Alright, I am a Tennessee State Guardsman. I am a volunteer. I volunteered for this. I must keep reminding myself of this. I am 43. I have Multi-focal Gout, (in all my joints. Very Painful), Arthritis, and Diabetes. Plus I am NOT in the best of shape. So I am told that I have to go to Catoosa, GA for this training. Cool! I am actually looking forward to this. So far I have received some pretty interesting training. I am up at 0330 Friday morn, drive the short distance to the Base in Millington, TN. Throw my gear in the back of the guys vehicle that I'm riding with and drive 6 hours. We arrive and are told to stow our gear. No probs. The first thing we do is fall in for PT! We have not 1 but two Marine Corp Drill Instuctors! These guys make R. Lee Erme look like a sissy!" After PT we get a 4 mile road march, only to come back to camp for more PT! Then we march down the road to Chow, so called because it is not classified as anything even resembling food. March back to camp for more PT! By now I am in EXCRUCIATING PAIN! But I hack it out because if I say that I am hurting there will be more PT! Finally we are allowed to go to bed. 2230. {10.30 pm.} 0400 Saturday Morn, the DI's set of a flash grenade outside our tent. More PT. Another road march, then this chow stuff again, then another road march. Then we start te lessons that they are going to teach us, Land Navigation using co-ordinates and a compass, first aid, Communications and Radio lingo. Then more PT. Somebody please kill me and end this torture. No such luck. Meanwhile, no coffee, no smoking, no guns with live ammo... Yet another road march. Chow was an improvment because we got MRE's. A look around Hajjitown. This is a training facility for Iraq and Afganistan. Another road march, more PT, more instruction on the uniforms (still no mysterious bullet from out of nowhere to end the pain!) etc... Lights out 2315 hours. 0430 Sun morn and another flash grenade. More PT in the moonlight, more marching, more drilling, more of this stuff called chow.(allright God, What did I do to tick you off?) Then we break down camp and pack it all up. Now please notice that nowhere have I mentioned showers, bathing, etc... We weren't allowed this luxury. We all made references to Gunny Erme's line in FMJ... "I will PT you till you DIE! I will PT you till you a** is sucking buttermilk!..."
Let me tell you about my new trick...