Hello everyone! Happy Monday!! I am back to continue telling my story. I had great feedback from Part #1 and I hope Part #2 will have a similar reaction. If this is your first time stopping by I strongly encourage you to read Part #1.
Here is my true story Part #2:
Boot camp wasn't that bad once you get into a routine. Although at the beginning they pushed us to the limit things did get smoother toward the end. We arrived at the airport around nine at night one cold day in January. The two guys I had traveled with from the local airport and I walked to the luggage/baggage claim and followed the signs to the recruiting office located at the airport.
image credit @ www.evans.my-pta.org
This is it, No turning back. I thought.
When we found the office we gave our names; last name first, first name last; to the lady at the desk in the small room. We all sat in silence, maybe 20 of us. We were all young, different shapes, different races, males and females.
A man in uniform addressed us after sitting there for what seemed like forever.
Get up and grab your stuff and form a straight line outside the door. No talking. He yelled.
We all marched in silence. Follow me the man ordered and we followed.
We followed past the hall down three flights of stairs and outside the airport doors into waiting buses. After we loaded the buses, there were about 3 total, the buses departed the airport.We arrived at our destination and the buses stopped in front of a large building. The doors opened and another man in uniform stood at the front of the bus and gave a speech about most of us not lasting a week, we better be prepared or we are not going to last, and a lot of other motivational phrases.
We were ordered to get off the bus and grab our bags and stand in a straight line. It was pitch dark outside. I was grateful I only had a small book bag. Others struggled with several suitcases and bags, the crowd started getting louder while everyone rummaged though the bags. It was very dark and hard to see at this point.
Shut Up! One of the men in uniform screamed. Get your bags and get in formation, Now! The man that screamed had a clipboard in his gloved hand.
I was freezing. All I had on was jeans and a sweater and sneakers. We were in Great Lakes, Illinois in January! It was so cold. One of the guys told us to head inside when our name was called. I waited for my name to be called, the man was going in alphabetical order by last name. When my name was called I was happy to head inside and warm up and hopefully get to sleep. It had been an emotionally draining day. But sleep was a long way off. The next few hours were a huge blur while we were moved from one room to another. Then we went to pick up the sweatsuits with the huge Navy emblem on the front. We had to wear this until our uniforms arrived. We also picked up shoes, white socks, white underwear, white towels, and toiletries. Some things were optional, but I had brought very little, hell I possessed very little. Most of what I made went to the twins. They searched our bags and anything that had scents like shampoo, lotions, perfumes had to be packed and shipped back home. No fancy underwear, no fancy anything. I did not have any of that so I was finished with my stuff before anyone else. We also packed up items we wanted returned to us at the end of boot camp and label them with our name and last four of our social security number. Anything that you picked up from them they charged to you and pulled from your future checks.
After we collected and sorted and packed our stuff, they divided the guys from the ladies. I stuck to those same girls for the next few hours. We changed into our sweatsuits in a large room with no curtains nothing to shield ourselves from each other. We even peed in the same room. A large room with more than twenty toilets some facing each other.
After completing all the rounds they led us into a large classroom with hard uncomfortable chairs with a small desk attached to each one. The woman yelled for us to sit down and put our heads down. She turned off the lights and closed the door. I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall in front of me. It was three fifteen in the morning. I couldn't believe this, our plane landed at nine that night. My eyes searched the room some had their head down but most were doing the same thing I was doing looking around trying to gather some idea or clue as to what was going to happen next.
I closed my eyes and started prayer silently praying I would make it through the day, praying that I pass boot camp, praying that the twins are okay, and then I fell asleep.
Wake up! Some one yelled. Grab your gear lets go, form a line outside.
My eyes were barely in focus. I blinked several times and looked at the clock, it was 3:45 am.
We formed two lines outside in order of height, shortest in the back. I would be in the back permanently in boot camp it seemed, I was only five feet tall. We marched while the man yelled out.
Left..left...right....left...
