English 101 First Essay; The Night I Grew Up

After a full day’s missions, night had fallen, and it was time for my platoon in basic training to assault the rest of the company. Although we were outnumbered by 4 to 1, we were up to the task. Everyone had been issued blank rounds for our rifles as well as MILES gear. The MILES gear is the Army's version of laser tag. There is a mounted laser on the end of your rifle and you have receivers on your helmet as well as chest. When the blanks go off, a laser is sent out. If someone is shooting at you and the laser is a near miss, you hear it whiz by. If you are hit, all your gear goes into a high whine. Outfitted with the high tech gear, and the challenge of being the underdogs, our adrenaline was pumping as we set out through the woods to gain a better position. Although it was a game, we didn’t want to lose. We had gotten as close as we could, running without being seen, but we knew we could get closer. Low crawling to the enemy's fighting positions, we waited for the order. We all rose like berserkers and charged through their line of fighting positions. There was chaos everywhere; flares were going off around us, gunfire, and lots of high pitched whines. When the pandemonium was all said and done, according to the MILES gear, no one had died (electronically, of course). Once we had gathered up, cleaned up the camp, and done our after-action reviews, we set out for the final mission in basic training, otherwise known as the Night Infiltration Course.

When I was 16, I was like most other kids. Living with my parents, they provided my food, allowance, transportation, housing, and everything else I needed. I had started making minor decisions independently (many of which still needed to be approved), but the majority of things were still completely up to the parents. About 3 weeks after I turned 17, I decided to join the army and serve the country. However independent this action seemed, even it required parental consent. After talking with the school counselor, I found out about the split option program the Army had, that would allow me to do basic training during the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I decided this would be a great opportunity to “start life.”

I remember the feeling as the time for me to leave for basic training approached. It was that gut punch you get when you are really dreading something. I was scared. I was neither a leader, nor was I very athletic. I was a scrawny little high schooler that didn't even break 100 lbs and I was supposed to get through the US Army basic training? Despite my reservations, the day arrived. I reported to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to begin my basic training.
The first day of basic, anytime one of the privates did something different than anyone else, there were at least 4 drill sergeants immediately screaming at him or her. I decided right there I would do everything I could to just fit in and remain anonymous.

Basic training is broken up into three segments. Phase I, or “Red Phase”, is what most people imagine our training to be. “White Phase” was the second set of three weeks. That entire time was dedicated to playing with our rifles and then qualifying on the range. “Blue Phase” is a culmination of everything we prepared for while going through the first two phases.

Those first 3 weeks consisted of being under total control. As we were under constant scrutiny, there were no decisions to be made, simply execution of the tasks given to us. From what clothes (down to our underwear), to how long to shower, we were given direction in every task. As basic continued, we were given more and more freedom. Our final test would be a field training exercise, or FTX, that would try the skills we learned throughout the course.

We started our march out to the training site later than expected. I remember we didn't leave until around 11 in the morning. As it was July, it was very hot and we were going to have a lot of people needing water. In addition to carrying my own pack, weapon, and other various gear, I was tasked with carrying the water jugs to everyone when we stopped on a break. The march there was only 7 miles, but with the humidity and heat it was exhausting. Once we got to the site, we realized there would be no rest for the weary that week. Immediately, we were hit with CS Gas and had to don all of our chemical protective gear. While we were in that gear we started to dig our fighting positions. That’s how the week went. We were actually playing war games, going on patrols and getting ambushed, practicing ambushes, and anything else as per the creativity of the drill sergeants. Throughout the week, our ambushes continued. We laid in our fighting positions, mostly fighting sleep so that we weren’t taken by surprise by the drill sergeants. More than once, we had to don our protective masks so that we could breathe while surrounded by the CS Gas. While this was all exhausting, none of it compared to the final challenge.
To get to the Night Infiltration Course, we had a 20 kilometer tactical road march. The tactical aspect of it just meant we had to stay quiet and keep the right distance between the people in front and to the rear. This march didn't seem as hard as the initial one to start the week had; partially because it was the middle of the night and cool, and partially because we didn't have as much gear with us.
After a couple hours, we got to a concrete wall about 10 feet high. There was a faint light coming from the other side. We had been told what was going to happen for this event, but no amount of instructions really would have prepared me for what would come.

