hello to all my supporters out there. we just came in for a 24 hour refit. this is basically a time to do laundry, buy necessary supplies, shower, etc. i feel clean for the first time since wednesday, and probably smell less offensive as well. we're waiting around now for word on when we can actually leave the area, but we're not allowed to leave post, so i don't really mind being stuck(except for not being able to use my phone).
we had a decent week in the field. once we put land navigation behind us, we moved into field leadership exercise 1 (flx1). this consisted of the training aspects of our field work. we did movement to contact, actions on an objective, reflexive fire, ambushes etc. we also worked on orders and graphics, which will be a big part of our evaluations next week. overall it was good, but being in the field drains you after a few days.
this week culminated this morning with a 7 mile road march. it was a tough one since everyone was shot. also, we had some larger weapons with us we had to carry. me, i had the tripod for a m240b machine gun in my bag, dang heavy piece of iron. but, every single person in the company made it all the way!
when we go back out, we will be planning and executing missions, applying what we;ve learned in ocs and in prior training. this is the apex of our course and the evaluations here are key for leadership skills. it should be a pretty good week. i'm mostly looking forward to playing opfor (the bad guy).
war games, hooah!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
shentuts
i am my squad's squad leader this week. in one sense it has been easier than previous weeks because there is a significant amount of down time in the field. in other ways, though, it has been much harder because if people wander off they are impossible to find. also, everything we are doing is out of the routine, so we have to brief everyone a lot.
we moved our gear to the fob (forward operating base) where we will be conducting all of our combat-based scenarios. we won't get much time to sleep, but when we do , we have cots in these shed/tent/hut things: 'shentuts', i'll call them. they look like garages, but not as high and the door opening is a canvas flap of three layers. inside is a square flat open space, a concrete slab. the outer shell is coated with water/weather-proofing material. it looks like a wasps nest.
i mentioned in a previous post that the a/c was broken. i heard later it wasn't, but it wasn't turned on. it felt like a convection oven in there. it would have been impossible to sleep in there. i'm sure it will be nice with the a/c and fan going, better than a pup-tent anyway.
shentuts aside, we have a lot of training and work to do out there. i am excited to partake in all of the fun, but also will be glad once we complete the exercises with passing marks.
sorry for the double post today, but this time, we actually will stay in the field for more than one day. that's the plan anyway. be back saturday or sunday, i hope.
we moved our gear to the fob (forward operating base) where we will be conducting all of our combat-based scenarios. we won't get much time to sleep, but when we do , we have cots in these shed/tent/hut things: 'shentuts', i'll call them. they look like garages, but not as high and the door opening is a canvas flap of three layers. inside is a square flat open space, a concrete slab. the outer shell is coated with water/weather-proofing material. it looks like a wasps nest.
i mentioned in a previous post that the a/c was broken. i heard later it wasn't, but it wasn't turned on. it felt like a convection oven in there. it would have been impossible to sleep in there. i'm sure it will be nice with the a/c and fan going, better than a pup-tent anyway.
shentuts aside, we have a lot of training and work to do out there. i am excited to partake in all of the fun, but also will be glad once we complete the exercises with passing marks.
sorry for the double post today, but this time, we actually will stay in the field for more than one day. that's the plan anyway. be back saturday or sunday, i hope.
land nav
hello avid readers. the direct e-mail marketing method seemed to work since i received feedback from you guys. thanks for listening! i will continue to force my thoughts on you :)
well, we're in barracks tonight, and i don't know why. i think it's because the a/c is broken in the field... more on that in a minute.
we went out to the 'yankee' range on monday afternoon for land navigation. we hauled our rucksacks and assault bags onto a cramped bus and rode 40 min or so to the site. we reviewed some land nav techniques; dead reckoning, shooting an azimuth, etc. also we got our pace counts for roads, woods and while running.
