So I carried my duffel bag, my large backpack, a small backpack, and a garment bag about a quarter mile over to E Co in the blazing heat. I was drenched in sweat by the time I arrived, but this was not the first time I'd been completely soaked in sweat since I'd arrived here so I was becoming accustomed to the feeling.
We sat outside until our cadre came outside briefly to address us: a typical 1SG speech ensued for about 10 minutes before a torrential rain began to pound down on us. We were told to get our stuff inside so we grabbed it all (I'm supposing my stuff weighed over 100 pounds) and we all ran for the one door we were allowed to utilize. Of course, with 182 people all carrying their 100 pounds of gear through one door tends to produce a bottleneck. I stood in line for 15 minutes in a warm downpour which would have been completely refreshing if my stuff hadn't have been getting soaked.
I found out about a week later that my Army Officers Guide got a bit wet. I had stored it inside a bag, but apparently it leaked just a little and since I didn't get a chance to unpack for about a week, it molded and swelled up.
Well the rain finally ceased and the air felt pretty decent without humidity for about 10 minutes. Then it was right back. The ground was barely damp within 15 minutes of the rain ceasing. The sandy soil here absorbs all of the water almost instantaneously. I was standing in the soil listening to my cadre introduce themselves and wasn't caking my boots with mud.
The cadre, Sergeant First Class White and Captain Glushenko, seem fair. They explained that OCS in Echo Company was not a good-ole-boy system, and they didn't have a quota of people to eliminate from the course. Their only concern is that they want to put out good officers who will not put soldiers into harms way stupidly. They explained that there is a standard and we will be commissioned if we surpass that standard. The standard, they explained, is found in the OCS SOP (pronounced Oxsop) of which they gave each of us a copy. We are to have them on our person at all times, and it is an inspectable item. I was glad to hear this because its a meritocracy.
Finally, the cadre told us our schedule for the next morning, issued us linens, and sent us to our rooms telling us they were temporary and not to unpack too much. I was sundrained and so I went straight to bed.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
3/11 Inf Bn OCS HHC, Aug 12-15
So I was done in-processing I thought when I finished at 30th AG. Actually I spent a lot of time doing exactly that over this period of time. Signing into HHC until my class, Class 015-10, "classed up." More to come on this subject later, but for now, lights out is approaching.
I think I've filled out my emergency contact information thirty times since I've been at Ft. Benning. Every place I turn wants the same information over and over again. Oh well. I just wish they could coordinate systems. I was given a pass to go to the PX and spend some more money to get the things I needed. This time I was supposed to get 52 copies of my promotion to sergeant, my orders to Ft. Benning, my orders from 30th AG to HHC, and copies of my DD 214 (military record) and all documentation that can be used to update it. So far, I think I've spent about $900 on materials and packing list items.
On Sunday morning it was time to transfer across the sidewalk into Echo (E) Co. We lined our bags up, dress-right-dress, and sat outside in our PT uniforms for most of the day. I put on some sunscreen in the morning from my 72 hour kit in the back of my car. That was about all that happened that was even close to interesting. Really, it was about as boring as it could be.
I think I've filled out my emergency contact information thirty times since I've been at Ft. Benning. Every place I turn wants the same information over and over again. Oh well. I just wish they could coordinate systems. I was given a pass to go to the PX and spend some more money to get the things I needed. This time I was supposed to get 52 copies of my promotion to sergeant, my orders to Ft. Benning, my orders from 30th AG to HHC, and copies of my DD 214 (military record) and all documentation that can be used to update it. So far, I think I've spent about $900 on materials and packing list items.
On Sunday morning it was time to transfer across the sidewalk into Echo (E) Co. We lined our bags up, dress-right-dress, and sat outside in our PT uniforms for most of the day. I put on some sunscreen in the morning from my 72 hour kit in the back of my car. That was about all that happened that was even close to interesting. Really, it was about as boring as it could be.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
30th AG Reception Bn, 5-12 Aug 2010
Drill Sergeants all over again?! I hope not. Yes, I did have two Drill Sergeants: Drills Sergeants Apel and Carney. But they actually treated us with respect. They treated us as prior service soldiers and put the NCOs in charge. I got to practice some Drill & Ceremony which I hadn't done since Advanced Individual Training. I needed it too. Drill Seegeant Apel gave the preparatory command, "Column Left," which means that all four ranks turn left on the command of "March." However, I confused the command with "File from the left, Column Left" which sends one squad to the left at a time. After the preparatory command, each squad leader besides the first yells, NStand Fast," until it is his turn to go left. So when the DS gave the command for tbhe entire element to turn left, I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Stand Fast."