We stopped in front of a building where other groups in formation were quietly standing. The only talking that was heard came from the uniformed men and women. We formed the line behind them and waited our turn to walk inside. It was time to eat at four in the morning. Who eats that early in the morning, who eats when they are that tired!
After breakfast, which I ate very little of, we marched to different buildings. Some buildings we would sit and hear people speak of what was to be expected during boot camp. Some buildings we would just sit or stand in formation. Then we would walk to the next building. We did this all day. Walking to lunch and dinner. We were also taught the basics of marching, stopping, spacing of formation. We did all that and I was so exhausted. Finally after dinner and some after dinner marching exercises we were taken to our sleeping quarters.
Oh thank goodness! I thought. I did not think I could march to the left one more time that day. Inside our barracks we were assigned racks. We were instructed on how to put our items away. Inspections were going to be conducted everyday we were warned. We were instructed on how to properly make our racks, corners must be squared. Shoes must be placed in a certain way.
At this point the man in uniform was replaced by a short lady in uniform. She ordered us to grab our towel, shower shoes and soap and form two lines outside the bathroom door. One to use the toilets, one for the showers. I got in the lines for the showers. Five at a time were walked in to the showers. The shower heads were next to each other about five shower heads were lined up. I was standing in line, taking my uniform off, wrapping the towel around my body. When it was finally my turn to get in the shower. The lady in uniform yelled out instructions.
Turn water on, get wet, turn water off, lather up, turn water on rinse off, turn water off. That is a three minute military shower, ladies. Theses are the shower you are expected to take here. The lady announced.I was appalled but kept my head down, I was so tired.
When my head hit my pillow on my rack that night, I fell asleep instantly.
The next morning and several mornings after that we woke up usually at 3:45 am to a trash can being thrown down the long hall. We would brush our teeth and brush our hair as best we could since we had been ordered to cover up the mirrors. We would gather our gear and get in formation and walk to the galley (cafeteria). After breakfast we would walk to class, usually stopping on the way when colors and reveille were announced on the loudspeaker, usually at sunrise. This happened twice a day, in the morning the flag was flown and morning colors would proceed. At night the flag would be taken down usually at sundown. If you were outside you had to stop and salute in the direction of the flag until colors ended than you would proceed with your business.
image credit @ shutterstock.com
Boot camp was filled with a lot of marching, a lot of classes, a lot of medical appointments, a lot of field training. We also had life skills classes which were great for me. They educated us on how valuable our credit is, bank accounts, financial planning, scams on military members. We also marched for several hours a day. Sometimes we marched outside, sometimes we would march at the auditorium when it was empty. Sometimes we would form a single line in our sleeping quarters and walked around the room, forming a large perfect square. We would march until the walls sweated, they warned, and I swear we did.
We also worked out a lot. we did a lot of running, a lot of calisthenics. Our punishments consisted of push ups, jumping jacks, or standing at attention for an extended period of time. It does become routine, you form friendships, and you start growing, maturing. We were not allowed to call home unless we did something that got us acknowledged, like score the highest on a test among all the graduating classes. We were allowed a 5 minute phone call. We would get in formation, march to the commissary, buy a calling card, get in line and wait for our five minute phone call. Sometimes I would call Billy* but most of the time I would call my mother or Mr. Bill*. I never spoke to the twins, it was too hard and they were so young.
Daily we were split into two groups and integrated with a group of male recruits. We took classes with them, marched with them, worked out with them,and sometimes ate with them. Although we were not allowed to speak to the guys even during meal times, people found ways and pretty soon they were exchanging information to write to each other in boot camp. There was even a couple in my graduating class that got married right after boot camp and they has just met and sent letters to each other during boot camp. I wander whatever happened to them?
