#137 - Back in the barracks

It is 7:01am, and I just returned from breakfast. I had to miss PT this morning because of my injury, so I will go back to my room to do pushups and situps on my own. I have to return to sick call this morning at 11:00am for a re-eval for my foot. I ended up aggravating it against while we were marching outside the company yesterday. Our Drill Sergeant was making us do all kinds of facing movements, one after another "Right face...march! Left face....march! Right face...march! About face! Left face! Right face!" I was having trouble executing them smoothly because of my injured foot, and got yelled at by the DS. When I tried to explain that I was on a no-marching profile and wasn't supposed to be doing this, I was given a loud "at ease!" (basically told to shut up). *sigh*

It is 10:44am and I am at sick call again waiting for my appointment. I was actually able to walk here by myself without a (gasp!) battle buddy, and I will be forced to eat alone at the DFAC for lunch afterwards. It is weird sometimes to be without a battle buddy after we've been forced to have one for so long. It feels like I'm almost getting away with something! Since January 17th I have always had someone with me at Fort Jackson or Fort Gordon, wherever I've gone. The exception to the battle buddy policy at AIT is medical appointments, but you are still supposed to have a battle buddy with you in other scenarios.

Not that I wouldn't mind having Jeanene along this morning. I told her that I was very pleased that we were assigned to be battle buddies. Actually, I've found that unlike White in BCT, I really enjoy her company, and I think she feels the same. I'm sure we'll come out of this as friends. It's just a shame that we didn't know each other in basic training. We were both stuck in other platoons with people that we mostly didn't like. Maybe having a good battle buddy now is my reward for putting up with White for 2 1/2 months!

Our Drill Sergeants spoke with us this morning and told us we will likely have two more weeks until the phase change. So, in theory, I may be able to get a weekend pass two weekends from now. Wouldn't that be wonderful... I can't wait to see my husband again!

We will not be having an on-post pass this weekend. Jeanene and I are going to see if we can at least obtain permission to go to the library, which isn't far from the company. We are thus far forbidden from going to the local pizza joint, where internet is also an option. Any food that doesn't come from the DFAC is verboten to those still in Phase IV status.

It is 12:06pm, and I am currently at the Reserve liasion's office waiting to submit a copy of my profile (those in the NG and Reserve must keep their liasion apprised of such things). The doctor at sick call was nice to me. He said, "You don't seem like a malingerer, so I'm going to let you write your own profile." I should have written "no pushups, no situps"...just kidding. Actually he recommended another week of wearing running shoes instead of boots, and a no running/no marching/no jumping profile. We'll see if the rest makes any difference.

It is 1:00pm, and I am sitting in a hall waiting for some kind of ceremony to begin. My platoon has been brought here by the Drill Sergeants to be spectators at some event of which we have no prior knowledge. Apparently we've been brought along simply to bolster the numbers in the audience. I think it's humorous, but not surprising.

I thought I might have gotten out of having to come to this event, but I was snagged earlier by a girl from my platoon who is a bit of a goody-two shoes. I'm glad that Jeanene is my battle buddy instead of this girl, as she would probably drive me crazy. She's always a little bit too worried about getting in trouble. I'm certainly not someone that tries to get out of duty, but right now I'm limping around, and I would have really appreciated not having to march across post for some ceremony. ;p