Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Tonight is awesome because it is the first day of my 4-day pass away from AIT - my specialty training that I'm taking in Ft. Gordon, GA. I'm currently at my Aunt and Uncle's house near Atlanta and it is the first time I have felt free and relaxed in awhile.
It's been a few since I've streamed my thoughts on here. So sorry if you've been wondering about my latest experiences. I haven't blogged about AIT for a few reasons... I am kept super busy there, and I sadly don't have a lot of positive things to say about it :(. Basic was awesome - it was a welcomed test of strength and mental endurance. AIT is neither of those, it is simply a test of patience since a large percentage of time is wasted in long formations and performing pointless tasks such as raking sand.
The other night during "bed-check" (our nightly roll call to make sure we haven't escaped) the sergeant on duty made all of us choose a female stripper name as our first name. I went with Daisy since that was the one he suggested to me the night before. I will leave you with that to summarize what the Fort Gordon experience is like Haha.
February can't come soon enough!! I have so much to look forward to, so it isn't very difficult to make it through the not-so-fun times. If anything, AIT has made me EXTREMELY thankful on this lovely Thanksgiving night for the real world outside of military training. My family is awesome. My girl is awesome. I know this will all be worth it.
It has been way too long since I've seen everyone... so I just want to say I hope you are having awesome times and I probably owe you a visit this Feb. Yall know who you are!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
BCT Blog #12
Friday 9/18 1829 hrs
Hey everyone!
Sorry I've neglected to update this lately. I don't even remember where I left off. We are now in blue phase of Basic Training and it has had some interesting training events. We are hardcore learning how to be legit soldiers ready to ship to Afghanistan. That are making us into infantrymen, which interestingly enough, no one in the company will be directly involved with that type of combat. We are all "support" to combat jobs - such as truck drivers, cooks, or in my case communications. So it is just like fun training that we can absorb "just in case" we get into a hot situation.
Among the fun training we've gotten lately - we just did live convoy fire (firing at targets while in a moving vehicle) and a lot of urban operation tactics. Fort Knox has special "towns" with streets, building, and urban terrain created for out enjoyment. We got to run around it with paintball guns the other day and got ambushed by drill sergeants. We were set up to fail - but it made a bit impression on us regarding the chaos of combat and how important it is to function as a team during that stuff.
We are preparing for a 15 kilometer road march on Sunday which will launch a week long field training exercise (FTX). It is going to be intense! We will have realistic missions and will have to employ all of the skills we have learned on the last several weeks. It's like a big final test! Rumor has it that they will even gas us one more time - maybe in the middle of the night. So it is probably going to be one of the toughest weeks yet. I'm pretty excited that we are about to do it though because it is literally the last graduation requirement. The week after it we'll be handing in all of our issued gear and preparing to ship out of Knox! I can't stress how excited I am haha. While this has been a very bearable experience, I am so ready to be done. I really want my cell phone back - freedom to talk to my woman and parents. I want to listen to music and be free to roam! But I'm not complaining - this whole time was expected to be a lot harder.
Well I have a big final fitness test tomorrow. Very tired tonight but it's cool.
Love yall,
Tim
Hey everyone!
Sorry I've neglected to update this lately. I don't even remember where I left off. We are now in blue phase of Basic Training and it has had some interesting training events. We are hardcore learning how to be legit soldiers ready to ship to Afghanistan. That are making us into infantrymen, which interestingly enough, no one in the company will be directly involved with that type of combat. We are all "support" to combat jobs - such as truck drivers, cooks, or in my case communications. So it is just like fun training that we can absorb "just in case" we get into a hot situation.
Among the fun training we've gotten lately - we just did live convoy fire (firing at targets while in a moving vehicle) and a lot of urban operation tactics. Fort Knox has special "towns" with streets, building, and urban terrain created for out enjoyment. We got to run around it with paintball guns the other day and got ambushed by drill sergeants. We were set up to fail - but it made a bit impression on us regarding the chaos of combat and how important it is to function as a team during that stuff.
We are preparing for a 15 kilometer road march on Sunday which will launch a week long field training exercise (FTX). It is going to be intense! We will have realistic missions and will have to employ all of the skills we have learned on the last several weeks. It's like a big final test! Rumor has it that they will even gas us one more time - maybe in the middle of the night. So it is probably going to be one of the toughest weeks yet. I'm pretty excited that we are about to do it though because it is literally the last graduation requirement. The week after it we'll be handing in all of our issued gear and preparing to ship out of Knox! I can't stress how excited I am haha. While this has been a very bearable experience, I am so ready to be done. I really want my cell phone back - freedom to talk to my woman and parents. I want to listen to music and be free to roam! But I'm not complaining - this whole time was expected to be a lot harder.
Well I have a big final fitness test tomorrow. Very tired tonight but it's cool.
Love yall,
Tim
Monday, September 14, 2009
Bct Blog #11
9/9/09 17:17
So as I may have mentioned in my most recent blog, all of the cool toys are the subject of our current training. Saturday, we were doing short ranger marksmanship with my rifles. We have been using the M16 for our training, but the M4 is a smaller, more accurate weapon that made me want to buy one haha. That was a fun day, we had to practice target identification - Shooting a specific target out of the 6 that popped up. And then practices a lot of quick movements with different short range targets. We shot all of the way into the night, at which point they put the NVG's (night vision goggles) onto our helmets and a laser only visible through the night vision was attached to the rifle. This was AWESOME. Just like those video games, pitch darkness becomes crystal clear in an eerie green hue.
We had a long weekend off for labor day, and then today we began what is supposed to be a 3-day field training exercise (camping without the booze as our DS call it). It may be cut short by rain, but anyway, today the first day has been devoted to the BIG GUNS: a 50-cal machine gun and 2 smaller machine guns. I just got done firing a few moments ago and it was quite an adrenaline rush! Other soldiers have describes an overwhelming rush of testosterone that requires no further description, but I can only say it was freakin' cool. One soldier that shot first aroused a group of turkeys that were chilling in the range, and of course one of them was tragically killed as it tried to exit the line of fire. It was the subject of cheers from everyone around - but to me it was sort of a chilling reminder of the power behind the military toys and the finality of what happens to whoever is caught in front of them.
9/9/9 1617
Yesterday turned out to be the longest day ever. After dark we placed our rucksacks in the woods where we would be sleeping. We though it was bedtime, but then they surprised us by taking us back to the range and handing out more ammo. For night time training, we were learning how to operate a big huge turret machine gun using a thermal night observational device. It was cool, but since we had been wearing our sweaty body armor for 17 hours straight, at that point I was in a bad mood lol. I'm REALLY getting antsy for this one to be over! But still staying positive.
The camping part of last night was fun! We paired off - I am with my squad leader, Greenway, who is cool. Just us with out sleeping bad on the floor of the woods. It is difficult to shave and change socks in the dark with an almost dead flashlight, but somewhere it worked. I am excited to camp again tonight, but could really use a shower rather than baby wipes (thanks mom and dad, they are helpful).
Today was training for more big manly guns, including the AT-4 (anti-tank rocket launcher) and a grenade launcher. We were firing fake tracer founds since these are extremely expensive weapons (the AT-4 is single use and costs $14,000 a shot!). But fake rounds or not it was cool to hold them and shoot at the fake tanks set up for us. We are also working on individual movements - like running towards fire and using concealment. It is fun to see these skills all tying together and actually making us somewhat prepared for the real thing.
It is funny how we can have 2 hour conversations in which we fantasize about the fast food and junk food we can't wait to eat. You just can't imagine how much of life you appreciate when your freedoms are gone.
9/9/09 2029
Tonight is awesome! We actually had time to arrange a quality sleeping area - probably because of the high chance of rain! Greenway and I reamed up with my other boys Ito and Jackson. We combined forces with our ponchos and made a sweet fort! I am pretty tired so I'm out!
9/10/09 1955
Somehow this crowded bay has become home sweet home for me since this camping/field exercise kicked my butt so much. It's so good to back back in a familiar bed. The best thing is we are getting up at 0330 for a PT test to check how many pushups/situps we can do and how fast we can run 2 miles. Last time I had a fairly high score - 6th best in my platoon of 56, so it is nothing to stress out about, but I'm pretty exhausted! Today we ran around a lot at another obstacle course pretending to attack an enemy and cover our battle buddy. It was pretty fun, but wow I'm just having a really hard time feeling motivated this week. I am so focused on family day and graduation coming up that my attitude towards training is slipping. Hopefully the grenade course will motivate me tomorrow. I really need to pick it up to finish this crap.
Anyway, I should make the most of time to sleep so I can feel good tomorrow! Love you all.
So as I may have mentioned in my most recent blog, all of the cool toys are the subject of our current training. Saturday, we were doing short ranger marksmanship with my rifles. We have been using the M16 for our training, but the M4 is a smaller, more accurate weapon that made me want to buy one haha. That was a fun day, we had to practice target identification - Shooting a specific target out of the 6 that popped up. And then practices a lot of quick movements with different short range targets. We shot all of the way into the night, at which point they put the NVG's (night vision goggles) onto our helmets and a laser only visible through the night vision was attached to the rifle. This was AWESOME. Just like those video games, pitch darkness becomes crystal clear in an eerie green hue.
