Friday, December 23, 2011
Victory Block Leave
I remember, sort of, what happened the Thursday before leave started. We did PT in the morning, and then we did "Bay Maintenance". They had been threatening us since Wednesday night with an inspection by the Battalion commander, and said that if the sleeping bays weren't clean then NO ONE was going to get their block leave. At this point, no one believed them, because they keep saying things and threatening us with things, and never following through. And, I'm pretty sure they didn't want anyone staying there over Christmas who didn't absolutely HAVE to. In between cleaning and chow, our DS briefed us on the expectations for us over these 2 weeks, and we signed a contract basically stating that we would continue with PT, so that we could all pass a PT test upon our return. Bedtime as at 2045, as usual. We woke up at 0330 on Friday so that we could conduct more bay maintenance. The commander was coming to inspect, after all! At about 0550, we met on the CTA, saluted the flag and had chow. MREs for breakfast is really not what you're hoping for, but my Spaghetti and meat sauce meal came with Cheez-its and Skittles, which I saved for later. I might have eaten them, if the DS hadn't come down to inform the females that the latrine smelled like urine and we had 10 minutes to be upstairs to fix the situation. The commander, was after all, coming to inspect. So, 33 females run upstairs to do the job of 3 or 4 people, so most of us just stood around. POVs (people leaving by private vehicle) were to form up at 0730, and it was about 0715 when DS told us to get out. Goodbyes started, and people wanted to give hugs and have emotional goodbye scenes, but I just wanted to get the hell out! I flashed a peace sign and ran my ass to the CTA. Of course, there was more waiting involved. We lined up alphabetically, got our DA31 (leave form) then we marched to the Battalion classroom where we had to wait in a line for outprocessing. There was already a long line of families waiting to pick people up and it as only 0800. The captain had said we might get released at 0900, but the way things work around Ft. Jackson, we all knew it would be closer to 1000. So, we enter the classroom, they check names off a list and give us ANOTHER copy of our leave form and scan our ID. Then they search our bags. Why? Not even the DS doing the searches knew, since in the words of one of them "POV can take whatever the fuck they want home" Stupid. Accordingly, the search consisted of people dumping out their bag then putting it all back in. Stupid. Then we got to sit there and wait. And wait. And wait some more. At one point, they told us to hand in our ID again so that it could be re-scanned. THEN they told us that they were missing one ID card and that NO ONE was going to be able to leave until that ONE person handed in his/her card. Stupid. Everyone sat there because everyone knew that they had handed in their ID. So we waited some more while the sergeants threatened. I had a great idea that they could have everyone stand up, then call all the names off the cards they had, and when you heard your name you would sit down. That seemed like a very easy way to figure out whose card was missing. But no one in any position to make decisions thought of that, so we waited. It was about 0945 when they started lining people up according to whose family was first in line. They would line 10-12 people up, then send them out the door, then do that whole process over again. I had been texting MB, and knew that she was very far back in line, so I was patient once people actually started leaving. Oh, and the whole ID card finasco? They had counted wrong. No one was surprised by this. So now, after pussy-footing around for an hour and a half or so, NOW they decided to rush us and make us hurry. This is how things usually work...the people in charge fuck around for awhile, and when they decide it's time to act, YOU get yelled at for being slow. It's truly messed up and forever frustrating. Oh, well. So, they kept calling names, and I kept sitting there, and then MB texted me and said someone had just come to take her name, so I knew I would be getting out soon! And sure enough, I was in the very next list of names. There are probably not words enough in the English language to express how excited I was to just be in her car, see her and know that I was leaving Ft. Jackson. We lined up dutifully and filed outside where there were a couple of officers assigning people to the right line. They had instructed us NOT to have prolonged hugging or hellos, but simply to drive away. THANK GOD MB ended up being the first car in the line. I said a quick goodbye to my platoon-mate behind me, jumped in the car and told her to drive fast and drive far! She did, thank goodness, and we made a beeline for IHOP, because she really wanted Gingerbread Hot Chocolate and I was dying for real food and COFFEE. I think I was a little bit hysterical to see her, I had been pretty homesick for a couple of weeks. We got to IHOP where I promptly changed out of the ACUs into JEANS and sandals that my mom had so thoughtfully sent for me. It was an amazing feeling to be wearing my jeans and a real bra...after 9 weeks of sports bras, it's a whole new world when you put on a real bra. It's the little things, people, don't take them for granted! I think I had 4 or 5 cups of coffee and pumpkin praline pancakes which were amazing. On the way home I had some Reeses Pieces, diet soda and we stopped at WalMart where I bought some fleecy pajama pants and slippers, 2 things I had been dreaming about for weeks. Since I have been here, I have spent 85% of my time wearing them. It is everything I had hoped it would be. :) I posted this on facebook, but the cliches are true...family and friends are the most important things in life, and I am blessed to have an amazing family and truly awesome friends. You also really don't know what you have til it's gone, so appreciate everything. As I type that, I realize that I was not imprisoned, or hospitalized or in any way being held captive. I did, in fact, sign up. There is something about being cut off from the world as you know it and being totally isolated in this creepy world that is sort of created out of nothing in 9 weeks and that world becomes your reality, there is something about it that makes you feel like you're not a part of anyone's world anymore, that people must have forgotten about you, and that you are never going to be part of the real outside world again. It was a relief to rejoin the world and to be reminded that people didn't forget, and that I will be a part of the real world again. Thank you to everyone for your support and love and letters and prayers. I really couldn't have done it without you. Special thanks to my amazing sister, Marybeth and my mom. You are truly the best. I love you. Watch this space for tales of Monterey! I'm gonna kick some Korean ass!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The final days...and EXODUS...and my ass!
So, as I was typing the letters into this blog, I was struck by 3 things. 1. My letters to my sister were incredibly boring, and I should apologize to her for that. 2. I was so, incredibly ready to come home at the week 5 1/2 mark, it's a miracle I didn't harm myself. 3. I really enjoy using the word HEH.
Anyway, what was left of Basic Combat training was a 10 mile foot march and a 4 day Field Training Exercise, oh and we had another PT test. It was really starting to wind down by the end of November/beginning of December. Here are some highlights.
December 6th: PT test My best showing yet, as it should be. I did 18 push ups, 47 sit ups and ran 2 miles in 16:13! I was very excited about that. I've almost quadrupled the number of pushups I can do, and have taken 4 minutes off my 2 mile. We have 1 more PT test scheduled, for right after Christmas exodus, so hopefully I can balance enjoying the holidays with working out so I improve some more.
Our 10 mile march was supposed to be attached to our FTX, so like, we would put all our gear in our assault pack, march 10 miles to the training site...so as to give us a feeling of accomplishment and purpose. But, being Ft. Jackson, we did our 10 mile march on Thursday, 2 days before our FTX was scheduled to begin. So, we all got out of bed at 0230 on Thursday morning, went down to formation at 0330, and the march began at 0408. I remember exactly because I looked at my watch because I wanted to know how long it was going to take us to march 10 miles.
1SGT had said that we could put our gloves on when we started moving, which didn't make sense to me then, and it still doesn't really, but all I know is, it was effin' COLD, and holding on to that rifle made my hands even colder. So, yeah, I put the gloves on. Another thought I remember having the whole time we were marching in the pitch dark, through the woods is that it seems awfully stupid to have people march in the PITCH DARK, ON DIRT ROADS this close to graduation, because God forbid, someone falls and injures themselves and then they can't complete the FTX, and they don't freakin' graduate. The system is flawed. As you can imagine, we walked for a good long time...I was OK with this, because there is no talking allowed during a foot march, so I got 10 miles of relative solitude. Foot/road marching is not a problem for me, because literally all you have to do is walk. I've been doing that for 30 something years. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable with the 30 pound pack, and the rifle, but seriously, it's walking... Anyway, my friend, Higgins had asked me to stick close to her. She had rolled her ankle at some point, and thought she might need motivation. Very early on, I could see she was struggling. I was right behind her, and all rules of the road dictated that I should have passed her, but I had promised her I would stick with her. Neither of us was in danger of falling out, so I just plodded along, ever so slowly behind her. After we had been walking for almost an hour, Higgins just goes down, letting out this horrible scream on the way. Another rule of road marching is, at least in BCT, that no matter what happens, you KEEP WALKING. This goes against everything else the Army instills in you about never leaving a fallen comrade, etc, etc, but so it goes. I dutifully keep marching, and about 5 minutes later we arrive at our first "long halt". While we have some water and pull security, I ask the drill sergeant if she's ok. He assures me she's fine, and is just a drama queen, and has been placed at the extreme front of the formation. Good, now I don't have any pressure to stick with her...my road march can continue unhindered. We keep on walking, on roads, through the woods, uphill, downhill, taking another shorter break. Then we arrive at a parking lot, where we are told to change our socks, eat an apple and pee in the woods if we have to. This is the half way point. After about 10 minutes, we head back the way we came. Truly bizarre. It is on the way back that I end up having a conversation with one of the DS. It happens to be one of the only DS I respect. He's like 25, but I sincerely think that he is trying to make each of us a better soldier. He was walking with our platoon that day, since, (not at all) shockingly, none of our DS were there. He comes up next to me and says "You gonna make it Haas?" I was kind of surprised, because I wasn't struggling at all, so I just replied "Yes, DS!" Then he asked me why I joined the Army. I giggled a little and said it was kind of a long story. He went off to check on some other people. About 10 minutes later, he came up next to me again and just said "Well, I've got some time...what's your story?" So, I told him a very short version, and we ended up talking about Germany, where he had been stationed. The whole thing struck me odd mainly because they have spent almost 8 weeks telling us that they don't have conversations with privates. Maybe it's just because the end is so near. At any rate...we got back "home" right around 0900. We had breakfast and everyone was congratulating each other, which I didn't really get, because really? Walking. We walked. Yay. Oh, well, another graduation requirement checked off. Later that day we walked to the PX and I bought some cough drops. Higgins was fine, but the DS told her she had to go to sick call on Friday to get her ankle checked out. She asked if I would come with her. She asked me because you need a battle buddy to go anywhere, and she knew I had the thing on my ass.
