The entire week and most of the preceding week have been spent on details around and about Battalion here and there, with study time during idle hours. At least we get most of the afternoon off, typically getting out around 1600, 1630 at the latest. This week I had the honor so far of latrine duty and area beautification. I’m writing this on Battalion duty, where me and another OC (officer candidate, that’s us) handle all phone calls and inquiries to the Battalion. It’s a dull duty, but it beats area beautification. We sit here for 12 hours, 0500 to 1700, with a computer and ‘Net connection and a telephone, takings turns on the system. Reading material is restricted to being military related, and of course no sleeping.
Word is we’re moving to Echo company’s barracks on Friday. I got to see them today on the Echo company detail, and they’re decent. I could live in it restricted on weekends with a decent roommate, and of course that’s the kicker, no way to tell who that will be. There’s at least one dud that no one wants, company-wide; what else can you say about someone who’s been recycled twice now and never made it farther than week 2? I don’t know, maybe he’ll change. But I personally doubt it.
Mom and Dad are coming up for the weekend to drop off the car. I suppose I’ll show them the Commissary and PX, and a bit of the rest of Benning, what little I know of it so far. Tonight I’m goofing off with my fellow Echo company buddies from Ft. Jackson. We’ll see about going somewhere on the weekend; already it looks as if one of us isn’t going to class up on Friday to Echo. It’s a shame. I have been advised again, and from the most reputable source yet I might add, to never get married. We can still hang on the weekends when we’re all free though I guess, and we’ll have the Internet to stay in contact.
I’ve heard that BOLC II, the second phase of our officer training after the initial 12 weeks of OCS, is severely backed up with a 3.5 month wait to get in! It’s on account that all officers from OCS, ROTC, and West Point need to go through it, and it’s done only at Ft. Benning and Ft. Sill. 3.5 months! Our supposed choices in the interim are snowboarding, which is hanging out at the post where you’ll trained in BOLC III for your branch in a sort of learning by doing thing, or Hometown Recruiting. I haven’t figured which I’d take yet. I don’t yet know if I’ll get MI, there are so many people who want that. I might take my second choice in Engineers instead, or a third choice of either Signal or MP if it doesn’t come to pass. But I’ve got faith in God, and things have really been going my way recently in life ever since I joined. I think it’ll work out in my favor.
Anyhow, I’m off to hang out and take it easy tonight. Seeya!