We had a long weekend off for labor day, and then today we began what is supposed to be a 3-day field training exercise (camping without the booze as our DS call it). It may be cut short by rain, but anyway, today the first day has been devoted to the BIG GUNS: a 50-cal machine gun and 2 smaller machine guns. I just got done firing a few moments ago and it was quite an adrenaline rush! Other soldiers have describes an overwhelming rush of testosterone that requires no further description, but I can only say it was freakin' cool. One soldier that shot first aroused a group of turkeys that were chilling in the range, and of course one of them was tragically killed as it tried to exit the line of fire. It was the subject of cheers from everyone around - but to me it was sort of a chilling reminder of the power behind the military toys and the finality of what happens to whoever is caught in front of them.
9/9/9 1617
Yesterday turned out to be the longest day ever. After dark we placed our rucksacks in the woods where we would be sleeping. We though it was bedtime, but then they surprised us by taking us back to the range and handing out more ammo. For night time training, we were learning how to operate a big huge turret machine gun using a thermal night observational device. It was cool, but since we had been wearing our sweaty body armor for 17 hours straight, at that point I was in a bad mood lol. I'm REALLY getting antsy for this one to be over! But still staying positive.
The camping part of last night was fun! We paired off - I am with my squad leader, Greenway, who is cool. Just us with out sleeping bad on the floor of the woods. It is difficult to shave and change socks in the dark with an almost dead flashlight, but somewhere it worked. I am excited to camp again tonight, but could really use a shower rather than baby wipes (thanks mom and dad, they are helpful).
Today was training for more big manly guns, including the AT-4 (anti-tank rocket launcher) and a grenade launcher. We were firing fake tracer founds since these are extremely expensive weapons (the AT-4 is single use and costs $14,000 a shot!). But fake rounds or not it was cool to hold them and shoot at the fake tanks set up for us. We are also working on individual movements - like running towards fire and using concealment. It is fun to see these skills all tying together and actually making us somewhat prepared for the real thing.
It is funny how we can have 2 hour conversations in which we fantasize about the fast food and junk food we can't wait to eat. You just can't imagine how much of life you appreciate when your freedoms are gone.
9/9/09 2029
Tonight is awesome! We actually had time to arrange a quality sleeping area - probably because of the high chance of rain! Greenway and I reamed up with my other boys Ito and Jackson. We combined forces with our ponchos and made a sweet fort! I am pretty tired so I'm out!
9/10/09 1955
Somehow this crowded bay has become home sweet home for me since this camping/field exercise kicked my butt so much. It's so good to back back in a familiar bed. The best thing is we are getting up at 0330 for a PT test to check how many pushups/situps we can do and how fast we can run 2 miles. Last time I had a fairly high score - 6th best in my platoon of 56, so it is nothing to stress out about, but I'm pretty exhausted! Today we ran around a lot at another obstacle course pretending to attack an enemy and cover our battle buddy. It was pretty fun, but wow I'm just having a really hard time feeling motivated this week. I am so focused on family day and graduation coming up that my attitude towards training is slipping. Hopefully the grenade course will motivate me tomorrow. I really need to pick it up to finish this crap.
Anyway, I should make the most of time to sleep so I can feel good tomorrow! Love you all.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
BCT Blog #10
9/2/09 1327 hrs.
I'm out at the shooting range where we did qualifications. It's a big day because we must pass in order to graduate. Last night I was very unsure of how today would go, but in a strand of answered prayers, I qualified as a Sharpshooter! This means I engaged 30 out of 40 targets. It was really cool because this morning, our drill sergeant who is a good guy, just very moody, pulled me out to get my weapon fixed since yesterday I did terribly. Well, half of the rifle was replaced, and I had no problems. I am thrilled with my sharpshooter badge - on graduation day we get to show off the badge on our uniform. Also, for those of us who qualified on our first try, our reward is a 10-minute phone call tonight. Can't wait!
I wonder how many targets I would knock down if they were shooting back at me. I hope I won't have to find out! But at least I'm qualified to defend myself if necessary. But enough about killing haha. I'm not sure what is next for us. I think we're moving on to other, bigger tools of modern warfare including grenades, and playing with night vision. I guess all of the really fun stuff is coming up -- we'll do some camping for a week straight and a lot of paint balling. We'll learn how to clear a room - which our hardcore killer drill sergeant says he goes around his whole house pretending to clear each room - "just in case". Haha. I am going to practice that at my house.
We'll I'm not sure what to write these days. I'm used to being away from home, and the military routines are becoming second nature. It still sucks being away from loved ones. I can't wait to have a life again lol. The first thing I'm going to get is a tube of cookie dough. Or cheese cake. Yeahhhh. Haha I'll write some more later.
9/3/09 2000 hours
Well hey everyone! Nothing exciting on my mind, except today we tried on our formal "Class-A" uniforms for graduation and I was delighted to talk to my girl for a few min. on the phone! This is enough to get me through!
I've concluded that the main thing I miss besides fiance and family is knowing what is going on on the world. So I'm just putting this out there... if anyone sees anything that I might find interesting - news, sports, music-related, science, whatever... print it out and send it! I have been confined to a very small area of Fort Knox, KY for a long time not and could use some outside distractions to bring me back to reality. Something to think about.
Thanks and I love everyone who is reading, praying, and supporting.
I'm out at the shooting range where we did qualifications. It's a big day because we must pass in order to graduate. Last night I was very unsure of how today would go, but in a strand of answered prayers, I qualified as a Sharpshooter! This means I engaged 30 out of 40 targets. It was really cool because this morning, our drill sergeant who is a good guy, just very moody, pulled me out to get my weapon fixed since yesterday I did terribly. Well, half of the rifle was replaced, and I had no problems. I am thrilled with my sharpshooter badge - on graduation day we get to show off the badge on our uniform. Also, for those of us who qualified on our first try, our reward is a 10-minute phone call tonight. Can't wait!
I wonder how many targets I would knock down if they were shooting back at me. I hope I won't have to find out! But at least I'm qualified to defend myself if necessary. But enough about killing haha. I'm not sure what is next for us. I think we're moving on to other, bigger tools of modern warfare including grenades, and playing with night vision. I guess all of the really fun stuff is coming up -- we'll do some camping for a week straight and a lot of paint balling. We'll learn how to clear a room - which our hardcore killer drill sergeant says he goes around his whole house pretending to clear each room - "just in case". Haha. I am going to practice that at my house.
We'll I'm not sure what to write these days. I'm used to being away from home, and the military routines are becoming second nature. It still sucks being away from loved ones. I can't wait to have a life again lol. The first thing I'm going to get is a tube of cookie dough. Or cheese cake. Yeahhhh. Haha I'll write some more later.
9/3/09 2000 hours
Well hey everyone! Nothing exciting on my mind, except today we tried on our formal "Class-A" uniforms for graduation and I was delighted to talk to my girl for a few min. on the phone! This is enough to get me through!
I've concluded that the main thing I miss besides fiance and family is knowing what is going on on the world. So I'm just putting this out there... if anyone sees anything that I might find interesting - news, sports, music-related, science, whatever... print it out and send it! I have been confined to a very small area of Fort Knox, KY for a long time not and could use some outside distractions to bring me back to reality. Something to think about.
Thanks and I love everyone who is reading, praying, and supporting.
BCT Blog #9
8/26/09
Wow white phase is crazy so far. Just like the beginning of red phase, they keep us busy from wake up till sleep time.
The last few days have been eventful. Sunday night, as we got ready for our first day of white phase I was appointed as a team leader. This puts me in charge of 6 other guys (2 teams of 7 make a squad, our platoon has 4 squads). So that is pretty cool because it got me off of the "read guard position" that I got stuck with for two weeks lol. And it is cool having a small amount of leadership responsibility.
I have to be honest, shooting the weapon was VERY difficult! Since I've NEVER handled anything like that before I took many tries before I finally got it. Monday was the most frustrating day ever lol. After a class on shooting, they took us to a really cool simulation where we shoot a screen on the wall and it tells us how well we can hit a simulated 300 meter away target. I could not do it and was very ashamed! There were only a few other guys in my situation and I got very worried.
But then yesterday we went out to a live range (after marching 5 kilometers to it haha) and I was sooooo much better with the real weapon. It was so much easier to see the target clearly. Anyway, I was quite nervous for the first several shots and was a "no go" for the first set of 5 clips that I shot. After stressing the rest of the afternoon, I got my second try, and finally nailed it on my very last clip! You seethe objective was called "grouping" or making 8 out of 10 shots in a 4cm circle 300m away. So anyway, I was SO relieved that I grouped my last set of shots and the good this is I got more and more confident with it each time. The key really is to relax and I was so stressed on it. But once I convinced myself that I was supposed to be enjoying it and having fun I did a lot better. I am determined to be an expert marksman by the end of this phase.
Wow white phase is crazy so far. Just like the beginning of red phase, they keep us busy from wake up till sleep time.
