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