27 June 2011
Today was no surprise. Wake-up at 0400 and chow at 0640. We went back to the Reception building to receive another haircut. I could not believe how much my hair had actually grown over the past 6 days. That took forever because two companies (550+ soldiers) had to get this done. Chow was at 1200 and we also got to visit the PX. We were briefed by a U.S. Army Ranger from the 75th Ranger Regiment. He basically was promoting the program and outlined the requirements. I don't think this is for me. National Guard is not eligible anyway because it is for active soldiers only.
Right before chow, me and three other Officer Candidate School Candidates got to sit and talk with the Alpha Company commander, Captain Stephens. He had all sorts of good info for us and was really encouraging about not only the Army but how to balance military and civilian life in general.
Our company ships at 14:00 tomorrow to Basic Combat Training. I hope to get to talk to Jesica tomorrow before my phone is gone for several weeks. I can't wait to share my experiences as I start BCT.
Matthew
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Rest, Worship and Food
Alpha Company got to sleep in til 0530 this morning. Chow was at 0700. We were given the option of signing up for a religious service today. I decided to sign up for the Protestant Bible Study for 0915 to 1015. A couple of guys went with me. The service was located in the Regimental Chapel and was conducted by an Army 2nd LT. It was a traditional service: Call to Worship, sang a few songs, offering, and message. The chaplin preached out of Philippians Chapter 2. The title of the message was about having the attitude of Christ and the challenge was "Are you full of yourself? or like Christ, do you empty yourself?"
After services we had chow and watched a couple of movies: The New Rambo movie and a documentary called "Restrepo". The afternoon was pretty nice. We had about 3 hours of free time so I decided to do laundry. We went to chow around 1800 and came back and had a class about hygiene.
Only one more day of reception and I cannot wait to begin BCT. The barracks are getting restless and so am I. Also, for the reader's sake, I will be able to write about more interesting events.
Matthew
Day 7
I was able to catch an extra hour of sleep this AM since wake-up was at 0530. Since I had "fire guard" last night I really netted no extra hours. Oh well, it made me feel a little better about laying in my bunk until 0530. Formation was at 0600. Chow was delicious as I had the biscuits and gravy! I am planning on writing a separate blog about chow and other things I may have missed this week.
Today was the same as yesterday. We had classes on Customs and Courtesies of the Military, a Drill and Ceremony class, as well as reviewing the Soldiers Creed, the Army Values, and the Army Song. We then went outside to practice some of the Drill and Ceremony (DNC).
The heat of Ft. Benning, GA showed up today. After several days of overcast weather, it finally made it to 95 degrees. A guy passed out in our company from the heat, or so we thought. Come to find out, he had a really high temperature from being sick.
We made it to the barracks around 0800 tonight ater several briefings. No fire guard for me tonight so I am planning on getting a good nights sleep.
Matthew
Today was the same as yesterday. We had classes on Customs and Courtesies of the Military, a Drill and Ceremony class, as well as reviewing the Soldiers Creed, the Army Values, and the Army Song. We then went outside to practice some of the Drill and Ceremony (DNC).
The heat of Ft. Benning, GA showed up today. After several days of overcast weather, it finally made it to 95 degrees. A guy passed out in our company from the heat, or so we thought. Come to find out, he had a really high temperature from being sick.
We made it to the barracks around 0800 tonight ater several briefings. No fire guard for me tonight so I am planning on getting a good nights sleep.
Matthew
24 June 2011
Wake-up this AM was at 0400. We were told to clean until 0530 and to be in formation by 0545. I kind of knew this day was going to be an uneventful day because all of the "in-processing" was complete. We went to chow at 0600 and returned around 0630. What do you know, we were told to return to our barracks and clean some more. At 0800 we had a class on several things including: proper bunk making, the Soldiers Creed, The Army Values, and "The Army Song". This lasted until 1200 hours. Chow came after that and it was back to the bunk for more cleaning. The drill sergeant made a really good point about why we clean so much. It is basically to keep everyone from getting sick because if one soldier gets sick you have 300 sick soldiers. Ft. Benning has done a good job installing hand sanitizer dispensers all over the place and we are encouraged to use them often.