We started scaling the wall with the ladders that were mounted to the side. It was at that point that I noticed music was playing, and I immediately recognized it. The Ride of the Valkyries was being broadcast at the battle scene and even now, as I write this, I am listening to the same music, very nearly reliving the moment.
Once we had gotten up to the top of the wall, the sight was straight out of a movie. The field we were supposed to get across was 300 meters long and all sand. There were burning vehicles in our path with concertina wire surrounding them. Once we started low crawling to the end, we heard gunfire. At the other end of the field, were 2 automatic rifles firing tracer rounds in our direction. Looking up, you could see the paths of the bullets zipping over our heads. While crawling with my head as low as possible, the ground suddenly shook with a massive explosion. In addition to the burning cars and tracer rounds, there were cylinders around us that had been set with C4 to detonate while we were near. To make things even more intense, in addition to the war-like simulations, there were drill sergeants “motivating” us by yelling in our faces. They knew the rotation of the machine guns, so they knew when to stand and when to get down. I had never been this excited in my life. It was like I was in a Hollywood movie. I didn’t really believe that’s how combat was, especially with Wagner in the background, but it was still pretty cool. Once we got to the end of the field, there were some human silhouette dummies that we were supposed to charge with our bayonets. Since I had previously earned my expert badge for bayonets, I ran at him with a war yell and gave him a swift butt stroke to the head with the butt of my rifle.

After calming down, I realized how tired I had become. I hadn’t even realized the amount of adrenaline pumping through my body to carry me through that. Luckily all we had to do from there was sit down and wait for transportation back to the barracks. By the time we stumbled off the cattle trucks, it was about 4am. Behind the barracks was the field of mulch, dirt, and rocks called the Pit. We would go there when we were undergoing “physical remediation.” Instead of going into the barracks to wash up and sleep, the herd of privates was going around to the back. All I could think was, "what did we do to deserve punishment tonight?” Instead, I started hearing more music, music to get you motivated to fight.

As I walked into formation, the song playing was the Mission Impossible 2 theme song. I remember my steps were in cadence with the song beat. This unexpected formation was our unofficial graduation. Up to this point, we were called many names, some worse than others. That night, we had become soldiers. For the first time in my life, I had made an accomplishment on my own. I had, without the help of my family, gone through basic training, and met all of the requirements to be a part of the US Army. At the end of the ceremony, even after the day’s events, we were still energetic enough to sound off with the soldier’s code. It has now turned into the soldier’s creed, but if you are ever lucky enough to hear a motivated group of soldiers saying it, the thunder will send a shiver down your spine.

Going back home after that, I walked with my head held a little higher. I had done something most high school students wouldn’t even think of. Not only did I now have a solid job, but also it was one that was worthy of putting on a resume. Basic training wasn’t about the war games. It was really about learning how hard I could push myself, and what enduring really meant. Even now, I know that will be one of the most important accomplishments of my life. I had taken a risk to start my life. That night had marked the very beginning of starting to be a man and letting go of childhood.

