Pre-Army: Part 2

     The US Army has over 100 different MOS's. (Military Occupation Specialty, which is a specific job other than being a soldier.) Having been denied the opportunity to become a ground pounding Marine, I thought a little more about what the Army had for me. My recruiter desperately tried to sell me on becoming a Military Intelligence Analysis, which I so naively turned down saying something like, "I don't want a desk job.". If I could go back in time to that moment and kick my past self in the head I would hop into the DeLorean right now and come back to more job satisfaction. Then again, I wouldn't be where I'm at right now in life, which I love, so maybe I would just kick myself for the hell of it. Anyways, I wanted combat medic so I got it. Within two weeks of stepping foot in the Army recruiters door I had official orders to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for Basic Training.
      I suffered through the other half of the semester, trying to somewhat stay focused on not failing all my classes. My parents weren't exactly happy with this decision either. They never gave me any trouble about it, but I could tell it bothered them that I would soon be leaving. No one in my family was military except for my Grandfather who served a stint in the National Guard and one of my Uncles who served (serving still?) in the Air Force. I wasn't sure how I felt about leaving either. I didn't just want to leave town and leave all my life behind. I love my family and I loved College Station, TX. Hell, I'd never been outside of the state for more than 2 or 3 weeks at a time. I just wanted to get a job and have some free college after 4 years, simple enough right?
     After five years, two possible ETS dates (Expiration Term of Service, date of the end of your military contract), one gorgeous wife, a mortgage, and two babies my plan went well off course. Thankfully, it has been a far better outcome than I could have thought possible. I love the life I have.
     June came faster than expected, and it seemed surreal to leave the place I had been for nearly 6 years, learned to drive, went to school, made friends, and figured out what hard work was. On June 9th, my parents drove me to the recruiting station out of the mall, as did many other parents that day. We sat and waited in the hall outside, my parents and two brothers. We small talked, because that's just what we do when we have to say goodbye, pretend like it's not a big deal and try not to cry or sniffle. My mom cried a little when it was time to go, maybe my dad did too. We shuffled ourselves into a large white van and drove away, waving to our families.
     It was a terrible van ride that involved picking up many other army recruits at different towns until the van was full. A cramped and awkward ride to Houston normally only takes 2-3 hours from College Station but this one stretched out to 5 or 6. We were dropped off at a hotel and greeted by MEPS personnel who gave us the funds for a room and basic instructions like not to get drunk, run away, make a ruckus in the hotel and many other things or else some unknown and terrible punishment would swiftly befall us. I spent the night in a hotel room with another dude who looked way too young, was a little pudgy and had glasses. He told me he had to join for face jail time for damaging property while trespassing. Not sure how true that was but here he was anyways. 
     I remember feeling anxious and apprehensive about the whole thing. My life, until now, had been very laid back and I usually did as I pleased. Day 1 and I was told I had to be up at 0400 to make it to MEPS by 0500 and subsequently the plane the next day. I don't think I'd ever been on a plane alone or navigated the labyrinth of the Houston airport. Time to be an adult I guess. I mean other dumb kids joining the army did it so I could too. Still, walking around the airport alone was still a walk of hurried anxiousness. 
     At 0500 I got my paperwork, went through a slew of tests again and gave samples of blood that left my arm with a welt the size of a ping pong ball. I know now that taking blood samples is really easy and the lady taking mine made a simple mistake I've seen 19 year old boys never make in a clinic. I walked around with my swollen arm and made it through the day, back to the hotel room again. I made a terrible mistake to eat Taco Bell for dinner, which gave me terrible distress the next day at the airport.
     I hate planes. The older I get the more I hate getting on them. It's a control thing I guess, I hate not being in control of the vehicle in which I am hurtling through the air at over 10,000 feet in. To this day, even after Airborne school, I can't stand getting on planes. I always say I'd rather jump out of one than land in one. I don't know how to fly the damn thing, so I'd much rather drive wherever I have to go.
     The army said no, so I got on a plane with a few other recruits I had met in the airport chair maze in front of the terminal. Many still had all their hair, long and uncut; you know, the typical high school look. Mine was freshly cut by my mom with a pair of clippers and no guard so it was a short as possible next to shaving with a razor. I may have looked like a nerd then, but at least I was mentally prepared having already lost my hair and gotten a little tan on my white head.
    It was dark when I arrived at the airport, and I was pretty tired. Army drill sergeants came to pick us up and that was the first time I got yelled at in a while. Not directly, but as a group we were all ordered to "form it up". I didn't know what the hell that meant so I just kind of followed the crowd and blended in. Which is the theme I had for the next few weeks, blend in and do what you're told. It was a great time.
     The bus for Fort Leonard Wood departed and a short hour later we went through the gate and were dropped off at the in-processing compound. Which was kind of like a miniature MEPS but everyone yelled at you, all the recruits stank, the food sucked and the hotel was just a giant room full of too small bunk beds and lockers. Home for the next 4 days. 
     That night I got approximately two hours of a nap before waking up at 0430 and starting the day. Which consisted of mainly standing in line with all my papers in hand and not talking or looking at anyone. Those were the simple instructions. I remember sitting down on a row of benches, another row in front of me that faced my row. Drill sergeant said we looked tired and said to stand up at the position of attention, which means standing up straight with arms by your side not talking or looking around, staring directly at whatever is in front of you. For me it was a dude who was the color of milk chocolate, thin, glasses and about 6 foot 4 inches breathing heavily from his nostrils directly onto my face that was about a foot below his. I thought to myself "what am I doing here? I would normally hit someone standing this close to me and who has the nerve to breathe on my face.". I had many other similar thoughts while we stood there, which was somewhere around 20 agonizing minutes. 
     As all good and terrible things do, the moment passed and I could sit down again. I was issued uniforms for duty and physical training, an ID Card, dog tags, and many other items that I shoved into my newly issued duffel bags. After 4 days of this, it was all over for myself and about 200 other recruits. The end of reception and the beginning of actual training. 11 weeks to go.