At 0400 we were called back to the classroom for what is called a "shake down." This is where we take everything that belongs to us and dump it in a pile in the middle of the floor. We then packed what we would not need for the next couple of days in our duffel bag and placed it in a holding area. The rest of our stuff we placed in our laundry bag and brought it back to the bay. This took until 1700 and then over to dinner we went.
"Lights out" was again at 2100. I volunteered for a "fire-guard" shift from 0200-0300. This is basically where you take a head count in the barracks and check on a list of things such as latrines, showers, etc.
The new few days are going to be similar to today. Our whole company is ready to ship. Everyone is getting restless and sort of "on edge" because the drill sergeants are trying to put the "fear of God" in us about arriving at our Basic Training Company. I personally cannot wait to get this show on the road.
Matthew
At 0400 we were called back to the classroom for what is called a "shake down." This is where we take everything that belongs to us and dump it in a pile in the middle of the floor. We then packed what we would not need for the next couple of days in our duffel bag and placed it in a holding area. The rest of our stuff we placed in our laundry bag and brought it back to the bay. This took until 1700 and then over to dinner we went.
"Lights out" was again at 2100. I volunteered for a "fire-guard" shift from 0200-0300. This is basically where you take a head count in the barracks and check on a list of things such as latrines, showers, etc.
The new few days are going to be similar to today. Our whole company is ready to ship. Everyone is getting restless and sort of "on edge" because the drill sergeants are trying to put the "fear of God" in us about arriving at our Basic Training Company. I personally cannot wait to get this show on the road.
Matthew
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Final Day of In-Processing at Reception
23 June 2011
Wake up call was at 03:30 this morning. Our orders were to be in formation by 04:30 so we could be to chow by 04:45. We had a busy day planned for us.
At 06:30 we arrived at the Reception building for two more shots and to receive the results of our TB tests. Mine was negative, but unfortunately 2 of the guys had positive tests and have to undergo further testing (one was from Vietnam and the other from Camaroon).
We found out that we would ship next Tuesday, 28 June 2011. I believe our expected graduation date is 01 Sept 2011, but not 100% sure yet. Should know for sure next week.
We spent the majority of the day fixing any problems anyone had during in-processing. Made for a long day because all we did was sit and wait. About 90% of us have been cleared to ship to Basic Training with at least another 8% expected to be cleared tomorrow.
I was appointed Bay leader of the 68 guys in our Bay. All the job entails is coordinating "Fire Guard" duties as well as CQ duties. Fairly easy except dealing with a few morons. It's kind of funny because all of a sudden everyone in the bay thinks that I have all the answers. So I fixed that problem and appointed an assistant bay leader, Jordan, to answer any questions. Jordan is a sophomore at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) and is in their ROTC program. He has been a great help, which has allowed me to concentrate on other duties.
It has been a long week, but at least we have a tentative time table.
Matthew
Wake up call was at 03:30 this morning. Our orders were to be in formation by 04:30 so we could be to chow by 04:45. We had a busy day planned for us.
At 06:30 we arrived at the Reception building for two more shots and to receive the results of our TB tests. Mine was negative, but unfortunately 2 of the guys had positive tests and have to undergo further testing (one was from Vietnam and the other from Camaroon).
We found out that we would ship next Tuesday, 28 June 2011. I believe our expected graduation date is 01 Sept 2011, but not 100% sure yet. Should know for sure next week.
We spent the majority of the day fixing any problems anyone had during in-processing. Made for a long day because all we did was sit and wait. About 90% of us have been cleared to ship to Basic Training with at least another 8% expected to be cleared tomorrow.