The drill Sergeant looked at me in disbelief and I immediately realized what I had done. He yelled, "what are you doing Sgt Faull?!" I replied, "I have nol idea, Drill Sergeant." To which at this point, the Drill Sergeant Carney responded, "that's complete integrity, right there.~
Other than that, reception was pretty chill. We didn't have to wait in line at parade rest or attention like the Basic Training Privates did and we got to eat seperately from them too. We also got to watch tv at night and use personal electronics equipment, as well. We were all mature and did tbhe right thing so we were trwated with respect and got passes to go on post for supplies when we needed to.
16 of us were headed to OCS of the group of 35. In a week we got to be close. Four of us were LDS.
After 8 days, it was time for us to ship across post to HHC for OCS. We loaded up our vehicles and convoyed the 8 miles over there.
The drill Sergeant looked at me in disbelief and I immediately realized what I had done. He yelled, "what are you doing Sgt Faull?!" I replied, "I have nol idea, Drill Sergeant." To which at this point, the Drill Sergeant Carney responded, "that's complete integrity, right there.~
Other than that, reception was pretty chill. We didn't have to wait in line at parade rest or attention like the Basic Training Privates did and we got to eat seperately from them too. We also got to watch tv at night and use personal electronics equipment, as well. We were all mature and did tbhe right thing so we were trwated with respect and got passes to go on post for supplies when we needed to.
16 of us were headed to OCS of the group of 35. In a week we got to be close. Four of us were LDS.
After 8 days, it was time for us to ship across post to HHC for OCS. We loaded up our vehicles and convoyed the 8 miles over there.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Leaving for OCS at Ft. Benning, 1-4 August, 2010
So I woke up Sunday morning for a long day of driving today. I still hadn't planned /my route yet, but Mapquest has never let me down before. Plus, I've got navigational features along with GPS on my Droid cell phone. I wasn't concerned about being able to drive the 2000 miles it'll take to get there.
I packed my stuff (which took me much longer than I thought) and wished my family well as they left for church. I stood on the steps of my garage and waived as they drove away. I watched as long as I could.
I finally hit the road at about 11:05. Mapquest directed me to take I-80 to Lincoln, NE. Based upon a drive I made in 1988, I decided to do the 935 miles all at once. It was a beautiful drive and I felt no fatigue as I crossed 100 miles of Utah, 405 miles of Wyoming, and 420 miles of Nebraska. I jammed to all kinds of music and really felt a freedom to go as long as I needed to since I didn't have a wife or kids to need to stop for. I hit thunderstorms four times which dropped visibility and speed to 50 feet and 50 mph. Van Halen brought me into the Holiday Inn Express at about 02:15 central time where I crashed for the night.
The next morning I slept in and headed south from Lincoln, across a river into Iowa. The river had flooded onto the highway closing traffic down to one lane but it didn't impede me at all. Finally, I crossed into Missouri and tuned into a Kansas City sports radio station on the am band. I listened to Jim Rome and some guy talk about how badly the chiefs will suck this year. I listened until I hit West Plains about an hour north of the Arkansas border.
The next morning I slept in again and then stopped by an Army Recruiter's office to get a direct deposit form. Amber had told me the night before that we had gotten information from the bank stating that the routing number had changed. I filled out the form and headed south
Arkansas was gorgeous. I followed a scenic route through the Ozarks with speed limits no higher than 45 mph. Finally it opened up into farm country which wasn't so pretty. I tuned into a Birmingham, Alabama sports talk station that kept me from getting too bored.
Memphis wasn't so entertaining. It was just another mid-sized city. I did stop for lunch and had a good barbeque sandwich with Coleslaw on top. I continued south-east and reached Birmingham about seven that evening. I wanted to push on so I continued another hour and a half to Auburn, Alabama: home of the Tigers. I stayed at another Holiday Inn Express and watched an episode of True Blood on HBO. It was horrible. I'll stick with Buffy.
