Sorry that I don't have any pics yet, but just wanted to let everyone know that I made it to San Antonio and am checked in for OBLC. That's "Officer Basic Leadership Course" for the non-Army types! I say that tongue in cheek because all the Army's acronyms are completely different from the Navy's, so I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to this new language myself! But pay attention, because I'll explain an acronym once and then you'll be on your own for future posts!!!
I arrived and checked into the base and was assigned a room. Here's the first difference between enlisted basic training (AKA boot camp) and officer training: I have only 1 roommate in a small suite with a kitchenette and it's own bathroom! Compared to the 74 women in bunk beds in one large room and another large room with a bunch of shower heads sticking out of the wall, this is a massive improvement! I couldn't help but marvel at the strange twists and turns in my life as I realized that this year marks the 20th anniversary of me going into Navy boot camp in Orlando, Florida (Company K131, 1989)! It was so long ago that the base hasn't existed in over a decade and that all my shipmates are now retired or retiring! It's also worth noting that on August 21, 1989 when I arrived for boot camp, I weighed about 120 pounds (versus 142 today), smoked like a dragon (1 pack of Winston or Marlboro reds per day) and drank & cursed like a sailor even before I was one!!! I don't think any of my family or friends thought that I'd actually make it through training back then.
Fast forward to today, I meet my new roommate at check-in and we help each other with the bag-drag up to our room. She's a freshly graduated nurse, early 20s and is super-excited about being here. Although she is much more responsible and level-headed than I was when I joined the military, she still reminds me a lot of myself- somewhat spontaneous, adventurous and has a positive, can-do outlook. We seem to be a good match so far; we'll see how long she can put up with being roommates with a relatively old lady though!
That's it for tonight. Training doesn't start until Monday, so I probably won't have much to post about until later in the week, but stay tuned. . .
Family...
3 months ago
2 comments:
Congratulations!
Love ya!
Suz
"Captain" training has started. You have one roommat! Sounds like Crete. You VQ folks had it made.
Don't try to teach your roommate all your bad habits you had in the US Navy. Liberty will come and you can go into town.
You are in the new military now Captain, so pay attention in class and never never think about the US Navy officers you had years ago. That was the old way.
After you put your bars on and get your first assignment, YOU are the "Captain" then and you can do it your way. Make a note to use your Senior NCOs. The 1st Sergeant will run the show for you, just watch them. They will try to get away with anything.
Looking forward to more US Army training post. Enjoy each day with a smile, USA instructors like to see a trainee smiling.
Joe (USN Ret ATCS)
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