I have a lot going on, but I'm pushing out the videos still.  Thank for your patience.

Congrats to Eddy120876 and cvaivai09.  They are the winners of the first giveaway.  Keep an eye out as there will be another giveaway this month.

I am really happy to have been relieved from CQ duty for a second time. But allow me to briefly explain the first relief. My post about the mass punishment has a happy ending. I reported for duty and was relieved after arriving because I stepped up to volunteer to stay for duty after the CQ sergeant relieved the gaggle of males she put on one shift. Integrity goes a long way.

As for this evening I was relieved because one of my battles were caught by the "courtesy police"...I think that's what it's called... doing the wrong thing while on pass today. And another decided to do what he wanted and not show for CQ duty. So when I reported for CQ duty at 2145 for my 2200-2400 shift I was relieved after about 40 minutes into the shift because the two screw ups were assigned in my place for the rest of the night.

Future and current soldiers in training, do not forsake integrity and do not hesitate to volunteer when an NCO or officer calls for volunteers. Don't cut corners. Do every job to the best of your ability even when a drill sergeant or sergeant isn't around. Be a leader because your peers are always watching. Even the staunchest screw ups will at least acknowledge your level of integrity.

So I am in the middle of finishing up some final steps in preparations for drill tomorrow aka battle assembly. Honestly I am nervous about the APFT tomorrow morning because my doctor had me on rest from running for like a month and half while we awaited approval of my MRI that I took a little while back. Since my results came back with no major issues, apart form needing to do some special stretches and exercises regularly, I have been slowly getting back into the habit of running to re-condition my body. I have to admit that it's been difficult this time around because May and June is the busiest time of year for Broward teachers, as were finishing up the school year with a seemingly endless list of things to complete before summer vacation. So no, the APFT won't count against me or anything like that, but it just really bothers my ego that I have been set back so far in my Future Soldier Training. My pushups and situps have plateaued where they were last time--I'm still squeezing out the minimum counts for passing.

Anyway I will remain positive and do my best as after all I am hearing more and more often that a lot of the challenge to being a soldier is getting out of your own head and just giving it your all. Make sense? And besides, I am still a civilian and not a soldier. Speaking of...

Current Enlistment Status:
Here is the news about my reserve enlistment, and my switch-over process to active duty. It has been an excruciatingly slow process that I have been recently informed will take months just for my packet to be reviewed. Furthermore, I was given word from the brigade level that the likelihood of approval without having any training or at least having started basic training is slim-to-none. The Plan:
So the next plan of action is to do a (fill in new acronym that I don't know) that basically allows me to ship off to basic training earlier than my contract stipulates, meanwhile a course of action will be taken to send me to active duty.

All of this was discussed and explained to me by the active duty recruiter two days ago, who told me he'd get back to me on this. There has been no feedback as of yet. I'll see what news I next week...HOPEFULLY next week. More importantly, I hope it's good news!

So that's the update. Otherwise, I'm still schedule to report to back to MEPS as an 88N (Transportation Management Coordinator) on 2010 Aug 4 for basic combat training.

As an aside, I have to get out of the Reserve Army and into Active Duty. I'm at half-time or unemployed next year, while the former is indeed favorable, it still leaves me in very dire financial straits that I won't have time to deal with until I get back from BCT and AIT. I can't hang my livelihood on a gamble.

God I need a miracle!

My friend told me this weekend that I am too meek and mild, and that is his main concern about me having joined the Army. He thinks I'll get chewed up, and spit out, as well as brainwashed. For the record I am by no means bashing my friend here, but I find the conversation we had interesting.

Let's do a character study.

Statements like his have been said to me in various situations throughout my life, and yet I rise to the occasion. I am David and I have a friend in the highest place. A lot of people know OF Him, but don't KNOW Him. And in as much as they don't know Him, or should I say, dismiss His very existence and involvement in human affairs, they therefore miss out on a major aspect of my being. In fact, a whole part of me goes unnoticed and untapped by many people, even friends because they don't know, nor understand Him. My point is, folks just see the physical reality of me, but don't know one iota about my spiritual being and the power therein. I'm not saying I can dodge bullets and I'm impervious to IED's (LOL). I'm just saying that He's been my number one advocate since before I was born. All my joys, my fears, my ups and my downs He has known and understood. And every time, I mean EVERY time there was a gargantuan, Goliath of an obstacle in my way--an obstacle that I viewed with my human limitations as insurmountable--He took me through it and I succeeded. I have had naysayers and "Debbie Downers" speak the worst tripe in the worst times of my life, and yet I rise. I'm not as naive as my disposition tends to convey and I make it common habit to play innocent, yet I know more than I let on. Additionally, I don't trust people with certain aspects of my character. More on this latter point later. In short, I practice being wise as a serpent and innocent as dove. I like to call it the Lion-Lamb persona--they're one in the same.

