I slept like a baby last night. When my head hit the pillow, I didn't wake up until the lights came on at 0430. My squad was in charge of cleaning the latrine in the morning, so we took care of that and then formed up downstairs to go to PT. After eating our granola bars and waiting around for 20 minutes, we were told to go upstairs and change into our GFT uniform (sterile ACUs). We came back downstairs and did a company stretch session, and then set up the formation area for the GFT tournament. We headed to breakfast, and then it was time for the tournament. We had a weigh-in yesterday (which I forgot to mention) to determine our weight class, and I hit 224 lbs. (so I have lost 12 lbs. so far). I thought I would weigh less, but oh well. I lost my first round, but it didn't bother me. The person I lost to was a body builder from third platoon, and he completely out-muscled me. I am not hurt, and that is what matters to me most! After the first round was over, the losers went upstairs and changed into complete ACUs (patches and all). One of the drill sergeants had staff duty, so those who lost were cycled through to do area beautification. I followed people who were mowing with a broom and swept the grass clippings off of the sidewalk. The tournament had to take a break because it was lunch time, but it continued after lunch. When the tournament was over, we went outside and conducted more area beautification until 1700. My job for almost the entire time was picking up the dead leaves that had fallen off the bushes and were lying on the ground underneath. BORING! Oh well, when we finished, we cleaned up and headed to dinner. After dinner, we listened to the drill sergeant on duty for about an hour tell was stories (ehh...), and then we had free time in the bay until our final formation. Also, the punishment for the cell phone users has been set. All four were given the option of a restart (go back to week one), three took it, but the person who had their phone (and the only one in the National Guard) decided to leave and not take the restart. The restart is in 3 weeks (so they will still train with us until they leave), and the one who is leaving/quitting the Army will leave whenever he is told to. I am glad I am not in that situation, because right now I wish I had a phone call home and I would rather be home than here, but I will play by the rules and will be home in 10 weeks!!! Anyway, we took showers at 2000, and then final formation was at 2030. It's not a little after 2100, and I have staff duty from 0300-0500, so I want to get to sleep! Remember, 10 weeks left...WOOOO!!! :)
07 June 2009 (Day 43)
I love white phase...but I am sure it will only get better! I will explain later in today's entry...! :)
So, I was woken up at 0250 to get dressed in ACUs to pull staff duty from 0300-0500. Wake up was at 0430, so I only lost 90 minutes of sleep! All we (Salado had it with me) did was sit behind the desk and read the paper, looked a display cases reading about war items, and read the history of 1-50th Infantry Regiment. We started our shift with a radio check, I cleaned the bathrooms, and we were ready to answer the phone if it should ring (it never did). After our 2 hour shift, we went back to the bay to finish cleaning until breakfast. We had about two hours, so cleaning didn't take forever. Finally, breakfast came, which I had to eat fast, because we have to leave by 0820 to march to church, which starts at 0830. The message at church was sort of the same, coming from second Timothy. The sermon was about keeping a positive attitude through Basic (and life), and ask God to rely on him to help you make it through. After church, it was back to the bay to change into summer PTs and just hang out until further notice. I had time to write a couple of letters, and then relax while others played multiple games of dodgeball with rolled up socks. The drill sergeants really leave us alone after 1800 (6:00 pm) and on Sundays (as long as people don't mess up during the week). People were then allowed to write down what they needed from the PX, and their squad leader and a few others would go and buy the items on the list (I needed laundry soap, deodorant, hangers for my Class A's, and more stamps, just to be safe). When people got back from the PX, the drill sergeant told our PG (platoon guide) to get us downstairs to use the phone!!! (That's the good part I said I would write about later!). So I started tearing up just at the thought of talking to my loved ones! It had been 4 and a half weeks since I called last (May 6). So it was my turn to call, and something went wrong, so I didn't get to use the phone before lunch. Afterwards, like we do after all meals, we ran around the building, and I have never ran so fast to get around that building than I did today. I sprinted to the phones and made a quick call and told my parents to call Brittney and have her come over so I could talk to my loved ones all at once! I thought it would take about 25 minutes or so before I could call back, because they were 5 minute phone calls, but the drill sergeant left right before lunch, and our PG was left in charge. He had things to do, so he passed on the job to one of the squad leaders (Spiva, who was my IV partner), and he let us use the phones for a little longer. I thanked him afterwards for the extra time, and I know the platoon liked it as well, even though it meant longer waits. So when it was my turn, I got through and found my parents, Devon, Brittney, and my Sease grandparents on the other end (Deanne had just left for a mission trip, so she wasn't there). I talked for about 20 minutes to everyone! It was hard to stay calm and contain my emotions, but I did a good job...until I talked alone with Brittney. I filled her in on the ring situation, so now when she reads the journal and letter I sent a couple of days ago, it won't be a surprise. It was great to talk to everyone, and from here on out, I might get a phone call every Sunday! We will see. I hung up and finished being all emotional. No one really said anything, because everyone felt a little emotional. For someone like me who feels so blessed with the family he was born into and the girl God placed in his life...of course I am going to cry tears of joy for finally being able to talk to them! It was well worth the 2 hour wait in line to use the phone. After phone calls, we had to pack our rucksacks for tomorrow. Word is going around that we have a 6 mile road march either to or from the firing range, and we will be staying the night out in the field. When we finished, we had more down time, where we wrote letters, relaxed, and cleaned the bay. Dinner was then at 1800, and afterwards, we came downstairs and had the evening to ourselves, which I used to write. We had final formation with last minute instructions for tomorrow, and then went to bed. Keep writing to me and I can't wait for my next phone call!
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