we pulled up stakes and went in that night, lightning warning, apparently there were serious storms in atlanta. we really didn't get anything here. it was nice to sleep in a bed anyway, but we had to get up at 4 am to get back out to the course for a 5 am start. the course went fine for me in the beginning. it's a ton of walking, but you get 5 hours to complete. when i was ready to hit my 4th point (of the 5 needed to pass) i realized that i had lost my score sheet. this is the sheet where you log the points you have found. there is a verifying hole-punch at each station. so, i get a little dejected and walked my sad-ass back to the start point. i was a no-go, but it did not count as a failed test because it was "pre-qualifying".
that evening i was subjected to re-training and a 3 hour run on the other nav course. my already aching feet had to suffer. i was embarrassed at not passing, and a little annoyed i had to train on the steps i wasn't having any problems with. i got up this morning at 4:10 with the other re-testers. we headed out at 5:25 and i was off. i had three points before the sun even came up. i had my fourth and fifth with so much time left, i was able to take an easy walk all the way back. i turned in my sheet for a 'go' at 8:30, with 2 whole hours to spare. you won't see me blow the same training twice.
tomorrow, we get to sleep in 45 minutes later than the people who still failed land nav; a 4:15 wake up for weapons hand out. hooah. armed and not dangerous for the next 2.5 weeks.
well, we're in barracks tonight, and i don't know why. i think it's because the a/c is broken in the field... more on that in a minute.
we went out to the 'yankee' range on monday afternoon for land navigation. we hauled our rucksacks and assault bags onto a cramped bus and rode 40 min or so to the site. we reviewed some land nav techniques; dead reckoning, shooting an azimuth, etc. also we got our pace counts for roads, woods and while running.
we pulled up stakes and went in that night, lightning warning, apparently there were serious storms in atlanta. we really didn't get anything here. it was nice to sleep in a bed anyway, but we had to get up at 4 am to get back out to the course for a 5 am start. the course went fine for me in the beginning. it's a ton of walking, but you get 5 hours to complete. when i was ready to hit my 4th point (of the 5 needed to pass) i realized that i had lost my score sheet. this is the sheet where you log the points you have found. there is a verifying hole-punch at each station. so, i get a little dejected and walked my sad-ass back to the start point. i was a no-go, but it did not count as a failed test because it was "pre-qualifying".
that evening i was subjected to re-training and a 3 hour run on the other nav course. my already aching feet had to suffer. i was embarrassed at not passing, and a little annoyed i had to train on the steps i wasn't having any problems with. i got up this morning at 4:10 with the other re-testers. we headed out at 5:25 and i was off. i had three points before the sun even came up. i had my fourth and fifth with so much time left, i was able to take an easy walk all the way back. i turned in my sheet for a 'go' at 8:30, with 2 whole hours to spare. you won't see me blow the same training twice.
tomorrow, we get to sleep in 45 minutes later than the people who still failed land nav; a 4:15 wake up for weapons hand out. hooah. armed and not dangerous for the next 2.5 weeks.
Monday, September 21, 2009
senior officer candidate
sorry i took a few days off of the blog. i have been pretty sick, flu or other virus i guess; headache, fever, chills, night sweats... all-around bad times. i wake up monday morning a little better, and hopefully will continue to improve.
over the weekend we had practice for this morning's ceremony, in which we will transition from basic officer candidates to senior officer candidates. we switch from the black ascot to the white ascot, we wear the branch insignia on our uniform top and the basic candidates are supposed to salute us.
ocs completely changes at this point. we move into the field for 3 weeks: land navigation, war gaming, etc. then, the last three weeks are military bearing and officer conduct. better than that, we only have one more exam in week 11, history part 2. scary.
apparently following a blog does not mean you get informed when i make new posts, and its real easy to forget about it. so i am trying a new setting that will e-mail new posts to selected e-mail addresses. hi, everybody! i may be posting at an irregular rate, as i will not have access to my computer until wednesday, then not again until saturday, etc.
keep danielle in your prayers, she has surgery today. thanks.
over the weekend we had practice for this morning's ceremony, in which we will transition from basic officer candidates to senior officer candidates. we switch from the black ascot to the white ascot, we wear the branch insignia on our uniform top and the basic candidates are supposed to salute us.
