Boot camp 4

20110117- Martin Luther King Jr Day- TRAINING DAY 24

Counting down the days probably wasn't the best idea. Now I am anticipating graduation even more, causing the days to feel longer and the weeks to go by slower, We are just about halfway done, Hopefully things will start moving faster and Graduation is here in the blink of an eye! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Lately we haven't been doing any physical training. We have been too focused on 1)swim qual  2)MCMAP testing  3)Initial Drill  4)Initial testing.

1) Swim Qual:  for most of the girls in my platoon, swim qual was extremely challenging. More than half failed the first day, and then half of them failed the second day too. There were only two or three that had to go back a third day.
Because of the failures we were only able to go through swim qual 4. I was hoping to try and go for swim qual 2 ( I guess that's the highest they offer) Swim qual 4, if you already know how to swim was very easy. We pretty much just covered the basics of swimming. Not being able to challenge myself was disappointing. We spent the rest of the week studying for initial drill and knowledge testing.

2) MCMAP: If  anyone is worried about not doing well at MCMAP, don't be. I am confident you are more than capable of passing.

3) Initial Drill:  Initial Drill wasn't to bad. It was disappointing that we didn't beat our sister platoon, 4009 but drill itself was fun, Even though I am no longer the guide, I was the drill guide. ( only because they fired me the week before and the new guide didn't have time to learn the movements)

4) Initial Testing- Phase 1 Knowledge: The knowledge test is tomorrow, morning or afternoon? I don't know, It shouldn't be too hard, All we have been doing is reviewing study guides and practice test. Hopefully, No I will ace this test and get a phone call home, Along with everyone else in the platoon that gets 100%

We might get Reese's cups too! mmm

Once testing is finished tomorrow we get to go to the gas chamber (which everyone keeps going on about. The nerves are getting to some of the other recruits.) Maybe I will have some horror stories to add to the list. We do have repel tower tomorrow also! No broken legs this time! or any other bones for that matter.

Aside from the 4 events we have been stressing over this past week, not much else has been happening. We haven't been able to write because we are focusing on knowledge. This is the 1st thing I have written in a few days, Ive even been neglecting my mom of mail!

With the past week having been sort of relaxing, Some of the stress has gone away. I am still homesick and tired of the drill instructors and other recruits. But the constantly moving from here to there has slowed down. Now if only some of the recruits here could learn respect and discipline, we could add that as another milestone and maybe get It'd less.
Any who, the stress that was somewhat alleviated with our break was replaced when I was called into Executive Officer's office, right before initial drill Saturday morning, for a "Secret meeting".That threw off everything, Every ounce of focus I had was flushed down the toilet. It certainly didn't help my drill performance any either.

Only 45 training days left! I'll make it through. 7 Sundays to go , 1 of which is liberty Sunday and 1 of which is my 21st birthday! what a way to celebrate ha ha

Initial PFT and grass week are coming up in the next few weeks. I will send an update after the gas chamber and then one after grass week.

Thank you for everyone's support, I can't wait to see you all when I get home

Recruit Edmiston
4th Rtbn Plt 4008 Co. O
Po Box 16445
Parris Island, Sc 29905

Boot camp 3

20110109- Training day 25 (evaluation day) is right around the corner. We are on training day 17 now, 8 more days until the gas chamber. I am looking forward to watching all these girls panic and shoot snot bubbles out of their noses. Everyone is dreading the chamber except for a few of us who can't wait.

I am finally getting used to using third person speech. but I can turn it on and off when I need to, so I won't still be saying " this recruit" after graduation.

Unfortunately, I lost my guide position. I was on bed rest for the past two days with a bad double ear infection. I still can't hear out of my left ear. I hope I'm not permanently deaf. While I was on bed rest though, The rest of the platoon decided to replace me because "I quit on them when they needed me most". I guess it was my choice to have an ear infection. I didn't realize I could make that kind of decision :p O-well hopefully I will be able to get guide back for graduation.

Things would be alot easier here at boot camp if the whole platoon could learn respect and discipline. We get punished a lot for recruits that want to run their mouth and disobey orders.

We have been continuing with MCMAP, but nothing has really excited me yet. I already knew how to throw a punch and do a leg sweep. I feel like half the things we do , with MCMAP and also Pt, I would be better off learning on my own. Pugil sticks isn't all it's cracked up to be either, we only get 15 seconds to fight each other, which isn't enough time.

Aside from the ear infection, I have been to medical for a fever, and dental for fillings, I missed our 5 mile hike and Senior Drill Instructor inspection.:(  Hopefully they won't put me on trial training.

The most exciting thing we have done so far was the confidence course. One girl fell from the 40+ foot rope and shattered her leg. She will be here for 12 month's of therapy! The confidence course isn't hard, it's all about finding courage to face the things you fear, like heights, water, and failure.

Drill is so much fun, It's one of the only things I feel like I have benefited from while here. It's the only thing I never really experienced before. Without PFC Nepo's help, I probably wouldn't be that great at marching. He helped me and Recruit Griffith while we were still in pool function.

Swim week is coming up! I have been told by the upperdeck it's kind of lame though. It doesn't last all week, unless you are an iron duck ( which means you can't swim ) and then they take you before everyone else and teach you how to swim.

As far as how I am actually doing, and how I have been coping with the lifestyle change... Well, It's hard, emotionally. Mostly from being homesick. My family is extremely close, and this is the longest I have been away from home. I have been extremely stressed out because the only communication I have with them is snail mail, March 11th can't come fast enough.

There have been times ( like 24-7 ) when I want to quit and be done with this place,but when you sit back and look at it, it's not all that bad. It's a good cause, even if I joined not really knowing if it's what I actually wanted. I miss the freedoms I had outside of boot camp, but I have learned to appreciate a lot more while here. There has been good and bad, but the experience will be positive over all and I will have a huge sense of accomplishment once handed the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.

I will send another update in a week or so to let everyone know how training is progressing.

For everyone who is shipping soon and just recently shipped: GOOD LUCK!

I miss everyone and can't wait to see you all in March! Love you family!

Recruit Edmiston
4th Rtbn Plt 4008 Co.O
PO Box 16445
Parris Island SC 29905