Next, I have found that if people shutup more than they talk, they will learn more about their surroundings. In fact, in a short span of time and quiet, one can learn people's strengths and weaknesses, who truly holds power or control in a given situation, and can better plan to fight or flight, both literally and figuratively speaking where applicable. Suffice it to say, I'm extremely quiet and I've been told A LOT by friends, family, peers, and coworkers that my quietness can seem unsettling to them, to sum up their statements. My stillness is often misinterpreted and I'm commonly asked, "Are you okay?" Frankly, this question has gotten annoying, as I am now serving customer number 1,295,398.  And this "customer" will walk up to me and inevitably ask me, "Are you okay?" at which point, I roll my eyes and ask God to forgive the expletive that slipped from the lips of my  mind's voice.

Ever heard the Bible verse that unctions that one shouldn't cast his pearls before swine? Well hear me out on this because it's important. Our minds are precious and this is true because they are amazingly capable of remembering everything, so don't fill it with junk. Having said that, I've spent years treasuring my innermost being, thoughts and feelings. I like refining myself to be a person of very high integrity--though I have monumental flaws...MON-U-MEN-TAL. But this takes me to my next point. I dislike this age of over-share to some extent.  But by over-share I mean, for example, this strange obsession as of late where people share in the most disgusting, unabashed way, very personal and otherwise sacrosanct details of their lives. Furthermore, I find it difficult to understand how people can so callously talk about sex, how they did it, with whom they did it and how many times.  Then these intimate details are shared with not only their unfaithful, loose-lipped friends, but the world as if it were a badge of honor. I am not that kind of person and I dislike it! Only God and maybe the government (LOL) knows the details of what happens in my bedroom behind closed doors. Not even my best friend knows. I'm so tight-lipped that my mother has to ask if I date at all. As an aside, I don't outwardly judge people like this with my words, but in my mind... that's a secret. ;)

In short, I'm like a room with a single locked door and no windows. If one wants to know what's inside, I'm not going to let you in. You have to knock, wait, and I'll consider you. And I don't make promises...never. THIS is why I'm often misinterpreted. But I don't see myself changing anytime soon. Deal! Remember this, what you see is only what I'm allowing one to think of me based on what I willingly reveal about myself. Anything else one may think or concoct about me is their own creation, and something I have no control over, nor do I care to manage.

Yes. I know the army won't be a walk in the park and I'll cope. Do I have a choice? Technically yes, but generally speaking, I don't. Besides I'm not looking for a way out, I'm trying to get into the army. I like what I've seen so far and I want more. I want to end this entry by saying that I detect an air of condescension in my friends alleged concern. I sense, "He doesn't know what he's getting himself into." In truth, statements like this actually have no baring on the wrong or right-ness of a choice that has been made. But for arguments sake and to close, I'll list my "flaws" that I think brought about his statement: "The army will chew you up and spit you out." "They are going to brainwash you."

I/am...

• Very idealistic
• See a lot of life in black and white
• Too quiet
• Cautious 
• Overly analytical 
• Black 
• Overly professional
• Conservative 
• Extremist 
• Rigidly logical, dare I say Vulcan-esque (LOL!!)
• Selfish 
• Highly moral
• Fickle
• Extremely spontaneous
• Random
• Short-tempered
• Argumentative
• Cantankerous
• Stubborn

I will revisit this matter after basic training, and then after a few years in the army. We'll see what still stands and what remains.

This video below is a direct video reply by ssghooty on YouTube to my 6th vlog in my previous blog post "Drill Weekend, Job Cut, Switched to Active Duty - GDS Vlog 006"

I am very grateful for his input!  As I said in my reply to him in so many words, I feel very reassured. :)

 

"This is a reply video to godavidstrong. David vlogged about life in general while attached to the USAR. I felt as though this soldier needed some guidance. Best of luck to you David."

This vlog catches you up on what happened since I attended my first drill weekend, some unfortunate news about my civilian job and how I ultimately came to the conclusion to join the active duty army, among other things.

 

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/godavidstrong

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/godavidstrong

YouTube:  http://youtube.com/godavidstrong

Had Future Soldier Training yesterday and started having pain on the outer left side of my left knee. Actually, the pain started around Tuesday of this week and I have no IDEA what the cause is. I just woke up and I had pain. I would think that it's from the intense running that I had to do last weekend at my first drill weekend with my reserve unit, but I'm not really sure that's the cause. Although on second thought I ran 5 miles total in a two-day period without having done any running that intense prior to that weekend. So it's plausible given that this weekend is the only strenuous physical activity I've engaged in prior to Tuesday--just Saturday and Sunday. I cannot recall any point in time since last Sunday that would cause my leg to hurt like it does.

