Day 32

With the dangers and the rough terrain aside, Afghanistan has its own sort of beauty for such a cold, dry and desolate place.  The mountains here are huge and are slightly reminiscent of mountain ranges in Utah, where you can spin in place 360 degrees and see that you are totally surrounded by white-top mammoth rocks.  I wish I was able to take photographs and video of the flight into the country, but that luxury is not available on a military plane.

Many thoughts have been rushing through my mind based on what I have seen in such a short amount of time and I do not know what I can and cannot talk about here.  Let us see.  We started out in California, then Texas and now here to prepare for our mission.  I feel like all we have done is move from one location to another, packing and loading our belongings in trucks, buses and planes then moving, packed in with one another quite literally like sardines.  We unpack again, squat in a tent for some unspecified number of days and start the process all over again.  The training we get in between the physically demanding travel is critically rehearsed, and with each new location some of the trainers can be harsh and unforgiving.  In moments like these I am struck with the lingering thought of what to expect once we arrive at our place of duty mixed with a sickening feeling of loneliness.  I cannot explain it, but that is how it plays out for me every time this thought occurs, often due to harsh surroundings.  All the while in the throws of the sheer monotony that the soldier lifestyle brings, it has brought me to the deepest states of contemplation of some rather weighty moral and philosophical issues within both my conscious and subconscious mind.  And since having set foot in this foreign land that is so different from my own, I have already seen the very manifestation of the geopolitical struggles by the world's most powerful countries playing out right in front of me.  At this point, let me just say that any fairly informed intellectual on the matters of the middle east may agree that being here makes summing this place up in a phrase "thought-provoking" a failure of expression.  In fact, if one comes to Afghanistan to either Bagram, Kandahar or elsewhere, and not see or feel a sense of being at the heart or at least on the pulse of political upheaval, then you are either entirely insular in thinking or dead.  From the harsh living, by American standards, of gagging choking smells of human waste mixing with the aroma of the dining facility food, burning gas and diesel fuel cars, trucks, buses and countless tactical vehicles, the sounds of planes and helicopters, the chatter of various languages, construction and demolition everywhere, coupled with extreme climates changes throughout the day, any unit's mission seems all the more challenging.  There is so much going on here that this place is charged economically, politically, culturally, linguistically, religiously and militarily that it is emotionally palpable!  Albeit trite, I think I can borrow from the phrase in "The Wizard of Oz" by stating the obvious:  Folks, I am not in Kansas anymore.

With all the busy ongoings there is blessedly a means of temporary pause and escape.  Not too far from the tents where my unit is camped, is a pretty large USO with several video game stations and large screens, a phone room to make free phone calls anywhere in the world, several couches for lounging and relaxing, closed study rooms, televisions, a movie theater room, food, snacks and more.  But of course I can never be satisfied with just sitting idle and doing nothing, leaving my mind unstimulated.  So I picked up a military newspaper called the Stars and Stripes.  I read an article highlighting the recent visit by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta where he exhorted soldiers to step up their integrity, in so many words, in light of the past scandals that are plaguing the United States military reputation by a select few troops.  From the more recent massacre in Afghanistan by Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, the recent discovery of images of soldiers posing with dead body parts of failed Afghan suicide bombers, and video footage of marines urinating on their dead enemies and more, one who is morally and intellectually honest must be compelled to ask oneself, "What is happening?  What would bring a person to do such things and then make a trophy out of it vivid color photographs and video?"  Worse yet is for one to become the reductionist and say to oneself these are just a few incidents in a larger effort towards good.  That is a sick and easy thing to say.  But in this world you can do a thousand things right and then watch it all come to not because of one single fatal act.  In this context, more than one fatal act has occurred.  And what the ultimate price will be for what has happened really has not come to bare.  Only time will tell if once again, another nation (America) is dashed to pieces in light Afghanistan's historic reputation.