Initial Tech Thoughts

So, for a while, I’ve wanted to write a blog about the great stuff we were given to prep us for the time capsule. I figured since I now have everything on my computer working, we’ll see how the handwriting recognition goes. I have serious doubts since my handwriting is rarely legible while written. I could use print, which I’m sure would work, but speed is key here.
OK, before this thing got started, I was snooping around the internet and found a timeline that UTO had put together in preparation for the time capsule. Thinking I was slick, I thought I knew what our tech stuff would be. I was very pleasantly surprised when the day came that we actually got the gear. We were outfitted with the newest Blackberry, the Tour. Along with that came the full data plan, so I can be in contact with all of ya’ll. In addition to that, we got a neat Dell tablet PC. I didn’t think I’d use it, but after the thieving happened, I am surprised at how much I like it. On a side note, I saw a commercial for Windows 7. What is with the speed of a new OS? Why not let people figure out Vista first. Maybe 7 will be better. I no longer play around much on the comp, so internet and word processor are enough for me.
The Blackberry is pretty amazing. I had an iPhone a couple of years ago that I liked, but not enough for the bill. The Blackberry has a small learning curve for those of us who have never used them before, but I think I’m getting a handle on it. I know there are a lot of little tricks that I’ll continue to learn though. I haven’t really figured out what the difference is between instant messaging with the BB app and using ‘PINing’ someone. I don’t have an army of pins yet either, but hopefully I’ll build one. A couple weeks after I got the phone, the left/right trackball went. I could get it to go sometimes, but I was limited in the use because of that, but now I have a new one. Now I just have to set up all of the settings and get the programs like Pandora back on. That is probably one of my favorite features of the Blackberry. Not only can I use Pandora on my phone anywhere I have signal, but the headphone jack is normal sized.
The tablet had its share of issues too. I think they are mostly worked out now though. My internet could connect neither through WiFi nor through an Ethernet cable. Turns out I had a corrupt version of windows. A new install cleared that up and then I got all the drivers in. I even got the fingerprint scanner working. Somewhat. My thumb isn’t always recognized, so it actually is still easier to type in my password than it is to swipe my finger. Other than that, I’m loving the computer. The turning screen is kind of frivolous since I don’t have the handwriting to use the recognition software. I use the rotation while I’m sitting at a table and want to show a picture off. Unnecessary, but fun.
The third thing we got was the Google Flip camera. It is so nice. It’s simple and effective. The audio quality isn’t the best, but it has just the right number of buttons. I have another camera that can go underwater, so I use that one for that. That one is a Sanyo Xacti. I remember they really pushed the fact that you can edit video while still on the camera and film in youtube quality video, but really, is it that much more difficult if not easier to just put it on the comp first? I think the best thing about the Flip is that it takes common sense and actually uses it.
Overall I’m really happy about all of the groovy tech pieces we got for the time capsule. I’m really excited about it. Time has flown by through the past month. My classes are all getting a unique sense of how much technology is used. My precal class, which I dropped the first week, the teacher said, “No technology in the classroom.” Then for my English class, which I also dropped for another Eng class, the prof showed a YouTube video on the screen for our first assignment. Those are just two of them that I swapped out of. As the year progresses, I’ll update on the current ones.

As an outcome for the handwriting recognition? Epic fail.