The next morning I slept in again and then drove onto post. I had to get a thirty day pass which I'll have to continue renewing. It'll be a pain to remember when the days blend together so much, but oh well. I familiarized myself with the PX and spent way too much money buying stuff on the shopping list. This place is gonna be expensive.
Finally, about 3 o'clock pm, I drove over to Sand Hill where the Reception Battalion is. I stopped at the building I was directed to go to by my GPS and saw a Drill Sergeant. I asked him where I was supposed to be and he directed me back around the corner to the Battalion headquarters. I drove up the hill to the building and reported at the front desk. They sat me down and took some paperwork and my medical records and then a private called to see where I was supposed to go from there. I had no clue who he was talking to. He turned to me and said, "he said you know where you're supposed to go." Since I didn't have any idea who he was talking to, I told him "know I don't." He then put me on the phone with the same Drill Sergeant I had spoken with at the bottom of the hill who told me not so kindly that I had no business being an officer if I was that unintelligent. I'd like to see him try to put it all together in an unfamiliar environment without antecedents. But Drill Sergeants are always right. I let it roll off.
I drove back down the hill and took some face-to-face ribbing from the cadre and then went to my bay to begin my time at 30th AG.
I packed my stuff (which took me much longer than I thought) and wished my family well as they left for church. I stood on the steps of my garage and waived as they drove away. I watched as long as I could.
I finally hit the road at about 11:05. Mapquest directed me to take I-80 to Lincoln, NE. Based upon a drive I made in 1988, I decided to do the 935 miles all at once. It was a beautiful drive and I felt no fatigue as I crossed 100 miles of Utah, 405 miles of Wyoming, and 420 miles of Nebraska. I jammed to all kinds of music and really felt a freedom to go as long as I needed to since I didn't have a wife or kids to need to stop for. I hit thunderstorms four times which dropped visibility and speed to 50 feet and 50 mph. Van Halen brought me into the Holiday Inn Express at about 02:15 central time where I crashed for the night.
The next morning I slept in and headed south from Lincoln, across a river into Iowa. The river had flooded onto the highway closing traffic down to one lane but it didn't impede me at all. Finally, I crossed into Missouri and tuned into a Kansas City sports radio station on the am band. I listened to Jim Rome and some guy talk about how badly the chiefs will suck this year. I listened until I hit West Plains about an hour north of the Arkansas border.
The next morning I slept in again and then stopped by an Army Recruiter's office to get a direct deposit form. Amber had told me the night before that we had gotten information from the bank stating that the routing number had changed. I filled out the form and headed south
Arkansas was gorgeous. I followed a scenic route through the Ozarks with speed limits no higher than 45 mph. Finally it opened up into farm country which wasn't so pretty. I tuned into a Birmingham, Alabama sports talk station that kept me from getting too bored.
Memphis wasn't so entertaining. It was just another mid-sized city. I did stop for lunch and had a good barbeque sandwich with Coleslaw on top. I continued south-east and reached Birmingham about seven that evening. I wanted to push on so I continued another hour and a half to Auburn, Alabama: home of the Tigers. I stayed at another Holiday Inn Express and watched an episode of True Blood on HBO. It was horrible. I'll stick with Buffy.
The next morning I slept in again and then drove onto post. I had to get a thirty day pass which I'll have to continue renewing. It'll be a pain to remember when the days blend together so much, but oh well. I familiarized myself with the PX and spent way too much money buying stuff on the shopping list. This place is gonna be expensive.
Finally, about 3 o'clock pm, I drove over to Sand Hill where the Reception Battalion is. I stopped at the building I was directed to go to by my GPS and saw a Drill Sergeant. I asked him where I was supposed to be and he directed me back around the corner to the Battalion headquarters. I drove up the hill to the building and reported at the front desk. They sat me down and took some paperwork and my medical records and then a private called to see where I was supposed to go from there. I had no clue who he was talking to. He turned to me and said, "he said you know where you're supposed to go." Since I didn't have any idea who he was talking to, I told him "know I don't." He then put me on the phone with the same Drill Sergeant I had spoken with at the bottom of the hill who told me not so kindly that I had no business being an officer if I was that unintelligent. I'd like to see him try to put it all together in an unfamiliar environment without antecedents. But Drill Sergeants are always right. I let it roll off.
I drove back down the hill and took some face-to-face ribbing from the cadre and then went to my bay to begin my time at 30th AG.
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