I was appointed Bay leader of the 68 guys in our Bay. All the job entails is coordinating "Fire Guard" duties as well as CQ duties. Fairly easy except dealing with a few morons. It's kind of funny because all of a sudden everyone in the bay thinks that I have all the answers. So I fixed that problem and appointed an assistant bay leader, Jordan, to answer any questions. Jordan is a sophomore at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) and is in their ROTC program. He has been a great help, which has allowed me to concentrate on other duties.
It has been a long week, but at least we have a tentative time table.
Matthew
Day 2-Reception In-Processing
22 June 2011
I woke up at 0400 this AM and was wondering why my body was sore. Then I realized the pain was confined to by left butt cheek! The penicillin shot had definitely left its mark! Formation was a 0430 and as soon as we got lined up we were told to go clean the barracks til 0530. The company was taken to chow at 0530 and again was in and out in 30 minutes (all 300 marched, fed, and marched out in 30 minutes...unheard of).
Alpha company was then taken to Reception to continue our in-processing. This included dental exams, hearing tests, and financial briefings. Chow was at 12:30 and again we efficiently ate and left. The company marched back to the reception building and took our individual pictures for our military ID as well as pictures for us to order. After that, the company went to a holding room in order for soldiers who had problems during in-processing to get things sorted out.
Chow was at 18:00 this evening. After chow we were taken back to the barracks and were told to clean till 20:00 hours. I was ready to hit the bed tonight after a long day. Luckily I have my flash light that will clip to my bunk to write these blogs for Jesica to post. When the drill sergeants say lights out they mean it!
I am starting to get to know some of my fellow Alpha Company members. A lot of them are questioning me about joining at 29 years old. I love hearing their background and their stories from some of their own personal experiences. Many of them seem to know a lot about the Army. So far so good!
One thing I did forget to mention about yesterday was that I received that military haircut! Shaved with no guard on the clippers! It has been a while since my hair has been like this, but at least it's maintenance free!
Matthew
I woke up at 0400 this AM and was wondering why my body was sore. Then I realized the pain was confined to by left butt cheek! The penicillin shot had definitely left its mark! Formation was a 0430 and as soon as we got lined up we were told to go clean the barracks til 0530. The company was taken to chow at 0530 and again was in and out in 30 minutes (all 300 marched, fed, and marched out in 30 minutes...unheard of).
Alpha company was then taken to Reception to continue our in-processing. This included dental exams, hearing tests, and financial briefings. Chow was at 12:30 and again we efficiently ate and left. The company marched back to the reception building and took our individual pictures for our military ID as well as pictures for us to order. After that, the company went to a holding room in order for soldiers who had problems during in-processing to get things sorted out.
Chow was at 18:00 this evening. After chow we were taken back to the barracks and were told to clean till 20:00 hours. I was ready to hit the bed tonight after a long day. Luckily I have my flash light that will clip to my bunk to write these blogs for Jesica to post. When the drill sergeants say lights out they mean it!
I am starting to get to know some of my fellow Alpha Company members. A lot of them are questioning me about joining at 29 years old. I love hearing their background and their stories from some of their own personal experiences. Many of them seem to know a lot about the Army. So far so good!
One thing I did forget to mention about yesterday was that I received that military haircut! Shaved with no guard on the clippers! It has been a while since my hair has been like this, but at least it's maintenance free!
Matthew
The Beginning of In-Processing at the 30th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception)
21 June 2011
Wake up call came at 4:00am so that 1 hour of sleep was just a tease. "Welcome to the Army" the Drill Sergeant said, "Where sleep is not on our priority list." Oh Boy! Jesica and I are use to getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Can you say "culture shock"?
The day began at the barracks building as we were put into formation by our roster number. My roster number is 11711 AT 006. This basically means that I am guy #6 in the Alpha Tango Company. There are around 62 guys in Alpha Tango. What is very surprising is that I am not the oldest in the company. The range is 17 to 30. The majority of these guys are either high school juniors or seniors. Several are college students and some are just guys in their mid-20s trying to figure out what they want to do.
