Much later, I found his ASVAB score sheet. He didn't pass the with a minimum score. He was not eligible to enlist without making the minimum. I don't know if he intentionally failed. What a disappointment he was.
Like I said before, I went to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for basic training. I don't want to repeat myself. When I got there, I was still out of shape. I had not trained to run yet. Running and marching are everything in the Army. I was highly motivated by my Drill Sergeants. I was in the 3rd platoon of Echo Company 3-10 Infantry, the "Mad Dogs." I didn't know what to expect at any second of the day. I was on high alert most of the time. I did my best not to be noticed. It was an experience I will never forget. By the time I was near to graduation, I was substantially slimmer and much more fit. I was amazed. I loved to sing cadences when marching, especially the Airborne Ranger cadences.
When I got to Reception Company, I was withdrawing from my caffeine and nicotine addictions. I was sweating at night, and could hardly sleep. You can't drink soda in Basic. You can't smoke cigarettes in Basic.
Not everybody there, had the same motivations I did. Some didn't make it to graduation, and were being discharged. I wanted my bonus. I wanted my paycheck. I wanted my job security for 4 years. I wanted my college education. I wanted to be free from what was holding me back in Greensboro. When I was put on crutches, I needed extra support from family. I only 5 minutes of phone time on Sundays. I originally would call Nigel, but it got too stressful. He would cry, and tell me I needed to quit and come home. I didn't agree. I didn't want to spend my 5 minutes a week fighting, or listening to that. He couldn't manage to pay the bills without me for some reason. It was one problem after another. I don't know why. He had full access to my entire paycheck. I decided to call my dad instead. He would pump me up. He would make me laugh. He would ask if I needed him to send me anything. That's the kind of support I needed. He would send me cough drops, which I desperately needed. The crud was horrible. It spread around over and over amongst all of us.
I was there during the hottest days of the Summer, and during the coldest days of the Winter. We marched in snow. I walked with crutches in snow and ice. It was dangerous for me. We did celebrate holidays there. The Commander and his staff served Thanksgiving dinner to the troops at the DFAC (Dining Facility). We were given time off to go home for Christmas. I don't remember much about that. I do remember flying home, and praying that I wouldn't get stuck at the Chicago airport because of snow. I think I flew into Greensboro. I know one of my priorities was buying my own PT running shoes. I bought these expensive, but pretty lavender colored, Nike running shoes. They were completely worthless in practice. They were heavy, and the springs in the heels did not help like I thought they would. I think I went to visit my dad in Southern Pines. I'm not sure.
My dad, his partner, and Nigel drove from North Carolina to my basic training graduation. The first graduation was scheduled, and I did not want to miss Family Day that followed graduation. I felt like it was only way to freedom for a day. I did not graduate with the first class I was in because I was removed from training when I was put on crutches. I was put on a profile which limited my activities, Doctor's orders. At that time, I did not want to spend time with Nigel, but it was too late to tell him not to come. Upon our attempt to re-enter the post installation, we were stopped for having something radioactive in the vehicle. I had forgotten that it was me! I had a nuclear test done for some kind of imaging, and totally forgot I was still radioactive. OMG! The drama!
Nigel had spent money on the most hideous of wedding rings. Ugh. I didn't want to wear it. I hated that he spent money on something he knew I didn't want. It was yellow gold band with tiny diamonds across it. I wanted white gold, and a very specific ring. He just wanted to show people we were married. He had already been accusing me of cheating because I was calling my dad instead of him on Sundays.
I started Basic Training in August of 2006, and didn't ship to AIT until February of 2007. No one came to my second graduation, and I was ok with that. I couldn't wait to move to the next stage. I hoped for more freedom. I didn't get it though. Damn! Ha ha ha! Healthcare Specialist sounds very different from Combat Medic. One and the same. My AIT was in Ft. Sam Houston, TX. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Information is crammed into every minute of the day. I didn't think my brain would survive. I doubted I could make it through the class. People were dropping like flies. You couldn't fail a weekly test or you would go somewhere else. The pressure was high. Then there was the NREMT, which is what we were studying for. I managed to pass my tests. I managed to pass the NREMT. After the formal training came the Combat Medic stuff. We were exposed to injuries commonly seen in the war we were in. It was gruesome. It was awful. We learned how to react and help as many soldiers as possible in a short amount of time.
Eventually, we earned time off on Saturdays and Sundays. I would got to the Hacienda sometimes, open to trainees only snack bar, alcohol bar, and gathering place. Once I was given the ok to leave post, I would go the bookstore during the day, and the bar or club during the night. I was on a tequila phase of my life. Many soldiers would drink on the weekends. We had to be back by curfew. I was trying to balance my work and fun. I didn't call Nigel. I didn't want to talk to him after he kept accusing me of doing things that I wasn't doing. He could not get it through his thick skull that I was tired Monday through Friday when I finally was released, and was not going to call anyone. It was my bed time. I need to decompress from the day. On the weekends, I stopped calling him, because he such a downer and kept accusing me of cheating. It got so bad between us, that he called my Chain of Command. When I got called in to the First Sergeant's office, I had no clue why I was being summoned. When he told me why I was there, I was furious and told him my side of the story. He dismissed me, with not much to say, other than "Stay Strong".
I was in Bravo Company, "Bulldogs", I forget the Battalion I was in. My memory is fading. We learned by trying to "stick" each other. We carried around Medic bags, full of medical supplies. I was living 2 lives, one on the outside and one on the inside. I carried around hatred of Nigel, wondering how I could divorce him as soon as possible. No one knew what he was putting me through. I had no one to talk to about what was bothering me.
One of my peers suggested that he thought I had Asperger's. I did not know what that meant. He was a psychology major in college. Surely he knew what he was talking about, right? I became paranoid. I was not sleeping well. I was not able to breathe when I tried to sleep. I did not know I had sleep apnea at the time. One thing about being in a training environment is that you don't want any reason to go to the TMC. You don't want to miss class, at least I didn't. It was too important to me. In Basic training, one of my battle buddies told me she thought she heard a bear while we were out in the field. We were sleeping in poncho tents outside with a battle buddy. The battle buddy who was in the tent with me said "that was de Mello! Snoring!" I didn't make the connection then. So, I was walking around zombified because of lack of quality sleep due to sleep apnea and lack of oxygen to my brain during sleep. Great. I know NOW, not that it helped me then!
Afterthought: I remembered! It was Bravo Company, 232nd at Ft. Sam Houston.
No comments:
Post a Comment