In the previous post, I mentioned the "ant bite" on my arm. Well, my friend Drummond was amazing, and kept squeezing it, getting all the pus out. So, that problem was solved. Round about 4 December or so, I had noticed a red bump on my ass. I thought it was a pimple. It kept getting redder and harder and more painful, so I began to think it was the same thing I had had on my arm. The only problem was I couldn't squeeze it, and Drummond was not so willing to squeeze my ass. By the day of the road march, it hurt to sit down, to do situps and to sleep on my left side. Not good. So, when Higgins asked me to battle her to sick call, I took the opportunity. The DS had already told us we weren't doing anything on Friday. So, I got to the TMC (Troop Medical Center) where a lovely older woman wearing reindeer ears took my vitals. Then the doctor came in to speak with me. First of all, he only had 3 fingers on his left hand, ew. ANYWAY...I told him what the deal was, he took a look and tells me it's an abscess. A bacteria filled abscess, ON MY ASS. THEN he proceeds to tell me that they're going to have to slice it, drain it, and pack it. AND that I will have to come back to the TMC DAILY to have the dressing redone. Knowing that we're leaving for the field the next day, I try to reason with the man, that maybe I can just wait until we're back to take care of it...it doesn't hurt that bad...this earns me a lecture delivered in a raised voice about how I'm absolutely NOT waiting, this is happening TODAY, blood infection, MRSA, flesh-eating bacteria. OK, so I guess we're doing this today, lol. Brian, a really nice guy with lots of tatoos, numbs my up and slices it open, then packs it with whatever. I'm good to go, back to the bay by 10am where everyone is packing for Victory Forge!! Woo-hoo!
I talk to my DS about the situation, about having to go to TMC every day, because I'm afraid it'll cause me to miss training or something horrible, but she is really nice about it and says she will also see to it that I get a shower every day and how I have to take care of me. So, that was nice. Packing is fine, we bring all the same shit we always do. We leave on a bus for our 4 day FTX. We get there, set up the tents, eat chow, unload everyone's duffel bags and do a pretend mission where my team fails miserably to achieve the objective and so we have to listen to DS Watson talk for a LONG TIME..then I get go to the TMC, something that has been "in the works" for no fewer than 5 hours. So, I bring Higgins with me, the wound gets redressed, we go back to the barracks for a shower, then wait 3 hours until the freaking COMPANY COMMANDER drives us back to the site...awkward. We get there, it's like 2030, we eat hurriedly in the CQ tent, then go to bed. I don't even remember what the hell we did on Sunday...oh, I think it was the round robin training. Land Navigation - total win, US weapons - epic fail, Radio Communication - sort of OK. The plus side was that 3rd squad bonded, and worked together for all the tasks, so we felt good about that. Ask me what the "monkey fucker" is. It was about half way through when we realized that none of the activities we were doing actually counted, and no one was keeping track, so that's when it started to be fun. I had made the decision NOT to go back to the TMC on Sunday, but instead to wait and go on Monday. So, Monday we did STX (Situational Training Exercise) Basically we practiced Battle Drill 1A like 3 times in various different locations. That we had to navigate to. Except for whenever the navigator would point us in the wrong direction, the DS would tell us which way to go. Yay for learning!! Anyway, Battle Drill 1A is basically movement to contact, then engaging the enemy. 3 times. Wandering around the woods! It took like 4 hours. Then we ate again. I never made it to the TMC, so now I'm paranoid about a blood infection and this dressing in my ass. So, Higgins takes off the Band-Aid and this other girl, Plummer, assures me the dressing has come out too, so I have nothing to worry about and they apply another BandAid to my abscess. Such good friends. Tuesday, I am instructed to go to sick call, which entails a lengthy van ride to the TMC, waiting around, but the PA fixes up my ass and tells me I do not need to come back, the antibiotics must have done their job. So, I go back to the Battalion and sit there. MY DS walks in and tells me to go to the bay and take a shower...I do, then return and sit there some more until some other company shows up to take us all back. Promptly upon my return, the 1 DS who hates me more than any of the others sees me, tells me to turn around and is all like "Let me guess, you went back to the bay and took a shower" HEH. All I say is, DS Crandall told me to take a shower, DS. and she left me alone. Seriously, she hates me. Not sure why. So, it's Tuesday afternoon, and we have been informed that we're spending another night out in the field. Literally nothing exciting happens between Tuesday afternoon and the time we leave...nothing.
We depart Victory Forge Wednesday afternoon and get back just in time for dinner. I don't remember what we did on Thursday beyond PT, because my mind was so focused on FRIDAY! The day I left. I will have a whole separate post about that, because it was the most amazing day ever. I will write that tomorrow.
Anyway, what was left of Basic Combat training was a 10 mile foot march and a 4 day Field Training Exercise, oh and we had another PT test. It was really starting to wind down by the end of November/beginning of December. Here are some highlights.
December 6th: PT test My best showing yet, as it should be. I did 18 push ups, 47 sit ups and ran 2 miles in 16:13! I was very excited about that. I've almost quadrupled the number of pushups I can do, and have taken 4 minutes off my 2 mile. We have 1 more PT test scheduled, for right after Christmas exodus, so hopefully I can balance enjoying the holidays with working out so I improve some more.
Our 10 mile march was supposed to be attached to our FTX, so like, we would put all our gear in our assault pack, march 10 miles to the training site...so as to give us a feeling of accomplishment and purpose. But, being Ft. Jackson, we did our 10 mile march on Thursday, 2 days before our FTX was scheduled to begin. So, we all got out of bed at 0230 on Thursday morning, went down to formation at 0330, and the march began at 0408. I remember exactly because I looked at my watch because I wanted to know how long it was going to take us to march 10 miles.
1SGT had said that we could put our gloves on when we started moving, which didn't make sense to me then, and it still doesn't really, but all I know is, it was effin' COLD, and holding on to that rifle made my hands even colder. So, yeah, I put the gloves on. Another thought I remember having the whole time we were marching in the pitch dark, through the woods is that it seems awfully stupid to have people march in the PITCH DARK, ON DIRT ROADS this close to graduation, because God forbid, someone falls and injures themselves and then they can't complete the FTX, and they don't freakin' graduate. The system is flawed. As you can imagine, we walked for a good long time...I was OK with this, because there is no talking allowed during a foot march, so I got 10 miles of relative solitude. Foot/road marching is not a problem for me, because literally all you have to do is walk. I've been doing that for 30 something years. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable with the 30 pound pack, and the rifle, but seriously, it's walking... Anyway, my friend, Higgins had asked me to stick close to her. She had rolled her ankle at some point, and thought she might need motivation. Very early on, I could see she was struggling. I was right behind her, and all rules of the road dictated that I should have passed her, but I had promised her I would stick with her. Neither of us was in danger of falling out, so I just plodded along, ever so slowly behind her. After we had been walking for almost an hour, Higgins just goes down, letting out this horrible scream on the way. Another rule of road marching is, at least in BCT, that no matter what happens, you KEEP WALKING. This goes against everything else the Army instills in you about never leaving a fallen comrade, etc, etc, but so it goes. I dutifully keep marching, and about 5 minutes later we arrive at our first "long halt". While we have some water and pull security, I ask the drill sergeant if she's ok. He assures me she's fine, and is just a drama queen, and has been placed at the extreme front of the formation. Good, now I don't have any pressure to stick with her...my road march can continue unhindered. We keep on walking, on roads, through the woods, uphill, downhill, taking another shorter break. Then we arrive at a parking lot, where we are told to change our socks, eat an apple and pee in the woods if we have to. This is the half way point. After about 10 minutes, we head back the way we came. Truly bizarre. It is on the way back that I end up having a conversation with one of the DS. It happens to be one of the only DS I respect. He's like 25, but I sincerely think that he is trying to make each of us a better soldier. He was walking with our platoon that day, since, (not at all) shockingly, none of our DS were there. He comes up next to me and says "You gonna make it Haas?" I was kind of surprised, because I wasn't struggling at all, so I just replied "Yes, DS!" Then he asked me why I joined the Army. I giggled a little and said it was kind of a long story. He went off to check on some other people. About 10 minutes later, he came up next to me again and just said "Well, I've got some time...what's your story?" So, I told him a very short version, and we ended up talking about Germany, where he had been stationed. The whole thing struck me odd mainly because they have spent almost 8 weeks telling us that they don't have conversations with privates. Maybe it's just because the end is so near. At any rate...we got back "home" right around 0900. We had breakfast and everyone was congratulating each other, which I didn't really get, because really? Walking. We walked. Yay. Oh, well, another graduation requirement checked off. Later that day we walked to the PX and I bought some cough drops. Higgins was fine, but the DS told her she had to go to sick call on Friday to get her ankle checked out. She asked if I would come with her. She asked me because you need a battle buddy to go anywhere, and she knew I had the thing on my ass.
