Dog Tags........and Flip Flops

We just got internet access in my barracks room tonight and it feels like it's been a very long time since I was last able to write. Everyday is incredibly busy with all sorts of training required of my class. We are bonding and learning more of each other as the days pass by. I am missing home terribly...it seems that the only way to try to not continually think about missing home is to get to know those around me better. The Lieutenant I will be working with is also here in training with me. He's been married for one month.......Wow, he's a newly wed and had to leave his wife for this deployment. Every sailor I've met in my class has their own heart felt story which adds to the camaraderie we all feel. Some volunteered to be mobilized but most were involuntarily mobilized like myself. We all recognize that we have our collective families back home and that we all need to be creative to fill our time so we don't think about being homesick all day. As crazy as some might think this is, I really miss work. I've kept in touch with a co-worker and it's nice to get emails from her. My biggest challenge here so far was the gas mask fitting....again! This time, they made us sit in the masks for about 10 minutes before we got tested. Another officer was equally discomforted by this exercise so we just talked to each other to pass time. Talking with others and learning about our families is all we can do to make the best of it. We find collegial ways to laugh and to have fun but the sad part is that a lot of it is really just a front. We are restricted: to base and from wearing civilian clothes and consuming alcohol. The purpose of this is to increase our Warrior Ethos......that is, if we had the luxuries which we were used to, we would not be in the proper mindset which all Warriors need to be in. I truly understand that although I really don't like it. This is for our safety to ensure we aren't distracted by anything else and that we pay as much attention as possible to our training and our new uniforms which could be life saving when worn properly. In the end, if these are the luxuries which we must forgo to ensure our safety mindset is the highest possible, then I guess I agree with it. We eat all meals at the DFAC, which is an Army term for Dining FACility. The food is horrible and you have to wait in line. Most basic items, such as milk and coffee, are rarely available so I can't even enjoy a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee for breakfast. The menu is nearly the same everyday. The "Speed Line" routinely has hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs at lunch. For dinner, they've served fried chicken, fried fish, and pizza leftovers (or so it tastes, I wonder who got it the first time?) I've done very well on my diet and I'm getting to the point that it's starting to be by choice. The salad bar is average so I've been lucky to have a salad for dinner every lunch and with dinner. Well, that's enough for tonight, I need to get some rest......

I thought I'd share a little insight into life as a Sailor in the NARMY, so here it goes: As you know, soldiers wear dog tags in combat. The sad reality is that they are used for body identification purposes. One is placed on a chain around the neck and the other is placed on the laces of a boot. While in a barracks setting you always have to worry about others taking your personal belongings so you have to lock everything up. So, I've also added the key to my barracks room and the key to my locks to my dog tags ensuring I always have the keys with me. The head (aka shower) for the women is a men's bathroom converted to women only. The barracks is very old which also makes it very tough to see if the deck (aka floor) is clean. An additional complication to living in a barracks is that we are essentially restricted from wearing civilian clothes outside of our room. Since our room is directly across from the head, in the middle of the night, we push the limit a little bit. The heads do not have the typical luxuries from home (clean counter tops, hooks, clean floors, etc.) so showering is rather challenging. Of course, rule #1 is NEVER let your bare feet touch the floor anywhere in the head or in your room. The remaining challenges are interesting. There is only one hook for each of the two shower stalls (they share a common dressing area) so we are expected to hang our toiletry bag dirty clothes, clean clothes, dog tags and towel on the one small hook. The changing areas also has a small bench which inevitably gets wet as soon as the showers are turned on. So, imagine the challenges with the clothes while having to shower while wearing flip flops. A minor inconvenience you might think, but we've been so hot and sweaty during our first week that a good shower is always in order before bed. In case you've never showered wearing flip flops, one try and I'm sure you will agree that the shower just does not feel the same or as good as a shower without flip flops!!