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!