In the previous post, I mentioned the "ant bite" on my arm. Well, my friend Drummond was amazing, and kept squeezing it, getting all the pus out. So, that problem was solved. Round about 4 December or so, I had noticed a red bump on my ass. I thought it was a pimple. It kept getting redder and harder and more painful, so I began to think it was the same thing I had had on my arm. The only problem was I couldn't squeeze it, and Drummond was not so willing to squeeze my ass. By the day of the road march, it hurt to sit down, to do situps and to sleep on my left side. Not good. So, when Higgins asked me to battle her to sick call, I took the opportunity. The DS had already told us we weren't doing anything on Friday. So, I got to the TMC (Troop Medical Center) where a lovely older woman wearing reindeer ears took my vitals. Then the doctor came in to speak with me. First of all, he only had 3 fingers on his left hand, ew. ANYWAY...I told him what the deal was, he took a look and tells me it's an abscess. A bacteria filled abscess, ON MY ASS. THEN he proceeds to tell me that they're going to have to slice it, drain it, and pack it. AND that I will have to come back to the TMC DAILY to have the dressing redone. Knowing that we're leaving for the field the next day, I try to reason with the man, that maybe I can just wait until we're back to take care of it...it doesn't hurt that bad...this earns me a lecture delivered in a raised voice about how I'm absolutely NOT waiting, this is happening TODAY, blood infection, MRSA, flesh-eating bacteria. OK, so I guess we're doing this today, lol. Brian, a really nice guy with lots of tatoos, numbs my up and slices it open, then packs it with whatever. I'm good to go, back to the bay by 10am where everyone is packing for Victory Forge!! Woo-hoo!
I talk to my DS about the situation, about having to go to TMC every day, because I'm afraid it'll cause me to miss training or something horrible, but she is really nice about it and says she will also see to it that I get a shower every day and how I have to take care of me. So, that was nice. Packing is fine, we bring all the same shit we always do. We leave on a bus for our 4 day FTX. We get there, set up the tents, eat chow, unload everyone's duffel bags and do a pretend mission where my team fails miserably to achieve the objective and so we have to listen to DS Watson talk for a LONG TIME..then I get go to the TMC, something that has been "in the works" for no fewer than 5 hours. So, I bring Higgins with me, the wound gets redressed, we go back to the barracks for a shower, then wait 3 hours until the freaking COMPANY COMMANDER drives us back to the site...awkward. We get there, it's like 2030, we eat hurriedly in the CQ tent, then go to bed. I don't even remember what the hell we did on Sunday...oh, I think it was the round robin training. Land Navigation - total win, US weapons - epic fail, Radio Communication - sort of OK. The plus side was that 3rd squad bonded, and worked together for all the tasks, so we felt good about that. Ask me what the "monkey fucker" is. It was about half way through when we realized that none of the activities we were doing actually counted, and no one was keeping track, so that's when it started to be fun. I had made the decision NOT to go back to the TMC on Sunday, but instead to wait and go on Monday. So, Monday we did STX (Situational Training Exercise) Basically we practiced Battle Drill 1A like 3 times in various different locations. That we had to navigate to. Except for whenever the navigator would point us in the wrong direction, the DS would tell us which way to go. Yay for learning!! Anyway, Battle Drill 1A is basically movement to contact, then engaging the enemy. 3 times. Wandering around the woods! It took like 4 hours. Then we ate again. I never made it to the TMC, so now I'm paranoid about a blood infection and this dressing in my ass. So, Higgins takes off the Band-Aid and this other girl, Plummer, assures me the dressing has come out too, so I have nothing to worry about and they apply another BandAid to my abscess. Such good friends. Tuesday, I am instructed to go to sick call, which entails a lengthy van ride to the TMC, waiting around, but the PA fixes up my ass and tells me I do not need to come back, the antibiotics must have done their job. So, I go back to the Battalion and sit there. MY DS walks in and tells me to go to the bay and take a shower...I do, then return and sit there some more until some other company shows up to take us all back. Promptly upon my return, the 1 DS who hates me more than any of the others sees me, tells me to turn around and is all like "Let me guess, you went back to the bay and took a shower" HEH. All I say is, DS Crandall told me to take a shower, DS. and she left me alone. Seriously, she hates me. Not sure why. So, it's Tuesday afternoon, and we have been informed that we're spending another night out in the field. Literally nothing exciting happens between Tuesday afternoon and the time we leave...nothing.
We depart Victory Forge Wednesday afternoon and get back just in time for dinner. I don't remember what we did on Thursday beyond PT, because my mind was so focused on FRIDAY! The day I left. I will have a whole separate post about that, because it was the most amazing day ever. I will write that tomorrow.
A recap in letters
What follows is a transcription of the last 4 letters I wrote to MB. I will add notes where they are needed. For the record, I am thoroughly enjoying being on vacation (EXODUS). My goal is to NOT gain 47 pounds! I will add more at the end of this post!
15.Nov -Last night was a total bummer, but it's a LONG STORY that I will tell you later (explanation: the whole platoon was reamed for like 2 hours for having no discipline, and I was personally called out for not having told them all to "shut the fuck up" and the DS was all like, "I've been waiting for you to say something for 5 weeks and I don't think you're EVER going to" I was bummed about it for awhile, but have since come to terms with it, because I know what kind of person and leader I am, and he is not a person I respect anyway.) The long and short of it is that I am now a squad leader. It appears they weren't lying about the PT test. Oh, Lord, let it be over soon. We're doing a confidence course today, rope climbing, wall scaling - could be fun, but it's really hot out and we're in ACUs, which I'm sure you've heard do not keep you warm OR cool when you need it. Stupid. It's almost 10am and I'm still waiting - made up a platoon list with the PG who happens to be sitting next to me - funny - there's this kid in my platoon from Phenix City, AL I did NOT offer him a ride home.
We just finished the confidence course -which was stupid because there are like 25 obstacles but because of ticket sales this morning, we only did 3 of them. I'm starting to believe that this whole cycle of Basic Training is being a little half-assed by the people in charge. (Edited to add: one of the obstacles we did was called FIVE WALLS, which is a series of 5 walls, each getting taller, the goal is for a team of 4 to get over all 5...when I tell you that EVERY female ended up with GIANT black and blue marks on their upper arms from trying to pull herself up a wall, or from someone grabbing her by the upper arm to get her over, I am NOT exaggerating, there was a nightly comparison in the latrine of color and size...they were grotesque. I only wish I had my camera!) So, we were on the bus and a Trace Adkins song came on and I got so excited because it's the first REAL son I've had in my head for like a month. Usually it's cadences, which gets SUPER annoying.
16.Nov Happy Wednesday! Got 2 letters from you yesterday! YAY! 2 things - WTF Michelle Duggar, holy crap they are disturbed AND holy crap Joe Paterno! They would protest him getting fired, losers. WOW. And my friend Muller told me that Andy Rooney died. Sad. The bad day from Monday continues. Remember when I sad low crawling in the dirt sounded like fun? It is not. Our DS flipped shit about us not being motivated, us not wanting to train. As a teacher, I know where he's coming from - a few bad ones spoil it for everyone.
17.Nov Everytime I see Darren I'm going to say "Chief" or "Sir". For a day, anyway, lol. You're whole family is going to say "Scouts Out" soon. So today is Thursday, and we're going to the range AGAIN for reflexive fire. Walking and shooting. I passed the computer simulation, but am always nervous about the real thing. So, because our PT test is after vacation, they're giving us a PT plan, that should be fun for US! LOL But Sonic chili dogs sound amazing and I will be
indulging very soon. CAN'T WAIT. French fries, buffalo wings, you name it, I want to eat it. By the way, S. Carolina sucks. I have an ANT BITE on my arm. GROSS! It's all hard and full of pus. Disgusting. You realize, of course, that this diagnosis is based solely on this girl saying it looks like an ant bite she had. (Edited to add - SO NOT AN ANT BITE, more on this topic later!!) I put a BandAid and Neosporin on it. We'll see what happens. The range was good. It took forever, we only shot 30 rounds each, but it took like 3 hours. Then we had chow. Then they apparently hadn't arranged for a Motor Move back home, so we practiced shooting from behind barriers for 2.5 hours. I did really well at reflexive firing, the CCO or COC or whatever acronym it is for the laser scope thing makes it so much easier and faster. It's literally point and shoot! OOH, DS just said it's CCO - Close Combat something, I wrote it down a few days ago - clearly it meant a lot to me, lol.
It was bothering me, so I looked it up - Close Quarter Combat Optic. Sorry this letter is so random. It's like 1630 and we've been sitting in the classroom for almost an hour doing nothing while people get "counseled". That means they were naughty. 2 of the males changed settings on weapons the night before qualification. They are in MAJOR trouble.