It is easy to forget the deep depravity to which all human beings are so prone to sink in the throws of trying to do good.  It goes to show the defining impossibility of attaining perfect goodness within our own character by our own will and might.  It should be clear that human beings are the only physical beings on this earth committing evil, as we all should know, perfectly good beings cannot and do not commit evil.  And no mere human being is perfect and yet it is so easy to forget this fact!  Here is where I am going with this.  The personal responsibility of controlling oneself and not becoming comfortable, complacent and lax in one's moral judgement and character is so important, especially in warring environments.  But if I may be so bold to say, that I am not convinced that many people today see the inextricable link between their personal private proclivities, indulgences and choices, and how their choices actually directly shape and impact the physical reality around them through their behavior and interactions with others.  The film Inception was onto something.  We are "incepted" with ideas--if I may borrow the science fiction Hollywood definition of the term--that we convince ourselves are our own but are actually influences from the things with which we choose to inundate our minds, not only from others close to us, but particularly from the arts (film, television, video games and written media).  "David, what are you getting at?"  Bare with me as I take the long approach here because I feel it important to go with this route of explanation.

In the past, life is what primarily informed art, but today art imitates life, imitating art.  Here is what I mean.  Are Americans so desensitized by the ultra-realistic and vivid violence we see in the arts that the real and the make-believe have become one?  In other words, has human life lost its intrinsic worth all in the name of art?  Will the spinning totum top stop spinning, or have we forgotten all about it?  The comfort of a dark theater or personal home or mobile device in which to view fictional macabre torture and destruction of human beings ad nauseam with no real justifiable reason within the plot, are with much less reason to view such things with pleasure in real life.  I have witnessed from personal conversations that one can watch a film like "Hostel" in idle curiosity, but it is almost entirely intolerable for these same persons to sit through the very historic and likely accurate portrayal of the flogging and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the film "Passion of the Christ".  Therefore, why is it so perplexing or surprising when we see American service members behaving with the utmost impropriety?  It shouldn't come as a shock.  So when I get emails from young people who say they want to be in the military, I wonder what influenced their reasons, fact or fiction, video games like Call of Duty, movies like Hurt Locker, or what?  Or documentaries like "No End In Sight" by Charles Ferguson or "Restrepo" by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington?  I often ask them to ask themselves "Why do I want to join?"  "What legitimate reasons do I have for joining?"  "What do I aspire to bring to the organization to effect positive change in the world?"  I often hear of what future soldiers want out of the military, but very little, if anything along the lines of what they will give back to it positively.  These are just a few of my questions among others.  Service members should set their standards high and do not compromise them.  And should you fail, forgive yourself.  Ask forgiveness from those you hurt.  And forgive those who oppress you.  Easier said than done, I know.  And yet it is the only way.

I know no organization is perfect as it is made up of imperfect beings.  But I highlight all of this because the article as a whole deeply shook me on many levels.  It provokes me to change and influence others around me as much as it depends on me.  I found myself angered and disturbed on a humane level, as a Christian, a teacher of young people at the front lines of molding our future, as an older brother to a young and still impressionable post-teenager in his final year of college, and finally as a soldier and promotable leader.  After having read about these scandals I in turn found myself looking in the mirror, as it were, questioning and testing my own moral integrity.  What would I do or say to someone if such things happened with me present?  How would I react?

Ask yourself, how would you react were you present when some of these scandalous acts were perpetrated?  Would you have stood silently by?  Would you have filmed or photographed it?  Or would you actually be the one carrying it out?  Or perhaps would you not have ever been in such company were it in your power.  Ask yourself this too:  What would you do were you the officer or noncommissioned officer responsible for these soldiers and marines?

Day 30

It has been a long month and several more months to go.  Started active duty over a month ago, turned 30-years-old on April 9th and now I'm in Afghanistan.  It is pretty interesting here.  Cannot complain at all.  The plane ride into Afghanistan was pretty cool.  I slept better on this military plane than I ever have than on any commercial airline I've had the privilige of flying since I enlisted.  I simply don't sleep well on planes, but this was an exception.  I think the infantry soldiers in the photo agree too. ;)  

We flew in with an infantry unit, if I am not mistaken.  There were a lot of military police and infantry soldiers everywhere prior to leaving.  Let me just tell you, my unit stuck out like a sore thumb because we are "fobbits" and it shows.  