The last few days have been eventful. Sunday night, as we got ready for our first day of white phase I was appointed as a team leader. This puts me in charge of 6 other guys (2 teams of 7 make a squad, our platoon has 4 squads). So that is pretty cool because it got me off of the "read guard position" that I got stuck with for two weeks lol. And it is cool having a small amount of leadership responsibility.
I have to be honest, shooting the weapon was VERY difficult! Since I've NEVER handled anything like that before I took many tries before I finally got it. Monday was the most frustrating day ever lol. After a class on shooting, they took us to a really cool simulation where we shoot a screen on the wall and it tells us how well we can hit a simulated 300 meter away target. I could not do it and was very ashamed! There were only a few other guys in my situation and I got very worried.
But then yesterday we went out to a live range (after marching 5 kilometers to it haha) and I was sooooo much better with the real weapon. It was so much easier to see the target clearly. Anyway, I was quite nervous for the first several shots and was a "no go" for the first set of 5 clips that I shot. After stressing the rest of the afternoon, I got my second try, and finally nailed it on my very last clip! You seethe objective was called "grouping" or making 8 out of 10 shots in a 4cm circle 300m away. So anyway, I was SO relieved that I grouped my last set of shots and the good this is I got more and more confident with it each time. The key really is to relax and I was so stressed on it. But once I convinced myself that I was supposed to be enjoying it and having fun I did a lot better. I am determined to be an expert marksman by the end of this phase.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
BCT Blog #8
Friday 8/21/09
3 weeks since Basic Training started. A full month since leaving home and seeing a familiar face. In some ways it seems to have gone fast. But it feels like an eternity has gone by at the same time.
Either way, today was a huge milestone for my platoon - we have passed out phase testing and will not be carrying around a white flag instead of a red one. This signifies that the first 3 weeks of training is complete and we are slightly competent as US soldiers.
Yesterday was an interesting day. We were taken to a remote area of Fort knox with a map, compass, and rucksack to practice our newly learned land navigation skills. On paper, the map concept is easy. My group was very confident. It turned out to be quite discouraging at first! They hide signs at coordinates in the middle of the woods and fields and using the compass we are supposed to get within 10 meters of our point. On our first round we found 1 our of 4 points in 4 hours. That was no good lol. At night after we ate chow we found 4 our of 4 points!
Chow was the highlight of the land nav. experience. The military serves soldiers "MRE's" out in the field. MRE=Meal Ready to Eat. It was delicious! All in a compact container, there was a 1300 calorie mean. Mine included pasta tortellini, apple stuff that I can't even explain, an energy bar, Reese's Pieces, and apple cider. It was all amazing! I can't believe how exciting FOOD is in the military. I live for 3 things on each day's schedule" chow, mail call, and sleep.
On that note, I'm going to sleep.
8/23/09
As always, Sunday is the best day ever! I am caught up on sleep, read the bible (I decided the military Protestant service isn't for me), cleaned my weapon, and chilled with my boys. My eyes are no longer red and puffy (all week it has been 4 hours of sleep per night) and I'm in a great mood. We decided as a platoon to only eat dessert at chow at chow on Sundays, so my sugar rush tolerance is lower and today's cake is really picking me up lol.
Tomorrow we begin BRM-Basic Rifle Marksmanship. We'll be spending the next 3 weeks firing our weapons and (hopefully) qualifying. It should be exciting but I've heard it tends to get boring after several days of it. Therefore my blogging may slow down a little.
On that note, THANKS so much everyone that has written me. I have consistently gotten encouraging letters from various friends and family, and every time it makes me incredibly happy and at peace. Hopefully i will get the time to respond to everyone individually. But if not just know that I am very thankful and love you all.
5 weeks from now, I'll be getting ready to graduate and move on from Fort Knox. Please continue to write me and if anyone has any questions at all - whether you just want my experience for fun or if you are considering military as a career, don't hesitate to send a letter.
3 weeks since Basic Training started. A full month since leaving home and seeing a familiar face. In some ways it seems to have gone fast. But it feels like an eternity has gone by at the same time.
Either way, today was a huge milestone for my platoon - we have passed out phase testing and will not be carrying around a white flag instead of a red one. This signifies that the first 3 weeks of training is complete and we are slightly competent as US soldiers.
Yesterday was an interesting day. We were taken to a remote area of Fort knox with a map, compass, and rucksack to practice our newly learned land navigation skills. On paper, the map concept is easy. My group was very confident. It turned out to be quite discouraging at first! They hide signs at coordinates in the middle of the woods and fields and using the compass we are supposed to get within 10 meters of our point. On our first round we found 1 our of 4 points in 4 hours. That was no good lol. At night after we ate chow we found 4 our of 4 points!
Chow was the highlight of the land nav. experience. The military serves soldiers "MRE's" out in the field. MRE=Meal Ready to Eat. It was delicious! All in a compact container, there was a 1300 calorie mean. Mine included pasta tortellini, apple stuff that I can't even explain, an energy bar, Reese's Pieces, and apple cider. It was all amazing! I can't believe how exciting FOOD is in the military. I live for 3 things on each day's schedule" chow, mail call, and sleep.
On that note, I'm going to sleep.
8/23/09
As always, Sunday is the best day ever! I am caught up on sleep, read the bible (I decided the military Protestant service isn't for me), cleaned my weapon, and chilled with my boys. My eyes are no longer red and puffy (all week it has been 4 hours of sleep per night) and I'm in a great mood. We decided as a platoon to only eat dessert at chow at chow on Sundays, so my sugar rush tolerance is lower and today's cake is really picking me up lol.
Tomorrow we begin BRM-Basic Rifle Marksmanship. We'll be spending the next 3 weeks firing our weapons and (hopefully) qualifying. It should be exciting but I've heard it tends to get boring after several days of it. Therefore my blogging may slow down a little.
On that note, THANKS so much everyone that has written me. I have consistently gotten encouraging letters from various friends and family, and every time it makes me incredibly happy and at peace. Hopefully i will get the time to respond to everyone individually. But if not just know that I am very thankful and love you all.
5 weeks from now, I'll be getting ready to graduate and move on from Fort Knox. Please continue to write me and if anyone has any questions at all - whether you just want my experience for fun or if you are considering military as a career, don't hesitate to send a letter.
Monday, August 24, 2009
BCT Blog #7
Monday 8/17/09
What's up everyone! Tonight I'm feeling great. I can honestly say I'm at the point of coasting through Basic. My strategy of laying low, respecting everyone, and basically submitting to Uncle Sam's control has entirely worked.
I am thankful to be in good company with some quality friends. I've been becoming good buddies with people I wouldn't have suspected I would encounter, such as Ito, a Japanese dude from Hawaii and Irizarry, a Puerto Rican. My platoon is very multi-racial, including a Jamaican, and a few Mexicans. I am glad to get along well with just about all of them. I know I'll leave this place with an even more widespread community of friends.
Nothing much is new. I enjoyed performing an IV stick on a buddy today. I had to be "stuck" twice because my veiny, skinny arms are desirable for such a thing lol. It almost is getting me interested in a medical career in the future. We'll see, I have until next fall to land on a major and career path - paid for by PA National Guard.
Wednesday 8/19/09
I'm very excited right now! Yesterday we completed the "Conditioning Obstacle Course" and if you want to see it, watch the movie "Stripes", which filmed in that very spot. The heat was blistering. We did the course once as practice and then again at combat speed to compete with the other platoons. By that time there was not way to cool our bodies down. The Fort Knox heat kept the sweat FLOWING. Good prep in case we are sent to the desert I guess.
Last night, they pulled us into our usual classroom. Then they really confused us when it turned out there was no class but they wanted us to sit in silence. No talking, sleeping, reading, NOTHING. For 3 hours we sat. Then they called us back to our home, the Bay, where all the company drill sergeants and commanders were screaming at us to open our lockers for an inspection. In the other platoons, they had found a few cell phones and candy. But thank God, the worst they found in our bay was a butter knife a guy accidentally brought back.
They candy is the funny part; it sort of emphasizes the reality of BCT. We are forbidden sweets and soda. So this causes some sort of desperate withdrawal in some people. Why? I don't know lol. It isn't worth the trouble. But this created a fine economic opportunity for some smarties. Some high speed individuals got the idea to sneak into the store during church to buy contraband candies. They then were able to turn around and sell a Snickers, for example, for $10 or $15. One of my biddies went to the Muslim service on Sunday where they hand out donuts and sodas. He sold a Coke for $25. He actually profited $50 all together that day. Though it is pretty wrong, that's simply how supply and demand works in the black market. I actually hold a very high value product... flavored cough drops. We have only been allowed unflavored, menthol so far. Thanks to my parents, I received a lot of good flavors in the mail. Instantly I got outrageous offers for my merchandise but naturally refused to profit from my parents' generosity. I just gave them out a few at a time. Well that's my expose' on the Fort Knox black market.
Keep writing <3
What's up everyone! Tonight I'm feeling great. I can honestly say I'm at the point of coasting through Basic. My strategy of laying low, respecting everyone, and basically submitting to Uncle Sam's control has entirely worked.
