I can pump 43 push-ups in 120 seconds, crank 83 sit-ups in 2 minutes, run 2 miles in 15:11. For 10 weeks, I ate with, slept with, peed with, pooped with, ran with, crawled with, exercised with my trusty M16. It was with me, all. the. time.
I learned to eat my 1500 calorie meals in under 7 minutes, grew comfortable sharing 7 shower heads with 27 females, perfected the art of "YES DRILL SERGEANT!!!", mustered the courage to give my 'battle buddy' an IV, could identify members of my platoon by fart, thought of cough drops as candy and a legitimate source of food, ruck marched for 10 miles carrying 60 lbs of gear on my back, shot a 50 caliber machine gun like there was no tomorrow, threw a couple of grenades like a girl, shot live rounds while riding on the back of a convoy, didn't shower for a span of 7 days while on a mission in the field, ran an obstacle course in the woods with a bayonet while yelling "KILL, KILL, KILL!!", woke up at 4:00 freaking AM every morning...sometimes to a yelling Drill Sergeant, did every type of exercise imaginable as a form of punishment.
And despite the craziness and stressful nature basic training was and is, I miss it. There are things my buddies and I went through that will always remain with me. The comradery you build with people you eat, sleep, poop and train with is strong. By the end of our cycle, we were all definitely a family. A disfunctional one, yes, but a family.
Joe and I both going through basic has brought us the closest together we've been. Being without each other for 4 months made our reunion an amazing experience. Never had I felt so overwhelmed. Our 12 hour drive back home from Ft. Jackson, South Carolina to West Point, New York was filled to the brim with basic training stories. We had each other laughing and understanding exactly what each other meant and felt. What an experience.
Ok, ok, so here are a couple snap shots I got via cell phone camera. (They let us have our phones back 2 days before graduation day). I wish I could have snapped a picture of myself with all of my gear on, (bullet proof vest, load bearing vest, M16, kevlar helmet, ect.) but we had to clean and turn in our equipment before we got our phones back. Hope these will satisfy your thirsty eyes for now.
Post graduation pic.
PVT Morgan and PVT McGrew chillin' before evening roll call.
(Note: PVT McGrew dawning the ever popular Army issue eye wear. Referred to as BCG's, they are a very effective form of birth control.)
My main homies, PVT Boatman and PVT McGrew.
The whole gang.
