#56 - En route to Fort Jackson

I am at the MEPS (Military Entrace Processing Station), and it's about 7:30am. I sure could use a coffee! I wanted to sleep on the bus over here but was kept awake by a rather chatty (though nice) recruit. Thus far my MEPS experience has consisted of a last-minute pregnancy test, measurement of height and weight, and displaying my appendages for the doctor's inspection. No recent loss of digits, so I guess all is well.

I haven't found anyone yet who is shipping out for Fort Jackson. The aforementioned recruit is going to Ft. Leonard Wood to be a medical supply clerk with an AIT of 5 weeks. My AIT is going to be 21 weeks long. Sometimes I wonder if I erred in choosing this MOS...

...

It is now several hours later, much of which was spent waiting. ESPN was on the TV and some sports program played three times in a row. I knew what was going to come next, just like Groundhog Day.

My packet is being assembled, and I am now waiting to be sworn in (a 2nd time) and to hear of my travel arrangements. There are only a handful of recruits shipping out for the Army, but a large number for the Air Force. Makes me wonder why... hmm...

I was given information from the American Red Cross. If your family needs to get in touch with you during your time at basic training, they must first go through them to do so. Otherwise family members cannot simply expect to call and summon a recruit to the phone...

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Back again after lunch. It wasn't too bad - a small Italian sub, BBQ chips, applesauce, cookies, and a granola bar. Oh yeah, and soda too. The portions were generous. This was good since I had been up since 1:20am with no breakfast. This is my first "free" meal, compliments of the Army, while I am on active duty - one of many to come, I am sure.

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It's 1:35pm and I'm now on a flight to Charlotte, NC with one other person who is going to Fort Jackson. We're on one of those little puddle jumper planes. God, I hate those. As time goes on, I'm growing less enthusiastic about air travel. We have less than an hour layover in Charlotte, then a short flight to Columbia. We've been issued checks so that Uncle Sam can pick up our dinner in Columbia at the airport. It sounds like we'll get to Fort Jackson at a decent hour so maybe I'll have a shot at getting some sleep tonight. If I had to do this over again, I would have gotten far more rest in the last few days before shipping to basic training.

The person I am flying with has not only never flown before, but never ventured beyond 10 miles of his home. I was appointed "Group Leader" of our 2-person travelling group by the MEPS personnel...lol. We are supposed to have time to eat in Columbia before being whisked away to the base. I will likely savor my last culinary partaking as a civilian by having something bad!

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I am now in Columbia at the airport. We are waiting for more recruits to assemble before we ship off to Fort Jackson. I am still probably the oldest person in attendance, and was already scolded by a Staff Sergeant for not addressing him by his rank (the Army has a small booth/office as a liasion at the airport). I must shift into the military mindset...ASAP.

Many of the kids here are, well, kids. There is a lot of trash-talking and bradaggio amongst them. They are discussing who knows soldiers that jump out of airplanes, who has the fastest sports car at home, who can go 130mph on their motorcycle, etc. I feel out of place as I am old enough to be a parent to most of them, and have nothing of value to add to their conversation.

I'd like to say that this Army experience is beginning to feel real, but that still has not happened yet. It will be interesting to wake up in the morning. I'm sure that opening my eyes and realizing I'm not in bed with my husband and the dogs at home is going to be a shock to my system. I think my hardest struggle here will not be with the tasks set before me, but of struggling with sadness and loneliness. Hopefully as time marches on I will feel less likely to want to burst into tears.