Theme Week Eight

A life within the Army is a life that is exciting and full of so many new experiences. I started out in the Army as a eighteen year old high school senior. I went to Basic training in the summer of 97 and experienced so many things that I never knew existed. I met people from many different cultures and backgrounds. The summer of 97 daily routine consisted of four am wake up calls with Drill Sargent's yelling in my face. Then it went to the physical training for at least two hours. The rest of the day was taken up by weapons training, road marches, and drill and ceremony marching. In the evening we spent our time shining shoes, pressing uniforms, and yes more physical training. By the time we actually hit the pillow it was ten pm at the earliest. Then we had to look forward to the next day of doing it all over again. For over three months this went on with the only rest day being Sunday if we chose to go to church that is. I chose to go to three services on Sunday. One for the Baptist service, one for the Baptist service in Spanish, and one for the Catholic or "nap service." Day after day I was beat down just to be built back up. And I thought that when it was over I would have some huge ceremony that would make me put my nose in the air and think that I was better then everyone else. I was wrong! The ceremony consisted of Drill and Ceremony marching and then we got a piece of paper and went home with our families. I went home to my senior year in high school and that was when I got my gratification... My nose was in the air and I was better than everyone else. I had this new body and new look on the world. I had accomplished something that most of the people I went to school with would never have made it through. This was huge for me to have on my side. That is why I feel I went from small (basic training) to big (snobby high school kid).