I am thankful to be in good company with some quality friends. I've been becoming good buddies with people I wouldn't have suspected I would encounter, such as Ito, a Japanese dude from Hawaii and Irizarry, a Puerto Rican. My platoon is very multi-racial, including a Jamaican, and a few Mexicans. I am glad to get along well with just about all of them. I know I'll leave this place with an even more widespread community of friends.
Nothing much is new. I enjoyed performing an IV stick on a buddy today. I had to be "stuck" twice because my veiny, skinny arms are desirable for such a thing lol. It almost is getting me interested in a medical career in the future. We'll see, I have until next fall to land on a major and career path - paid for by PA National Guard.
Wednesday 8/19/09
I'm very excited right now! Yesterday we completed the "Conditioning Obstacle Course" and if you want to see it, watch the movie "Stripes", which filmed in that very spot. The heat was blistering. We did the course once as practice and then again at combat speed to compete with the other platoons. By that time there was not way to cool our bodies down. The Fort Knox heat kept the sweat FLOWING. Good prep in case we are sent to the desert I guess.
Last night, they pulled us into our usual classroom. Then they really confused us when it turned out there was no class but they wanted us to sit in silence. No talking, sleeping, reading, NOTHING. For 3 hours we sat. Then they called us back to our home, the Bay, where all the company drill sergeants and commanders were screaming at us to open our lockers for an inspection. In the other platoons, they had found a few cell phones and candy. But thank God, the worst they found in our bay was a butter knife a guy accidentally brought back.
They candy is the funny part; it sort of emphasizes the reality of BCT. We are forbidden sweets and soda. So this causes some sort of desperate withdrawal in some people. Why? I don't know lol. It isn't worth the trouble. But this created a fine economic opportunity for some smarties. Some high speed individuals got the idea to sneak into the store during church to buy contraband candies. They then were able to turn around and sell a Snickers, for example, for $10 or $15. One of my biddies went to the Muslim service on Sunday where they hand out donuts and sodas. He sold a Coke for $25. He actually profited $50 all together that day. Though it is pretty wrong, that's simply how supply and demand works in the black market. I actually hold a very high value product... flavored cough drops. We have only been allowed unflavored, menthol so far. Thanks to my parents, I received a lot of good flavors in the mail. Instantly I got outrageous offers for my merchandise but naturally refused to profit from my parents' generosity. I just gave them out a few at a time. Well that's my expose' on the Fort Knox black market.
Keep writing <3
Saturday, August 22, 2009
BCT Blog #6
Tuesday 8/11/09
Today will probably be one of the most memorable days of Basic Training. We woke up and went through a crazy core workout, another rushed chow (I choked down my grapes this time!) and then about a mile and a half march to where we would spend the whole day.
The first several hours were dedicated to the official Fort Knox Confidence Course. The first activity for my platoon was probably the most daunting, so getting it done made me feel... well, confident. It was a tower of longs called Jacob's Ladder (let me say they were smooth and wet) that went about 40 feet high. They were spaced out so that you would have to step about 2-3 feet to get to the next one. It was a simple climb to the top, over, then climb down the other side. They encouraged the confident climbers to make their way to the front. I decided to chill, and before I know it I was the last in line. I watched as everyone went over, some agile and fearless, others took forever and froze many times. I got more and more nervous, but as soon as I got on it I was so focused. I didn't look down and monkeyed right over it. From there I felt great!
There were a lot of other cool things at the Confidence Course. Climbing over walls with ropes, balancing on high logs (I only fell off that once haha... I will admit my balance is terrible) and many others. The other really fun one that fulfilled my need for adrenaline rushes was the "skyscraper". It too was a wooden tower. It had 5 platforms stacked on each other about 10 feet apart. In a group of 5 we had to lift each other from one level to the next until we were on top and then back down. The process was very interesting since we had to hold onto the ledge and flip up or down with the assistance of our team. I had to go first the whole way up because I was in a group with a bunch of bigger boys lol. But we all did great and though it was scary to think about, just doing it was very fun.
After a quick Army style picnic (it was good actually, burgers, rice, salad, apple) we headed to BCT's most talked about events: THE GAS CHAMBER. Let me just say, most of the hearsay about it is true. It really is the worst couple minutes imaginable. My platoon volunteered to go first, so that was cool just getting it over with. We lined up and the main sergeant made sure our gas masks were on properly. The kid next to me was on the verge of hyperventilating. They marched about 30 of us into the chamber. With the mask on, the CS gas in the air was already irritating all of my skin even inside the mask. It feels like a fresh sunburn x100 on the skin. They made us run in place and hop around with the mask on for 2 minutes. Then they made us take the mask off for 10 seconds and put it back on to train us to trust that the mask will keep us breathing. Then for the grand finale, our task was to remove the mask and secure it in our case 7 at a time. When we were finished, we could exit the chamber. Sounds easy enough, and honestly I stayed calm and had no problems. But it became agonizing when they made us stand there for an extra 30 seconds breathing the gas while the slow people finished up. The rumors that the gas drains your body's fluids is totally true. I found myself drooling all over the place, not to mention my sore throat and runny nose were totally cures of any mucusy stuff... it was all on the ground. I almost began vomiting, but finally they opened the door and we all scrambled out, flapping our arms and running in circles with our eyes unable to open. In just another two minutes or so, the moment was over. I could see again and my urge to vomit went away.
I will never forget today. It was definitely a cool experience. I've mastered the art of shutting off my fear and frustration feelings and saying "This too shall pass" (to quote my parents).
Thursday 8/13/09
This week has been packed with hard work but also some fun. Either way it is FLYING by so I'm quite happy. Yesterday we conquered the rappel tower which was not scary at all! I think I am %100 over my fear of heights. I like doing stuff like that here, it's like I'm being paid to play on adult play grounds.
They have been exercising every bit of energy out of us. My shoulders are very heavy right now from all the push ups. But I wouldn't want it any other way.
Right now we are learning Combat Life Saving. We learned a lot today, including how to fix up a collapsed lung and patching up entry wounds. There are a lot of bad things that can happen to our bodies in combat, in case no one knew that lol. Hopefully my communications job will be relatively safe. Anyway, the next several days will be dedicated to this medical training as part of a brand new program the Army just started. A LOT of combat deaths are preventable, so it is sweet that every soldier is trained to teat blood loss and various other things. By Monday, we will be sticking each other with IV needles as part of our graduation requirement. Can't wait!
Today will probably be one of the most memorable days of Basic Training. We woke up and went through a crazy core workout, another rushed chow (I choked down my grapes this time!) and then about a mile and a half march to where we would spend the whole day.
The first several hours were dedicated to the official Fort Knox Confidence Course. The first activity for my platoon was probably the most daunting, so getting it done made me feel... well, confident. It was a tower of longs called Jacob's Ladder (let me say they were smooth and wet) that went about 40 feet high. They were spaced out so that you would have to step about 2-3 feet to get to the next one. It was a simple climb to the top, over, then climb down the other side. They encouraged the confident climbers to make their way to the front. I decided to chill, and before I know it I was the last in line. I watched as everyone went over, some agile and fearless, others took forever and froze many times. I got more and more nervous, but as soon as I got on it I was so focused. I didn't look down and monkeyed right over it. From there I felt great!
There were a lot of other cool things at the Confidence Course. Climbing over walls with ropes, balancing on high logs (I only fell off that once haha... I will admit my balance is terrible) and many others. The other really fun one that fulfilled my need for adrenaline rushes was the "skyscraper". It too was a wooden tower. It had 5 platforms stacked on each other about 10 feet apart. In a group of 5 we had to lift each other from one level to the next until we were on top and then back down. The process was very interesting since we had to hold onto the ledge and flip up or down with the assistance of our team. I had to go first the whole way up because I was in a group with a bunch of bigger boys lol. But we all did great and though it was scary to think about, just doing it was very fun.
After a quick Army style picnic (it was good actually, burgers, rice, salad, apple) we headed to BCT's most talked about events: THE GAS CHAMBER. Let me just say, most of the hearsay about it is true. It really is the worst couple minutes imaginable. My platoon volunteered to go first, so that was cool just getting it over with. We lined up and the main sergeant made sure our gas masks were on properly. The kid next to me was on the verge of hyperventilating. They marched about 30 of us into the chamber. With the mask on, the CS gas in the air was already irritating all of my skin even inside the mask. It feels like a fresh sunburn x100 on the skin. They made us run in place and hop around with the mask on for 2 minutes. Then they made us take the mask off for 10 seconds and put it back on to train us to trust that the mask will keep us breathing. Then for the grand finale, our task was to remove the mask and secure it in our case 7 at a time. When we were finished, we could exit the chamber. Sounds easy enough, and honestly I stayed calm and had no problems. But it became agonizing when they made us stand there for an extra 30 seconds breathing the gas while the slow people finished up. The rumors that the gas drains your body's fluids is totally true. I found myself drooling all over the place, not to mention my sore throat and runny nose were totally cures of any mucusy stuff... it was all on the ground. I almost began vomiting, but finally they opened the door and we all scrambled out, flapping our arms and running in circles with our eyes unable to open. In just another two minutes or so, the moment was over. I could see again and my urge to vomit went away.