ocs completely changes at this point. we move into the field for 3 weeks: land navigation, war gaming, etc. then, the last three weeks are military bearing and officer conduct. better than that, we only have one more exam in week 11, history part 2. scary.
apparently following a blog does not mean you get informed when i make new posts, and its real easy to forget about it. so i am trying a new setting that will e-mail new posts to selected e-mail addresses. hi, everybody! i may be posting at an irregular rate, as i will not have access to my computer until wednesday, then not again until saturday, etc.
keep danielle in your prayers, she has surgery today. thanks.
Friday, September 18, 2009
the big day
well, friday finally got here, and a great day it was (or is). we got up super-early for the 5 mile run, but it was a good one. despite high humidity, everyone ran well. i put down 5 in 34:58, feeling strong; earning my breakfast.
the history review was excellent, really made the test easier. they let us know by the afternoon if we failed or not. not hearing my name called was the best feeling ever. i feel bad for the 20+ people who did not pass, but they get a re-test on monday or tuesday and i'm sure they'll do fine.
finally, after lunch and a class on memo-writing, we went to the branching ceremony. we lined up in oml (order of merit list) order and filed into the hall. there was a wide selection of branches for people to consider. even when i went, number 76 out of 172, i had my pick of everything we got. so, i got my first choice- ordnance corps. there i will get to work with the maintenance and development of weapons, systems and munitions. i am looking forward to it.
now, if only we can get off this weekend to celebrate a little...
the history review was excellent, really made the test easier. they let us know by the afternoon if we failed or not. not hearing my name called was the best feeling ever. i feel bad for the 20+ people who did not pass, but they get a re-test on monday or tuesday and i'm sure they'll do fine.
finally, after lunch and a class on memo-writing, we went to the branching ceremony. we lined up in oml (order of merit list) order and filed into the hall. there was a wide selection of branches for people to consider. even when i went, number 76 out of 172, i had my pick of everything we got. so, i got my first choice- ordnance corps. there i will get to work with the maintenance and development of weapons, systems and munitions. i am looking forward to it.
now, if only we can get off this weekend to celebrate a little...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
wet pt
man did it rain today. early middle and late. rain rain rain. we lined up for pt this morning and we were all pretty sure it would be cancelled, but nope. we ran around in the ran and did push ups and sit ups for an hour. it was cold and wet, but really not too bad.
the military intelligence test was harder than the instructor made it out to be, but reasonable. i believe i broke 90 on it, i'm sure i passed.
we got our supply and training exam scores back today. i scored a 95 and 96 respectively, that's one wrong on each. i can live with that. those two and today's test make up the last scores that will contribute to the order for branching tomorrow. it would be all i could think about, but we are all seriously sweating the history test tomorrow morning. it looks brutal, we learned (or at least saw) a ton of crap this week. tonight will be dedicated to review.
tomorrow, we run as slow as we can.
the military intelligence test was harder than the instructor made it out to be, but reasonable. i believe i broke 90 on it, i'm sure i passed.
we got our supply and training exam scores back today. i scored a 95 and 96 respectively, that's one wrong on each. i can live with that. those two and today's test make up the last scores that will contribute to the order for branching tomorrow. it would be all i could think about, but we are all seriously sweating the history test tomorrow morning. it looks brutal, we learned (or at least saw) a ton of crap this week. tonight will be dedicated to review.
tomorrow, we run as slow as we can.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
nada
besides a killer 8.5 mile run this am, nothing to report. history was a little boring, the rest of the day was more boring. we have a test tomorrow. everyone is just waiting form Friday. a challengin exam and branching. then we prep for the field.
love.
love.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
zonk
this week started off at a high rate of speed. up early monday for an army pt test. this is normally done about once every 6 months to evaluate your physical fitness, but in the training environment its a little more frequent. this was my 6th test and i've only been in 5 months. i did ok, about the same as my last test. drinking over the weekend probably didn't help, but this test wasn't for record so i'm not sweating it.