(Fobbit - Slang term derived from combining J.R.R. Tolkien's term "hobbit"--a name for small simple and harmless humanoids with big hairy feet--and the acronym "FOB", which stands for Forward Operating Base.  Therefore Hobbit + FOB = Fobbits, which are soldiers who rarely, if at all, go outside of the FOB into immediate danger areas within a hostile area of operation.  It is commonly used as a negative reference by combat arms soldiers about combat support soldiers like 88N - Transportation Management Coordinators.)

These guys were looking at us sideways.  I kid you not.  But I get it. We're a transportation unit for goodness' sake.  We don't kick down doors, bringing the hurt to the enemy as our primary day-to-day job.  But some of them were a bit jerky to one of my battle buddies and it was not cool.  My battle was pretty upset about it yesterday.  As combat support soldiers, let me impart a word of advice:  Unless you're infantry, military police or some other combat arms soldier, stay out of their way.  I don't like making sweeping generalizations about any group of people, but I think I can safely say that some of the combat arms soldiers can be really mean.  Really!  Mind your customs and courtesies around them, as well as maintaining the standard as far as Army regulations go.  Above all, stay in your lane (Army equivalent for "mind your business"), unless you want to get "snatched up" as my NCOIC (noncommissioned officer in charge or training NCO) likes to say.  He is a really big guy who doesn't take crap off of anybody.  He will joke and laugh with one minute and flip the switch on you in a blink of an eye.  Now take my NCOIC and add the combat side to him and it's like dealing with satan incarnate masquerading in a US Army uniform, just snatching soldiers up in his wake down range.   LOL!  But I greatly digress...

We are living in tents, however I do not say that to complain.  Rather I mention it to express that I have lived in tents with dirt and rock floors for longer, with cots, using port-a-potties and baby wipe baths and no showers.  With that said, I am tired of living out of duffle bags.  And yet I know there are soldiers who have it so much worse than us.  So I count my blessings and embrace what little suck we are getting because in the grand scheme of this operation, our little inconveniences do not match up to the sacrifices my combat arms brothers and sisters are making over here.  My unit supports them from relative safety, but they do the really real, down and dirty work with increased threat to life and limb.  To them I say, even as a soldier myself, "Thank you for your service and sacrifice!"

That is all for now.  I have a lot more to share, but in due time.  As always if you have any questions, post them on the Facebook page at the address below.  Comment here or write me via email at godavidstrong@gmail.com

Please keep posting your questions on http://facebook.com/godavidstrong as it is by far the easiest place for me to access and answer enlistment questions.  :)

God bless!

We're at our MOB (mobilization) station and we were walking back to the barracks from the DFAC (dining facility) and I snapped this photo really quick with my iPhone.  

It made me think about getting ready to leave for Afghanistan soon.  I'm excited to go and achieve our mission. :)

I just did a little updating on godavidstrong.com by adding a new page called "GDS Mission" and what I wrote there struck me in retrospect.  So I would like to emphasize it here for your reading because it really clarifies my intentions with respect to all I have said and done up until now, with my videos on YouTube and journaling on my blog.  I ask that everyone sincerely take the time to read and seek to understand this personal mission I have created.  Thanks! :)

 

Hi! My name is Specialist David Moore.  I enlisted into the United States Army Reserve on February 5, 2010 and began sharing my story shortly thereafter.  This website is my online journal about my Army life and career.  Furthermore, all that I share both written and in video are a constructive and creative means of proudly embracing my momentous choice to serve my country.

