Oh Shit There I Was, (Start Story Here)..

Well let's make a note. Hello to all.. It's been a while, to those who effing care. Let's say that the U.S Army has now made me less content, less patient and other than that I'm pretty much the same guy. It's been 5 months since I got an a damn plane for Basic, said later to college for a while and ended up where I'm at now, Fort Eustis (Useless), Virginia, Home of the Aviation Logistics. From the beginning now, I thought that from me entering the Enlisted side of the U.S military it would be more of a teaching experience to myself and a way for me to better understand the military and what I eventually plan on doing with my life. Including to decide if I want to take on the responsibility of being a Commissioned Officer when I come back to ASU. In the last 7 weeks since I got out of the lockdown of Fort Jackson, SC, I've been reacquainting myself with what's gone on in the world, I even didn't get to watch the Super Bowl (so if you recorded it, send me a copy). I've also learned a hella lot with what I'm capable of and the things I (HA!!) getting into. One thing that’s made a huge point in today's U.S Army is that were not all fresh 17,18 and 19 year olds. Everyone is coming in from 17 to 42 and the Army is hella different. 35 year old Privates are getting yelled at but are still at the lower end of the curve even though they have had much life experience but still held to the same standard as the 17 year old coming in for training. Sometimes to me it seems right, but they deserve some more respect, because they get more responsibility as being older. From the accounts of others in my Company in Delta 2/60th Infantry, my platoon was the hardest, mainly due to how colorful the people we had and their lack to adapt and be a member of a team. To include changing into a new uniform every hour in the middle of the night, not getting any sleep, up to being in full battle rattle (all combat gear on). To crawling forever in the dirt for stupid shit and oh yeah, moving 300lb wall lockers down stairs and making our beds outside by moving the entire barracks outside, TWICE. Once we got inspected. That was a great moment, and now that it's over, I laugh at it and miss it all. Including all the live fires and squad movements, especially since I was a SAW Gunner. For some reason, the four SAW Gunners, me, Hill, Harris, and another I forgot her name, were almost at badass status with the 26lb weapon being carried once it was loaded with the ammo box. What made it more interesting was how I got the greatest equipment to sling my M249 SAW, a canteen sling for a 2quart. Which I taped up to hold and was about 3 inches wide. While everyone else got uber big and padded ones that worked great on long ruck marches. Me on the other hand, I supposed just kept going.. I did ask for one, but HA didn't get me anywhere. I was very sick too for a while, a one thing for sure is that Cough Drops are currency and CRACK for basic training solders. Thanks to my sister to sent me a large box consisting of over 2800 vitamin C and cough drops. My Drill Sgts. Went ballistic, but I gave handfuls to everyone in my platoon. At Graduation week, I don't think I gave the proper see you around and laters to everyone and I wish I did. If you read this, then hopefully we pass by in a combat zone. More on Basic later.

Whoo, on the bus to do what I wanted to do, fly Blackhawks and be a damn door gunner. Of course I need to learn to fix the damn thing and replicate a NASCAR pit crew in changing out parts in order to keep my helicopter in the air. I finally head out to Fort Eustis in VA. Once I stepped out, the Charlie Shaft started.. Basically meaning how much Charlie Company which I am assigned to, (C Co, 1-222nd Aviation Regiment, 222 aka Triple Deuce.) would hella screw us over. We didn't start classes for weeks and there were hundreds in front of me waiting to start school. So what do we get to do in the mean time! Stuff we did at Basic, wholy shit! (The U.S Army has made me cuss way more exponentially than I used too). We built and entire Forward Operating Base (33 tents with 2000 sandbags for each one) and damn I still have stain marks on my uniforms that won't come off from those days. Those days made me wonder what the hell, I came to learn and do something important and I stuck doing stupid shit, plus I may not get back in time to start Fall semester in college. Luckily something good happened, since the State of Arizona is paying for my efforts to become a Soldier in the U.S Army instead of the federal government, I was front loaded in front of the lines to get "classed" for school. Like many others in the National Guard because they don't want to waste state funds. 2 weeks and 3 days later I started Blackhawk School after leaving Fort Jackson on March 21th. Others took 2 for 10 weeks to start. Ouch. Another thing that sucked and I am currently in is that I'm a NightOwl, night shift going to school from 10PM to 9AM, overnights… Yeah I sleep in the day and nocturnal. I don't know any other MOS's in other than the hardcore Combat Arms that make us do that, but whoooo… Sleep sucks, and it's kinda weird I'm in class and working at 2,3 or 4am..

