Another day on the farm

Note: Don't read this post if you may go through hazardous environment training at some point in the future. It contains spoilers.

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I had barely recovered from jet lag when I was abducted by masked gunmen.

We were driving to our training course area on a Virginia farm when our car stopped. Men wearing ski masks and camaflouge jackets came running down the embankment brandishing AK-47s and handguns. We were ordered out of the car, our heads were covered with sacks, and we were led off to a grassy area. There they took my wallet and cell phone.

The whole deal was pretty realistic. But it wasn't real, of course. Just part of the training. Definitely the most memorable part so far.

After the abduction, we were eventually let go. The whole thing was videotaped and we watched it later in the day during a debriefing of sorts. We also learned a few good tips on what to do if you are taken hostage, such as not fighting back unless you think you can actually escape.

So far I'm on day two of the five-day training. There's five British instructors, and seven students -- four Americans, a Londoner, an Australian, and a Canadian. I think by the end of the week I'll be speaking with a proper English accent.

The group of students is a fun crew. Two are Washington Post reporters, one of whom will be in Iraq at the same time I will. It's nice to know I'll see a familiar face once I get there. Others are training for stints in Afghanistan or other hostile areas.

The training so far has been fun, but also sobering. It's forced me to face the reality of what goes on in Iraq and the risks it entails -- though I'm glad to go through this now rather than be ignorant of it.