial inputs and I'll make corrections to the stuff I got wrong.

Their first activity was, indeed, qualifying their pistols.  Didn't catch whether or not they were M-9s or what but since that's what we used at the Academy I'm going to make that assumption.  The firearms training began with, of course, some classroom work and then dry-round practice.  From what he explained it was learn assembly, practice loading empty rounds, and pull the trigger - just getting accustomed to the weapon.  No problems there as I previously referenced his childhood antics on the farm.  From there it was on to live-fire and did really well but not quite as well has he had hoped.  He was pretty bummed to not get the Sharp Shooter designation and is already saying things like "when I go again..." :)  Love that determination, LT.

Let's do this!

The next training segment he told me about was the Humvee rollover simulator.  Dad said they were fully dressed in their armor or "battle rattle" and had their fake weapon.  He was seated in the back right position of the simulator and once it started the entire crew had to yell "rollover, rollover, rollover".  The simulator rolled over three times one direction and then a few times the other way finally ending at rest on the right side of the "vehicle".  Since that was the side Dad was on he then had to wait for the others to get out and climb up to the exit on top while the other sailors were setting up perimeter around the disabled vehicle.  They got through the first one and thought it was all over but then their instructor righted the trainer and ordered them back in.  Same drill...rollover, rollover, rollover and then the simulator came to rest on its roof which meant that they had to find some way to not break themselves when releasing their seatbelts...oh and one of the guys in the crew had been notified prior to the start that his "legs were broken" so the crew had to also get him out of the Humvee without injuring him further.  Good times at Camp Pendleton.  Here's a video from YouTube that shows a little of the inside and outside of this training.

DISCLAIMER: this is just a random clip, not exactly the one Dad went through.



Next on the agenda was learning about IEDs.  Many of the tactics they learned are kept quiet for good reason but he was able to tell me about one exercise that got the adrenaline flowing.  They were sent out into a training zone in teams of two and had to navigate their way through the grounds while writing down all the IEDs they could identify (and trying not to "set them off").  At one point his partner yelled out "STOP!" when Dad looked down to see a trip-wire resting on his shin.  Maybe we should stick to your routine root canal, eh, doc? ;)  Though he and his partner were not successful in identifying 100% of the hazards along the route they both gained an intense appreciation for what those counter-IED crews do for a living.

Their last training event was your basic land navigation training.  They were left off out in the middle of nowhere and had to use their maps and the methods they were taught to find their way to three different checkpoints on their way home.  Doesn't sound that bad, right?  Yea it isn't...until you realize that the area by Camp Pendleton is home to about 20 different species of snakes, three of which are venomous rattlesnakes (sounds like I know what I'm talking about right?  I cheated).  Anyway, Dad said that he just made tons of noise in hopes of scaring them off and apparently it worked - no rattler sightings for the LTs group.  He said that two of the groups did encounter the snakes though so I'm thankful it wasn't his!

Overall it sounds like he had a great time and is still enjoying this Navy gig.  I'm pretty proud of my old man...just fearlessly attacking this stuff at 59 years old!  He says the next thing he wants to do is head out on an aircraft carrier for a few months and run their dental clinic.  Guess he was able to hook up with a guy who just returned from doing that so, who knows, maybe that'll be the next "In the Navy" feature!

Here are a few pics of him and the people he met: