Two Weeks Ago

Its been such a whirlwind and its crazy to wrap my mind around it all!!! I'm so glad that I've been keeping this blog because I'm even having a hard time keeping up with everything that has been going on!!!

Two weeks ago at about 5:00pm I met with my recruiter for the first time along with my mom. (This was after switching recruiters after nine months). Two weeks ago was when I decided to switch to active duty instead of reserves, it was when I finally put my foot down and decided that I was going to join the United States Army!!! Since those two weeks so much has happened, everything has moved very quickly and its hard to believe that I am a Future Soldier of the United States in just two short weeks!!!

One week ago today was when I got sworn into the United States Army and signed my contract. That entire experience was such a fulfillment for me and I couldn't be happier about my decision.

In a very short 70 days I will be heading to basic training to start the training to be transformed into a Soldier!!!

There is still so much to do and in a short amount of time but I can't believe that it was just two weeks ago that the process began!!!

Heather.

Future Soldiers Online is Frustrating

This entry is really just going to be a giant venting session because the future soldiers training program online is really pissing me off!!!!

I have a bunch of courses that I have to take online before shipping to basic (as I have previously posted) well I'm trying to get them all achieved and I'm not having the best of luck!!! Not because I'm stupid but because the system is stupid!! It keeps kicking me off and then it marks that I haven't completed the course when I actually have!! On the "final exams" it has questions and things that they never mentioned in the course!!! I should be done with the checklist by now but its being dumb!!

The one good thing about the program is that it has a countdown until I have to report to duty!! ONLY 71 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Write more later,
Heather

Future Soldiers Meeting

Well, as promised here is the post about my first future soldiers meeting!

I woke-up about 8:30am on Saturday morning and had to be across town by 9:00am. Lets just say I'm not the best morning person! I managed to get there on time and a little early and I was excited not to be the last one there. There was eight of us total. We all car pooled to the school that was just down the street. There was an old lady in an electric wheel chair that wasn't paying any attention and pulled out right in front of the traffic, she almost got hit five times!!! We got to the school with everyone in one piece went to the soccer field. They briefed us on hazards (from all the rain we had the day/night before, and we all walked around the field to find any possible dangerous spots! We played ultimate Frisbee. Those that know me realize that I'm not a sports kind of girl but I was really proud of myself for doing okay. They gave us time to warm-up (it was really cold and windy outside) and get used to the Frisbees'. My team got put with a loser because it probably took me fifteen minutes to be able to actually catch and throw the Frisbee. After warming-up they made us girls the team captains (there were only two of us and 10 guys (counting the recruiters because they played too)). We played three games my team only won once! :( It turned out to be a pretty dangerous game; the grounds were still wet and everyone slid and fell, the other girl got hit in the head by the Frisbee and had a giant welt afterward, another kid slid into the knee of one of the other players, and someone twisted their ankle but somehow everyone managed to stay in one piece. I actually got the Frisbee twice and managed to throw it and someone actually caught it (that was on my team), I was pretty proud of myself; usually if something is coming towards me I duck away. It was definitely a work-out. I hadn't done so much cardio in a long while but I managed to do really well!!!

After playing our three games of ultimate Frisbee we headed back to the recruiting station for a lesson!!! It was map reading. Something that most people know I could use a lot of! I actually did really well and was proud of myself! I still couldn't tell you which direction is North but I know the coordinates and if I was working on someone in the woods I could tell the rest of my squad where I was!!!

The entire meeting lasted about two and a half hours. I headed home and I was starved!!! My mom and I went to Zio's for lunch (it was Yummy!), and then we moved furniture. Lets just say that I got the biggest work-out on Saturday that I have had in a long while and I woke-up very sore on Sunday morning!! Now that I've had a little exercise I'm ready to get on the horse and get in shape for Basic!!

I will write more soon!!!
Heather

Dates and Details

Hey Everyone,

I have posted about the MEPS (its on the previous page and is like a book so you shouldn't miss it) but I didn't give all the details of my contract!!!