I will never forget today. It was definitely a cool experience. I've mastered the art of shutting off my fear and frustration feelings and saying "This too shall pass" (to quote my parents).
Thursday 8/13/09
This week has been packed with hard work but also some fun. Either way it is FLYING by so I'm quite happy. Yesterday we conquered the rappel tower which was not scary at all! I think I am %100 over my fear of heights. I like doing stuff like that here, it's like I'm being paid to play on adult play grounds.
They have been exercising every bit of energy out of us. My shoulders are very heavy right now from all the push ups. But I wouldn't want it any other way.
Right now we are learning Combat Life Saving. We learned a lot today, including how to fix up a collapsed lung and patching up entry wounds. There are a lot of bad things that can happen to our bodies in combat, in case no one knew that lol. Hopefully my communications job will be relatively safe. Anyway, the next several days will be dedicated to this medical training as part of a brand new program the Army just started. A LOT of combat deaths are preventable, so it is sweet that every soldier is trained to teat blood loss and various other things. By Monday, we will be sticking each other with IV needles as part of our graduation requirement. Can't wait!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
BCT Blog #5
Sunday, 8/9/09
This morning has been fantastic. We got to sleep in till 5. Yeah, believe it... 5 is sleeping in. Then we went to chow, where I got my usual. I don't think I've stressed how much I love chow time, particularly breakfast. This is what I had: sausage, scrambles eggs, tater tots, french toast, banana yogurt with walnuts, 2 cups of juice. That's basically my daily breakfast. This military manner in which we have to eat is a challenge. They slide us through the chow hall so fast that it all blends together. The typical drill sergeant quote is, "Don't taste it now, you can enjoy it later". Use you imagination for the meaning of that. But all the same, it is extremely tasty. The other day I was mad because we were running behind schedule and they gave us about 3 minutes instead of 5 to eat. I had to throw away grapes and a banana, which is frustrating. A lot of fresh food is wasted there.
After chow, being that it is sunday, we came back to the barracks until church services start. The Mormons and the Muslims all start around 7. but life is good for us "Protestants". We gather for church at 10:30. Our drill sergeant is cool and told us we still can't sleep on the beds (those are lights out only) but that we can hide somewhere else and sleep. That's exactly what I did. I slept sitting up in my wall locker. Then after that I moved to under the bed and had the best Sunday nap ever. I pretty much feel caught up on sleep, which is saying a lot for sleeping 4-6 hours a day for 3 weeks. I was becoming an "auto-private". I'm learning that it is possible to fall asleep in any position. Stuffing myself in my wall locker wasn't great, but I definitely got some sleep. The other day I feel asleep 3 times standing up. Emphasis on the word "fell". Luckily as soon as I began falling I woke up and didn't fall to the ground. That would just be funny. It has happened to a few people here. And I'm sure it looks awesome when someone else falls asleep while standing still but then suddenly jerks themselves back up as the realize their balance switch was off. We are usually given classroom instruction for at least an hour or two a day. Some of it is cool and practical, some of it is pure propaganda/indoctrination. A LOT of people fall asleep there and that is the best way to REALLY make the DS's mad. The punishment is of course "corrective training", where they choose from a variety of muscle burning exercises. It always amuses me, because luckily I am good at forcing myself to stay alert. But consistently this one guy starts doing the head banging motion and always gets called up. They also punish the two privates that he is sitting between, because as "battle buddies" we are responsible for each other. This is pretty sound training actually, because just like combat it is so important that we look out for each other. So far I haven't had to hold the squat position for falling asleep in class. But it could happen.
My platoon is doing really well now. Yesterday the higher ups commented to all 3 of our drill sergeants at separate times that we are looking great and out-performing the other 3 platoons in our company. This came from the company's First Sergeant AND Captain which is a pretty big deal. They are giving us some rewards, like "sounding off" and supposedly we will be working out to music later tonight! Sounding off is the cheerleading sounds that you hear from a formation of soldiers. They made it into a privilege that we had to earn, which is cool. All along, the other, less disciplined platoons have been sounding off, but it is sloppy. Since we respect it, we make it good. When called to the position of Attention, we are yelling "2nd Platoon, we'll do your job too!" There is a very competitive spirit here within the company. Apparently out DS's consistently win the award for Honor Platoon every cycle. So we are shooting for that.
Oh I have alluded to the fact that we are fed propaganda here. Maybe so, but I must say some of the classes have increased my respect for the US. In light of the Abu Ghraib scandals, we were given a very lengthy class on ethical treatment of Prisoners, detainees, and civilians. It is all based on very sound principals, and I think the enforcement is pretty effective. All in all, I'm proud to serve this country. I was never fond of this war. But for now I'm just a soldier and not a polotician, and that's all I can say for now.
Well, I'm glad to have finally gotten some deeper thoughts on paper. More to come later.
This morning has been fantastic. We got to sleep in till 5. Yeah, believe it... 5 is sleeping in. Then we went to chow, where I got my usual. I don't think I've stressed how much I love chow time, particularly breakfast. This is what I had: sausage, scrambles eggs, tater tots, french toast, banana yogurt with walnuts, 2 cups of juice. That's basically my daily breakfast. This military manner in which we have to eat is a challenge. They slide us through the chow hall so fast that it all blends together. The typical drill sergeant quote is, "Don't taste it now, you can enjoy it later". Use you imagination for the meaning of that. But all the same, it is extremely tasty. The other day I was mad because we were running behind schedule and they gave us about 3 minutes instead of 5 to eat. I had to throw away grapes and a banana, which is frustrating. A lot of fresh food is wasted there.
After chow, being that it is sunday, we came back to the barracks until church services start. The Mormons and the Muslims all start around 7. but life is good for us "Protestants". We gather for church at 10:30. Our drill sergeant is cool and told us we still can't sleep on the beds (those are lights out only) but that we can hide somewhere else and sleep. That's exactly what I did. I slept sitting up in my wall locker. Then after that I moved to under the bed and had the best Sunday nap ever. I pretty much feel caught up on sleep, which is saying a lot for sleeping 4-6 hours a day for 3 weeks. I was becoming an "auto-private". I'm learning that it is possible to fall asleep in any position. Stuffing myself in my wall locker wasn't great, but I definitely got some sleep. The other day I feel asleep 3 times standing up. Emphasis on the word "fell". Luckily as soon as I began falling I woke up and didn't fall to the ground. That would just be funny. It has happened to a few people here. And I'm sure it looks awesome when someone else falls asleep while standing still but then suddenly jerks themselves back up as the realize their balance switch was off. We are usually given classroom instruction for at least an hour or two a day. Some of it is cool and practical, some of it is pure propaganda/indoctrination. A LOT of people fall asleep there and that is the best way to REALLY make the DS's mad. The punishment is of course "corrective training", where they choose from a variety of muscle burning exercises. It always amuses me, because luckily I am good at forcing myself to stay alert. But consistently this one guy starts doing the head banging motion and always gets called up. They also punish the two privates that he is sitting between, because as "battle buddies" we are responsible for each other. This is pretty sound training actually, because just like combat it is so important that we look out for each other. So far I haven't had to hold the squat position for falling asleep in class. But it could happen.
My platoon is doing really well now. Yesterday the higher ups commented to all 3 of our drill sergeants at separate times that we are looking great and out-performing the other 3 platoons in our company. This came from the company's First Sergeant AND Captain which is a pretty big deal. They are giving us some rewards, like "sounding off" and supposedly we will be working out to music later tonight! Sounding off is the cheerleading sounds that you hear from a formation of soldiers. They made it into a privilege that we had to earn, which is cool. All along, the other, less disciplined platoons have been sounding off, but it is sloppy. Since we respect it, we make it good. When called to the position of Attention, we are yelling "2nd Platoon, we'll do your job too!" There is a very competitive spirit here within the company. Apparently out DS's consistently win the award for Honor Platoon every cycle. So we are shooting for that.
Oh I have alluded to the fact that we are fed propaganda here. Maybe so, but I must say some of the classes have increased my respect for the US. In light of the Abu Ghraib scandals, we were given a very lengthy class on ethical treatment of Prisoners, detainees, and civilians. It is all based on very sound principals, and I think the enforcement is pretty effective. All in all, I'm proud to serve this country. I was never fond of this war. But for now I'm just a soldier and not a polotician, and that's all I can say for now.
Well, I'm glad to have finally gotten some deeper thoughts on paper. More to come later.
Friday, August 14, 2009
BCT Blog #4
08/07/2009
New favorite place: the laundry room. Even though lights are out in the barracks we are allowed to skip sleep for some laundry/letters. They are working us so hard right now that there is no time in the day. Personal time is fully consumed with showering and getting gear ready for the next day.
Today we were issued body armor. Helmet, Kevlar vest, this crazy weight bearing vest that holds 2 canteens and several ammo magazines, and altogether we are dragging around an extra 40 pounds or so. Tomorrow we get up at 3:30 for a roadmarch in our new gear. Can't wait!