PT TEST RESULTS: push ups 9 (80% increase)
situps 41 (78% increase)
2 mile run 17:33 (2:40 faster)
22.Nov By the time you get this it will probably be December, which means I'm that much closer to being sprung from here! WOO-HOO! Things have gone from 0-60 in like 3 days. I'm PG now, this since yesterday after breakfast. It's a long story about why, but I have a theory about that, but today at lunch I screwed up (nothing major, don't worry) so I'm hoping I get fired. Seriously, it's a lot of stress that I didn't want. THEN we had a shakedown yesterday morning - they were looking for contraband. Damn. The males had food and candy and stuff, this one kid has his Ipod AND there were females in MY platoon with homemade dice. They are currently being either chaptered out or restarted because gambling is bad. It has been quite the topic of conversation for the last 24 hours. Oh, and did I mention that one of them is my battle buddy? Heh. Is it wrong of me to be happy she'll be gone? I can't believe I just wrote that! Got my dress blues today - very tedious process, back to Reception *shudder* Flashbacks of hell. All 37 females have been finished for like an hour, and we are waiting for 104 males to finish. It is already 1500. I don't know what this evening will bring, but I'm pretty sure all the DS are still mad about yesterday because each platoon apparently brought shame upon the company. WHATEVER. Seriously, most of the stress of BCT is the mental anguish and living in constant dread of what might happen next. It's not good for a person. Tomorrow is NIC at night, which, from what I gather involves barbed wire, low crawling and live rounds being shot above my head. Word on the street is, it's the toughest training we have left. Unless you count the 10 mile footmarch on 10. Dec. That will be tons of fun. Apparently it's mandatory to take a break every 5o minutes...hopefully it won't be too cold. Sitting here thinking of you in Disneyworld, and am truly jealous, for some reason today I am feeling really homesick. I'm really tired and trying to take it one day at a time. For laughs, let me describe the trip to Deferred Issue for you.
We took the bus to 120th (Reception Battalion) at about 0700 and had breakfast at the DFAC here, which SUCKS!! Plus we came in right after the FAT CAMP was eating (sorry, Fitness Training Company) and so we got reduced portions of a very limited selection of food. Boo. Then we made it to CIIP which is an acronym I'm still trying to decipher. Clothing Issue something? Not sure. (edited to add -Clothing Initial Issue Point) Shoes come first - they actually gave us like 6 pairs of socks, then we went to try on shiny black shoes. After that, you wear your shiny black shoes with your PT shorts and T shirt to the SHIRT station, where you strip to bra and undies and wait for the ladies there. Just imagine 7 females standing there in bra and undies with shiny black shoes on, holding clipboards. Definitely a sight. The shirt lady also gives you a beret. I have a fat head, lol. Next is fancy jacket - mine feels really tight, but the DS approved it. So now I'm running around in a short sleeve shirt and shiny black shoes. Next you get measured for a skirt, which was uneventful, but the pants were an ordeal because as the ladies were fond of saying to me "We're trying to make your booty look good, but there isn't much there" HEH. So, after all of that, you have to wait for all the alterations, then go parade around ON AN ACTUAL STAGE for all the DS to inspect the fit. Truly bizarre to hear my GIANT muscle man DS ask if the pants were hitting me at the belly button. Strange. As expected, the Army has a system for everything, and it worked pretty well. It just takes forever. Hurry up and wait is not a myth, it's a fact. We were finished around 1600, then waited around til like 1700 for chow. now it's almost 1900 and we well be here til at least 1930. *sigh*
25.Nov It was great talking to you yesterday, now I am feeling encouraged and ready to kick ass for another 3 weeks!
Got fired from being PG today, thank goodness. It was stressing me out. I didn't do anything wrong, the average time on the job is like 3 days. Anyway, it's good just to fall into formation again!
Today is full of first aid. Last week we talked mainly about hemorrhaging and tourniquets. I think today will be about chest wounds. Exciting. Well, I was wrong. We're talking about managing airways. ONE HOUR LATER: we finally got around to open (sucking) chest wounds and got to watch some pretty graphic videos. Yuck. So, it's noon and there is nothing else on the schedule for today. We are done with the first aid program for the day. DS is texting 1SGT to see if we can watch a movie after chow. Heh. "So, what did you do in Basic Training?" Oh, well, I spoke too soon. People are stupid and can't follow simple instructions, so we just spent 1/2 an hour doing various exercises. This is the kind of thing that de-motivates me. What is wrong with personal accountability? It just gets old having to pay for other people's immaturity. *sigh* End of rant. The T-shirt guy just came by and sadly, all of the designs are really ugly. Even our platoon shirt. I really wanted to like something. Oh, well, no souveniers for me. Next on the schedule is a movie. The Shooter I think it's called. Looks pretty good. Turns out there was coffee I could have had yesterday at dinner. LTC authorized us drinking some. Too bad I didn't know that yesterday. I did have pumpkin pie, a BitoHoney a MaryJane and a caramel. Indulgent, right? They took us to the DFAC at like 1600 yesterday. No one was hungry, but we knew we had to eat, b/c breakfast isn't til 0700.
15.Nov -Last night was a total bummer, but it's a LONG STORY that I will tell you later (explanation: the whole platoon was reamed for like 2 hours for having no discipline, and I was personally called out for not having told them all to "shut the fuck up" and the DS was all like, "I've been waiting for you to say something for 5 weeks and I don't think you're EVER going to" I was bummed about it for awhile, but have since come to terms with it, because I know what kind of person and leader I am, and he is not a person I respect anyway.) The long and short of it is that I am now a squad leader. It appears they weren't lying about the PT test. Oh, Lord, let it be over soon. We're doing a confidence course today, rope climbing, wall scaling - could be fun, but it's really hot out and we're in ACUs, which I'm sure you've heard do not keep you warm OR cool when you need it. Stupid. It's almost 10am and I'm still waiting - made up a platoon list with the PG who happens to be sitting next to me - funny - there's this kid in my platoon from Phenix City, AL I did NOT offer him a ride home.
We just finished the confidence course -which was stupid because there are like 25 obstacles but because of ticket sales this morning, we only did 3 of them. I'm starting to believe that this whole cycle of Basic Training is being a little half-assed by the people in charge. (Edited to add: one of the obstacles we did was called FIVE WALLS, which is a series of 5 walls, each getting taller, the goal is for a team of 4 to get over all 5...when I tell you that EVERY female ended up with GIANT black and blue marks on their upper arms from trying to pull herself up a wall, or from someone grabbing her by the upper arm to get her over, I am NOT exaggerating, there was a nightly comparison in the latrine of color and size...they were grotesque. I only wish I had my camera!) So, we were on the bus and a Trace Adkins song came on and I got so excited because it's the first REAL son I've had in my head for like a month. Usually it's cadences, which gets SUPER annoying.
16.Nov Happy Wednesday! Got 2 letters from you yesterday! YAY! 2 things - WTF Michelle Duggar, holy crap they are disturbed AND holy crap Joe Paterno! They would protest him getting fired, losers. WOW. And my friend Muller told me that Andy Rooney died. Sad. The bad day from Monday continues. Remember when I sad low crawling in the dirt sounded like fun? It is not. Our DS flipped shit about us not being motivated, us not wanting to train. As a teacher, I know where he's coming from - a few bad ones spoil it for everyone.
17.Nov Everytime I see Darren I'm going to say "Chief" or "Sir". For a day, anyway, lol. You're whole family is going to say "Scouts Out" soon. So today is Thursday, and we're going to the range AGAIN for reflexive fire. Walking and shooting. I passed the computer simulation, but am always nervous about the real thing. So, because our PT test is after vacation, they're giving us a PT plan, that should be fun for US! LOL But Sonic chili dogs sound amazing and I will be
indulging very soon. CAN'T WAIT. French fries, buffalo wings, you name it, I want to eat it. By the way, S. Carolina sucks. I have an ANT BITE on my arm. GROSS! It's all hard and full of pus. Disgusting. You realize, of course, that this diagnosis is based solely on this girl saying it looks like an ant bite she had. (Edited to add - SO NOT AN ANT BITE, more on this topic later!!) I put a BandAid and Neosporin on it. We'll see what happens. The range was good. It took forever, we only shot 30 rounds each, but it took like 3 hours. Then we had chow. Then they apparently hadn't arranged for a Motor Move back home, so we practiced shooting from behind barriers for 2.5 hours. I did really well at reflexive firing, the CCO or COC or whatever acronym it is for the laser scope thing makes it so much easier and faster. It's literally point and shoot! OOH, DS just said it's CCO - Close Combat something, I wrote it down a few days ago - clearly it meant a lot to me, lol.
It was bothering me, so I looked it up - Close Quarter Combat Optic. Sorry this letter is so random. It's like 1630 and we've been sitting in the classroom for almost an hour doing nothing while people get "counseled". That means they were naughty. 2 of the males changed settings on weapons the night before qualification. They are in MAJOR trouble.
PT TEST RESULTS: push ups 9 (80% increase)
situps 41 (78% increase)
2 mile run 17:33 (2:40 faster)
22.Nov By the time you get this it will probably be December, which means I'm that much closer to being sprung from here! WOO-HOO! Things have gone from 0-60 in like 3 days. I'm PG now, this since yesterday after breakfast. It's a long story about why, but I have a theory about that, but today at lunch I screwed up (nothing major, don't worry) so I'm hoping I get fired. Seriously, it's a lot of stress that I didn't want. THEN we had a shakedown yesterday morning - they were looking for contraband. Damn. The males had food and candy and stuff, this one kid has his Ipod AND there were females in MY platoon with homemade dice. They are currently being either chaptered out or restarted because gambling is bad. It has been quite the topic of conversation for the last 24 hours. Oh, and did I mention that one of them is my battle buddy? Heh. Is it wrong of me to be happy she'll be gone? I can't believe I just wrote that! Got my dress blues today - very tedious process, back to Reception *shudder* Flashbacks of hell. All 37 females have been finished for like an hour, and we are waiting for 104 males to finish. It is already 1500. I don't know what this evening will bring, but I'm pretty sure all the DS are still mad about yesterday because each platoon apparently brought shame upon the company. WHATEVER. Seriously, most of the stress of BCT is the mental anguish and living in constant dread of what might happen next. It's not good for a person. Tomorrow is NIC at night, which, from what I gather involves barbed wire, low crawling and live rounds being shot above my head. Word on the street is, it's the toughest training we have left. Unless you count the 10 mile footmarch on 10. Dec. That will be tons of fun. Apparently it's mandatory to take a break every 5o minutes...hopefully it won't be too cold. Sitting here thinking of you in Disneyworld, and am truly jealous, for some reason today I am feeling really homesick. I'm really tired and trying to take it one day at a time. For laughs, let me describe the trip to Deferred Issue for you.