Breakfast was at 5:30am and what a working machine this process is. First of all, the whole alpha company (around 350 soldiers) marched to the DFAC (dining facility) and we were all in and out by 6:00am. THE WHOLE COMPANY! Kudos to the DFAC staff!
After chow, we were then marched to the reception building and basically did the following: shots (5 to be exact and one in the butt), gave blood, were issued all of our uniforms/gear, listened to more briefings, and just sat and waited. We went to chow around 12:30pm and went back to reception to finish day 1 of in processing which included vision testing and more briefings. At 5:45pm we went back to chow and marched back to the barracks. After that we were told to start cleaning the barracks from one end to the other. By this time it was 8:00pm, which is our personal time until 9:00pm. I was so busy during my personal time I forgot to take a shower. And there is no showering or being out of the bunk after 9:00pm unless you need to do one of these things: take a leak, take a crap, or drink some water. Day 1 of in-processing down. Not too much action (fun action that is) but a good day overall.
Matthew
Wake up call came at 4:00am so that 1 hour of sleep was just a tease. "Welcome to the Army" the Drill Sergeant said, "Where sleep is not on our priority list." Oh Boy! Jesica and I are use to getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Can you say "culture shock"?
The day began at the barracks building as we were put into formation by our roster number. My roster number is 11711 AT 006. This basically means that I am guy #6 in the Alpha Tango Company. There are around 62 guys in Alpha Tango. What is very surprising is that I am not the oldest in the company. The range is 17 to 30. The majority of these guys are either high school juniors or seniors. Several are college students and some are just guys in their mid-20s trying to figure out what they want to do.
Breakfast was at 5:30am and what a working machine this process is. First of all, the whole alpha company (around 350 soldiers) marched to the DFAC (dining facility) and we were all in and out by 6:00am. THE WHOLE COMPANY! Kudos to the DFAC staff!
After chow, we were then marched to the reception building and basically did the following: shots (5 to be exact and one in the butt), gave blood, were issued all of our uniforms/gear, listened to more briefings, and just sat and waited. We went to chow around 12:30pm and went back to reception to finish day 1 of in processing which included vision testing and more briefings. At 5:45pm we went back to chow and marched back to the barracks. After that we were told to start cleaning the barracks from one end to the other. By this time it was 8:00pm, which is our personal time until 9:00pm. I was so busy during my personal time I forgot to take a shower. And there is no showering or being out of the bunk after 9:00pm unless you need to do one of these things: take a leak, take a crap, or drink some water. Day 1 of in-processing down. Not too much action (fun action that is) but a good day overall.
Matthew
MEPS, the Airport & Arriving at Ft. Benning
20 June 2011
Today started with a 4 am wake up call by the front desk. Man did it seems like I just closed my eyes. Breakfast was served in the hotel lobby at 4:30am and was actually really good. My roommate, Ethan, and I finished breakfast and got in line for the bus ride to Fort Gillem and MEPS.
We arrived at MEPS around 5:45am and started our "shippers processing." Basically, I had to stand in a room with about 50 guys in nothing but my underwear while we did a quick physical and height/weight check. I was 74" tall and weighed 188 pounds. I wanted to get down to 185, but with all of the great meals cooked for Jesica and I over the past week, I knew that would be nearly impossible.
I finished the physical around 7:30am and from that point on it was "hurry up and wait" until noon. At noon we got to each a sandwich and chips and probably had my last soft drink for a while. We were then called into one last shippers briefing where final orders were distributed.
Of the 65 shippers from the Atlanta MEPS, only four of us were going to Ft. Benning. Because of my rank (specialist), I was put in charge of our group. That task consisted of carrying the packets/orders and getting us checked into the United Service Organization (USO) at the airport. We arrived at the airport around 1:30pm and I got our group checked in with USO. I got to see about 200 soldiers waiting to deploy to Iraq/Afganistan on the USO floor. Many were either on their phones, laptops or just listening to their ipods. Some were fortunate enough to have their family with them while they waited. It seemed to be a bittersweet moment for many of them.
