Live from Annual Training – Staying in touch, even in Fort McCoy’s wilderness

By Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde

32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team

As I left my home on Friday afternoon prior to annual training, my wife reminded me how, many years ago, I would leave for two weeks of training and she would not hear from me for at least 10 days. For many years, prior to cell phones, Soldiers would deploy to the field and the first time that we would be able to call home was after we got out of the field. Of course, once you were able to call home, you then had to find a pay phone and then wait your turn in line that was usually 10 to 12 Soldiers deep. We even had to set time limits on how much time a Soldier could spend on the phone so that we all had a chance to call home.

Yes, the good old days had their challenges.

Today’s Soldier has the ability to call home as much as they can as long as they meet their daily training requirement. On the newer phones with texting and Internet capability, Soldiers in the field can stay in contact with their families, check their Facebook accounts, check on the weather and catch up with the latest news of their favorite sports team. Or even blog about annual training.

But how do they recharge their phones, you may ask?

Many of the weapons ranges at Fort McCoy have electric outlets that allow the Soldier to plug in their phones and recharge them. Other Soldiers bring solar panels to annual training to charge their favorite device. Some of these solar charging devices are small and they are great for re-charging a personnel cell phone.  Then there is a noncommissioned officer in the 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery that actually brought a solar panel that is 4 feet by 2 feet. This is the industrial-size personal charger. The cool thing about the devices is that it can be folded in to the size of an iPad. That is convenient. Not only is this NCO charging his phone, but also the phones of his entire section. This NCO understands what Soldier caring is all about.

How has AT changed for you?

(blogging from Fort McCoy, Wis., at annual training)