Basic Training
Journal: Saturday, August 23rd
We had a motivational run today. The drill sergeants told
us we were going to run 6 miles but it was actually about
3 miles. They probably said 6 to stop people from falling
out because they wouldn't want to fall out so early in the
run. Some of us roadguards messed up so we had to run an extra
mile around the track while the others did stretches.
We cleaned the barracks after breakfast and 1st and 2nd squad
got to go to the PX. We then ate lunch and went to the classroom
for a briefing on rings. You place the order today but you
don't have to pay until it arrives, takes about a month. If
you don't like the results you don't have to pay either. The
basic rings cost from $150-200. The gold rings have to be
bought at the PX.
They offer lots of designs to choose from. You can pick 2
side designs, wording on the sides, and the engraving. I don't
like rings and I don't have money to burn, so I didn't order
one. They are nice looking rings though. About half our platoon
stayed in the class to get their ring size while the ones
who didn't want rings went back to the barracks. Today has
been pretty laid back, I can see the end of total control
coming very soon, but I could be wrong.
We had mail call today, it was backed up about 3 days and
we got it all today. One guy got bad news in the mail....his
girlfriend wrote him and told him she slept with another guy
while he was away....what great news to hear while you're
at BT. The guy went crazy and punched the wall and screamed
like a madman. He got it out of his system, but he's still
in the wrong state of mine. Hopefully he'll be better after
a good nights rest. It's funny because the drill sergeants
said it would happen to some guys and it already has.
Our platoon guide and another guy in our platoon got in a
fight today too...punches thrown. Our PG owned him though—he
threw a punch at our PG but missed, and PG grabbed him and
flipped him onto the ground and choked him. The drill sergeant
found out and they were escorted out of the barracks by a
drill sergeant. One of the drill sergeants told us they may
go to Fort Leavenworth(military prison).
Wondering what a PG is? The drill sergeant will pick one
person in the platoon to be the platoon guide(PG). They usually
pick the older, higher ranking guys in the platoon to be PG.
He gets his orders from the DS and it's the PGs job to get
things done, like march us to chow when we get off total control.
There are also squad leaders for each group of 15 in our
60 man platoon. They are picked the same way PG is chosen.
The PG communicates with the squad leaders and the squad leaders
square away everyone in their squad....a chain of command.
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