Also, tonight they gave us a bayonet introduction course. It would probably be a scary, if nothing else, curious sight for an outsider, so I shall tell you about it. They lined us up 2 platoons (roughly 110 guys) facing each other. They called out different moves for us to advance towards each other with as if we are enemies. Each step we take we must scream "KILL". Our drill sergeant is a TRUE killer. While instructing us on how to use the rifle butt to smash someone's groin or face, he tells us to be "Iraqi Dentists" and brags about the faces he has dismembered. This drill sergeant is the most arrogant and legit killer out there. A modern day Achilles.
Today at chow there was pumpkin pie. That was probably the highlight of today.
Nothing makes me happier than mail call. I will thank everyone individually ASAP. But for now, your encouragement means the world to me. If anyone else wants to write, I am always extremely blessed when you do.
Keep praying! Everything is going very well but of course it is still a challenge every day. Pray that phone privileges start SOON! I miss the sound of my fiance's and parents' voices.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
New favorite place: the laundry room. Even though lights are out in the barracks we are allowed to skip sleep for some laundry/letters. They are working us so hard right now that there is no time in the day. Personal time is fully consumed with showering and getting gear ready for the next day.
Today we were issued body armor. Helmet, Kevlar vest, this crazy weight bearing vest that holds 2 canteens and several ammo magazines, and altogether we are dragging around an extra 40 pounds or so. Tomorrow we get up at 3:30 for a roadmarch in our new gear. Can't wait!
Also, tonight they gave us a bayonet introduction course. It would probably be a scary, if nothing else, curious sight for an outsider, so I shall tell you about it. They lined us up 2 platoons (roughly 110 guys) facing each other. They called out different moves for us to advance towards each other with as if we are enemies. Each step we take we must scream "KILL". Our drill sergeant is a TRUE killer. While instructing us on how to use the rifle butt to smash someone's groin or face, he tells us to be "Iraqi Dentists" and brags about the faces he has dismembered. This drill sergeant is the most arrogant and legit killer out there. A modern day Achilles.
Today at chow there was pumpkin pie. That was probably the highlight of today.
Nothing makes me happier than mail call. I will thank everyone individually ASAP. But for now, your encouragement means the world to me. If anyone else wants to write, I am always extremely blessed when you do.
Keep praying! Everything is going very well but of course it is still a challenge every day. Pray that phone privileges start SOON! I miss the sound of my fiance's and parents' voices.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
BCT Blog #3
Monday 8/3/09
It is Monday and Red Phase of Basic Training is in full swing. I can honestly say that I am getting really into it now. The adjustment period is over with as far as the crazy sleep schedule and strict military discipline goes. I am just about done with my coughing and sore throat that everyone shares. Now that we are spending time doing obstacle courses and receiving hands on weapon training, it is easy to get caught up in the experience and all it enjoyable. I know it may be hard to picture me with a rifle at the Low Ready position, but you better believe it lol. Tomorrow we are beginning our hand to hand combat and receiving our Kevlar body armor. We already have rifles and a crazy gas mask (which we will be using one of these days).
A lot of it is very intimidating. Today, the obstacle course we went through was right next door to "Victory Tower" - the extremely high climb that we will rappel down. I have never done this and think it will be fun but honestly it is slightly scary. I also don't like the thought of inhaling tear gas, but it will be quick and something to look back on haha.
Getting my first batch of mail today was a breath of fresh air. Basic would be 1000 times easier if loved ones were more accessible. Since I got here 2 weeks ago I have been allowed ONE three-minute phone call. That is all. But mail is cool too. There is something romantically old fashioned about it.
-------------------------
It is not a few hours later at the extremely late hour of 2300 or 11pm. This used to be prime time but in fat now it i the middle of my night of sleep. Tonight is special because it is my turn to do "fire guard" duty. Every hour of the night there are 2 soldiers awake and cleaning and running around the bay to make sure a fire doesn't break out. Not that I am finished shining up the bathroom, I still have a half hour of my shift to write and patrol. I was very out of it when the last shift woke me up.
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Tuesday 8/4/09
Just having a few minutes after lunch to do whatever, so I felt like writing. Already it has been an action packed day. At 5am we took our trial run to place us into the best group for our running abilities. I am in the Alpha group, which yay for me is the fastest. After an awesome breakfast we marched to a high pavilion with chopped up recycled tires, which makes a giant fighting ring. In the Army, it's called combatives. We did several different moves for over 4 hours and I had a blast. I'm very glad I went to Pittsburgh Fight Club before Basic to get me ready. It definitely paid off. That's all for now!
It is Monday and Red Phase of Basic Training is in full swing. I can honestly say that I am getting really into it now. The adjustment period is over with as far as the crazy sleep schedule and strict military discipline goes. I am just about done with my coughing and sore throat that everyone shares. Now that we are spending time doing obstacle courses and receiving hands on weapon training, it is easy to get caught up in the experience and all it enjoyable. I know it may be hard to picture me with a rifle at the Low Ready position, but you better believe it lol. Tomorrow we are beginning our hand to hand combat and receiving our Kevlar body armor. We already have rifles and a crazy gas mask (which we will be using one of these days).
A lot of it is very intimidating. Today, the obstacle course we went through was right next door to "Victory Tower" - the extremely high climb that we will rappel down. I have never done this and think it will be fun but honestly it is slightly scary. I also don't like the thought of inhaling tear gas, but it will be quick and something to look back on haha.
Getting my first batch of mail today was a breath of fresh air. Basic would be 1000 times easier if loved ones were more accessible. Since I got here 2 weeks ago I have been allowed ONE three-minute phone call. That is all. But mail is cool too. There is something romantically old fashioned about it.
-------------------------
It is not a few hours later at the extremely late hour of 2300 or 11pm. This used to be prime time but in fat now it i the middle of my night of sleep. Tonight is special because it is my turn to do "fire guard" duty. Every hour of the night there are 2 soldiers awake and cleaning and running around the bay to make sure a fire doesn't break out. Not that I am finished shining up the bathroom, I still have a half hour of my shift to write and patrol. I was very out of it when the last shift woke me up.
-------------------------
Tuesday 8/4/09
Just having a few minutes after lunch to do whatever, so I felt like writing. Already it has been an action packed day. At 5am we took our trial run to place us into the best group for our running abilities. I am in the Alpha group, which yay for me is the fastest. After an awesome breakfast we marched to a high pavilion with chopped up recycled tires, which makes a giant fighting ring. In the Army, it's called combatives. We did several different moves for over 4 hours and I had a blast. I'm very glad I went to Pittsburgh Fight Club before Basic to get me ready. It definitely paid off. That's all for now!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
BCT Blog #2
So it is Wednesday, 7/29 here in Fort Knox. Basic Training is now underway since we finished reception yesterday and moved "down range". Going "down range" was a bittersweet experience. It felt great to be moving along and taking steps towards getting through this training, but it made me sad to leave behind the friends I made at reception. Also, none of my buddies that I got to know well at our first barracks got placed in my platoon, so that was a downer. My main source of joy is that I would get my address and could finally begin receiving letters from home. So far the conversations have only been one sided without my having an address, and honestly it is pretty killer being that cut off. Thinking of Emily and the life that is now on hold to do this brought tears to my eyes a few times.
When we left reception we marched about a mile to our new "home"... with our 50 pound duffel bags and a slightly lighter laundry bag. This march took place after standing in a formation (with the bags on our backs) for over an hour. Our march ended with a lovely greeting from 12 drill sergeants (3 per platoon) who proceeded to scream at us and stir up the most chaotic environment possible. As expected, we dumped out our bags for a shakedown in the parking lot and all hope of organization was gone. Soon we were ushered into out new barracks, a looooong bedroom that comfortably sleeps 56 young men. In a very military manner, we were briefed on how our towels will hang, how our laundry bag should look, how out boots must be stored etc. And we were taught proper push up technique and given LOADS of practice. I feel ripped already! That 6 pack will be breaking out of my ACU in no time.
Today wasn't too serious. We literally were taught the basics of um... Basic. Like how to march and fall into formation and all of the cool moves we do haha. And we did a lot of exercising, which is by far the best part. I like being paid to work out. I could live without all the yelling, but all in all our drill sergeants aren't bad. I see them as being good at doing a job and i respect them for their dedication. I would never want to train recruits 24 hours a day.
I think today I am OK. yesterday, I sunk into a miserable depression and nearly every thought of home or Emily made me want to cry. My morale is much higher today for some reason. I guess this lifestyle just takes some adjusting... and mostly patience. I knew it would be tough. But 10 weeks is insignificant. Every moment that is unpleasant is just another chance for me to focus on the future where I'll be happy and say "wow I remember that crap." lol. Prayer and focusing on happy things like my little photo album are the only things that get me through the day.
This blog's prayer requests:
1. That my morale will stay high and I can be a positive force in my platoon.
2. Quick recovery for my muscles in spite of lack of sleep.
3. My family & fiance and her family too. Pray that their letters will get to me really soon.
I think that is all now. I believe my boot issue is better, so thanks if you prayed. I believe my boots broke my feet in, and not the other way around. But either way they are working together now, so life is good. Stay awesome until I get back to the real world.