We took the bus to 120th (Reception Battalion) at about 0700 and had breakfast at the DFAC here, which SUCKS!! Plus we came in right after the FAT CAMP was eating (sorry, Fitness Training Company) and so we got reduced portions of a very limited selection of food. Boo. Then we made it to CIIP which is an acronym I'm still trying to decipher. Clothing Issue something? Not sure. (edited to add -Clothing Initial Issue Point) Shoes come first - they actually gave us like 6 pairs of socks, then we went to try on shiny black shoes. After that, you wear your shiny black shoes with your PT shorts and T shirt to the SHIRT station, where you strip to bra and undies and wait for the ladies there. Just imagine 7 females standing there in bra and undies with shiny black shoes on, holding clipboards. Definitely a sight. The shirt lady also gives you a beret. I have a fat head, lol. Next is fancy jacket - mine feels really tight, but the DS approved it. So now I'm running around in a short sleeve shirt and shiny black shoes. Next you get measured for a skirt, which was uneventful, but the pants were an ordeal because as the ladies were fond of saying to me "We're trying to make your booty look good, but there isn't much there" HEH. So, after all of that, you have to wait for all the alterations, then go parade around ON AN ACTUAL STAGE for all the DS to inspect the fit. Truly bizarre to hear my GIANT muscle man DS ask if the pants were hitting me at the belly button. Strange. As expected, the Army has a system for everything, and it worked pretty well. It just takes forever. Hurry up and wait is not a myth, it's a fact. We were finished around 1600, then waited around til like 1700 for chow. now it's almost 1900 and we well be here til at least 1930. *sigh*
25.Nov It was great talking to you yesterday, now I am feeling encouraged and ready to kick ass for another 3 weeks!
Got fired from being PG today, thank goodness. It was stressing me out. I didn't do anything wrong, the average time on the job is like 3 days. Anyway, it's good just to fall into formation again!
Today is full of first aid. Last week we talked mainly about hemorrhaging and tourniquets. I think today will be about chest wounds. Exciting. Well, I was wrong. We're talking about managing airways. ONE HOUR LATER: we finally got around to open (sucking) chest wounds and got to watch some pretty graphic videos. Yuck. So, it's noon and there is nothing else on the schedule for today. We are done with the first aid program for the day. DS is texting 1SGT to see if we can watch a movie after chow. Heh. "So, what did you do in Basic Training?" Oh, well, I spoke too soon. People are stupid and can't follow simple instructions, so we just spent 1/2 an hour doing various exercises. This is the kind of thing that de-motivates me. What is wrong with personal accountability? It just gets old having to pay for other people's immaturity. *sigh* End of rant. The T-shirt guy just came by and sadly, all of the designs are really ugly. Even our platoon shirt. I really wanted to like something. Oh, well, no souveniers for me. Next on the schedule is a movie. The Shooter I think it's called. Looks pretty good. Turns out there was coffee I could have had yesterday at dinner. LTC authorized us drinking some. Too bad I didn't know that yesterday. I did have pumpkin pie, a BitoHoney a MaryJane and a caramel. Indulgent, right? They took us to the DFAC at like 1600 yesterday. No one was hungry, but we knew we had to eat, b/c breakfast isn't til 0700.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sorry for the Delay!
Sorry everyone!! I was on vacation in Disney World for Thanksgiving so I haven't been here to update! 
There really wasn't much to update until the day before I left anyway when I got letters, and then I talked to her on Thanksgiving- maybe some of you did too?! Anyway, from her first letter, I could tell that she was down- She said that she had started off with a good outing at the range, and breakfast was good, but then the day got worse. The drill sergeants got all of the trainees together and informed them that the Battalion Commander had gone through the bays (the living/sleeping area- picture below) and that they were dirty and some people had left their wall lockers unlocked. This is a huge no-no, and the drill sergeants got into trouble, which was promptly passed down to the soldiers in training of course!! They had to clean from about 5-9 then had fireguard- which is really just a way of saying they had to stay awake. They finally got to go to bed but then were up at 3 to clean again for an inspection!! Morale is apparently low throughout the company, they are all being yelled at for the sins of a few- I reminded Katie about that saying! She will be fine- she wasn't expecting to have sunshine and roses for the whole 10 weeks!!
I talked to her on Thanksgiving and she was definitely feeling better! They had a nice meal, and were able to use their phones for awhile, so that was nice for her!! She had passed her pt test, and improved her run time, so she was very happy about that! She has been put in charge of her platoon- she says it is a lot like her old job!! The one thing she does not like about it is that she has to call cadences. Cadences are the little sing-songy things that the soldiers sing while they run- you have seen or heard them on tv- she says she know some because the drill sergeants use them, but not many- I may send her a book of them so she can change it up!!
These are the bays- pretty much Katie spends any free time she has here- seems dull and boring huh?! She says that the way they teach things in basic training is basically by word of mouth! They will tell one or two people something and then just expect the entire group to know what they are talking about! She is living in fear that she will be in a certain position when they are practicing marching drills and a certain command will be called because she has no idea how to "Counter Column MArch (Turn a formation around) !
I am going to include an observation that I have made here- she is definitely starting to talk like a soldier! On one of her letters she wrote " Chicken Fajita MRE's are a NO-GO ( an Army term for unacceptable!) and she also wrote "get back at you later!" I am going to end this update with some "Basic Training Haiku" that she wrote- only Katie!!
Haiku #1
Wake up 4 AM
Front leaning rest position
Toes on line then bed
Haiku #2
MRE's are good
The DFAC is really good
Hot A's are not good note- DFAC is Dining Facility or chow hall. Hot A's are meals that are brought to them and they add hot water.
Haiku #3
Ready Exercise
Prone row 8 count pushups and
climbing drills too!
I am not including the next one because it is mostly made up of soldier-like words instead of Katie-like words!! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update- When I talked to her on Thursday she said she had another long letter ready to be sent- she was just waiting for them to mail it, so look for another update soon! Take care everyone and Merry Christmas!!
There really wasn't much to update until the day before I left anyway when I got letters, and then I talked to her on Thanksgiving- maybe some of you did too?! Anyway, from her first letter, I could tell that she was down- She said that she had started off with a good outing at the range, and breakfast was good, but then the day got worse. The drill sergeants got all of the trainees together and informed them that the Battalion Commander had gone through the bays (the living/sleeping area- picture below) and that they were dirty and some people had left their wall lockers unlocked. This is a huge no-no, and the drill sergeants got into trouble, which was promptly passed down to the soldiers in training of course!! They had to clean from about 5-9 then had fireguard- which is really just a way of saying they had to stay awake. They finally got to go to bed but then were up at 3 to clean again for an inspection!! Morale is apparently low throughout the company, they are all being yelled at for the sins of a few- I reminded Katie about that saying! She will be fine- she wasn't expecting to have sunshine and roses for the whole 10 weeks!!
I talked to her on Thanksgiving and she was definitely feeling better! They had a nice meal, and were able to use their phones for awhile, so that was nice for her!! She had passed her pt test, and improved her run time, so she was very happy about that! She has been put in charge of her platoon- she says it is a lot like her old job!! The one thing she does not like about it is that she has to call cadences. Cadences are the little sing-songy things that the soldiers sing while they run- you have seen or heard them on tv- she says she know some because the drill sergeants use them, but not many- I may send her a book of them so she can change it up!!
These are the bays- pretty much Katie spends any free time she has here- seems dull and boring huh?! She says that the way they teach things in basic training is basically by word of mouth! They will tell one or two people something and then just expect the entire group to know what they are talking about! She is living in fear that she will be in a certain position when they are practicing marching drills and a certain command will be called because she has no idea how to "Counter Column MArch (Turn a formation around) !
I am going to include an observation that I have made here- she is definitely starting to talk like a soldier! On one of her letters she wrote " Chicken Fajita MRE's are a NO-GO ( an Army term for unacceptable!) and she also wrote "get back at you later!" I am going to end this update with some "Basic Training Haiku" that she wrote- only Katie!!
Haiku #1
Wake up 4 AM
Front leaning rest position
Toes on line then bed
Haiku #2
MRE's are good
The DFAC is really good
Hot A's are not good note- DFAC is Dining Facility or chow hall. Hot A's are meals that are brought to them and they add hot water.
Haiku #3
Ready Exercise
Prone row 8 count pushups and
climbing drills too!
I am not including the next one because it is mostly made up of soldier-like words instead of Katie-like words!! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update- When I talked to her on Thursday she said she had another long letter ready to be sent- she was just waiting for them to mail it, so look for another update soon! Take care everyone and Merry Christmas!!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
No Pictures, but an update!