One of the guys in my shipping group, Brian Kim, knew some of the same people I knew. He use to work for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Sandy Springs PD. Brian is 31 and his military occupation specialty (MOS) is 18X or special forces. His basic training is 17 weeks which includes Basic Training, Infantry Training, and Airborne School. Really nice guy. He speaks Korean and is learning and third language as we speak.
The plan was to be on the bus by 5:30pm heading to Ft. Benning. The charter bus arrived at 7:00pm and we loaded up and pulled out heading to Benning around 7:30pm (approx 2 hrs late). The ride was about 1 hr 45 min, putting us at the front door of the Reception Battalion around 9:15pm. Little did I know our night was just beginnning. Time does not permit me to describe every detail of the evening, but basically we were fed, briefed, issued physical training clothes, briefed some more and finally had lights out around 3:00am for a 4:00am wake up call. Hell of a first day!
Matthew
Today started with a 4 am wake up call by the front desk. Man did it seems like I just closed my eyes. Breakfast was served in the hotel lobby at 4:30am and was actually really good. My roommate, Ethan, and I finished breakfast and got in line for the bus ride to Fort Gillem and MEPS.
We arrived at MEPS around 5:45am and started our "shippers processing." Basically, I had to stand in a room with about 50 guys in nothing but my underwear while we did a quick physical and height/weight check. I was 74" tall and weighed 188 pounds. I wanted to get down to 185, but with all of the great meals cooked for Jesica and I over the past week, I knew that would be nearly impossible.
I finished the physical around 7:30am and from that point on it was "hurry up and wait" until noon. At noon we got to each a sandwich and chips and probably had my last soft drink for a while. We were then called into one last shippers briefing where final orders were distributed.
Of the 65 shippers from the Atlanta MEPS, only four of us were going to Ft. Benning. Because of my rank (specialist), I was put in charge of our group. That task consisted of carrying the packets/orders and getting us checked into the United Service Organization (USO) at the airport. We arrived at the airport around 1:30pm and I got our group checked in with USO. I got to see about 200 soldiers waiting to deploy to Iraq/Afganistan on the USO floor. Many were either on their phones, laptops or just listening to their ipods. Some were fortunate enough to have their family with them while they waited. It seemed to be a bittersweet moment for many of them.
One of the guys in my shipping group, Brian Kim, knew some of the same people I knew. He use to work for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Sandy Springs PD. Brian is 31 and his military occupation specialty (MOS) is 18X or special forces. His basic training is 17 weeks which includes Basic Training, Infantry Training, and Airborne School. Really nice guy. He speaks Korean and is learning and third language as we speak.
The plan was to be on the bus by 5:30pm heading to Ft. Benning. The charter bus arrived at 7:00pm and we loaded up and pulled out heading to Benning around 7:30pm (approx 2 hrs late). The ride was about 1 hr 45 min, putting us at the front door of the Reception Battalion around 9:15pm. Little did I know our night was just beginnning. Time does not permit me to describe every detail of the evening, but basically we were fed, briefed, issued physical training clothes, briefed some more and finally had lights out around 3:00am for a 4:00am wake up call. Hell of a first day!
Matthew
Leaving for the Hotel and Shippers Briefing
19 June 2011
I left Athens, GA today around 5:30 PM for the DoubleTree Hotel at the Atlanta Airport. A very close friend of mine, Ben Nyquist was kind enough to bring me and drop me off. It was very hard leaving Jesica, as the past few days have been emotional roller coasters. We both agreed to be strong and that even though 10 weeks is a long time, we could endure just about anything and make the best of it.