It is honestly not my goal to recruit new soldiers.  This is simply a personal and live autobiographical project. By live autobiographical project I mean that as I go along I document my experiences that others can see, comment on and share-alike via the internet.  I want to give a window into the ups, downs, and in-betweens of what a reserve combat support soldier's life is like.  I am not in a combat MOS (i.e.  infantry, military police, calvary scout, special forces, etc), nevertheless it is also well-known within the Army that soldiers like myself are deployed and do in fact experience combat at some point or another.

However, the American media consistently shares the worst, and yet to an extent have a responsibility to share the harsh realities of war.  But what they do not cover are the in-between mundane routines of day-to-day Army life, whether it be a soldier in Active Duty, Army Reserve or National Guard.  I am here to share the real life that people outside of the Army do not know about nor see.  My own friends, colleagues and family members have little to no idea, evidenced by past conversations we have had that left me in pondersome confusion.  Things I thought they should know or at least understand, they do not know or grasp.  Therefore, I have made it my personal goal and mission to put a real face to the unknown aspects of being a soldier with my written and video journaling.

If out of all that I have shared and will continue to share you are moved to enlist, please let me know about your story as well.  I get messages and emails all of the time of so many success stories or people who are at least inspired to serve their country in some capacity as a result of something I have done or said either on this blog or on YouTube.

Thank you for taking time out to read this.

 

Today I went to my unit to work and complete and turn in my promotion packet for E-5.  I am so relieved to have gotten it done.  Now it's just a matter of time.  Afterward, I fully intended to come home in the early afternoon to get some personal affairs in order for when I deploy, but that didn't happen.

I attempt to address questions that I receive on YouTube, Facebook and by email.  Making videos to cover one subject is proving counterintuitive and so I feel that this is the best approach.  If a question references a video or I think that it can be clarified by one of my previous videos, or that I can clarify something in one of my previous videos, then a link will appears as I address the question.  This should help viewers get a complete understanding.

Video Links:

Soldier's Blue Book

PDF:  http://bit.ly/ietbookpdf

iOS (Apple):  http://bit.ly/ietbookapple

Android:  http://bit.ly/ietbookandroid

Back home for a time

I returned from from RTC-West this past Wednesday night and I must admit that I really enjoyed the training, and the time my unit had to really bond throughout while in California.  My first sergeant and commander are really funny and down-to-earth people, which set the tone for the NCOs and the lower enlisted to feel a sense of comfort with our leadership.  I always desire to have superiors who are approachable and that's exactly what we have.  My squad leader is a very squared away soldier and has helped me build a solid path for my Army career.  So I can confidently say that I feel more secure and trusting of my leaders as we finally prepare to fly to our mobilization station and from there to Afghanistan.  I'm not really looking forward to the long flight, jetlag and drastic time zone adjustment, but I do welcome the money this deployment will bring! ;)

Training

My unit received some great pre-deployment training that will soon become a thing of the past because the Army is no longer going to operate as it has during these two long wars.  But I digress...  Yes, the training was great.  We learned how to clear, load, fire, disassemble and reassemble several weapons (M16/M4, M9, M249 SAW, M240B and the MK19).  Besides my own weapon (M16), I wound up liking the M249 and the MK19.  We even did the "video game" training, actually called the EST (Engagement Skills Trainer) 2000.  It is a big virtual weapons engagement simulator that allows soldiers to practice grouping and zeroing on actual weapons and then qualifing on a simulated pop-up target qualifcation range.  It also has video scenarios for learning Rules of Engagement (ROE).  I however, had prior experience with this system when I went through Basic Combat Training in 2010 and also during the Best Warrior Competition in 2011.

We spent about four days at the firing range to group, zero and qualify on our respective weapons.  However, this qualification had an addition of firing with our pro mask on as if there were a chemical or biological attack.  My mask was fogging, but I hit all the targets during this portion of the qualification range.  To back up a bit, when I started the qualifications live fire I was doing great, hitting all my targets, but then my weapon jammed.  I quickly did immediate action (SPORTS), but no effect.  So I switched my magazine as fast as possible, but about two or three iterations of multiple pop-up targets came and went in the time that I performed SPORTS and swtiched magazines.  So this caused me to earn a skill level of marksman.  Quite honestly I thought I had failed by the time the final cease fire was called.  I am still bummed about it, but on a positive note were it real combat, I am happy that I resolved the weapon jam and still put rounds down range to suppress my enemy.  Bottom line!