Unfortunately there are no new pictures of KT, but last weekend I did get two more letters form her- on one day!! Guess the drill sergeants decided to send it all off! Anyway, in this update I will talk about BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship), KT had some trials there! Also I will talk about the obstacle course, the first APFT, a possible maiming waiting to happen, a little bit about MRE's, Combatives, and a life long dream being fulfilled for KT!! Sounds exciting right? Let's get started then!!
BRM
SO the first day of BRM was a little rough for KT. They started out at a mock range where they were practicing positioning for a few hours. They then moved into what KT called "Disney Quest Army Style!" (Disney Quest is at Disney World and is a huge building filled with video games, Virtual Reality games etc.) Anyway she said there was only one game here, target shooting with laser M16s. They had to group 0's, I am not entirely sure what that means as I have never really cared to ask my husband about that stuff, and he is out of town right now, but if you all want more information I can update when he gets home at the end of the week and let you know! Anyway she says " When I tell you that I was an EPIC fail, I mean it, my shots were not even on the sheet!" She said she was discouraged and almost actually started crying!! I am sure it was very frustrating for her, But she said her DS was encouraging, and tried a couple of things to help her, and finally she was able to qualify!! Exciting!! SO once she qualified, she felt like she knew what was going on, an it was a little easier. 300 meters she still has problems with, but feeling more confident that practice will improve that! A few days later they went to the actual range, and after some difficulties int he morning she was able to "zero her weapon" She says " which I am pretty sure means I could kill someone from 300 meters away as long as they weren't moving and I had a VERY long time!!"Obstacle Course
The following day they they did there first run through of the Obstacle Course "Fit To WIN!" The DS said "she's actually in pretty good shape" when he was looking over al of the females to choose who to compete. She was proud of that comment, but didn't get chosen to compete that day, and her platoon lost, she thinks she could have won it!! She did run the course though, and says that her strength is cargo nets!! Here she once again mentions that the Drill Sergeants are bi-polar, yelling and screaming one minute, and encouraging the next! She discusses that in every letter so far!! Also, if you send her a letter, include the phrases "Scouts Out" and "HOOAH" I told you before about HOOAH, and Scout's out is the battalion motto. She says she is VERY sick of those phrases and if she never hears them again it will be too soon!! Scouts out she probably won't hear after basic, but HOOAH will follow her for her whole ARMY career!!
APFT
So for her first APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) they had to be up T 03:30 and be in formation by 04:15. She says "Why? Why does the PT test have to be SO early?" My husband has been asking the same thing for 14 years!! this PT test was just a diagnostic, to see where they are at and what they need to work on- KT was able to do 5 qualifying pushups in 2 minutes, so she has to be able to do 10 I think by the end of basic. I think she will do it with all the practice they will get!! Her run time was good and qualified and I think that her sit-ups also qualified, so the only issue is the push-ups!
She said her and another girl were talking and they said that they live for chow!! She does talk about food a lot in her letters! I have a bag of goodies to take when I pick her up for Christmas! I told you about the Drill Sergeants taking the sweets from the MRE's, KT said she actually likes the MRE's they taste pretty good she says, even without the candy. She said some of the guys are "stashing" the candy and so the girls are preparing for a big "corrective training" session, which is teh term they use for what used to be known in my husbands time as "smoking" This is basically a lot of PT! She says the hotly contested items from the MRE's are peanut butter, pound cake (any variety) and the fudge brownie or Ranger bar because it is covered in chocolate!
She said her and another girl were talking and they said that they live for chow!! She does talk about food a lot in her letters! I have a bag of goodies to take when I pick her up for Christmas! I told you about the Drill Sergeants taking the sweets from the MRE's, KT said she actually likes the MRE's they taste pretty good she says, even without the candy. She said some of the guys are "stashing" the candy and so the girls are preparing for a big "corrective training" session, which is teh term they use for what used to be known in my husbands time as "smoking" This is basically a lot of PT! She says the hotly contested items from the MRE's are peanut butter, pound cake (any variety) and the fudge brownie or Ranger bar because it is covered in chocolate!
A Maiming?
So I guess I misread that first letter when I wrote that Frankenburg, KT's bunk mate is her battle buddy. SHe didn't give me a name in this letter, but she says her battle buddy is "one of the slowest most lackadaisical people in the platoon and I swear she is deaf or partially deaf!" There may or may not have been some harsh words or threats in this section of the letter, but I cannot be put in a position to implicate my sister should anything happen!! ;)
Combatives
Combatives began in a wrestling gym where they were shown some positions and put into groups to "grapple" with each other KT said she was never chosen to actually do that for the group. Then KT's favorite part- the pugil sticks!! I can just see her fighting with those thing! (did I spell it right?) Anyway, KT was selected to represent her platoon in the competition!! She was chosen as the heavyweight female!! She said "Uh Thanks, LOL!!" she said the welter weight was only 5 pounds lighter, so the weight classes may have been a bit off!! Her competitor from first platoon was " at least 20lbs heavier than me and beastly! She beat me, but I represented well. After that competition, it was time for KT to live a life long dream- What was it??
Living a Dream
So after the competition it was chow time. This is where KT was able to do something she has wanted to for a long time- She was a cafeteria lady!! If you know KT, you know that I am not being funny or sarcastic- she really has wanted to do it, we used to play cafeteria as children ( a secret shame!) Anyway, she was in charge of chicken and gravy! I wonder if she used her power to give smaller portions to those she doesn't like (Battle buddy?!)
So I hope you all enjoyed the update, Kt called again on Monday for a few minutes, we talked mostly about Christmas time! She said more letters were waiting to be mailed, so I will update when I get more info!! Take care until then!!
So I hope you all enjoyed the update, Kt called again on Monday for a few minutes, we talked mostly about Christmas time! She said more letters were waiting to be mailed, so I will update when I get more info!! Take care until then!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Bonanza of a week on the KT front!!
Hey everyone!! It has been a long time since I have had anything to report- but the good news is that this weekend I had a long letter from Katie, and a Phone call!! So I have a little update for all of you who love her!!
A little background about basic- it is broken up into three phases- Red, White, and Blue appropriately enough! Her first few weeks were Red phase, they do a lot of classroom training, military rules and regulations, etiquette all that stuff. Drill and ceremony, etc. They also went through the gas chamber where they all got a taste of a noxious gas- she said she DID vomit!! If you have been to the facebook pages you saw some of the pictures of them coming out-snot dripping from their noses etc- YUCK!! There were no such unflattering pictures of KT!! I think the only one there was of her was taken right before they entered- shew is second in line- looks pretty calm huh?!This is how she described the gas chamber- " Today was the gas chamber which was horrifying beforehand, but kind of awesome during, and totally hysterical after! They build it up so much for everyone and tell you that you only have 9 seconds to get the mask on....Then it was SO bizarre to be behind the gas mask then take it off and breathe in noxious fumes!"
The letter I received on Friday was a long one, she wrote it over the course of a couple of days, and she is in high spirits and is actually even enjoying it in a strange way!!
She describes it as "having a personal trainer bust your ass for 15 hours a day!" And she is proud that she is not the one in the worst shape!! (I was never really worried about that, she did a lot of work to prepare herself for this!!) A big Army word is HOOAH- soldiers use this to express agreement, enthusiasm, and many other emotions. Katie noted that she HATES that word!! I think this 9 weeks will seem very long for her in that case!!
Katie has the third best mile time among all the girls in her platoon, so she is proud of that accomplishment as well!Katie went into Basic pretty much knowing what to expect, she is taking it all in stride- she said that if you can ignore the people screaming at you, not let it get to you it is fine. We all know that she is used to listening to whiny teenagers, so I am sure she is schooled in the art of "tuning out!"She also said she is sweaty and gross all of the time, they are going everyday all day- up at 4, not stopping til about 9 I guess.
In her letter she said the girls in her platoon are all "mad chill" in the words of one of her bunk mates! She isthe oldest, but there is also a 29 year old who will also be going to Monterey with Katie so that's cool!The First Sergeant in the Company likes to make fun of her because of her age, but that is not getting to her at all!!
Katie's bunk mate is Frankenberg (name change) Katie asked if it was weird that she didn't really know anyone's first name!! I said no get used to it!! But if she starts calling me Saccone we might have a problem!!!:) Anyway, Frankenberg is also Katie's "battle buddy" and she is nice, and more mature than most there because she has raised her younger brother and sister for a couple of years. Seems like a good fit for KT I think! A "battle buddy" is the person you do everything with- you can't go anywhere alone, and they stick together most pf the time, so it is good if you get along!!
IN the letter she also mentions that at lights out there is a lot of whining, grumbling, complaining etc. a lot of the girls are young, pampered spoiled, and my not have been prepared for what they are now getting!! I think being older and wiser is helping Katie!!
They received their weapons a couple of days after arriving in Basic, but had not fired them yet as of the letter I got. I believe last week was BRM which is when they go to the ranges and qualify with those.
Meal times are interesting, they are allowed 10 minutes to eat, but Katie said she never feels rushed, and she always eats a lot!! I am sure it is because she is using so much energy and calories throughout the day!! She says the food isn't BAD, but it may just be that she is so hungry, or eating so fast she doesn't notice!! There is no coffee, sweets, anything like that so she said when I come pick her up for Christmas to bring potato chips and chocolate!! She also mentioned that she hasn't had any side effects from the no smoking or coffee-maybe her body is so pre-occupied with the other stuff she is putting it through it doesn't care!! When she called she said that the MRE's (meals ready to eat) that they eat when they are int he field all have little desserts like a snack size candy bar or something, but they have to put all of those in a bucket and the drill sergeants walk around eating that stuff!!!
