“Left, left, left right left!” There I was marching down the scorching hot asphalt in the middle of July, summer of 2009 alongside my flight. First week of hell, basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, rethinking what I got myself into. Should I have just gone to college instead of volunteering for the service or should I be here serving the country?
Week one seemed like the longest week I’ve ever experienced. Here we are in the second week of this prison like training. Staff sergeant (SSgt) Feete shouts “Wake up, you nasties,” it was finally time to get our uniforms issued from supply. Standing in an enormous room along the wall where they threw different parts of our uniforms at us. Last we receive our blouse with nothing on it besides the boring ABU pattern. They told us that we weren’t good enough and hadn’t earned the right to wear our name and Air Force patch on the uniforms.
Feeling like I have been living in the barracks for eternity, even though it was only week three. Finally getting into the routine and starting to understand the military lifestyle. Day after day we are learning new tools we will be able to use in this career. Week three was all about self-aid buddy care, where we learn to treat our own wounds and provide first response to combat related wounds to other airmen. SSgt Feete comes in the class room: “Hope y’all aren’t as stupid as you all look, test time ladies.” We had to take a written, verbal and practical exam to pass the week or we would have to repeat third week. Now the thoughts really are racing through my mind. Why am I here when I could just take tests in college? After I passed the test with flying colors, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. Tests became a normal thing for every week from then on.
Halfway point of training was upon us, week four was the downhill race to graduation. Nothing really different from the norm, just more ways to expand our minds under stress for combat situations. We all knew the things that had to get done to reach that amazing day called graduation. Out of nowhere we were allowed a five minute phone call to inform our families on the date of graduation. Those were the fastest five minutes I have ever experienced, it was like I took one breath of air and it was over. The motivation from my family that day gave me the inspiration to push through.
Week five was the best week yet. Actually felt like a person again, not just a number like a prisoner in a concentration camp. We all marched to the dry cleaning building to get name taps stitched on our tops. SSgt Feete told us we finally earned those patches, and that we better not let him down. They made it such a huge ordeal that I felt like I accomplished something and that I was officially part of the Air Force. I began to see why I made the life changing choice to join.
Starting to count down the remaining time I had left in boot camp it was week six, meaning I only had two more long weeks till one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. Uneventfully, I grew to become a bit too comfortable with everyday life, I decide to accidently laugh at one of the things SSgt Feete yelled at the flight. That was the biggest mistake I made the entire time I had been there. “Get on your faces because we have trainees thinking I’m Kevin Hart or something!” “I want y’all to push the damn floor until I don’t think it’s funny anymore!” Two hours later my arms felt like limp noodles that just came out of a pot of boiling water. Everyone was extremely mad at me for that, but it reminded me to keep my baring and discipline at all times.
Down to week seven, where we all head out to “beast,” living on a mock Air Base in the middle of nowhere. At first I thought it was going to be fun guarding and running an entire base as a team. I quickly learned that it was not fun, nor was it easy work. Work days were 12-14 hours and when it was time to sleep, we slept on cots in a military style tent with the world’s worst air condition. That was the toughest week yet, but now it was over and now looking forward to graduation week.
“Left, left, left right left,” as we marched in perfect formation all in sync to the drill pad as our families await. “Flight, HAULT!” SSgt Feete stops us right before the pad, “I just want to let you young men know that I would walk along side anyone of your sides into battle.” As he lines us up in formation on the drill pad in front of the commander. Right then standing as stiff as a board, I realized the reason I choose this path over the choice of going to college first. I made a choice that was bigger and greater than myself, to serve this great country we call home.