(no subject)
I just returned from a 5 day visit at McGuire AFB in New Jersey. It was a good time. I look forward more than ever to commissioning, though I now know more than ever that as an engineer, I will be more of an administrator than an engineer. It makes me feel like my technical background is going to be wasted. Oh well. As one of the 2LTs said: "You will be an officer first and an engineer second."
The whole experience was much better than I anticipated. The briefs, though many boring, were essential knowledge for a future 2LT. The other cadets were excellent people. Just because you're not at a military school, you can be an excellent officer and cadet. Even so, they will never understand the life I choose to live at VMI. I also learned that being at such a school offers its own unique set of handicaps apart from the ones that I had always known.
The first morning at McGuire, I saw my former first corporal from VMI, a man that I venerate as being the epitome of what a cadet/officer should be, or at least possess the qualities of. Even though it was totally unexpected, I should have guessed that something of that sort was going to happen, if only because its a small world and life is just too damn funny to expect anything else.
During our free time on the third day, we all jumped on a train from Philadelphia to New York City. I still can't fathom the size of that place. I can imagine why someone would fear losing their individuality, or feel that an individual's acts has no greater importance (leading to a degradation of morals). Its also hard to ignore the suffering of so many... Oh well. We do what we can when we can, if only for the satisfaction of knowing we can, or because its tax deductible.
In other news:
I finished KV's Bluebeard. Such beauty.
Ms. Gruver, you made my day every day.
Little Italy kicks some major ass.
Heavies (transport jets) also kick some major ass.
So it goes.
The whole experience was much better than I anticipated. The briefs, though many boring, were essential knowledge for a future 2LT. The other cadets were excellent people. Just because you're not at a military school, you can be an excellent officer and cadet. Even so, they will never understand the life I choose to live at VMI. I also learned that being at such a school offers its own unique set of handicaps apart from the ones that I had always known.
The first morning at McGuire, I saw my former first corporal from VMI, a man that I venerate as being the epitome of what a cadet/officer should be, or at least possess the qualities of. Even though it was totally unexpected, I should have guessed that something of that sort was going to happen, if only because its a small world and life is just too damn funny to expect anything else.
During our free time on the third day, we all jumped on a train from Philadelphia to New York City. I still can't fathom the size of that place. I can imagine why someone would fear losing their individuality, or feel that an individual's acts has no greater importance (leading to a degradation of morals). Its also hard to ignore the suffering of so many... Oh well. We do what we can when we can, if only for the satisfaction of knowing we can, or because its tax deductible.
In other news:
I finished KV's Bluebeard. Such beauty.
Ms. Gruver, you made my day every day.
Little Italy kicks some major ass.
Heavies (transport jets) also kick some major ass.
So it goes.