We also were allowed to write letters and receive letters. One of the best parts of my day was mail call. It was usually done a couple of times a week after our evening military showers. My mother was usually the one that would write me, sending me pictures or drawings of the twins. Sometimes Mr. Bill* would send me pics of the girls. Then one day I received a letter from Billy*. It is difficult to put into words how I felt when I read the letter. His letter was a full page long and spoke mainly of the twins. What they were doing, what they were learning, what they were asking ( they were very inquisitiveness girls). He encouraged me to write and express myself knowing my private details will be safe and locked. I read that letter over and over again until I received the next one and the next one and the next one. Pretty soon Billy* and I were writing to each other consistently.
image credit @ www.wou.edu
The letters always encouraged me to push myself, encouraged me to continue my journey to reach my dreams. I told him how scared I was I would not pass boot camp, I would not pass my school, I would not succeed. I was so scared of failing. He told me about his legal drama , he was on probation and random drug testing for the robbery charges, but was finally off of house arrest. The twins helped keep him busy. He got a job in the kitchen cooking at a restaurant. After dropping the girls off at daycare he would head to work and then pick them and head home, he had to take the bus which the twins enjoyed. Potty training was going well he said no night time wetting. Their hair was growing so fast he wrote, he was struggling with ponytails, so I just brush it and let them wear it loose, they love that he wrote. He worked on the weekends so his dad would drop the girls off at my mother's house usually on Fridays and picked the girls up on Sunday. Reading how sincere and dedicated he had become with the twins stirred up some feelings. Feelings I don't think I was prepared for. I felt happy the twins were well taken care of but I was jealous I was missing out on their lives and sad that this was how it had to be.
I was in boot camp for about 3 months. At the end of boot camp for graduation, Billy* , my mother and the twins came up to see my graduation. They stayed at a hotel for the weekend and I was able to visit them for a few hours each day that weekend. I had received my orders for school, which was to be at Great Lakes as well but on the other side of the base. I was at the school for a few months before my first orders came in. My first station was on a Navy Ship that had started a six month deployment. I was to fly out to Italy and meet the ship and continue with them.
image credit @ www.jesselynch.com
I stayed at my mom's house when I went home for a brief time before heading out to Italy. During this time I spent a lot of time with the twins. I took them to daycare, picked them up from daycare and took them to Billy's* house. After dinner, I would spend time with them give them a bath, read a book, and put them to bed. Sometimes I would spend the night in Billy's room and he would stay on the couch. Sometimes Mr. Bill* would drive me home before going to bed, sometimes I would sleep in the same bed with Billy. Sometimes we slept sometimes we didn't. One night we were laying in bed next to each other and he turned to me.
He wanted us to give it another try. I mean we were so young. I think we both have really matured. I see my life with you, with us. Let's try again. His voice was low, gentle.
I loved him so much, I loved how he stepped up, how he was with the girls, with my mother, with me. I saw the changes he was making but I still had a goal, My goal of becoming a doctor was still there. That fire was still burning... I couldn't slow down now. I'm sorry but I can't, I don't want to change anything right now. I carefully explained. And what if it doesn't work out. How are the twins going to handle that? How was that going to affect my career? It was a long night of crying, talking, kissing, hugging, and an agreement. Our common goal was the twins stability and emotional balance.
My goal was to be a doctor, to show the girls that there is no excuse to not to reach your dreams. A couple of days after that night Mr. Bill* drove me to the airport so I can catch my plane to Italy.
image credit @ commons.wikimedia.org
After that draining night I had seen the twins everyday but barely saw or had spoken to Billy*. I know he was hurt and it wasn't that I didn't love him, I did. I also love my babies but what did I have to offer them at that point. I didn't know myself. It felt good in boot camp almost a relief to have some one tell me what to do while I focused on myself. Being away from home, away from my family, away from the girls, away from Billy* was frightening but this was a great opportunity for me. I can't quit now. I had to finish the journey.
I promised to write to keep in touch. I remember being on the plane and feeling so excited about my duty station. I had to remember to stay focused. I closed my eyes and sat back in the seat. I imagined myself in school, taking biology and chemistry classes. I envisioned myself at my college graduation, waving to the twins. I imagined myself in a white coat, greeting my patients, examining my patients, my visions were so pleasant so serene I dozed off. I woke up to heard the pilot announcing we will be landing soon. I inhaled deeply and braced for the landing of the plane and my new life.
Please return to read Part #3 of My story. My military career.
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