this week we started with hstory class. its a little dull at times (obviously) but we move through the material fairly quickly. it's interesting for me to go back and learn some things that i had in elementary and high school from a military standpoint. we have class on this half of each day this week with a test friday morning.
we had two short exams in the afternoon, on last week's classes of supply activities and training management. i'm pretty sure i nailed them both, but its hard to be sure on those tricky multiple choice tests.
we got back our caffeine privileges, as well as extended laundry hours and tobacco use. we're still on lockdown in the evenings, but there's not really anywhere to go so it's fine.
this morning we lined up for combatives, which is probably my least favorite form of pt. i learned of a military tradition that i had never seen before. the senior trainer stuck his head out the door and yelled zonk. this means to disappear. we ran inside like crazy, apparently you do not want to be left outside after the time they feel it takes to get yourself gone. so now i can sit here and study, right after getting this post done.
stay warm and dry.
this week we started with hstory class. its a little dull at times (obviously) but we move through the material fairly quickly. it's interesting for me to go back and learn some things that i had in elementary and high school from a military standpoint. we have class on this half of each day this week with a test friday morning.
we had two short exams in the afternoon, on last week's classes of supply activities and training management. i'm pretty sure i nailed them both, but its hard to be sure on those tricky multiple choice tests.
we got back our caffeine privileges, as well as extended laundry hours and tobacco use. we're still on lockdown in the evenings, but there's not really anywhere to go so it's fine.
this morning we lined up for combatives, which is probably my least favorite form of pt. i learned of a military tradition that i had never seen before. the senior trainer stuck his head out the door and yelled zonk. this means to disappear. we ran inside like crazy, apparently you do not want to be left outside after the time they feel it takes to get yourself gone. so now i can sit here and study, right after getting this post done.
stay warm and dry.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
week 6
it was a nice weekend here in sunny georgia. we did not get a pass friday night, but i believe this was intentional, not really due to anything we did. saturday morning had two events. firstly a blood drive. i was fortunate to be able to donate; there are many of my fellow candidates who were not able to because of vaccinations or deployments outside the us (or oconus as they say). i got a cool t-shirt, which is pretty good motivation to do anything. secondly, we had our first in-depth barracks inspection. wall lockers, bunks, displays, etc. i ended up with a negative spot report because my acu tops were not zipped up while hung, i did not know this was required, but i do now. a buddy of mine got busted because his boots on display weren't tied. i've never heard of that, we usually just inch up the laces and tuck them in. ah well, we'll do better next time. after the painful walk through, we sat around until it was time for chow, then we got released until sunday night. nice.
being that today is my birthday (yay me) i went out with some friends for a late dinner and some beers. some became a few and we stayed out till 2 am, woot. i still managed to get up in time for church (thanks for the 8 am phone call mom). now its time to hydrate for our student-graded pt test tomorrow.
we turn the corner as we enter week 6. this is our last week as basic officer candidates and we transition, early week 7, to senior officer candidates. it will be quite a week- 3 exams: supply and training, military intelligence and history 1- our pt test- a 5 mile release run and then on friday we select our branches. this is a huge milestone in the course of a cycle. it will be nice to get through this week to focus on the next set of challenges: leadership exercises.
i should have my first duty station location and follow-on training orders in about a month, so i will finally be able to tell people where we'll be living!
rock on.
being that today is my birthday (yay me) i went out with some friends for a late dinner and some beers. some became a few and we stayed out till 2 am, woot. i still managed to get up in time for church (thanks for the 8 am phone call mom). now its time to hydrate for our student-graded pt test tomorrow.
we turn the corner as we enter week 6. this is our last week as basic officer candidates and we transition, early week 7, to senior officer candidates. it will be quite a week- 3 exams: supply and training, military intelligence and history 1- our pt test- a 5 mile release run and then on friday we select our branches. this is a huge milestone in the course of a cycle. it will be nice to get through this week to focus on the next set of challenges: leadership exercises.
i should have my first duty station location and follow-on training orders in about a month, so i will finally be able to tell people where we'll be living!
rock on.