-Tim
PS... as promised, here is my address:
PVT Gregory, Timothy
G Co, 1/46 IN 2 PLT
3576 Wilson Road
Fort Knox, KY 40121-5728
I really would love to hear from anyone. Don't send anything but letters or photos please. Basically everything else such as cookies or magazines are not allowed. But a good old fashioned letter would surely bring a big smile to my face!
When we left reception we marched about a mile to our new "home"... with our 50 pound duffel bags and a slightly lighter laundry bag. This march took place after standing in a formation (with the bags on our backs) for over an hour. Our march ended with a lovely greeting from 12 drill sergeants (3 per platoon) who proceeded to scream at us and stir up the most chaotic environment possible. As expected, we dumped out our bags for a shakedown in the parking lot and all hope of organization was gone. Soon we were ushered into out new barracks, a looooong bedroom that comfortably sleeps 56 young men. In a very military manner, we were briefed on how our towels will hang, how our laundry bag should look, how out boots must be stored etc. And we were taught proper push up technique and given LOADS of practice. I feel ripped already! That 6 pack will be breaking out of my ACU in no time.
Today wasn't too serious. We literally were taught the basics of um... Basic. Like how to march and fall into formation and all of the cool moves we do haha. And we did a lot of exercising, which is by far the best part. I like being paid to work out. I could live without all the yelling, but all in all our drill sergeants aren't bad. I see them as being good at doing a job and i respect them for their dedication. I would never want to train recruits 24 hours a day.
I think today I am OK. yesterday, I sunk into a miserable depression and nearly every thought of home or Emily made me want to cry. My morale is much higher today for some reason. I guess this lifestyle just takes some adjusting... and mostly patience. I knew it would be tough. But 10 weeks is insignificant. Every moment that is unpleasant is just another chance for me to focus on the future where I'll be happy and say "wow I remember that crap." lol. Prayer and focusing on happy things like my little photo album are the only things that get me through the day.
This blog's prayer requests:
1. That my morale will stay high and I can be a positive force in my platoon.
2. Quick recovery for my muscles in spite of lack of sleep.
3. My family & fiance and her family too. Pray that their letters will get to me really soon.
I think that is all now. I believe my boot issue is better, so thanks if you prayed. I believe my boots broke my feet in, and not the other way around. But either way they are working together now, so life is good. Stay awesome until I get back to the real world.
-Tim
PS... as promised, here is my address:
PVT Gregory, Timothy
G Co, 1/46 IN 2 PLT
3576 Wilson Road
Fort Knox, KY 40121-5728
I really would love to hear from anyone. Don't send anything but letters or photos please. Basically everything else such as cookies or magazines are not allowed. But a good old fashioned letter would surely bring a big smile to my face!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Address
Here is Tim's address:
PVT Gregory, Timothy
G Co, 1/46 IN 2 PLT
3576 WILSON ROAD
FORT KNOX, KY 40121-5728
He would love to hear from everyone!
PVT Gregory, Timothy
G Co, 1/46 IN 2 PLT
3576 WILSON ROAD
FORT KNOX, KY 40121-5728
He would love to hear from everyone!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
BCT Blog #1
So this is my first official military blog. I am 5 days into the while process which began Monday, July 20. It is not July 25 and since it is Saturday it is the first block of free time that I could possibly think about blogging.
Monday morning I reported to my unit in Pittsburgh that did some pre-basic drills. After hours of waiting for paperwork (we watched some good movies to pass the time such as Underworld) we were bused over to the Air Force Base at the Pittsburgh airport. The base has single hotels so it was a pleasant stay. We were awoken at 4am Tuesday to go do more processing at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). This was another lon day of briefings, paperwork, and a physical until they got us to the airport again to fly to Louisville.
That night we were put on a bus to Fort Knox to begin the fun. We were "greeted" by a drill sergeant who stepped on the bus, predictably yelled at the recruits in the front of the bus, and then barked that we can grab our stuff and march into the building. In a very military manner, we sat down and began more paperwork. Next we were shuffled to a room where we dumped our bags and surrendered any items that were not allowed. It was chaotic because all of these activities are being done by 150 new recruits at a time. By 2:30am we were done with all of the work that needed to be done, including gathering our linens, storing our civilian bags, making our beds (a 20-03 min process itself).
Our wake up call came at 3:30am. So after a 22 hour day, we got a 1 hour nap to begin another hectic day. This was probably the most agonizing day I've had in a long time. We had not been issued uniforms yet so we went outside in our PT clothes (fitness shorts and a t-shirt). It was POURING down rain. Luckily they had giveb us our ponchos, but wearing the hood is "for pre-schoolers" we were told. We had to get in formation and stand in line for breakfast with muddy wet feet and no head cover. I think everyone around me said the words, "I can't believe I signed up for this."
Next we marched in the rain to a building where we would sit in classes for a long time. We were soaked and exhausted. I don't remember much... I think memory shuts off for these experiences for a reason. They kept us really busy all day and finally let us sleep at 9pm. That was the best sleep ever.
We woke up at 4am and did a ton of other things. I believe I got 5 shots all together. It was really funny when they put 8 of us into a soundproof room for a hearing test and basically everyone fell asleep during the test. I think I was pressing the button in my sleep somehow because I passed. Also on that day we got our uniforms-- an impressive process. The invoice for my uniforms alone was about $900, paid for by out government. Consider about 800 soldiers are all being processed here at reception right now alongside my company of 200. That shows a lot about the power of America's military I think.
So anyway, it has been a crazy week. And technically not even Basic Training yet, just "reception". Overall, I am feeling great about it. Mentally and Physically I am adjusting quickly to the demands. We have to show extreme discipline around the drill sergeants, who I actually think are pretty cool. Those dudes are some of the sharpest, most focused people on the planet, and mostly their yelling is for good reason. Their job is to make soldiers ready for combat. That is why they make tiny activities like how we stand and how we wear our socks a stressful experience. I personally haven't been singled our once so far for doing anything wrong. However, as a group we get yelled at a lot. I am already feeling better about how I manage stress and pay attention to details. I am definitely ready to start the actual basic training. We'll move into a more remote area of Ft. Knox's 110,000 acre facility. Also, I am grateful to be making friends with some good guys. There are a lot of difficult people to work with here but I stumbled into a room of good guys that brought Bibles and are cool to talk to. They are as focused as I am mostly, and it pays off because we have each other's backs.
If you have been praying for me, my main issue is that my boots "break in" soon. The only part of my body that isn't feeling great are my feet. Two giant blisters on the back of my heels. Soon I'll be marching 8-12 miles in them any given day, and right now just walking 100 yards to the "chow hall" is a major pain. Other than that I think I can handle anything. Food here is excellent! We have to eat here super fast but it is pretty much amazing. I know I'll gain good weight here. The verses of encouragement that my parents printed for me have been extremely helpful.
So thanks for reading this! It was long because we had 5 hours to kill after not having a second to relax. And also, it will be good to have these memories chronicled for future use.
Much love <3. Hopefully my address will be available soon.
-Tim
Monday morning I reported to my unit in Pittsburgh that did some pre-basic drills. After hours of waiting for paperwork (we watched some good movies to pass the time such as Underworld) we were bused over to the Air Force Base at the Pittsburgh airport. The base has single hotels so it was a pleasant stay. We were awoken at 4am Tuesday to go do more processing at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station). This was another lon day of briefings, paperwork, and a physical until they got us to the airport again to fly to Louisville.
That night we were put on a bus to Fort Knox to begin the fun. We were "greeted" by a drill sergeant who stepped on the bus, predictably yelled at the recruits in the front of the bus, and then barked that we can grab our stuff and march into the building. In a very military manner, we sat down and began more paperwork. Next we were shuffled to a room where we dumped our bags and surrendered any items that were not allowed. It was chaotic because all of these activities are being done by 150 new recruits at a time. By 2:30am we were done with all of the work that needed to be done, including gathering our linens, storing our civilian bags, making our beds (a 20-03 min process itself).
Our wake up call came at 3:30am. So after a 22 hour day, we got a 1 hour nap to begin another hectic day. This was probably the most agonizing day I've had in a long time. We had not been issued uniforms yet so we went outside in our PT clothes (fitness shorts and a t-shirt). It was POURING down rain. Luckily they had giveb us our ponchos, but wearing the hood is "for pre-schoolers" we were told. We had to get in formation and stand in line for breakfast with muddy wet feet and no head cover. I think everyone around me said the words, "I can't believe I signed up for this."
Next we marched in the rain to a building where we would sit in classes for a long time. We were soaked and exhausted. I don't remember much... I think memory shuts off for these experiences for a reason. They kept us really busy all day and finally let us sleep at 9pm. That was the best sleep ever.
We woke up at 4am and did a ton of other things. I believe I got 5 shots all together. It was really funny when they put 8 of us into a soundproof room for a hearing test and basically everyone fell asleep during the test. I think I was pressing the button in my sleep somehow because I passed. Also on that day we got our uniforms-- an impressive process. The invoice for my uniforms alone was about $900, paid for by out government. Consider about 800 soldiers are all being processed here at reception right now alongside my company of 200. That shows a lot about the power of America's military I think.