I signed up for:
4 Years Active Duty; 4 Years Reserves (chances are I will reenlist after the 4 years active so I won't ever do any reserves time).
My MOS (or job) is 68whiskey/combat medic/health care specialist.
I got airborne option (which is jumping out of planes for those who don't know).
I'm going in as an E-3 (which is a promotion) and I will be addressed as a Private or PFC for slang and my title will be Private First Class.
I got the Montgomery GI Bill, which gives me $70,000 for school.
I also got a $3,000 sign-on bonus which was a surprise (something they started the day I enlisted).
I ship for basic on July 15th for a week of reception (more processing) but I leave Springfield on July 14th. Basic starts on July 24th, 2009. I will graduate at the end of September (I don't know the date yet). Basic will be at Ft Leonard Wood, MO.
A day or two after I finish and graduate from Basic I head to AIT (Advanced Individual Training or job training) to become a medic. I will be there for 19 weeks and it starts September 28th or 29th, 2009. AIT training will be at Ft. Houston, TX.
After I finish AIT I will head to Airborne training. Airborne training is 3 weeks long and it starts on February 8th, 2010. Airborne training will be at Ft Benning, Georgia.
After I finish I will be stationed where ever the Army chooses (I get to make a wish list but it isn't guaranteed)!!

I will edit this soon with the correct dates and time!!!
Heather

Changed Recruiter

This happened a while ago but after looking over the journey I have gone through myself I realized I never updated the blog about it!!

Last Tuesday after not being comfortable with my old recruiter (Sergeant Murphy) I decided to make a phone call to the other recruiting office and switch recruiters!! I had been working with Sergeant Murphy for the entire nine months but I felt like she was hiding benefits from me and other important information. Mainly I didn't feel comfortable working with her! She wasn't available when I needed her help or needed to talk to her and later I found out that she was lying to me about certain things!!!

Luckily I followed my gut reaction and called and got switched to another recruiter and my current recruiter which is completely amazing (Sergeant Carroll)!! He also got me switched from reserves to active duty (with the help from Sergeant Combs, and something my mom wasn't to happy about at first)!!! Sergeant Carroll has been there anytime I have had a problem, calmed me down when I had freak-outs, got me amazing benefits, got me the job I wanted (even when it wasn't available), and somehow managed to get my enlisted within a week of first talking to him!!!

I have a feeling that Sergeant Carroll will help me through more hard times and be a great friend through my Army career!! Sergeant Murphy needs to get the picture and stop calling me!!

Just wanted to note the switch!

Heather

Future Soldier Training

So, after getting frustrated and taking it out on people that I probably shouldn't have (sorry mom and Brandon!!), I finally figured out how to make the future soldier training program work (after talking to my recruiter)! I'm suppose to take miniature classes on everything military (military time, military alphabet, military numbers, insignia, etc). The classes aren't really hard but they aren't easy either, and there is definitely a lot to memorize!! I have to take a final exam after every lesson to test and see if I can remember, then I get a certificate, and then my recruiter tests me to make sure I am retaining all the information!! There is a lot of them all together but I won't have a hard time getting them all accomplished before heading off to basic (the hardest part is going to be the physical portion).

Along with the online classes that I do on my own I have to get physically in shape!!! I have to do 4 push-ups in a minute, 17 sit-ups in a minute, and 1 mile in 10:30. That seems easy enough but my recruiter is making it harder!!!! He wants me to be able to do the guys test which is 17 push-ups in a minute, 50 sit-ups in a minute, run 2 miles in 10:30, do pull-ups and flutter kicks (whatever those are). He told me that he would train with me but it will be challenging (I guess that's what I get for being his first female recruit!). If I do succeed then I will be put into a guys group instead of a girls and I'm not completely sure that I want to be in a guys group but we shall see what happens!!

On top on taking online classes and working on my physical abilities we have group meetings. All the future soldiers from my recruiting station meet twice a month and we work on physical things and military lessons. The meetings are at 9:00 am and last for two hours. I have my first one this Saturday and I'm looking forward to meeting other future soldiers that hopefully I can build bonds with!!!

I will let everyone in on my progress!

Talk to you soon,
Heather

Brandon's Parents

Last night I went over to Brandon's and it was the first time I have gone over there in a little over a week. His parents and I don't always get along 100% but we try.

Well I was pleasantly surprised when they took a lot of interest in the Army. They were actually concerned if I was going to be able to do it, asked a lot of questions (which I don't mind because most people don't know much of anything), and seemed like they actually cared. It was a nice change of pace.

The only thing that frustrated me is that Brandon and his parents made me start to second guess my decision!! I have been on cloud nine ever since I enlisted and last night was the first time I ever had second thoughts. I know I made the right decision and I know I can do it and I can't wait to prove all the disbelievers wrong but it was frustrating.

I remember all the reasons I decided to join and I know I can do it; I feel the best I ever have in life (as far as having a mission, purpose, drive, etc.) and I'm going to kick some butt at basic!!