Last night I got almost eight full hours of sleep! The lights came on at about 0500, and I woke up finding a little more gunk in my eye... beginning stages of pink eye (or allergies). So I cleaned it out and used eye drops, and went about the rest of my daily morning procedures. At 0545, we headed downstairs for 0550 first formation to go do PT at 0600. The drill sergeant on duty had us lead PT (call out the exercises) while he walked around. I barely broke a sweat, and we didn't even run a mile around the track. My feet are still sore from yesterday's ruck, so I'm glad PT was more of a stretch than a workout. After PT, we went to the D-Fac and ate breakfast. This morning, they had freshly cut strawberries and plums! I had both, as well as an apple! So yeah, I got my fruit servings for today! After breakfast, we had a company formation, where we were assigned our areas to beautify. While we were cutting grass and sweeping the parking lot, the drill sergeant called in first and third platoons. While a group was cleaning the laundry room, a handful of cigarettes was found! So, we were asked if we knew anything about it. A few people came forward and the blame was put on the same guy who we kicked out of our platoon, and who was the same guy selling the chewing tobacco. He was one of our "bad apples." Along with him, a guy from our platoon was mentioned, because I guess someone overheard him talking about it. To out the two together, the guy from our platoon was on a 30 day medical leave, and just recently came back. So anyway, made for an interesting morning. We continued working on area beautification until 1130, when we were allowed to come back up to the bay to cool down and fill up our camelbacks, before going downstairs for lunch at 1200. After lunch, we went back out to finish area beautification, and then, when all the areas were pretty and met standard, we had a lecture over the EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) and how to earn it. It is not earned at basic training, but rather you go out for it. There are 64 tasks that you must pass, and you are allowed to miss no more than three. This is something that would be fun to get, but I highly doubt I will ever go out for it, especially since I'm not staying infantry. We had small review classes about terrain features, putting on the pro mask (gas mask), and properly shooting the AT4 (anti-tank missile). We had about 45 minutes between classes and dinner, so we drank some Gatorade that was made for us and then used the latrine and put away our pro masks. At 1700, we went to dinner, and then had an accountability formation before being sent up to our bay. For right now, it's still unofficial, but from what I've heard, we have three days in the field (2 or 3 nights bivouacking) and then the confidence course, leadership course (water situations), and eagle tower. I didn't hear anything about the obstacle course (low crawling through the muddy water). We also have a PT test coming up sometime, but I'm not sure when. We have a busy week, and the week after that is going to be even harder... It's our FTX (Field Training Exercise). I'm not going to have mail for a week, so journals will be delayed a little bit. I will mail out my journals when I get back (August 1st or so), and then Brittney will update when she gets them! I have pre-addressed envelopes for Brittney and home, in case I have time to write when I'm out in the field (journals are first priority). I'm so glad I get to be with my family in 26 days! The days just keep going by, and although these next to weeks are going to be blah, hopefully being busy will help the time go by quickly! Oh well, it's not like they take a vote on what everyone wants to do and majority rules! I've learned to just do whatever it is that is planned, and that the clock keeps ticking. Nothing lasts forever so just deal with it, and I will make it through and be just fine! Speaking of making it through, I decided to do an upper body workout tonight since I have the day off tomorrow, being that it's Sunday. I really need to pass my pushups, so since I won't need upper body strength tomorrow, I have a recovery day! I started out maxing out on pushups...and I hit the needed 42 for my 60 percent! After that, I rested and then did 10 regular, 10 diamond, and 10 wide armed pushups (with a ten second break between each set). I then moved to the bench, where I maxed out on six sets of 135 lbs., trading off lifting and spotting. I did a couple hundred crunches, and then took a shower at 2100. I got into bed, before being woken up at 2400 for my fireguard shift.
10 July 2009 (Day 85- 26 days to go)
I was able to get almost three hours of sleep before my fireguard shift last night. I was the roaming guard, so I just walked around. We had specific instructions on making sure our smoker didn't get out of there, and we have to have 100% accountability for him wherever we go. Anyway, my shift was over at 0100, so I went back to sleep, and got a solid five hours of sleep until our 0600 wake up call! We didn't have to be anywhere until 0730 for breakfast (moved up 30 minutes because B company is having their family day this weekend). We just took our time getting ready and cleaned the bay before heading down for breakfast. Because breakfast was early, we got to church early (0805) and so we sat around in the chapel listening to music until the service started at 0830. Today's service was about facing the giants in our lives. We are chosen people of God, and we need to know that we are being called. Just as God chose David (being the smallest of his brothers), God doesn't care what we look like, but what's on the inside. We have been empowered by the spirit of the Lord, and it is up to us to ask for God's help and give credit to our Lord, because without him, we can't do anything! I know (and have written about) I have done a lot of praying to help me out each week and each day. I have noticed God helping me get physically stronger, and my PT scores are evidence of him working through me. I felt the call to join the Indiana National Guard, and I still feel like I am here for a reason (although that reason hasn't made itself clear to me yet!). We walked back from church and changed into PTs, where those who didn't go to church had already cleaned the bay, so there wasn't anything for us to do but enjoy the rest of the morning. I had picked up a couple of booklets from the chapel, which I read both, and then it was time for chow at 1230. While we were waiting in line, the drill sergeants on duty saw people talking, so we were put in the front leaning rest position until until the platoon behind us went into the D-Fac. We were told to form up after lunch, so the mood of everyone was a little blah. As soon as I was done eating, and being one of the first ones finished (I ate light so I wouldn't get sick if we got smoked), I grabbed my laundry and put it in the washer, and then formed up. After waiting about 10 minutes, he called the PGs to the office, and they came back saying he told them to tell us not to talk in the chow line and to go back upstairs! This was really weird for this particular drill sergeant. He likes to smoke us for the simple reason that he felt like it. But, because this drill sergeant is on duty today, we probably won't go to the PX, and I'm not even sure if we will be given phone calls, but we'll see later on today! I don't have paper, envelopes, pens, stamps, or address labels for no reason! Phone calls are so nice to have, so hopefully we get them! Well, about five minutes after I wrote the previous sentence, we were asked to make a list of people and what they needed from the PX, so that's a positive sign. They later came back up from showing the drill sergeant our list, and so everyone who needed something went downstairs and formed up to go to the PX (I wanted an 8 1/2 x 11 in. notebook with perforated edges), so we marched down to the PX and I got my notebook! We came back a little before 1500, where we then practiced taking apart and putting together the M240B and M249 machine guns, as well as throwing grenades until dinner at 1800. When we came back from dinner (we were the last platoon to eat), fourth platoon was using the phones and a few people from third platoon were using the other side. I guess second platoon has their cell phones to use, so I don't know why as of 1900, we haven't been told we are allowed to use the phones. I'm not going to let it bother me, because I'm done with training in less than two weeks now, but my platoon hasn't messed up this weekend to not get phone calls (just the one guy had cigarettes, but that wasn't a group thing). If we don't get them, it will really be because of the drill sergeant on duty. Anyway, enough light ranting about the lack of a phone call. On the way up to the bay from dinner, I grabbed my laundry and brought it upstairs. I then folded it up and put it away. At 1930, we got bittersweet news. We get phone calls...but they are only five minutes and we are going down by squads. Because squads are twelve people, and "S" is toward the end of the alphabet, I'm in fourth squad, so I will go towards the end of the platoon. (90 minutes later) Second platoon took all the time on the phones, so we didn't get to use them. Then, at final formation, our head count was messed up, so the drill sergeant said it would be a fun night for us. I'm going to bed to get all the sleep I can!
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