In accordance with some unwritten army regulation we were required to be subjected to some days of death-by-PowerPoint in a few of our classes.  Staying awake was tough, but I still grasped some of the information in between several micronaps that I found myself taking involuntarily.  Blessedly, I was never caught sleeping! lol  And might I add that the vast majority of all the RTC instructors were drill sergeants.  Most of them were pretty laid back, while some seemed to not care less about rank or position and barked orders at us.  At any rate...

We did a good deal of convoy training, as we are a transportation unit after all and also had to do some training in mock villages with UTM rounds (rounds that actually fire from your weapon leaving a colored mark on you or your enemy).  There was also a lot of glass house training, which is where we practiced stacking in teams outside rooms in a building and entering to clear them.  Eventually we had to put our practice into action in what was aptly nicknamed the "shoot house" because it is a house with no ceiling with scaffolding above it for the instructors to watch from above as we clear rooms to find the high value target somewhere in the house.  It was very fun and gave quite an adrenaline rush because there was loud sounds played as if we were actually in country overseas.  A lot was happening, and yet we had to work as a team without shooting the crap out of each other (fratricide).  Sadly, I was shot in the arm by a private on the other team that was clearing the house with us. lol  Not cool!  Anyway, we did get the high value target in 7 minutes, as the event was timed where we could not exceed 10 minutes otherwise the instructor would blow the whistle and we fail the mission.

By the way, I'm not stating all the trainings we had, but glossing over some to hit the things that are most memorable.

On the last day we got to do a second convoy, but with live fire this time around.  I was the gunner on the M249 (SAW) and it was pretty awesome!  I hit the targets while moving through a convoy live firing range.  Totally cool experience, except for the waiting part prior to firing.   

In short, we also did land navigation with a DAGR (Defense Advanced GPS Receiver) and then the traditional way--map, protractor, grid coordinates, a compass and acres and acres of open rolling hills to make our lives miserable. I jest, but it was truly good and realistic land nav training.

All in all, I am satisfied with the training we received this month.  And as already stated, I'm more confident and prepared to move out and complete our year-long mission in Afghanistan.

It is my deepest prayer that we come home safe and that our mission overseas goes off without any major hitches.  Difficulty, stress, strain, clashing personalities, cold and hot days are expected already in my mind.  In fact, I know these things are coming my way, but I count my blessings and prepare for anything--always locked, cocked and ready to rock should you-know-what hit the fan at any point.

To quote a line from the Soldier's Creed, "I stand ready to deployment, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat."  EVERY last soldier will likely taste some form of combat at least once in their military career. I know there are exceptions, and I suppose that can be considered a blessing for them.  But even with that said, enlisting without the expectation of combat is foolhardy to say the least.  I am prepared to face the decision I made when I took the oath of enlistment.  I am not fearless by any means, but I am courageous.

LIFE

I had an unfortunate interruption in my life that literally took all of the energy that I could muster within my being to move forward.  A really, really stupid decision was made by me far, far back in 2011 that came to bare later in the fall of the same year.  I paid a heavy price for my choices and bouncing back to focus on this documentary project of my Army career was sorely neglected, to the point that I was ashamed to even come back to it.  But here I am taking a deep breath and continuing mission.  What has happened since I fell off the radar?  Honestly--and I'll keep it short--DO NOT EVER, EVER, E-VER pursue a relationship within a year's time of deploying!  To do so is to simply welcome pain and suffering into your own life.  Push relationships aside and remain single! Just don't do it or else I promise, I will say "I told you so" and then give you a big hug because you'll definitely need it. LOL

