I didn't wake up this morning until the lights came on at 0445! I still needed more sleep, but I will get that tonight. We did a quick, but thorough, cleaning job (short on time) and then headed down to get out granola bar and do PT. Because of the road march yesterday, PT was lighter than normal (only a half mile run and pushups and ab exercises). After PT, we had a catered breakfast (I don't know why, because we weren't going anywhere and the D-Fac was open). After a rushed breakfast, we went to the classroom and stayed there until lunch in a "Personal Financial Management" class. The Army has their different savings and retirement plans, but I didn't sign up for any of them, and decided to just wait until I get home to do anything that involves a financial decision with my parents. So we left to go to lunch, and after lunch, it was back to the classroom to continue the class. The topics of the class after lunch were credit, consumer awareness, and taking care of finances when deployed. It was very long and somewhat boring in the afternoon, but the morning was good, because although I have thought about how I am going to set up my finances, I haven't actually done much in the way of setting up and putting that plan to action. Class ended around 1630, and then we went to dinner. After dinner, we grabbed our weapon cleaning kit and cleaned our weapons (which were still dirty from shooting them yesterday) for over an hour in our formation area. Afterwards, we came upstairs and performed bay maintenance and had free time. I was finally able to write back to Mr. Schumacher and the Barnett family, but mail doesn't go out until Monday now! I took a shower, changed into summer PTs to sleep in (thanks again for mailing these to me, Mom and Brittney). We went downstairs for final formation, got our milk and an apple (surprise treat!), and then headed back upstairs and we should be asleep by 2130. I needed to get some sleep because, although we get to sleep in until 0600 on Sundays, I have staff duty at 0500, so I get to wake up just like it's any other day. Hopefully I get a phone call home tomorrow! Anyway, until tomorrow, night!
14 June 2009 (Day 50)
Happy Flag Day! Also, today marks the two month mark of when I get to graduate from Basic Training! Come August 14th, I will wake up, graduate, and then hop in the car with my family and drive far away from here!!! I can't wait! So anyway, today I woke up at 0445 to go to staff duty, so Salado and I got dressed and reported to our station a little before 0500. We were told that another battalion was taking over at 0500, so we received our guys, waited about five minutes, and then were replaced by two guys from Delta company. So we came back to our bay and went back to sleep until 0600. I just took off my blouse and boots and hopped into bed, because I had to get dressed into ACUs when I woke up anyway for church. So we had first formation at 0730, and those who were going to the 0830 Protestant service headed to breakfast. While I was in the chow line getting fruit, I heard on the TV (it's on for the drill sergeants while they eat) that today was also the birthday of the U.S. Army (234 years old). So yeah, I ate my breakfast, then went outside and formed up to march to church. We got to church a couple of minutes late, but we only missed a song or so. The sermon came from Mark 10:17-31, which is the story of the rich man who wants eternal life, and when he asked Jesus for it, He told him to give away all of his possessions, which he couldn't do, and walked away. We can not earn salvation, because Jesus has already earned it for us. All we have to do is keep God as our #1 "possession" in life and believe He is our God and Savior. I have noticed most of the sermons here are aimed towards the non-believers, but I enjoy the teachings and sermons because they are so basic and easy to understand. It makes things so simple for those who are just coming to get away from their drill sergeants, a good lesson to listen to, and to find out what a life with Jesus Christ in your heart is all about. The sad thing to see is those guys who do go, and have since accepted Christ in their hearts here, come back from church cussing, telling the same perverted stories, and acting the same way. Please pray for all of those who are still the same, because they need prayers. So we came back from church, and apparently someone from second platoon spit on someone in my platoon, and words were exchanged between two others, so the drill sergeant was ticked and told everyone to get outside (the two who exchanged words were on their way back from church, too). We got downstairs in our formation area, and the drill sergeant gave his "fed up" speech, and I don't blame him. This company has no discipline, and I hope we get some quick, or these last couple of months are going to start going slow. After he was done talking, he asked who still wanted to fight, and so the idiot from second platoon (who also raised his hand for not wanting to be here anymore) was challenged by the guy he spit on, so the GFT mats were brought out and they went at it. The idiot lost the first round and asked for a rematch, which he got choked out and lost as well. The mats were put away and we were sent back upstairs. I felt like we dodged a bullet, because I was certain that we lost our day off and were going to be stuck outside for the remainder of the day. We then had about an hour before lunch, so I wrote a letter home, and then decided to write to everyone at home individually, as well. I wrote my mom's letter first, and then had to head to lunch. I ate ribs in honor of my dad (since I had Raisin Bran the other day for mom). When we returned from lunch, half of the platoon fell asleep, and so I took that time to write my dad, Devon, and Deanne. I then decided to let my hands take a break from writing, so I went to our weight bench and joined a couple of guys and benched a few reps. I just came back to write more, when our PG (platoon guide) said we had 90 minutes to make 10 minute phone calls (or until dinner), so I called Brittney really quickly to ask her if she could go to my house, but she was about to start a family birthday party for Jerry. So right before dinner, I made my phone call home. The whole company left to eat dinner, but I stayed back to talk to my family. The Barnetts and Elaine were over, so I talked to everyone for about 10 minutes, and then hung up to call Brittney. We only got to talk for a little over five minutes, but it was worth talking, even that little bit. Emotionally, I was a lot stronger, because I only choked up when I was saying bye. I quickly ran to dinner and got to the back of the chow line (which was inside, and the last person was just getting their food). I grabbed some turkey and noodles, a scoop of mixed vegetables, and some lime jello with fruit cocktail! I snarfed everything down in about three minutes, and went back to my platoon area to go back upstairs to write to Dana and update my journal. Afterwards, I did more arm and ab workouts. I have to get that 50 point mark in all categories! Once my abs hurt and my arms felt like jello, I took a shower, and then continued writing a letter I started yesterday to Brittney. We then had final formation (no milk), and then lights out at 2100. I stayed a up a few minutes longer to finish Brittney's letter and this journal. No guard duty tonight, and linen turn-in in the morning, so I get to sleep under the covers tonight! It was nice to talk to everyone, and I can't wait for phone calls next week (hopefully)!
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