So anyway, it has been a crazy week. And technically not even Basic Training yet, just "reception". Overall, I am feeling great about it. Mentally and Physically I am adjusting quickly to the demands. We have to show extreme discipline around the drill sergeants, who I actually think are pretty cool. Those dudes are some of the sharpest, most focused people on the planet, and mostly their yelling is for good reason. Their job is to make soldiers ready for combat. That is why they make tiny activities like how we stand and how we wear our socks a stressful experience. I personally haven't been singled our once so far for doing anything wrong. However, as a group we get yelled at a lot. I am already feeling better about how I manage stress and pay attention to details. I am definitely ready to start the actual basic training. We'll move into a more remote area of Ft. Knox's 110,000 acre facility. Also, I am grateful to be making friends with some good guys. There are a lot of difficult people to work with here but I stumbled into a room of good guys that brought Bibles and are cool to talk to. They are as focused as I am mostly, and it pays off because we have each other's backs.
If you have been praying for me, my main issue is that my boots "break in" soon. The only part of my body that isn't feeling great are my feet. Two giant blisters on the back of my heels. Soon I'll be marching 8-12 miles in them any given day, and right now just walking 100 yards to the "chow hall" is a major pain. Other than that I think I can handle anything. Food here is excellent! We have to eat here super fast but it is pretty much amazing. I know I'll gain good weight here. The verses of encouragement that my parents printed for me have been extremely helpful.
So thanks for reading this! It was long because we had 5 hours to kill after not having a second to relax. And also, it will be good to have these memories chronicled for future use.
Much love <3. Hopefully my address will be available soon.
-Tim
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Shipping Out
Hey everyone!
I am leaving for Basic Combat Training with the Army National Guard TOMORROW - Monday, July 20. I wanted everyone to be aware that this blog is going to remain active although I will not have any computer access during my training cycle. My beautiful fiance Emily is being gracious enough to type the blogs that I'll be writing the old fashioned way and sending through the mail. These blogs will mainly be for the purpose of letting everyone know what I'm up to and that their thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.
My address will be available soon to anyone that wishes to write to me. My every second is going to be owned by the Army for the next several months since I'll be in Basic for about 10 weeks and then spending another 18 weeks in Georgia completing my Advanced Individual Training. That should allow me to return to normal life sometime around February 11, so it will be AWESOME to hear some positive words from everyone while I'm completing all of the training.
Everyone is asking me some questions frequently, so here is a very brief FAQ about my career with ARNG.
Q. What will I be doing for the Guard?
A. I will be trained to do a job known as Signal Support, or 25U as the Army calls it. As far as I know, this will mostly involve working with all of the communications systems such as radios, computers, and satellites that keep things going. I'll be dealing with sensitive information and will have skills to get a cool civilian job afterward if I want to.
Q. Why did I decide to join?
A. The National Guard has some pretty outstanding education benefits that I will be taking advantage of next fall to complete a degree. Basically I will be getting free school and a steady paycheck for showing up 1 weekend a month. Plus I will be completely honest, I enjoy a good challenge. Shipping off to Basic is intimidating. I have very limited experience dealing with firearms and yelling sergeants, so I feel like getting through something so tough will have its psychological rewards.
Q. Where will I be after training?
A. I am already set up with a base near Pittsburgh to carry out my monthly obligation. However, I may choose to complete my education somewhere else within the state (currently interested in West Chester University) so I may attempt to transfer to a base in that region.
Q. What are my chances of being deployed?
A. It is very possible that I'll be deployed at some point during my career. There will always be hurricanes and disasters stateside, but the Guard is totally capable of sending some units to Afghanistan or elsewhere. It's not something that I want to do, but I fully understand that this job comes with risks and sacrifices. But I have talked to many soldiers that did their time overseas and came back perfectly happy and had no regrets.
Q. Music? What the heck??!
A. I miss the stage. I strongly desire to get back to it next year. I can't say anything beyond that :).
That is all for now. Thanks for reading. Stay in touch!!! I want everyone to know that I love you a lot and will be thinking about all of the amazing friends and family I have to keep me strong.
-Tim Gregory
I am leaving for Basic Combat Training with the Army National Guard TOMORROW - Monday, July 20. I wanted everyone to be aware that this blog is going to remain active although I will not have any computer access during my training cycle. My beautiful fiance Emily is being gracious enough to type the blogs that I'll be writing the old fashioned way and sending through the mail. These blogs will mainly be for the purpose of letting everyone know what I'm up to and that their thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.
My address will be available soon to anyone that wishes to write to me. My every second is going to be owned by the Army for the next several months since I'll be in Basic for about 10 weeks and then spending another 18 weeks in Georgia completing my Advanced Individual Training. That should allow me to return to normal life sometime around February 11, so it will be AWESOME to hear some positive words from everyone while I'm completing all of the training.
Everyone is asking me some questions frequently, so here is a very brief FAQ about my career with ARNG.
Q. What will I be doing for the Guard?
A. I will be trained to do a job known as Signal Support, or 25U as the Army calls it. As far as I know, this will mostly involve working with all of the communications systems such as radios, computers, and satellites that keep things going. I'll be dealing with sensitive information and will have skills to get a cool civilian job afterward if I want to.
Q. Why did I decide to join?
A. The National Guard has some pretty outstanding education benefits that I will be taking advantage of next fall to complete a degree. Basically I will be getting free school and a steady paycheck for showing up 1 weekend a month. Plus I will be completely honest, I enjoy a good challenge. Shipping off to Basic is intimidating. I have very limited experience dealing with firearms and yelling sergeants, so I feel like getting through something so tough will have its psychological rewards.
Q. Where will I be after training?
A. I am already set up with a base near Pittsburgh to carry out my monthly obligation. However, I may choose to complete my education somewhere else within the state (currently interested in West Chester University) so I may attempt to transfer to a base in that region.
Q. What are my chances of being deployed?
A. It is very possible that I'll be deployed at some point during my career. There will always be hurricanes and disasters stateside, but the Guard is totally capable of sending some units to Afghanistan or elsewhere. It's not something that I want to do, but I fully understand that this job comes with risks and sacrifices. But I have talked to many soldiers that did their time overseas and came back perfectly happy and had no regrets.
Q. Music? What the heck??!
A. I miss the stage. I strongly desire to get back to it next year. I can't say anything beyond that :).
That is all for now. Thanks for reading. Stay in touch!!! I want everyone to know that I love you a lot and will be thinking about all of the amazing friends and family I have to keep me strong.
-Tim Gregory
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Welcome to My Blog
Hello, my name is Tim Gregory! Right now, I'll be drinking my amazing chocolate milkshake while I blog my mind out to you. I hope you enjoy what you are about to read.
I've been watching Season 4 of Star Trek: Voyager lately, and I must say... it is an awesome show. I am excited to see what will happen because the crew members recently found a way to contact Star Fleet at home via an interlay system reaches the Alpha Quadrant. The message was destroyed when it was sucked into a black hole during a battle with "The Hunters". I can't wait to see what happens in the next episode because now they have to trek through enemy territory to get home but at least home knows they are alive and well in the delta region of the galaxy!!!!
Just kidding, I'm not that nerdy (I'm just in Information Technology for fun!). But in order to survive the rigorous demands of a 15 credit semester and full-time work, I recommend the following:
*Lots of coffee
*Sleeping in at every chance
*Tuesday Special at Fuddruckers (The best $6 meal EVER)
*Don't forget to stay fit with lots of aerobics and vitamins!
*of course a few distractions, such as Star Trek, or whatever works to ease your mind
*Last but not least, rescue a dog from a shelter. Your new best friend (Unless Tuvok is your best friend).
Finally I wish to inform you that if you have the chance to tryout for a Beatles Tribute band, politely pass. No explanation is needed here.
Until next time...
Live Long and Prosper,
-Tim
I've been watching Season 4 of Star Trek: Voyager lately, and I must say... it is an awesome show. I am excited to see what will happen because the crew members recently found a way to contact Star Fleet at home via an interlay system reaches the Alpha Quadrant. The message was destroyed when it was sucked into a black hole during a battle with "The Hunters". I can't wait to see what happens in the next episode because now they have to trek through enemy territory to get home but at least home knows they are alive and well in the delta region of the galaxy!!!!
Just kidding, I'm not that nerdy (I'm just in Information Technology for fun!). But in order to survive the rigorous demands of a 15 credit semester and full-time work, I recommend the following:
*Lots of coffee
*Sleeping in at every chance
*Tuesday Special at Fuddruckers (The best $6 meal EVER)
*Don't forget to stay fit with lots of aerobics and vitamins!
*of course a few distractions, such as Star Trek, or whatever works to ease your mind
*Last but not least, rescue a dog from a shelter. Your new best friend (Unless Tuvok is your best friend).
Finally I wish to inform you that if you have the chance to tryout for a Beatles Tribute band, politely pass. No explanation is needed here.
Until next time...
Live Long and Prosper,
-Tim
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