Graduation... Deployment??... home.
I’m about to graduate this place that I worked so hard to get to. I remember when I first got to Ft. Meade, I was so excited. I wanted to take every course available, learn whatever I could and maybe stall until all this War on Terror crap was over. The feeling of excitement wore off quickly after having met some of the fascist, suppressing characters who like to pull rank and show you exactly where you belong… at least until you realize that they are just fascist, suppressing characters with the SAME RANK as you.
The NCO’s, who we did have to listen to came and went with each course cycle, which made it difficult to maintain any type of routine. Everything tended to change from the morning PT to the weekly field days. Running 2 miles and then hitting the racks wouldn’t cut it anymore. We were up to running 5, sometimes 7. The shin splints have only begun to heal.
I had minor set-backs and the classes were challenging. I sure as hell didn’t get along with everyone but I also can’t say that I didn’t miss anyone who had graduated and left. It was like any sort of bickering you would have if you had to live with someone and see them every day.
It all really is behind me though and it feels really strange to conceive that the next three years of my life will be determined by a guy I’ve never met and knows absolutely nothing about me except that I might prefer west coast to east coast.
I’m hoping to get stationed at Camp Pendleton, San Diego. My dad just had a heart attack in October and it’s the closest base to home. The day I found out completely sucked because a Sergeant happened to place my phone on top of a wall locker during a Comfort and Health inspection. I didn’t find it until I laid down in my rack that night and saw it blinking. I was able to find out that he was fine but out of work to recover. They might consider this when choosing my duty station but I dunno.
Camp Pendleton is also deploying in a few months… so if I get stationed there, I guess I’d have to go to Afghanistan because I think the entire shop is going. That’s a huge reality check for me. Can’t say that I feel scared… I guess I just don’t know what to expect. It’s not like I’m a grunt, but still… you just can’t say what’s going to happen from day to day.
And I’m a lance corporal which is still sort of bottom of the barrel. Well… it’s like… the top of the bottom of the barrel but still…
I need to make sure I enjoy the next ten days at home after I graduate. It's the only real time off I think I am going to get for a long while.