AT the end of the letter she just restates that she is still having a good time, and then she speculates in whether one of her Drill Sergeants has a Napoleon complex!!;) She says if you have to keep saying out loud how smart you are she has to wonder who you're trying to convince!! Then she says that she loves the letters, so anyone who has been writing- Please keep it up!!
On Saturday she was allowed her phone for about 20 minutes!! She called me and she sounds happy. I could tell that she is happy with her decision and is not having regrets, she is excited about where she is going!! We talked for a little bit about what was going on, but she mostly wanted to make sure I was coming to get her for Christmas (she is EXCITED!!) and ask me to bring some candy when I come!! It was really great to hear from her, and to know that she is doing well. She also said that the Drill Sergeants are not sending their mail out right now, so there may be a letter on it's way to you soon but it will just depend on when they actually get it to the mail. She is receiving her mail however, so keep sending them- she looks forward to mail call everyday! I remember my husband saying the same thing- he got through the days to get to mail call at night!!
I hope this update satisfies some curiosities, and when I know more I will definitely post another update! Any questions email me or get in touch on facebook!! Hopefully I'll have more soon!!
A little background about basic- it is broken up into three phases- Red, White, and Blue appropriately enough! Her first few weeks were Red phase, they do a lot of classroom training, military rules and regulations, etiquette all that stuff. Drill and ceremony, etc. They also went through the gas chamber where they all got a taste of a noxious gas- she said she DID vomit!! If you have been to the facebook pages you saw some of the pictures of them coming out-snot dripping from their noses etc- YUCK!! There were no such unflattering pictures of KT!! I think the only one there was of her was taken right before they entered- shew is second in line- looks pretty calm huh?!This is how she described the gas chamber- " Today was the gas chamber which was horrifying beforehand, but kind of awesome during, and totally hysterical after! They build it up so much for everyone and tell you that you only have 9 seconds to get the mask on....Then it was SO bizarre to be behind the gas mask then take it off and breathe in noxious fumes!"
The letter I received on Friday was a long one, she wrote it over the course of a couple of days, and she is in high spirits and is actually even enjoying it in a strange way!!
She describes it as "having a personal trainer bust your ass for 15 hours a day!" And she is proud that she is not the one in the worst shape!! (I was never really worried about that, she did a lot of work to prepare herself for this!!) A big Army word is HOOAH- soldiers use this to express agreement, enthusiasm, and many other emotions. Katie noted that she HATES that word!! I think this 9 weeks will seem very long for her in that case!!
Katie has the third best mile time among all the girls in her platoon, so she is proud of that accomplishment as well!Katie went into Basic pretty much knowing what to expect, she is taking it all in stride- she said that if you can ignore the people screaming at you, not let it get to you it is fine. We all know that she is used to listening to whiny teenagers, so I am sure she is schooled in the art of "tuning out!"She also said she is sweaty and gross all of the time, they are going everyday all day- up at 4, not stopping til about 9 I guess.
In her letter she said the girls in her platoon are all "mad chill" in the words of one of her bunk mates! She isthe oldest, but there is also a 29 year old who will also be going to Monterey with Katie so that's cool!The First Sergeant in the Company likes to make fun of her because of her age, but that is not getting to her at all!!
Katie's bunk mate is Frankenberg (name change) Katie asked if it was weird that she didn't really know anyone's first name!! I said no get used to it!! But if she starts calling me Saccone we might have a problem!!!:) Anyway, Frankenberg is also Katie's "battle buddy" and she is nice, and more mature than most there because she has raised her younger brother and sister for a couple of years. Seems like a good fit for KT I think! A "battle buddy" is the person you do everything with- you can't go anywhere alone, and they stick together most pf the time, so it is good if you get along!!
IN the letter she also mentions that at lights out there is a lot of whining, grumbling, complaining etc. a lot of the girls are young, pampered spoiled, and my not have been prepared for what they are now getting!! I think being older and wiser is helping Katie!!
They received their weapons a couple of days after arriving in Basic, but had not fired them yet as of the letter I got. I believe last week was BRM which is when they go to the ranges and qualify with those.
Meal times are interesting, they are allowed 10 minutes to eat, but Katie said she never feels rushed, and she always eats a lot!! I am sure it is because she is using so much energy and calories throughout the day!! She says the food isn't BAD, but it may just be that she is so hungry, or eating so fast she doesn't notice!! There is no coffee, sweets, anything like that so she said when I come pick her up for Christmas to bring potato chips and chocolate!! She also mentioned that she hasn't had any side effects from the no smoking or coffee-maybe her body is so pre-occupied with the other stuff she is putting it through it doesn't care!! When she called she said that the MRE's (meals ready to eat) that they eat when they are int he field all have little desserts like a snack size candy bar or something, but they have to put all of those in a bucket and the drill sergeants walk around eating that stuff!!!
AT the end of the letter she just restates that she is still having a good time, and then she speculates in whether one of her Drill Sergeants has a Napoleon complex!!;) She says if you have to keep saying out loud how smart you are she has to wonder who you're trying to convince!! Then she says that she loves the letters, so anyone who has been writing- Please keep it up!!
On Saturday she was allowed her phone for about 20 minutes!! She called me and she sounds happy. I could tell that she is happy with her decision and is not having regrets, she is excited about where she is going!! We talked for a little bit about what was going on, but she mostly wanted to make sure I was coming to get her for Christmas (she is EXCITED!!) and ask me to bring some candy when I come!! It was really great to hear from her, and to know that she is doing well. She also said that the Drill Sergeants are not sending their mail out right now, so there may be a letter on it's way to you soon but it will just depend on when they actually get it to the mail. She is receiving her mail however, so keep sending them- she looks forward to mail call everyday! I remember my husband saying the same thing- he got through the days to get to mail call at night!!
I hope this update satisfies some curiosities, and when I know more I will definitely post another update! Any questions email me or get in touch on facebook!! Hopefully I'll have more soon!!
Friday, October 21, 2011
The first week
Hey everyone! Katie has now completed the first week of her Basic Training!! I have an address for her if you would like it, email me, or send a message to me on facebook- She can get regular letters, just don't be decorating any envelopes with little hearts or anything- that will result in extra push-ups for her!! They Unit she is in has a facebook page, and they post pictures periodically of the soldiers, I have one to post here.
That's here right in the middle doing some PT. My husband says they probably marched or ran to that location and then they "smoked" them. I am amazed at all the tools available to the families of those in basic training! When my husband was there 14 years ago, the only word I got was through regular snail mail letters, and the very occasional phone call!! It is nice for everyone to see their loved ones, I wish this technology had been around way back then!
So, while I don't have much of an update, the picture is nice, and as soon as I get a letter or any news, I will pass it on!!
That's here right in the middle doing some PT. My husband says they probably marched or ran to that location and then they "smoked" them. I am amazed at all the tools available to the families of those in basic training! When my husband was there 14 years ago, the only word I got was through regular snail mail letters, and the very occasional phone call!! It is nice for everyone to see their loved ones, I wish this technology had been around way back then!
So, while I don't have much of an update, the picture is nice, and as soon as I get a letter or any news, I will pass it on!!
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Update everyone has been waiting for!!
Hey everyone- Katie is officially off on her adventure, and I have a little bit of information to share with you, I know that you are all excited to hear how things have been going for her!!
Katie left Webster on Monday to go to Buffalo for the night. She didn't really do anything that evening, but hang out at the hotel and eat some yummy free food! On Tuesday morning, she arrived at MEPS which is the Military Entry Processing station. Here is where she swore her oath of allegiance tot he US Army and everything that comes with it- it is a Huge moment, and our parents were able to be there with her, I know that they are SO proud of her, and that moment is wonderful!! I remember When my husband swore in 14 years ago- it definitely stays with you! It is a moment KT will remember forever!!
So after she swore in her Army life began- she is the property of the US Army now! She got a good taste of the Army right off the bat with a couple hours worth of briefings- The main one was a briefing- why they call them tha when they are ANYTHING but brief is BEYOND me!! But she was told about her travel plans and given a sealed envelope to turn in at reception which is the last step before Basic (BCT). She was taken to the Buffalo Airport where she flew into Dulles, She was given $34 in food vouchers for the airport and she said that her and the couple of guys she was travelling with used ALL of their money at Fuddruckers!! They really wanted to make the most of their last "real" meal! :0
I think she finally arrived at Fort Jackson around 8 PM and was promptly subjected to the BCT training she will have to look forward to. They take the civilian clothes and give you PT's to wear until the uniforms are ready. Reception is where they fill out a lot of paperwork- where their pay will go, life insurance information, all the "office" stuff that needs to be taken care of. She was up until about 2 AM that morning, and they were up at 4- so the lack of sleep has started already!!
sometime duringn that first day, all of the basic trainees were given safety goggles that they had to wear AT ALL TIMES Katie said!- She said they told them it was "so they didn't lose them!!" My husband says while it is mostly a control thing, it may also identify the Basic Trainees easily to others on post since they are all in PT's! Anyway here she is in her LOVELY safety goggles!
