#99 - Guinea pigs

At this moment I am inside a room of the Department of Defense Polygraphic Institute. We are going to be test subjects for students here at the institute. It is possible that we may be subject to interrogations, interviews or polygraphic tests. Half of us are going to be tested before lunch, and half afterwards. In the downtime, we will be stuck in a room with access to magazines, and a TV with a VCR and movies. Right now my platoon mates are going hog wild grabbing the magazines and arguing over which movies to watch.

...

It is after lunch now. I spent the morning undergoing a series of lie detector tests, not something I ever imagined that I would be doing. I had sensors placed upon my palm, around my waist and chest, arm, and buttocks too. I was asked a series of questions about past drug use, crimes, my credit history, etc. I did not try to lie about anything. From what I was able to tell, this type of testing seems to work. If you are even thinking about trying to hold something back, the sensors can pick up even the most minute change in your physiology.

I was told that I was one of the better test subjects that they had, and that I am not physically capable of effectively pulling off a big lie. That was not a big surprise, and everyone who knows me realizes what a horrible liar I am. Still, it was interesting to see it proven from a test.

The rest of the group is now being tested. We are now watching some film with Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. I have been able to spend some time reading 'National Geographic' and 'Food and Wine' magazines. I found myself reading just about every article, since I have been so starved for mental stimulation.

Last night there was a bit of excitement in the barracks because the MPs showed up to conduct an investigation. One of the girls from another platoon went AWOL. She had secretly kept a cell phone, and had used it to formulate an escape plan. She wanted to leave basic training because she was about to be a "restart" (someone who is made to begin BCT from day 1 - everyone's worst nightmare here). The rumor mill suggests that this girl broke into a closet where our personal bags were stored, and she took her clothes and belongings (apparently she removed the screws from the hardware that held on the padlock). She left to go to sick call, carrying a laundry bag with a change of clothes (standard procedure for those who are anticipating an overnight stay for something more serious). She went to the hospital as if she was going to sick call, but instead changed into her civilian clothes in the bathroom. Her boyfriend, who was in on the plan, picked her up, and she left post. Apparently she had been planning this for awhile and had told several people of her intentions. So now she will be getting in trouble not only for going AWOL, but likely also for destruction of government property.

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the movie 'The Rock' with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage... not a bad film. The rest of the platoon apparently did not undergo the lie detector test, but were subject to some kind of interrogation practice by the students at the institute. The folks who spoke with them said that the soldiers should merit an Oscar for their outstanding acting performances. I am sure there are a lot of folks here with skeletons in their closet who did not want to divulge such information to someone affiliated with the DoD.

...

It is 5:15pm, and I just had chow. I returned early from the dining facility to relieve the weapons guards. It was nice to have "real" food (relatively speaking) after eating MREs for lunch.

The most difficult part about being at the DoD Polygraphic Institute was trying to stay awake. Imagine being sleep deprived... more sleep deprived that you have ever been before... and being told to sit in a chair, perfectly still, in a quiet room... and someone asks you questions in a monotone voice, broken by long pauses... while a printer hums softly in the background. Imagine doing this for several hours. I hate fighting sleep... I really do.

On a different topic... I asked the DS today if we would be able to send or receive mail during the upcoming White STX bivouac, and was told "probably not". That's a bummer... oh well.