Friday, September 11, 2009
good pt
started off the day with a 4 mile release run. a release run being where we do not run in formation, but go for time. this run does not count for points or ranking, so i did not want to kill myself. i had three goals in addition to the standard; which by the way is 9 minute miles, or 36 minutes. 1- i wanted to beat 8 minutes, or 32 minutes. 2- exceeding that i wanted to break he 30 minute mark. 3- a stretch goal, i wanted to break a 7 minute pace, or 28 minutes total. i was very proud of myself to come in at 27:46. now i can relax for a week until our 5 mile release run.
we did tactical communication today. radios, again. this was the first time, for me anyway, where we actually got to use encryption and fh, or frequency hopping. pretty neat stuff, but i prefer cell phones.
after lunch we went out to the volleyball court, which we never get to use, and did operations orders. this will be a key skill for us to have in the field in weeks 8 and 9. it was hot, and a little boring, and i swear i fell asleep on my feet at one point. but i did learn a few things i'll need later.
the rest of the evening we're prepping for an inspection tomorrow. full lockers, desks, etc. its a lot of work, but it will hopefully get us off for the weekend.
signed-
'folding in ft benning'
look out now
Secretary of the Army has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelityand professional excellence of CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT W., in view of these qualities and his demonstrated leadership potential and dedicated service to the US Army, he is therefore, promoted from SPC to SGT, MOS 09S2O00YY is awarded as his primary MOS, effective 10 AUGUST 2009.
my first promotion! you can call me sarge while it lasts...
my first promotion! you can call me sarge while it lasts...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
back to basics
well, we got creamed today. a misinterpretation of a memo that resulted in people signing out to the px during study hours; which we all thought was ok, got all of our privileges revoked. no more coffee, no more eating in class, nothing.
i ate a bag of trail mix today, prior to the sanctions. i thought it was healthy. i was shocked to see that it was 150 calories per serving. i was even more shocked to see there were 5 servings in a 5 oz. bag. yikes. good thing we have a four mile run tomorrow.
for some reason i have more trouble with open book tests than with memory only. i pulled off a 92 on the last exam. still an 'a', but i could have used those 8 points. we are branching next week.
speaking of, it seems like there is no way to get my paperwork submitted to be considered for medical services. this is a bummer. there was always a chance they wouldn't need any officers from this cycle, or that they wouldn't want me for my background, but it would have been nice to be considered; especially since a clerical error got three of us off the list.
on a brighter note, even though there are only 6 slots available for ordnance (the branch i want next) there is not a lot of interest. based on a straw poll, the person ranked 146th in the class will take the 6th slot. that makes my #70 rank seem pretty hooah. the branching next week is about all i can think about, that and the two exams in between. after that we hit the field for three weeks. then its downhill and paperwork time.
can't wait to be done, but need to keep focused each day. keep me in your prayers!
i ate a bag of trail mix today, prior to the sanctions. i thought it was healthy. i was shocked to see that it was 150 calories per serving. i was even more shocked to see there were 5 servings in a 5 oz. bag. yikes. good thing we have a four mile run tomorrow.
for some reason i have more trouble with open book tests than with memory only. i pulled off a 92 on the last exam. still an 'a', but i could have used those 8 points. we are branching next week.
speaking of, it seems like there is no way to get my paperwork submitted to be considered for medical services. this is a bummer. there was always a chance they wouldn't need any officers from this cycle, or that they wouldn't want me for my background, but it would have been nice to be considered; especially since a clerical error got three of us off the list.
on a brighter note, even though there are only 6 slots available for ordnance (the branch i want next) there is not a lot of interest. based on a straw poll, the person ranked 146th in the class will take the 6th slot. that makes my #70 rank seem pretty hooah. the branching next week is about all i can think about, that and the two exams in between. after that we hit the field for three weeks. then its downhill and paperwork time.
