Friday, September 30, 2011

Sept. 24, 2011

Well I'm pulling my first 50/50 fireguard shift. Some of the guys forgot to secure their lockers, so half of us have to stay up half the night, then we switch.
I think I'll start giving you all a DS quote of the day. Today's quote comes from our company DS who happens to also be my Platoon DS. "Are you bleeping scared of me, Private? You're telling me you're scared of a 5'2" Mexican? You should be 'cause I will wrap your bleep up like a bleep bleep burrito. Or do you prefer tacos?"
Today wasn't all that bad. It marks the end of the first training week. However, I did learn that a 6 pound M-16 can get heavy really quick when you have to squat with arms extended during a smoke session.
We received our gas masks today. It looks like our day in the gas chamber is Tuesday. In a way though, I'm glad about it, because it marks the start of the fun training.
Several of us will be heading to chapel tomorrow. They have a general Protestant service at 0930. I just hope the minister is a great speaker thought because a 30 minute sermon gets long when you have a full week of 4 hours or less of sleep.
More to follow.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

2011 09 22

Today's Thursday of my first BCT week. I feel a lot more rested tonight. The guys are all starting to gel a bit better. I think the team development course actually lived up to its name.
We went there this morning with our rucksacks, but had to leave about halfway through due to some horrible weather. But the afternoon did not continue with the disappointment. We received our gas-powered, air-cooled, 5.56 mm M16 rifles today. I've decided not to name mine until I fire it for the first time, but I'll let you know what I decide.
Our platoon today actually made it through without getting smoked! The DSs all seemed to be in a great mood, which made for a great day.
Things here are still pretty slow going, which is why these letters are short. Unless you want to hear details about our classroom training, such as equal opportunity, payroll, laundry, etc.
Don't worry though, once we get to the good stuff, I won't spare any details.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011 09 21

Well everyone, it is Wednesday, hump day, of my first week at BCT. So far, so good. Of course, we all have had our share of "corrective training," but for the most part, the DS is very good at what she does. I feel sure we will be winning a lot of competitions in the weeks to come.
I apologize that I have been unable to keep the commitment of writing every day. There is not time during the day to write, and we've had three nighttime smokings and one overnight 2000 word essay in the past week. Don't worry though, you aren't missing too much yet.
The platoon has started to form together a bit more in the past two days, but there are some tempers coming out. Please pray for positive, motivated attitudes for me and my fellow "battle buddies."
Tomorrow we finally receive our rifles. I am thrilled! This is just one step closer to getting away from the dull and boring ppts and equipment issues and on to training with the fun stuff.
So far, things have been good for me. I have managed to stay on the good side of the DS somehow, and she is beginning to call me out more for help with certain things. But of course, that could all change tomorrow. Please pray for me though, that I will remain a motivated recruit and not give up during tough smokings.
Graduation is a good motivation. I've seen other recruits finishing basic and going to graduation. I can't wait for that to be me. Graduation is set for Wednesday, November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. The countdown begins!
As you've read, tonight is my very first opportunity to get a "good" night's rest. It is currently 2300 and lights come on at 0400. Believe it or not, 5 hours is going to feel E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T!
So for now, I'll cut it short, but don't worry, when the good stuff comes, I'll give more detail.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

19 Sept. 11

Well if you are wondering how things are going here, I've been at BCT for 3 days now and this has been my first opportunity to write. Even still, I'm writing by red light and sacrificing sleep to do so.
So here are the details in order:
We first met our kind DS at reception when they packed us into a cattle truck. It was raining hard, and fittingly, the cattle truck leaked like a sieve. When we arrive at our destination, we hauled hindparts to "the bubble" which is a hanger-sized tent with a rubber pit. There, we first got to know our DSs. They got in our face, cussed us out, came up with some pretty amazing insults all while kicking our butts.
We then went to our barracks where we failed to get all 47 males in our platoon through the latrine in 90 seconds so we received our first "smoking." (Smoking is when the DS has us exercise to the point of muscle failure.)
It's not all bad though. The guys in my platoon are pretty cool for the most part.
One really cool coincidence is that my platoon's name is Disciples. So every time I shout the name, see the phase flag, or enter the barracks, I have a clear and present reminder of why I am here. It gets me back into focus.
Things here have been really tough. I received my first phone privilege on Sunday morning in which I was able to speak to my wife for 2 minutes. We were then informed that we would have to earn more privileges, so it could be awhile before the next call.
From what I've seen, my platoon by far has the strictest DS. In a way though, I think that is a good thing because it will train us better.
We haven't done anything really cool yet, so I'll spare you the details of the training so far. Just know that I'm sore in places I didn't know could be sore. However, we get our rifles on Wednesday.
I will add that I've had maybe 4 hours of sleep in 3 days.
The whole thing about BCT that I have seen so far is that it is a mind game. For instance, if you can stay positive during "smoking" by thinking of it instead as exercise that will improve you and by thinking of the DSs as personal trainers, you remove a lot of stress from the situation.
I will write more when I can, but for now I really could use some rest. Please pray that I can stay focused and mentally tough for each day. Please pray the same for my battle buddies enduring BCT with me.
More details to follow, but for now--sleep.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Day 2, Reception