PREPARATION

Up to now my unit has been very busy with so much paperwork for every soldier.  Prior to deploying we have to go through SRP (Soldier Readniness Processing).  This is basically to ensure every soldier within a deploying unit has alll personal affairs in order, primarily medical, dental, legal and spiritual/mental readiness.  So far I have gone through two levels:  SRP I and SRP II.  I am blessed that I have no physical injuries, nor health issues that would prevent me from deploying because I absolutely need to do this.  My friends don't see it this way, but I certainly understand and appreciate their concern.  But it must be said that service members enlist knowing full-well the risk they are volunteering to take.  Suffice it to say, there is no such thing as blind enlistment in an all-volunteer military.  Threat to life and limb are always at the front of my mind, among other things.  I just don't talk about it.  ...who wants to amyway?

There are still so many things left on a long list of items that I need to get taken care of before leaving the US.  When I am asked if I am nervous or afraid, my only and honest answer is that at present I am not concerned about what may happen in Afghanistan right now.  I am not in Afghanistan.  Rather, I am concerned about what may happen in the US concerning my family while I am away.  My heart is here, not over there.  I will focus on one hurdle at a time, and that is making sure my personal affairs and my family are well-taken care of in my absence for a year, and possibly longer--if you get my drift.  If I take care of as much as I can now before leaving, then I can focus on my mission and what comes my way once I am overseas so that I may come home in one peace.  Until then, I just need to make it happen.

TRAINING

At this point the only major training on the horizon is RTC (Regional Training Center) where combat support and combat service support units are given pre-mobilization training.  I am excited to get to focusing on our training and then get to our mobilization station afterward.  From what I have been told by one of my battle buddies, who has already gone through RTC, it can be a fun time for a unit to come together.  I am looking forward to it all.

Here are some recent changes that I learned will be affecting soldiers at some point in time.

• NCOs and soldiers that are simply average performers will find it difficult to progress let alone remain in the Army.  Having things like poor NCOERs (Noncommissioned Officer Efficiency Report), DUI, or Article 15 will become very prohibitve to one's progress in the Army.  

The second point below is the one that gives me considerable pause.  Four freakin' miles?!?!?!?  Shoot, I'm not going to lie, I'm still trying to master 2 mile continuous run under 15 minutes!

• The new APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) is under review.  The SMA (Sergeant Major of the Army) stated that the run will not be 1.5 miles, but would like to see it changed to 4 four miles.  Additionally, he is reviewing two new events:  the broad jump and the shuttle run. 

•  He is very concerned about the large number of overweight NCOs/soldiers in the Army.  Out of all the armed forces, the Army has the highest tolerances for body fat percentage.  Personal apperance while in uniform will see changes in AR 670-1 (Army Regulation) that will be released in six months.

I recently got the smart idea to feature other soldiers that I have spoken to and befriended on godavidstrong.com and hopefully on video on the Go David Strong YouTube channel as well (video interviews coming soon).  So to kick things off I started simple by doing a written interview with soldiers that recently completed Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT).  I ask all of the soldiers the same set of questions to start because I have a feeling that the answers will be unique and yet informative.  As time goes on I'll most likely begin to add more personalized questions in addition to these below.  

My goal here is to share the experiences of other new soldiers, so that Future Soldiers can get greater insight about the Army's Initial Entry Training process than I can actually manage to deliver based solely on my one-time experience in basic training back in Fall 2010.  The Army is constantly changing, and yet some things do stay the same, but I wouldn't know becase I am too far removed from the process now.  I've moved on to greater things in my personal career, and yet I still feel a desire to help Future Soldiers because literally hundreds have asked me countless questions.  So...

If you are a recent graduate from BCT and AIT and are interested in being interviewed to further this effort, please email me with you interest at godavidstrong@gmail.com. Enjoy!

PFC Mulder, 92Y - Unit Supply Specialist from Aberdeen, South Dakota

Why did you join the US Army (Active Duty; US Army Reserve; Army National Guard)?