can't wait to be done, but need to keep focused each day. keep me in your prayers!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
hump day
wednesday came fast this week, nice to have monday off. we did combative fighting; except for my big friend rolling over my ankle, it was ok. so far no one has gotten hurt rolling each week, this is good and we all hope it will continue.
we had an exam on army ops this morning. it was fairly easy, open notes and multiple choice. that concluded our section on tactics and theory and we're moving on...
the leaders reaction course was an interesting event. 16 obstacles that you have to maneuver your squad through. each person takes turns as squad leader. they are not very dangerous, but caution is required. unfortunately, the last people to use the course emptied the pool underneath it, so we couldn't use the obstacles that are over water. this is most of them; so we only got to do 2 in my squad. in order to keep us motivated, the company held a competition. first we all climbed in and commando crawled through the pool to get nice and wet. then we ran around the entire course, by platoons, and crawled back through the pool. turns out we came in second. not bad, but it sucks to lose to 2nd platoon again.
on a brighter note, i'm eating more peppers and less pie.
we had an exam on army ops this morning. it was fairly easy, open notes and multiple choice. that concluded our section on tactics and theory and we're moving on...
the leaders reaction course was an interesting event. 16 obstacles that you have to maneuver your squad through. each person takes turns as squad leader. they are not very dangerous, but caution is required. unfortunately, the last people to use the course emptied the pool underneath it, so we couldn't use the obstacles that are over water. this is most of them; so we only got to do 2 in my squad. in order to keep us motivated, the company held a competition. first we all climbed in and commando crawled through the pool to get nice and wet. then we ran around the entire course, by platoons, and crawled back through the pool. turns out we came in second. not bad, but it sucks to lose to 2nd platoon again.
on a brighter note, i'm eating more peppers and less pie.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
tough day
well, it was back to the grind today and it was kind of beat. we had chow detail in the morning, handing it off to the new team, lost all my time after breakfast. then a quiz i wasn't really ready for. then a new sop for how lockers are laid out, and rumor of a full inspection in the am. i'm not ready for it and don't have enough time to get organized. also, had some paperwork that missed a deadline- not my fault- and it can affect my future career significantly. not a great day. however, there are lots of opportunities for things to get better.
on the bright side, the test tomorrow is open note. then we have leader's reaction course, that should be fun. it apparently involves groups conquering obstacles, so we'll have no problem- go 3rd squad 1plt!!
oc finn just came in and told me that there is definitely no locker inspection. that's nice to know. poor guy wasted over an hour getting his stuff ready.
luck favors the prepared.
on the bright side, the test tomorrow is open note. then we have leader's reaction course, that should be fun. it apparently involves groups conquering obstacles, so we'll have no problem- go 3rd squad 1plt!!
oc finn just came in and told me that there is definitely no locker inspection. that's nice to know. poor guy wasted over an hour getting his stuff ready.
luck favors the prepared.
Monday, September 7, 2009
labor day
hey folks. the weather was great here for labor day. i took it real easy and caught up on laundry and phone calls. since i have so little to report i will mention an issue that is of growing concern: 'comments'. are there any? does anyone even read this thing? i would love to see a response so i know that i haven't killed all the blog followers with boredom.
in that same vein, i am struggling with the theme of the content. i can't tell if it seems dry because i am re-reading what i wrote, or if it is as dull as it looks. i am open to suggestions of what to add/delete for content to make the posts more interesting. let me know by using the 'comments' feature. heh.
otherwise, all good and quiet. getting ready to gear back up and am counting down the days to the branching ceremony. in between are some cool events, stay tuned for details.
only losers use drugs and only users lose drugs.
in that same vein, i am struggling with the theme of the content. i can't tell if it seems dry because i am re-reading what i wrote, or if it is as dull as it looks. i am open to suggestions of what to add/delete for content to make the posts more interesting. let me know by using the 'comments' feature. heh.
otherwise, all good and quiet. getting ready to gear back up and am counting down the days to the branching ceremony. in between are some cool events, stay tuned for details.
