#140 - 1 1/2 months into AIT... a few observations

I've been here since April 1, and the time is thankfully beginning to go by fairly quickly. We've been at Phase V status now for around 3 weeks, which has made a considerable 'quality of life' difference. My husband drove from PA to GA to visit last weekend, and I've submitted a pass request to go home for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend. :)

The weekdays generally have been flying by, as we're kept busy. Here is a typical day's schedule:

Wake at 4:20am
Finish getting dressed, brush teeth, etc. and make bunk
In formation by 5:00am
PT (physical training) usually runs from 5:30am-6:30am







Drill Sergeants lead PT sessions from these stands each morning on Barton Field


Return to barracks for a quick shower and "barracks maintenance" (quick sweeping of the rooms, dusting off shoes, taking out trash), change into ACUs
Leave for DFAC (dining facility) with my battle buddy at about 7:20am
Eat breakfast from about 7:35-8:00am, then walk to classroom building
Class from 8:30am to 4:30pm, with breaks at 10am & 2pm, and lunch at 11:30am



Some of my IET classmates waiting to return to class after chow


Stop at DFAC again for dinner on way back to barracks

Change from ACUs back into PT uniform to be in formation by 5:45pm
Formation officially begins at 6:00pm, and mail is distributed. For some reason we're usually kept standing around for a very long time in formation... 1 1/2 hrs is not uncommon (groan)

Personal time usually begins after we are released from formation. During this time, my battle buddy and I will sometimes walk to a nearby pizza place to obtain internet access or study for an upcoming test, go to the PX, or get dinner if we've somehow missed it earlier.

Bed check formation falls somewhere between 9:00pm and 9:45pm. We must wait for every person's name to be called, at which point that individual runs into the barracks and prepares to sleep. As there are 200+ people in our company at any given time, this can take awhile if your last name falls at the end of the alphabet. ;p

Once or twice during the week, sleep is interrupted by having to pull a hall guard duty shift. This runs for 2 hours (usually 10-midnight, midnight-2am, or 2am-4am), and entails little guarding and much cleaning (hallways, latrines, laundry room, etc.)

In the beginning of my AIT experience I thought that PT was on a par with what we had done in basic, but it has gotten more difficult. Our last few runs have taken place around the legendary Barton Field and have been at least 3.2 - 3.5 miles in length. In basic training I never ran more than 2 miles. I wasn't sure if I would be able to complete a longer run here, but have been pleasantly surprised at my progress. I am actually considering participating in a voluntary 10k (~6 mile) running event next weekend here on base. I don't know how long I'll be able to hang in there, but I'd like to give it a shot.