#97 - Another Sunday in the barracks

It is Sunday afternoon, and I am sitting in the barracks. We have been given an unprecedented amount of free time today. I had weapons guard duty earlier for two hours. I then swept and mopped the bay, and helped one of my friends sweep and mop the hallway and stairs. Afterwards I sat around with the girls that I like from another platoon and we all shared ghost stories. I enjoy talking to them, and often go to their room down the hall to visit.

We are supposed to be receiving phone call privileges soon, so I am looking forward to that with a bit of cautious optimism. Sometimes there are promises of privileges that do not manifest, so I try not to get too excited... just in case it doesn't happen.

The AWOL-wannabe, Galagos, left yesterday. Apparently she was allowed to go home on emergency leave. Her family put in a Red Cross message because her grandmother could not find anyone to watch her kids. Most of the folks in the platoon suspect that this was a manufactured situation, because someone allegedly overheard Galagos coaching her grandmother on the phone, telling her what to say so that she could go home. No one thinks that Galagos is going to come back from her "emergency leave". I think she's planning to go AWOL, she'll take her lumps for doing so, and receive a dishonorable discharge. I would be schocked if she did return.

...

I was able to use the phone, and had a 5-minute phone call with my husband. It was wonderful, and I did not cry.

One of the platoons is downstairs eating pizza and watching 'Black Hawk Down'. The rest of the platoons complained because they did not get the same privileges, and were then compensated by being allowed to have an ice cream cone at the DFAC. This is what we've come to in our food depravation at basic training... fighting over pizza and ice cream. Hey, at least the ice cream was pretty good, so I'm not complaining.

I am pretty tired, though. I may try to sneak off and catch a nap if I can. The key is to hide in a room somewhere in the middle of the hallway so that a warning can be issued when a Drill Sergeant comes up the stairs. You do not want to be caught napping...

...

It is 11:09pm. I was able to get a few hours of sleep, and am now roused for a fire guard shift. Unfortunately I did not get a nap earlier as I had wanted. Bucking is walking the halls with insomnia because she had a two hour nap earlier. I don't think a nap would have disrupted my sleep schedule!

I believe that our first PT test is on Saturday, the same day we are going to the Shoppette. We are scheduled to have a seven mile road march on Monday morning, then White STX for three days. I don't know what we're doing when we come back, but at least we will likely transition from White Phase to Blue Phase over the weekend, which signifies the last portion of basic training. Blue Phase mostly consists of preparing for the final FTX (Blue STX, or Victory Forge here at Fort Jackson), taking the final PT test, the 9-10 mile road march, the 7-day Victory Forge FTX, and a 7-8 mile road march back. Once we return, we will be preparing for graduation and spending days cleaning and turning in all of our equipment.

Spending seven days out in the field is going to suck. It will not be like the many camping trips I've had at home. Getting hit with CS gas by the Drill Sergeants will be a big difference between the experiences...lol. I think we'll be so close to graduation at that point, however, that we won't care what the DSs are going to put us through.

Earlier in the evening there was a catfight between two of the females in my platoon. I am surprised that there have not been more of them, as people are always arguing and threatening one another.