The life v. 2

Today has been kind of weird. I went to a party last night after our initiation for Pi Kapp and as I didn't leave there until 2, I decided not to try and sleep for 3 hours. I just sat on the couch. Might have drifted a couple times, but I was sitting up the entire time, and I know I was awake for most of that stretch. I took Brock to the park again at 5, and we were the first ones there. I think 4 showed up eventually. I worked on some MATLAB stuff while he played. MATLAB for those who do not know is a program to make scripts and programs. I think anyway. I'm just learning it. We had to go back around 630 so that I could make it to school in time to print some stuff off and get to class. I made it there in time, did the class, then went straight from there to the institute building and started writing more for my english class. I had critiqued my peers' essays, but I didn't actually read the assignment prior to that, and when I did, I realized it had to be 250 word minimum critiques. Not too big of a deal, but I was low on time. Turned out, I got those submitted with 10 minutes to spare, then high tailed it over to the classroom. I think I'm getting better at using blackboard because I did it without any flaws this morning. Once the 30 minutes of English was over, I had to take an online exam for philosophy. A guy in my class was kind enough to give me a copy of his notes as mine were on my mac. Even with those though, I did much worse than I had hoped. I think it was the Venn diagrams that kicked my butt. That was the last academic thing I had for the day, so I went over to help clean up Parker's place. When I got there I asked what he wanted me to start on and he said just go where it needs work. I got the bathroom done first. I'm pretty sure it hadn't been cleaned for a while, but it looks nice now. I definitely felt like a pledge in a fraternity. Back to being a private, scrubbing the floors and walls with a toothbrush. Thats not just a saying either. Once Terrence, Matt, and myself had finished that up, I just went back to campus to wander around for a little while. We had a Time Capsule meeting at 4. I guess our sites are going live tomorrow. As of right now, the only people that know about them are the ones we've told. Maybe I'll make business cards and hand them out. I truly believe that the more people I have with feedback, the easier it will be to write more. Plus, its nice writing while I'm at the parks. Right before the meeting started, a possible job came onto the horizon. Since my very first job, I have not worked for a non corporate company. With a little luck, I could be a waiter for a “mom and pop” place. Cross your collective fingers. I got home as fast as I could after the meeting and picked up Brock for another round at the dog park. He hasn't really played with anyone tonight, but there were over 15 dogs in the run at one point. We've been here for a while, so maybe he's tired. Right now he's starting to warm up to some of them and run around. Its pretty interesting. Most of these people here know each other and know each other's dogs. I was here before they all showed up, but They all sat on one end of the run and I'm on the other. Brock has been staying over on my side, so maybe thats why he hasn't been as social tonight. Because I haven't. Maybe we'll see tomorrow, depending on what time I get done with duty. This weekend is drill weekend, so I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Tangent for today. Its September 11th. My Dad's birthday, and the day of the twin towers attack. I didn't expect people to really remember forever, but I would imagine it didn't even cross people's minds today. To be completely honest, I saw a flag at half mast today, and didn't know immediately what it was for. Just a little side thought on how short our memories really are.

The life v. 1

I haven't posted as much as I would have liked. We will soon remedy that. I had 3 posts ready to go a couple days ago. Mostly they were just about how last week went, and since last week was fairly uneventful, I'm not going to try and recreate them. The biggest thing that happened last week was that I got sworn into the AZ National Guard. I joined a MEDEVAC unit that I'll be meeting this weekend. I'll post the video in on my site.

The reason I no longer have those posts is that my laptop got stolen. Honestly, I don't mind that it did. I had set my backpack down in the bushes and walked about 15 feet away. I was with the Pi Kapps at the sorority bid day thing. When I came back, the backpack was unzipped and the laptop taken out. The think that frustrates me is that it was password protected and they didn't take the charger. I have insurance on it and I still have the computer I got for the Time Capsule, which incidentally is growing on me. What gets me is that they aren't even going to use it. I mean I could be wrong, but I envision getting to the password and not being able to get in, then tossing it. I wish I could have kept my files.

I submitted a first draft project for English 101 on Sunday. Not sure if I am just being ridiculous with Blackboard, but I am constantly having trouble with it. So I emailed my teacher to see if she could send me the file I submitted so that I could print off some hard copies. What she sent back to me, I couldn't open. I spent that morning from 430 to 630 trying to get my computer connected to the internet, and then recovering the file. I gave up around 630 and brought Brock to the park. While we were there, I started writing a new draft so that I would have at least something to turn in that day. Around 800 words in, Ms. Hooper emailed me letting me know she had recovered my file and turned it into RTF format. I stopped writing immediately, but I'll probably go back and merge the two to get the best from both.

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. ASU 101 was very nice. We went on a field trip to the library. A few of us left the group and were playing around with the moving bookshelves. Humming the Indiana Jones theme song, we were imagining the shelves closing while trying to run out. Eventually, we figured out that the safety mechanism was in the floor. Guess there will be no last minute hat saves from a closing trap door.

After school, I took Brock to the park again. Then went to the mall to get a haircut. My last haircut, I was told, was the worst I've ever had, so I was glad to be rid of it. I had a formal dinner to go to, so I wanted to look sharp, even though it was with a bunch of guys. It was the preference dinner for Pi Kappa Phi. I find out later today what fraternities I got a bid with. Anyway, after driving around on low gas for a while, I got there and hung out with them all. I am starting to get to know them a lot better. Even the new guys that are freshmen like me and just rushing are pretty darn cool. We'll see what happens.