It's All Downhill (So They Say)

Ok, it has been a while since I have been able to post an update but I have definitely been a little busy. Our regular hours have been 04:40 - 23:00 or so, depending on when you actually get to bed. On top of that, I am staying on a side of campus where other training programs are in full swing and their hours are slightly different than ours. Every morning at about 0400, I get jolted awake but the sound of Reville & the sound of 500 boots slamming downstairs so the BOT kids can start their days. Sadly, we have all pretty much adjusted to long days and short nights.

This last week, we had our first graded academic test, a 3 hour land navigation exercise, 40 hours of lecture, our first graded PT test, and a 5-9 minute briefing presentation. To put that into perspective, the average trainee here got between 20-25 hours of sleep. In addition, we have our last graded academic test coming up on Monday.

The academic tests actually aren't too bad but you do have to put in the time to pass. They focus on 3 different areas: history of airpower & application of airpower throughout the major conflicts of the 20th century, teaching leadership techniques, and "the profession of arms" which basically covers how to be an officer in the military.

The PT also isn't too bad aside from the fact that it is at 0500. The field exercises are a lot of fun and we all agree that 3 hours playing with a compass is better than 3 hours sitting in a large lecture hall sleeping with your eyes open as someone drones on about the proper placement of your nametag on your blue shirt and why that is important. The only downside to the field exercises are the MREs we have to eat for breakfast. I never considered beef rigatoni to be a breakfast entree before nor would I have personally decided to pair that dish with some jalapeno cheese spread and a package of skittles, but I guess that is just me. Incidentally, you would think the omelet MRE would be a good choice for breakfast but it turns out that an MRE omelet has a much closer likeness to jello than to eggs.

I won't complain too much about it because it has been a fun experience. My flightmates are a great group of people and we always manage to make light of most of the challenging situations. We all earned "second-class privileges" this weekend and we were allowed to go off base for dinner last night. In fact, I am sitting in a Panera Restaurant right now as I finish this post and enjoy a cup of fresh coffee for breakfast.

This week, we have a 2 day long field exercise coming up where we will be simulating our deployment to a forward area. It's basically going to be like camping for a couple of days so I will let you all know how it goes. Wish me luck, we only have 2 weeks left!
-Jeff

P.S. I found out yesterday that I will have a major role in our graduation parade. I will be a squadron commander, which means I will be commanding the marching of a group of about 55 people! It wil be a little daunting but should be pretty fun. Maybe we can Heather to tape part of it!