I only talked to her a couple of times pretty quickly, but so far she was in good spirits, and actually enjoyed the lack of responsibility she had!! It will get tougher, but she certainly has the right attitude about it!! They were issued their uniforms and all that good stuff, and just before they shipped out of reception and into basic she was issued her new glasses!! A note about the glasses- Everyone in basic training with prescription glasses has to wear the same glasses. These glasses are pretty much indestructible, and they have one of those very fashionable rubber straps to keep them on through all the fun rolling in the mud etc.! Soldiers call these glasses BCG's (Birth Control Glasses) and you can see why in this picture- of course KT makes them look good!!
I got a quick text from her Friday Evening that they had gotten to BCT, and then her phone was for sure taken away probably minutes later. Another Army stupidism is saying shipped to Basic training from reception- in reality they probably marched across the street and sown the road a little ways and there is where they will be fro BCT. Always making it more complicated, that's the Army!!
If you are my friend on facebook, I will be sending a message out about graduation and some other info you might want so you can send letters!! Stay Tuned, more will be coming in this space!!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
6 days and counting...
So...we're down to 1 week! I think I might be in denial, or just general shut-down mode because I sit at my house and think "Wow, there are a million things I should probably be doing!" and then I just sit there some more, or I do some push ups, which keep getting easier...I guess that's the point! So, the Mega Future Soldier function was actually really cool. Not so much LandNav, but some map reading, first aid, IED and gas mask training. I was able to get the mask on and sealed in under 9 seconds, so there's a pretty good chance that I will survive a NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) attack! :)
My mom is getting into the Army thing as well. She actually threw out an acronym like a pro this afternoon! Made me laugh! At this point, I would like to give my mom and dad a shout out! They have been AMAZING throughout this whole process, just like Marybeth. The support they have shown me in this decision has reminded me why they are awesome parents. I hope they know how much I appreciate everything they have done for me and how much I love them! It is because of them that I have become the person I am, and I hope I make them proud.
So, now that I'm crying, I'll focus on the humor in MB's last post. She really did kick my feet out from under me! And I let her...heh. To this day, I'm not sure why I kept doing it, but I did. Ah, good times!
To everyone that came out to my going away party: THANK YOU! It was great to see you and get to spend time with you before I leave. I am truly blessed to have such great friends. A special thanks to Uncle Bob and cousin Bobby for making the trip all the way from Michigan. I love you!
I've enabled mobile blogging, so as long as I have my cell phone, I can post to the blog. Not sure if I'll be able to keep during my week in Reception, but we shall see. It's weird to think that my life will soon not be my own, so I'm going to enjoy this freedom while it lasts!
I'll post again soon!
My mom is getting into the Army thing as well. She actually threw out an acronym like a pro this afternoon! Made me laugh! At this point, I would like to give my mom and dad a shout out! They have been AMAZING throughout this whole process, just like Marybeth. The support they have shown me in this decision has reminded me why they are awesome parents. I hope they know how much I appreciate everything they have done for me and how much I love them! It is because of them that I have become the person I am, and I hope I make them proud.
So, now that I'm crying, I'll focus on the humor in MB's last post. She really did kick my feet out from under me! And I let her...heh. To this day, I'm not sure why I kept doing it, but I did. Ah, good times!
To everyone that came out to my going away party: THANK YOU! It was great to see you and get to spend time with you before I leave. I am truly blessed to have such great friends. A special thanks to Uncle Bob and cousin Bobby for making the trip all the way from Michigan. I love you!
I've enabled mobile blogging, so as long as I have my cell phone, I can post to the blog. Not sure if I'll be able to keep during my week in Reception, but we shall see. It's weird to think that my life will soon not be my own, so I'm going to enjoy this freedom while it lasts!
I'll post again soon!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Just a Quick Note
I hope that everyone who was able to go to the party for Katie had a great time!! i wish that I could have been there, I really wanted to see her before she left, I can only hope she knows that I am thinking of her and supporting her every step of the way!!
On another note, i was thinking the other day about how brave Katie is to do this, and I thought back to another time in our lives when one could say that she had a little more courage than sense!! She is going to absolutely hate me for telling his story, but i can't help it, it is a fond memory from my childhood! I once told Katie that I wanted to learn karate and I needed her help to do. I told her to stand still while i used my leg to swep her feet out from under her- she was reluctant, but as the older sister I was able to persuade her to do it! Needless to say her feet came out from under her and down she went!!;) Anyway, that was not the last time she did that for me- did zI really want to learn karate? NO! I was a big sister torturing my little sister, and every once in awhile throughout the next year or so i would have her just stand there while I did it again!! Anyway, I am sorry KT! In hindsight, it was not nice, but I sure thought it funny at the time!!
I am so glad that we have become close now that we are older, and can't wait to be here however she needs for always! What are big sisters for if not that? And a little torture of course!! Maybe next time I'll talk about the time we strapped her to a chair when we had a babysitter! or the victory dance we made up one night when we were bored! All stories that will amuse those who know her, and make those who may not know her, want to!!
More to come soon, Katie is off in a mere two weeks I think!! SCARY!!
By the way, I would like to acknowledge the very nice things that Katie said about me, but there is no response- you made me teary eyed KT, but you have to know that there is nothing I would rather do than support you, and I only hope the little pieces of info and advice I gave were helpful!! Love You!!
On another note, i was thinking the other day about how brave Katie is to do this, and I thought back to another time in our lives when one could say that she had a little more courage than sense!! She is going to absolutely hate me for telling his story, but i can't help it, it is a fond memory from my childhood! I once told Katie that I wanted to learn karate and I needed her help to do. I told her to stand still while i used my leg to swep her feet out from under her- she was reluctant, but as the older sister I was able to persuade her to do it! Needless to say her feet came out from under her and down she went!!;) Anyway, that was not the last time she did that for me- did zI really want to learn karate? NO! I was a big sister torturing my little sister, and every once in awhile throughout the next year or so i would have her just stand there while I did it again!! Anyway, I am sorry KT! In hindsight, it was not nice, but I sure thought it funny at the time!!
I am so glad that we have become close now that we are older, and can't wait to be here however she needs for always! What are big sisters for if not that? And a little torture of course!! Maybe next time I'll talk about the time we strapped her to a chair when we had a babysitter! or the victory dance we made up one night when we were bored! All stories that will amuse those who know her, and make those who may not know her, want to!!
More to come soon, Katie is off in a mere two weeks I think!! SCARY!!
By the way, I would like to acknowledge the very nice things that Katie said about me, but there is no response- you made me teary eyed KT, but you have to know that there is nothing I would rather do than support you, and I only hope the little pieces of info and advice I gave were helpful!! Love You!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Katie here!
Hi! Just thought I would post here and let you know everything that's going on! I leave in 18 days or something crazy, and I still hate push-ups! On Saturday, there is a "Mega Future Soldier Function" where I will get to go practice my LandNav (land navigation) skills with a bunch of 17/18 year olds...should be fun. :) On a serious note, I am SO thankful to my sister Marybeth for all of her support during this endeavor, I would have gone crazy a LONG time ago if not for her! She is truly my rock! I am nervous but excited for all the amazing adventures I know are waiting for me. Watch this space for news and updates! I love you all, and will miss you terribly when I am gone!! Send me mail...address will be coming soon!
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Adventure is about to begin!
This is an exciting time for my younger sister Katie. She has made the decision to make changes in her life, so that she can be happier. Katie has quit her job as a high school teacher in a small town in Upstate New York in order to enlist in the ARMY! I know you are asking "Who does that?" and I can tell you truthfully, that the only person that I know who has the courage to something like that is my sister Katie! I am so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone and doing what she wants, and what she thinks will make her happy.
NOT that life in the ARMY is easy, I have lived it for the last 14 years, and I am all too well aware of what she is getting into, with the "hurry up and wait" mentality that is the US military! But, the ARMY has been good to my family, and I am sure it will be good to KT too! I have never gone through basic training personally, just through letters from my husband, and I will go through again through KT's letters as you all come along too! She is excited, but nervous, although I have no doubt that she will excel in this as in everything she does. I hope she knows how proud of her I am, and if she doesn't, maybe reading this will make her understand!
So, I am not sure the exact number of days, but I will update this blog after I talk to her and she lets me know- she has a countdown going! I am also going to post pictures, hopefully she will have a little bit of time to come see me before she has to leave. More is coming soon, please join KT on this journey, and post your encouraging thoughts and words for her. She probably won't get much chance to see it while she is in Basic, but I know it will mean a lot to her when she finishes.
KT and I will continue to keep you updated until she leaves, there are some mini mental breakdowns you may hear about, and after she goes, keep dropping by because I will be sharing news when she writes and calls!
NOT that life in the ARMY is easy, I have lived it for the last 14 years, and I am all too well aware of what she is getting into, with the "hurry up and wait" mentality that is the US military! But, the ARMY has been good to my family, and I am sure it will be good to KT too! I have never gone through basic training personally, just through letters from my husband, and I will go through again through KT's letters as you all come along too! She is excited, but nervous, although I have no doubt that she will excel in this as in everything she does. I hope she knows how proud of her I am, and if she doesn't, maybe reading this will make her understand!
So, I am not sure the exact number of days, but I will update this blog after I talk to her and she lets me know- she has a countdown going! I am also going to post pictures, hopefully she will have a little bit of time to come see me before she has to leave. More is coming soon, please join KT on this journey, and post your encouraging thoughts and words for her. She probably won't get much chance to see it while she is in Basic, but I know it will mean a lot to her when she finishes.
KT and I will continue to keep you updated until she leaves, there are some mini mental breakdowns you may hear about, and after she goes, keep dropping by because I will be sharing news when she writes and calls!
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