After a few necessary stops, Ben and I arrived at the hotel around 7:45pm. A good handshake and a "see you in 10" was exchanged. I reported to the basement floor at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) office. The Department of Defense contracts with hotels across the country to host these offices while soldiers are either waiting to take physicals or ship to Basic Training. I checked in and was told to report back at 10:00pm for a "shippers" brief. The brief lasted about 20 minutes and we were basically told to not screw up tonight and ruin our chances of shipping tomorrow! When the briefing was over, all 65 of us migrated to our rooms. I am rooming tonight with a guy named, Ethan. He is 19 years old and a student at North Georgia College. He is also going into the National Guard as an infantry soldier. Very nice guy. We talked for almost 2 hours about things we each had heard about Basic Training and what we thought were myths or not.
It's about midnight now and I have to be up around 4:00am. Long day tomorrow at MEPS and the word is we will arrive at Fort Benning around 5:00pm. Should be interesting!
I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you will enjoy reading these posts.
Matthew
I left Athens, GA today around 5:30 PM for the DoubleTree Hotel at the Atlanta Airport. A very close friend of mine, Ben Nyquist was kind enough to bring me and drop me off. It was very hard leaving Jesica, as the past few days have been emotional roller coasters. We both agreed to be strong and that even though 10 weeks is a long time, we could endure just about anything and make the best of it.
After a few necessary stops, Ben and I arrived at the hotel around 7:45pm. A good handshake and a "see you in 10" was exchanged. I reported to the basement floor at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) office. The Department of Defense contracts with hotels across the country to host these offices while soldiers are either waiting to take physicals or ship to Basic Training. I checked in and was told to report back at 10:00pm for a "shippers" brief. The brief lasted about 20 minutes and we were basically told to not screw up tonight and ruin our chances of shipping tomorrow! When the briefing was over, all 65 of us migrated to our rooms. I am rooming tonight with a guy named, Ethan. He is 19 years old and a student at North Georgia College. He is also going into the National Guard as an infantry soldier. Very nice guy. We talked for almost 2 hours about things we each had heard about Basic Training and what we thought were myths or not.
It's about midnight now and I have to be up around 4:00am. Long day tomorrow at MEPS and the word is we will arrive at Fort Benning around 5:00pm. Should be interesting!
I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you will enjoy reading these posts.
Matthew
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Beginnings: Bringing Everyone Up to Speed
Thursday, 17 March 2011, I officially became a member of the Army National Guard. After many months of researching, discussing, praying, and analyzing the pros and cons of joining the military, my wife and I decided that this decision would put us in a position to help meet our short-term and long-term goals (personally and professionally).
I have always had what I like to call that "military itch" but never really took that itch seriously. Therefore, I trekked on the past eleven years completing my bachelor's and master's degree while working in local government; currently as the City Planner for the City of Monroe. Something was still missing. November 20, 2010, I married my best friend, Jesica, bought a house in Athens, GA 2 miles from our Best Friends and started living the "Athens Dream": Football, Restaurants and Extracurricular Activities! Something was still missing. With my personal life fulfilled without any void, I began to think seriously about my professional career and how I saw myself developing and making that "paradigm shift" everyone talks about. I looked at my career at the City of Monroe and the future path that has a lot of potential and professional fulfillment. I also looked at possible career changes two to five years down the road. Then economics came into play. With the state of the economy and unemployment soaring to all time highs the latter of the two did not look so hot in the immediate future. At this point the military really started to make sense. My synopsis of the military changed in and of itself. I started looking beyond the thought of being at war and the possibility of deploying and temporarily leaving my wife, family and friends. I discovered the many opportunities the military offers and many areas appealed to me during my research. I started reading blogs and talking to current and former enlisted and officer personnel. Their insight and experiences have allowed me to come to this decision that I believe will afford me the opportunity to grow as a person and lead to many adventures in the future.
I hope this blog will allow you to share this experience with me. Jesica will be posting as she receives my letters. Take care.
Matthew
I hope this blog will allow you to share this experience with me. Jesica will be posting as she receives my letters. Take care.
Matthew
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