It is 1:01 pm. The weather is warming up, and it's a sunny afternoon. We had a computer class this morning, and are about to start a new one. Lunch was MREs.
Thanks to my platoon mates at the FOB, I have been restocked with packets of instant coffee. The caffeine enabled me to stay awake during this morning's class. Others in my platoon were caught nodding off, which is never a good thing.
It is 1:52pm, and we are taking a break from instruction. I was just chatting with one of the AIT students, a Sgt who is reclassing from admin to 25B. She was surprised to hear that I am nearly 35 years old, as she thought I was 18 or 19. Apparently I confused some of the NCOs, as they apparently had a discussion about how mature I was for my "age"... lol. I hope people think I'm also half my age in about 10 years.
We've been learning about some Army-specific stuff that I probably shouldn't delve into in this blog. It has been somewhat interesting. I think any subject matter that's a little different from the usual BCT content is a refreshing change, at this point.
It is 4:14pm. I've been checking out the little heaters that are in these giant Army tents. My interest is personal, as my husband and I have one of these same tents at home that we occasionally use for camping. There are small heaters that run on diesel. The fuel is supplied from a jerry can that is suspended from a tripod outside the tent (fumes outside for ventilation). One of the smaller ones I've seen is called the SHA heater and is made by Hunter Manufacturing. I might have to look into picking one of these up for our Canadian camping adventures. We haven't yet been to our property in Nova Scotia yet in the winter, but I'm sure it gets pretty cold...
We are apparently hanging out now waiting for the other platoons to finish, and presumably chow. One of the other AIT reclassers was just trying to draw me into a conversation where he was going to try to make me look like an ass. I declined the obvious bait and walked away. His name is Specialist Gareth. No one seems to like him, as he has thus far been perceived as being a jerk. He is only a SPC and treats the MOS-Is here worse than the Drill Sergeants do. He seems poised to evolve into an NCO of the variety that is dying for the chance to assert their authority and ill-treat their subordinates. So far I haven't been impressed with most of the MOS-Ts here that are reclassing. Many (but not all) of the ones I've met so far seem to treat the MOS-Is with disdain. They can be rude and quite unprofessional in their attitudes to the newer soldiers, which is very disappointing. On the one hand, I could understand their frustration with having to deal with the folks fresh out of BCT, who are generally much younger and less mature then they are. On the other hand, I believe they could be doing a better job as mentors. If I was a Private and thought that the Army was comprised of people who were constantly going to look down upon me and treat me like shit, I know I would be discouraged. This is another case where I'm glad that I've already met the folks in my Reserve unit at home, and know everyone there is great. If I hadn't done so, I might be a little worried at this point.
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