January 29th, 2009

Power is still out. I heard it's about 600k people in the KY/IL area, but who knows where that info came from. Even though they are feeding us without power, or maybe it's the phase where I'm not getting enough calories, I am hungry a lot; not in my stomach but in my body.

We were supposed to be dry-firing rifles today but because of the weather we're cooped up. They assign squad leaders today. They tell you (they being basic graduates) you need to take this up on your own, but here any way it's not so. It's assigned. The 3 they assigned are knuckleheads. I think that's the point. They need that type of challenge.

Turns out there is a kid from Nampa and one from Meridian in my platoon. I got put in 1st squad which turns out to mostly have all good guys. Well at least none of the really fucked up kids. So, here at basic it is: 5-15 Cavalry, Charlie Company, 1st Platoon, 1st Squad (this is just for basic and AIT). Hell-raiser recon was just a temp name. All these guys are trying to come up with a new, quick name for our platoon.

I hope this weather does not throw the schedule off too much. The storm looks like it's going to cause all of Basic to push back about a week. We're supposed to be shooting and doing obstacle courses the last two day. This place is too funny.

Everywhere you go, it's like the March of the Penguins. I have to say some of the cadences are pretty cool. We do all kinds of strange crap. Like when we eat 3 times a day: we form up and march about blocks with the DS to a cadence. Then to get into the chow hall, we have to do this weird ass crap as a platoon:

DS says - Head uncover
we quickly put our hands on our hat
DS says - remove cover
we say - snap, zero zero one zero zero two zero zero three zero zero four zero zero five
by then we have to have our hats in our pocket.
The DS will excalim: TOO SLOW
we reply - Awe, shit!
DS says - Awe, shit!
then the whole thing repeats a second time and after that part we step out attention.
DS says - what is the order of chow?
we reply - Dumb Drill Sergeant, you know the deal. The order of chow is 1-2-3-4*, Drill Sergeant.
Then we say: 1-2-3-4. Get the door, door man. Get the door, door maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. Boom! Charlie Company is in the house
Then the door man from the back yells - if you ain't Cav,
Then we yell back - You ain't shit.
then we file into t chow by the platoon order, and everyone has to clear their rifle as they pass.

We have to recite all types of songs, rhymes and chants and shit. I will write some more later. For now my batteries are dying in my light.


*Those are the platoons and how they enter the chow hall.