Starting a new life

Here in the next couple of days, you'll here no more from me or my fuzzy beard because I've decided to make a change in my life now or else never do it. Don't worry, its not a sex change or anything. On Monday I am leaving for Army basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I'm not doing this on a whim or anything, it's been on my mind for about 6 or 7 months and I decided that if I don't just get off the couch and do it, then I will probably never ever get off the couch and do anything. The job (Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS) I'm going to do is 94F and I'm really looking forward to that a lot. The board level electronics stuff was what I was suppose to go to college to do, but at the last minute my college cancelled that degree program, so computers and IT was my second option.

My dad was in the Army for over 2 decades, and he always told me that he doesn't expect me to follow in his footsteps but he thinks everyone should serve however they can sometime during their life. Service to my country is one reason why I'm going, another biggy is that I don't see myself going too far in life from where I am now and the military will be a big step forward.

The biggest down side to joining the military that I can come up with is that I might have to go to Iraq or Iran, neither of which I want to go to but I will if called upon because that will be my duty. Another down side is that I am having to learn to shave! I'm 21 years old now, and I haven't been clean shaven since I was 17. And back then, my dad was stationed at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin whilst mom and I were back home in Nebraska, so I never got that father-son disposable razor shaving lesson. I always used an electric, so probably after work on Friday (my last day in a desk job Wo0t!) my dad is going to formally teach me how to shave. Bye-bye, Grizzly Adams look!

So to my good buddies in Ozzuland, catch you later! Good luck with your wedding 613, and with school to spork and Spoof, and R_T...please save some booze for later. Celandine and Unflux, you guys need to stop making websites because you're making the rest of us look like amateurs, and to ATNO and BWM thanks for the good forum, friendly people and good spam control. Hopefully this last bit isn't all mooshy and stuff.

Army?? WTF! You disappoint me. All those PM's about the Marines and you go Army. It is a sad day.

I wouldn't worry too much about iran since we are not fighting there. Iraq and Afghanistan are your main concerns but being a spark chaser i wouldn't worry too much about getting shot at. Unless the Army has changed they don't consider everyone a rifleman like the Marines do.

I wish you luck nevertheless. If you need someone to write to let me know.

BTW, do you know what Army stands for?

A - Ain't
R - Ready to be a
M - Marine
Y - Yet

Let me tell you why I chose army over the Corps. The knuckle head recruiter I told you about made it very very clear he wasn't interested in recruiting a college educated 21 year old, but rather 17 year old high school juniors. That first time I met with him he kept trying to get me to find reasons not to enlist, which was kind of weird. Then the second time I talked to him, the MARINE recruiter was giving me the sale pitch for stuff like the ARMY college fund and their bonuses and MOS's and stuff. Then the real kicker, he walked me down the hall to the army recruiters office to introduce me to him and abandoned me there. So last week I was in the army recruiters office, and the Marine recruiter walked in for some damn reason, being a smart ass I guess, and didn't even give me the light of day. He barely even glanced at me. So I figured that he must not need my recruiting statistics this close to the end of his fiscal year, so I'll give them to the army guy instead.

We'll be around when you come out. They do have internet access in the military, btw *lol (my daughter is in the Navy and she does --maybe the army is special and forgot to install it?)

The Marines guy did the same thing to me when I was 18 kc0tma, I think it's some sort of test to see whether you really want to be a Marine or whether you'll just settle for what they stick you with.

I know they do have internet in the military, just not too sure about during basic training. Even if they do in basic training, I'll probably use my one or two minutes of free time to shoot out an email or two. And that of course is hanging on the idea that the line to get to the computer isn't a mile long.

It doesn't bother me too much that I picked the army instead of marines. Grinches acronym is a new one, the other I heard once was Aren't Real Men Yet. That recruiting strategy doesn't make a whole lot of sense though, at least get them hooked on one MOS or an other then try pulling that trick with them.

Good on you for taking this route. My brother is in the British Army and has been for about 6 years now. I remember when he did his basic training he found it very hard and it took several phone calls to him to convince him to stick it out, if the US is the same then i imagine the Basic Training will perhaps be the some of toughest times in the army. I'm sure you're dad will keep you right though!

Keep in touch with us here and let us know how you are doing and please remember that you've got alot of regulars here who are supporting you throughout your career!

If only i could be as brave to join the army.

By the way, is that a real photo of you in your avatar? if so then i echo Bigwebmaster in the request to see a photo without the beard!

Thats not really me in my avatar, its the legendary Grizzly Adams. There's a picture of me in the self portrait thread in the photography forum. Thanks for your good words, I've still got a few days left as a civilian. The next two days I am spending in Omaha at the military entrance processing station. My dad and my recruiters have been a big help in telling me what to expect for the next 9 weeks. I think the biggest thing I have going for me is that I am thick skinned, I have a long fuse, it takes a lot to make me angry. The drill sergeants will find a way to crack me wide open, but I also have the ability to not take things personally, so hopefully I can at least kind of function with them in my face shouting at me. I'm nervous about going, but still excited nonetheless.

Still looks like Grizzly Adams to me



Goodbye facial hair and welcome crew cut!
(I think he was really going for that Grizzly Adams look too - what a shame -- dang that's what my beard looked like in early college)

Yes folks that's the bigger version of my former avatar you couldn't really make out.

kc0tma... the person in the avatar is you????

Reading is fundamental Bogey.

I'm just giving you a hard time kc0tma. I'm sure you will do just fine and have a successful career.

I seriously doubt you will have a chance to use a computer during boot camp. You will probably get the chance at you MOS school though. If Army boot camp is anything close to Marine boot camp you may get one phone call that lasts roughly 2 minutes.

Ft. Jackson is about 20 minutes away from my house. By the end of your training the weather should be cooling down nicely. You're lucky you didn't start back in June.

You'll probably be here right in time for the state fair.

If you don't like Nebraska, I'm afraid you probably won't find Columbia very compelling. But then again, you're probably not going to be around long enough to hate it.



Good luck, good fortune!

Hey Man ... really cool for you ... I am glad that you have thought this through before just going off and joining ... I really hop we hear a bit from you still every now and then though ...