During my times at AIT, I question the atmosphere of where I am at and why I'm here. While I mentioned earlier that I'm here to learn and determine what I can do to better myself, I wonder what I am living for. In a week I'm about to go on my FTX and it makes me wonder, "what am I living for. " Every time we do something I have to determine what is the significance of the entirety of how I am and what's the major purpose of this event. Probably why I didn't give a damn in Grade school, and it took till about 4th grade that I wanted to be in the military when I drew jets all the time, and 8th grade when I wanted to become a teacher. High school didn't really involve too much effort even though I always wondering what's the point to working hard and looking good on paper in order to send it to people to see one side of your life and who you are. Here in the Basic and AIT world, most people really don't know who you are or understand the backgrounds of how your raised. I mean you see it in peoples attitudes but every time you wonder and think how they grew up. Probably why people see me as so straightedged was due to my days as a workaholic and being young, for why I wanted to get the hell out of here so quick. The cadre don't know crap other than what they see. Truthfully it often frustrates me due to the fact as an Officer I want to be involved in knowing what's going on in my Soldiers minds, in fact trying to find their talents and strengths that are out of the box in order to engage them and become a better leader myself. Overall, "I live for this.." What you mean, probably the dream of being a pilot, even though I truly unsure these days in the world of Army weavers and the status of my vision. Also when we are holding rucksacks on our backs and a weapon in our hands, looking towards a village to train to execute in. Marching with all my gear and watching helicopters and F-22's fly over me is usually when I say "I live for this.." The Army truly follows the ideal of "People come and go." New unit, new duty station, or dead and in the ground." Working in the hanger we learn the dangers and the fun of our jobs. My instructor already lost 25 men and now I have to learn the fact that I have an empty list that will eventfully be filled with friends I'm going to lose. I have quickly made inlets and networks within the Army in the enlisted ranks. Many at basic, a couple at AIT.

So far it looks like I'll be finishing somewhere around August, I'll be here in VA and hopefully at Fort Campbell, KY for Airborne School, and/or an Air Assault School somewhere. I am pretty much ready to come home.. Word on the street is that the 2/285th Aviation (my unit at home) will be headed out to Afghanistan in September. So I'll either start up at ASU again or head out for a deployment. Either sounds alright to me. VA is going to start getting hella humid and will suck badly for me. A lot of things that I hold important to me are still are, but I look at these things more differently than I did before, especially being away. I also came to the major realization with the people I see at work everyday in the Army, how much I have grown up and have done, and of course.. Missed out. I kinda rushed through the 19 years of my life really quick, and you never get them back, I even get told by a friend, "It was my choice". My choice has gotten me here and continuing forward is the only thing to do. The years of when I was a kid I wish were a little longer, being a teenager in Middle and High School I wish I did more and done more things that can't be done now. All I can really say is that I can take the experience that I have now and let that be a lesson for others. Getting shot at to know what it feels like, and then knowing that the only way for you to make it stop is to flank and move forward towards the gunfire is really now how I look at life. Pretty soon I'll have Aviator wings and be coming home, with a lot on my mind. And I've said a lot, and still have more to say, doubt this covers 5 months of things.. Oh yeah, and I'm going to be kicking a lot of ass since another asian called me out on Modern Army Combatives practice, so don't fuck with me or i'll make you tap and/or armbar you.