Finally! It's the last night in reception. Others though are not so lucky. One guy got injured at reception and will be stuck here for 6 months while he heals. Another got here and they found an issue that requires his discharge. He's here for another 4-6 weeks while they out-process him.
You do not leave BCT until you graduate or are discharged. One private quit the first night and will now receive a felony desertion charge, 1 month in jail, and a dishonorable discharge.
Those of us who are shipping though are ready. We have a pretty decent group with the exception of a few morons who can't seem to listen.
The highlights for today were taking our official photos and receiving our dog tags. But the low point was the shot room.
In the shot room, nurses line both sides of an aisle. As you step-pause down the aisle, you receive multiple shots in both arms. THEN its the penicillin shot. Imagine someone taking a syringe filled with ice cold peanut butter and injecting it in your hind end. Needless to say, we are all still sore.
I get fire guard again tonight because my bay only has 23 soldiers. But we also get an extra hour of sleep since it's Saturday, so it will even out.
The comradery in the unit has already begun. Most of the guys would be great battle buddies when the time comes. The only issue is lack of leadership.
I finally had to step up today and take charge of the 64 in order for us to meet our challenges (minor challenges) like getting in line number order (we were each given a number) and cleaning the barracks. Most of the time though, if you are respectful and the others can see progress, the impromptu leadership is strongly welcomed.
We also started developing the team mindset. We're always checking to ensure each individual is squared away. That can't do anything but help us in basic.
So tomorrow at noon we will get on the bus to meet our new DS's and hopefully know our battle buddy. It's sure to be challenging, but I welcome it as it is one more step towards graduation.
A private before me recommended counting time in Sundays rather than days as there are only ten. My first Sunday is just one more day away!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Day 1

Today was a lot better, but I'm even more tired of reception. The sleep helped a lot, but there was plenty more of the hurry up and wait.
I keep looking at the highlights though and that gets me through.
Today, we took care of paperwork for pay, got our rank insignias, and had a dental screening.
The DSs turned up the heat a bit today though, especially with chow. Only a few minutes to gobble down the food and drink. It's necessary though as there are a ton of us here to eat and finish processing.
It looks like we'll be shipping on Saturday. Seeing graduates today in their ASUs made me even more ready to get out of here and get on with training.
I've heard rumors before I shipped that phones were permitted at reception, but so far, that's not happened and it doesn't appear that it will. It seems that it all depends on where you go and who your DS is.
I will have my first fire guard tonight, so there won't be a full night's rest, but I think I am already getting used to the perpetual tiredness. (Fire guard is where two soldiers watch over the bay in 1 hr. shifts.)
Advice to future solders would be to go ahead and learn the soldier's creed, general orders, the army values, and the army song prior to coming. I did, and it has already proven quite valuable.
For those of you who know my wife or are friends with me on facebook, I hope to have my address in the next few days.
That's all for today.

Day -1 and Day 0

Day -1 is what I am referring to for my traveling as there was not much that happened. I was, however, quickly introduced to the Army's hurry up and wait philosophy.
They had me report at 0645, at the airport at 0930 for an 1830 flight. Needless to say, RDU is not where I wanted to spend my day. But I found ways to pass the time between phone apps and repeated calls to my wife.
I arrived in St. Louis around 1915 where I reported to the USO. That was a great facility with free snacks, drinks, and many other amenities.
After waiting at the USO for a few hours, the bus was finally ready to take me and the other recruits to FLW. But that was a looonnngg bus ride.
Finally at 0200 on Day 0, I arrived at FLW, home for the next ten weeks. We learned a little about the facility, got rid of any contraband, and got a hot meal prior to getting to our bunks.
I think I slept for all of 1.5 hours (including the bus ride).
At 0400, the day--and reception--really began. We saw a lot more personality in our Drill Sergeants (DS) too, who didn't seem to sympathize with our lack of sleep. :)
Many, many things took place today from medical and dental screenings, a trip to the PX (store) for supplies, and the best part, uniforms. It felt much better when we were finally able to stand in our full ACUs with brand new boots. Finally, I started to feel like the transition to soldier had really begun.
Now we've all showered and I'm trying to figure out how to organize the tons of stuff I received today as we await personal time, and what I've been looking forward to most, LIGHTS OUT!
I think that's about all my sleep deprived brain can handle for now, other than to mention that God is making His presence known at every corner. He has made it even more clear to me that this is in fact something He's been calling me to.
Thank you, family and friends, for your continued prayers and support.
We hope to start BCT on Friday, soon after, I should have my address.