Anyway, I felt better all day Thursday (yesterday) until we started doing PT at the park by the track. When we started doing lunges the pain felt like an intense sharp soreness or aching. It's located near my knee, but the source isn't from the joint. It feels like some sort of connective tissue, either a tendon, muscle or both. I felt along the joint line, moved my knee joint with my arms without flexing any leg muscles and there is no pain. But when I use my muscles to bend my knee an incredible sharp ache kicks in. After a while into PT the pain subsided and I thought, "okay maybe it's nothing." Got to the run and it came back.

I arrived home after training and the pain was incredible. So I did some online research and based on what I found it's likely that I did some minor but over extensive training and just maxed on some sort of connective tissue on the lateral side of my left knee. I can walk, there's no visible swelling, but running, kneeling, squatting and the like are out of the question for at least a week. I iced the side of my knee, took an Ibuprofun elevated it and passed out, even though I really had a lot of work to do. I just needed to rest--even forgot to brush my teeth before bed (gross). And I NEVER, EVER forget to brush my teeth before bed!! I was truly beat.

Should be back up and running, literally, in at least a week--two weeks max. If it exceeds two weeks then I will be going to an orthopedist.

Today before leaving work I learned that my teaching position (music) is being cut down to part-time (53% which includes benefits) in the coming 2010-2011 school year.  This news portends a great deal of frustration and potential financial hardship that could destroy my entire adult life for years to come.  I'm not gonna lie.  I won't make it on half my salary, and the thought of returning from training and winter break in January to just begin job hunting to supplement my income is absolutely terrifying to me right now.  Now, I'll explain how this affects my army journey at present.  But before going further, I want to point out some positive aspects to this situation.  It appears to me that having joined the army when I did could not have been coincidence because a month later the Army Reserve is no longer taking recruits--it's maxed out--at least for a time.  In addition, while I am contemplating leaving the reserve component of the army for active duty, the bottom line is I have my foot partly in the door because I'm in the system.  Hold this thought 'til the end of this post.

My present predicament...

In order for me to attend initial entry training (BCT and AIT) I have taken a leave of absence from August to December of 2010.  However, I didn't qualify for military leave, so I was given personal leave.  Under personal leave my job position is not protected, but my employment in the county in general will be held.  It was further explained to me that in the event that my position cannot be held by my principal due to any directive by his boss, my position can be filled by someone else.  Otherwise, the position will remain mine with pay and benefits as mentioned above.  I made an interesting discovery in my benefits earlier this afternoon, however.  Apparently if I volunteer for active military duty I can take a leave of absence up to 5 years (with some exceptions; of which I have no info).  So in response to this I am faced with the following: 

My alternatives...

A.  Take a chance and hope that I can at least come back to my position working part-time (in light of the risks) and try to supplement my income with another part-time job somewhere in an increasingly dirt-poor economy (a gamble; prepare for the worst and hope for the best).

B.  Take a volunteer military leave of absence from teaching.  Ask my recruiter to switch me from reserve to active duty.  The pay is half my teaching salary, however as an enlisted soldier I don't think I'll be living off of it as much as I would if I were living at home with the same pay (and in fact it will be the same between both alternatives). Work as soldier, become an NCO within the next few years, and then I'll go to OCS later.  Somewhere along the way, I get deployed and make more money while getting loans paid off with military loan repayment program. Later on if I feel the desire, I'll go back to teaching without much difficulty due to the type of leave I will have taken.  Otherwise, I'll make the army a career as was planned anyway.

Part of my initial reason for joining was to make a slow transition from teaching to full-time soldier, and to get some of my student loans paid off, as I TOTALLY need the assistance.  But to reiterate, as it stands  paying back my loans with my full teaching salary is financially daunting, so I can't imagine achieving it with only half my salary.

In one day's time, this career change or transition I have been speaking of for so long has been forcefully accelerated by a bad economy.  I must make a solid decision and very soon...probably sooner than I'm currently thinking--before the end of April. 

Finally, I turned 28 on April 9th.  I couldn't have imagined how things would take such a sudden turn and bring me face-to-face with an even greater realization of my adult responsibilities.  

My happiness and livelihood (future) hang on my next move.

I'm stunned stiff....

 

Coming back to my talk about having my foot partly in the door (first paragraph above)...  

I've gone through MEPS and background checks have already been taken care of.  It's just a matter of a lot of paperwork to take me from one reserve to active since I have not attended basic training yet.  It is only after attending BCT and AIT that one is TRULY job-locked, as it were.  I think I still have a chance.

Shall see what happens in the next week or two.

I'm just giving a brief update about some matter that have been weighing on me for a few weeks now. First: Yes, I still plan to go active duty, but at a far later time through the reserve. I'm looking to becoming an officer and it would be easier to remain a reservist and volunteer for active duty. However, my main concern has been with my civilian job and trying to make sure I don't lose my position while I'm away at Basic Training. That's mainly what the video is about.