I chose to join the National Guard because it gives me the opportunity to serve and go to college at the same time. I am able to go to drills and be in the Army without it affecting my normal college schedule. I also joined because I thought everything about the Army was just awesome. I am able to fight for the country I love and I get paid to do it so it doesn’t get much better than that. I am proud to wear the uniform and love being a part of this huge team. 

What are your goals or what do you hope to get out of your time in the Army?

I have a few primary goals that come to mind right now when I think about my whole career in the service. First off I want to learn to become a great leader/NCO (noncommissioned officer) that young privates such as me can look up to. I want to go to as many Army schools as I can such as Airborne, Air Assault, and maybe eventually someday even R.A.S.P. I want to be the best 92 Yankee that I can be while always maintaining the seven army values. I want to deploy at least once so I can see what it actually means to fight for my country. 

What was Basic Combat Training like for you?

Basic Combat Training for me was a lot harder mentally than it was physically. As long as you are consistently working out before basic training you should be just fine physically but there wasn’t much to prepare me for the mental aspect of how a drill sergeant is towards you. For example the first few days they would give us one minute shower drills and wake us up unexpectedly which would completely throw me off. After a while though you get used to the treatment and it becomes the normal behavior. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the field exercises that we did at BCT. Hand grenades, us weapons, land navigation, the gas chamber, and Treadwell Tower were all amazing experiences and are things you can’t necessarily do in the civilian world. I definitely look back on it as a positive experience and now that I’m finished it seems like it was nothing at all. 

If it were up to you, what would you add or take away from your basic combat training to make it better?

I definitely wouldn’t have taken anything away from basic training. I am unsure of what they actually would add but I think any extra training would be good training. A new soldier can never get to be too good at field exercises and things of that nature. They say repetition is the father of learning, so if I were to add something it would be more repetition of field exercises to instill muscle memory. 

Now that you're a full soldier with BCT and AIT well behind you, is the Army what you thought it would be or totally different from the picture you had in your mind before you became a soldier?

The Army is definitely different than what I thought it would be. You have to remember that you're not always going to get along with everybody in the Army, but you will still have to work with them to achieve a goal. I didn’t realize that there were people in the that joined for selfish reasons and selfish reasons alone. I also had to open my mind to a whole new spectrum of prerogatives, being that there were soldiers from all over the nation. I could never have prepared my mind for exactly how it was going to be, its just something you have to experience for yourself to know. 

Do you have any regrets or positives about your decision? If so, what would you do differently or keep the same?

I have no regrets on my decision to join the Army. If I had to I would do it all over again because in the end you know in your heart that it’s worth it. All the struggle and things you go through are definitely for a worthy cause. You just can’t forget what you are struggling for and stay on the right path.

What is your best advice for others that are waiting and preparing to ship to basic training?

My best advice for those waiting to ship would first off to be making sure your putting in your PT time. Pushups and sit ups till failure with multiple repetitions at least 4 times a week. Also, I noticed from personal experience that running could really make or break a person. Usually you will run about 2 miles for your workouts and the best way to get better at your 2 mile is by running 3 or 4 miles at a time. I can’t stress being physically ready enough, if you are in shape basic will be tremendously easier for you and you will notice it as well. As far as the mental aspect is concerned, know your basic Army knowledge. The soldier’s creed, Army values, phonetic alphabet, military time, and General Orders are all great things to know before even arriving. Also once you get there be studying and know the information that they give you because it will all help out in the long run. One thing you can’t forget is that it is the drill sergeants job to treat you the way they do. Remember that and realize that it isn’t anything personal towards you. Also remember that its only basic training, thousands have done it before you and thousands will continue to do it after you. 

Is there anything else you'd like to say or share?

The last thing I'd like to say is just stay motivated at all times. Basic training and AIT is as long as you make it. If you are unmotivated and unhappy to be there, your time will drag on and on. Keep a positive attitude and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the time actually goes. You're doing a great service to your country and yourself, so be proud of that. Take pride in what you do and always give it one-hundred percent.