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