My 19th birthday was pretty un eventful, well since I cant quite recall it. Something more pressing was on the horizon, my first steps of leaving home, and Virginia for that matter. I said goodbye to my family at BWI and got on the plane to Ft Knox, KY. I arrived at Knox, and frankly it wasnt to exciting. The first few days were pretty easy, and so much like Christmas. See during in processing we filled out paperwork, cause well the military is paperwork. Then my favorite part issued our BDUs (Camo cloths) and gear. The awkward part was standing in a long line of guys in your underwear so you can be measured for your Class As (fancy Army suit). I remember one thing that bothered me so bad was the name tapes, yes the name taps. Normally the name tapes are a fabric , but since we were brand new trainees ours were this weird cloth I cant even describe, just trust me on this they looked ghetto. We couldnt get real name tapes till we graduated basic, so crap tapes it was. The first days lull you into a false sense of comfort, you get this attitude of this aint so bad and at first it really isnt. Basic hasnt come yet. Once in processing was over it was time to go to our actual training units. They separated us out by where we were going and put us in a room lined up sitting on our duffel bags. We say and waited. Then a couple trucks pull up and the Drill SGTS get out still no big deal, wrong the come in screaming, yelling, pointing , and swearing. It was mass confusion thats the point, this is what we call a shark attack. Now let me say this I grew up, for the most part, around older kids so I swore it wasnt anything new, but Drill SGTs take it to a whole new level I heard swear words, and combos I never knew existed. I really do believe they have a whole training class at Drill school just on how to cuss, oh and watch Full Metal Jacket. Every Drill could quote it. My new dad came and got those of us in his platoon and took us outside, where he kindly informed us that the truck was broken and we had to walk. After 30 minutes and Im pretty sure a 10 mile walk we made it to our barracks (Army dorms for you college folks). Once we arrived we had to dump our bags and have the very first, of many thousand in my career, TA-50 layouts (Army gear). Ones that ended we finally got to go in and pick our bunks (Army bed) wall lockers and get our bedding for the bed which we could only sleep in, at night. You were never to sit or lay on the bed, it was decoration till lights out. I finally got settled in still in shock thinking what the hell have I done but I was to tired to dwell and with that, and taps of course it was lights out on Training Day 001.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 04:14:28 +0000