only losers use drugs and only users lose drugs.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
having fun now
having a good weekend here. went out a little and made it to church. my cousin danny and my uncle jerry made it into town today. we played 18 holes and went out to dinner, had wings etc. it was great to see them, especially since i haven't seen danny in like 8+ years.
i slacked on pt this weekend; i guess that's ok. i did climb ropes yesterday, but got a burn on my leg for my trouble. i'll have some making up to do this week.
i slacked on pt this weekend; i guess that's ok. i did climb ropes yesterday, but got a burn on my leg for my trouble. i'll have some making up to do this week.
the coolest unexpected event this weekend was finding a machine that plays photo hunt. i only played one round, but we kicked tail. i guess it's kind of like riding a bicycle.
this coming week we have a 4 mile release run. i can't wait, it should be good competition. also, my sister sent me my running shoes, so it's been a pleasure to run again.
recall is at 1900 monday, so i'll sign off for now. live and love.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
holiday weekend
well, we've made it through 4 weeks here and are fortunate to have a holiday in this training cycle. we got released thursday after dinner and don't have to report in until 7pm on monday. people are taking advantage of the time to catch up on laundry, sleep and drinking/ eating civilian foods. i, personally, am grateful to be able to play a little golf and to talk to my kids since they're usually asleep by the time i can use the phone.
we're coming back to 2 exams and a field course- all of which will take place during a 4 day week. i guess we'll be pretty busy. the next two weeks are the last chances to earn points prior to branch selection day. the order of merit list, or oml, was published for the first time on thursday. i am number 70 out of 171, not too bad, not too great. you never want to see anyone fail, but if a few people got less than perfect marks on the next exams i wouldn't complain.
despite my rank, i should be able to choose almost any branch. many of the 69 people ahead of me already are branched, so they aren't in competition for the week 6 ceremony. also, most people don't want the same job. for example, a lot of my class wants military intelligence, and i do not, so i will still have plenty of choices when i get up there.
enough thinking about all that, it'll happen when it happens. for now, i need to work on my golf swing. peace.
we're coming back to 2 exams and a field course- all of which will take place during a 4 day week. i guess we'll be pretty busy. the next two weeks are the last chances to earn points prior to branch selection day. the order of merit list, or oml, was published for the first time on thursday. i am number 70 out of 171, not too bad, not too great. you never want to see anyone fail, but if a few people got less than perfect marks on the next exams i wouldn't complain.
despite my rank, i should be able to choose almost any branch. many of the 69 people ahead of me already are branched, so they aren't in competition for the week 6 ceremony. also, most people don't want the same job. for example, a lot of my class wants military intelligence, and i do not, so i will still have plenty of choices when i get up there.
enough thinking about all that, it'll happen when it happens. for now, i need to work on my golf swing. peace.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
peppers
in basic training, i ate hot peppers with every lunch and dinner i had, and some breakfasts. i like the taste and one time i heard they are good for you. they also add kick to foods that may be less than flavorful. i continued that habit here for a couple weeks, but noticed today that i no longer take peppers with my salads. in fact i have reduced my intake significantly. moreover, i believe that i have replaced them, subconsciously of course, with pie.
the other day i had lemon meringue, last week i had pumpkin and the week before i had both peach and apple. the pie here is fantastic. i hate eating here. before i joined the army i almost never even had dessert. now i have a had time resisting the temptation for pie.
at least we work out every day, so i can afford a little dessert, but its not a habit i want to cultivate. although i did have a really good piece of pecan a few weeks ago, if they put it out again i don't know....
the other day i had lemon meringue, last week i had pumpkin and the week before i had both peach and apple. the pie here is fantastic. i hate eating here. before i joined the army i almost never even had dessert. now i have a had time resisting the temptation for pie.
at least we work out every day, so i can afford a little dessert, but its not a habit i want to cultivate. although i did have a really good piece of pecan a few weeks ago, if they put it out again i don't know....
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