I recently got the smart idea to feature other soldiers that I have spoken to and befriended on godavidstrong.com and hopefully on video on the Go David Strong YouTube channel as well (video interviews coming soon).  So to kick things off I started simple by doing a written interview with soldiers that recently completed Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT).  I ask all of the soldiers the same set of questions to start because I have a feeling that the answers will be unique and yet informative.  As time goes on I'll most likely begin to add more personalized questions in addition to these below.  

My goal here is to share the experiences of other new soldiers, so that Future Soldiers can get greater insight about the Army's Initial Entry Training process than I can actually manage to deliver based solely on my one-time experience in basic training back in Fall 2010.  The Army is constantly changing, and yet some things do stay the same, but I wouldn't know becase I am too far removed from the process now.  I've moved on to greater things in my personal career, and yet I still feel a desire to help Future Soldiers because literally hundreds have asked me countless questions.  So...

If you are a recent graduate from BCT and AIT and are interested in being interviewed to further this effort, please email me with you interest at godavidstrong@gmail.com. Enjoy!

PFC Mulder, 92Y - Unit Supply Specialist from Aberdeen, South Dakota

Why did you join the US Army (Active Duty; US Army Reserve; Army National Guard)?

I chose to join the National Guard because it gives me the opportunity to serve and go to college at the same time. I am able to go to drills and be in the Army without it affecting my normal college schedule. I also joined because I thought everything about the Army was just awesome. I am able to fight for the country I love and I get paid to do it so it doesn’t get much better than that. I am proud to wear the uniform and love being a part of this huge team. 

What are your goals or what do you hope to get out of your time in the Army?

I have a few primary goals that come to mind right now when I think about my whole career in the service. First off I want to learn to become a great leader/NCO (noncommissioned officer) that young privates such as me can look up to. I want to go to as many Army schools as I can such as Airborne, Air Assault, and maybe eventually someday even R.A.S.P. I want to be the best 92 Yankee that I can be while always maintaining the seven army values. I want to deploy at least once so I can see what it actually means to fight for my country. 

What was Basic Combat Training like for you?

Basic Combat Training for me was a lot harder mentally than it was physically. As long as you are consistently working out before basic training you should be just fine physically but there wasn’t much to prepare me for the mental aspect of how a drill sergeant is towards you. For example the first few days they would give us one minute shower drills and wake us up unexpectedly which would completely throw me off. After a while though you get used to the treatment and it becomes the normal behavior. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the field exercises that we did at BCT. Hand grenades, us weapons, land navigation, the gas chamber, and Treadwell Tower were all amazing experiences and are things you can’t necessarily do in the civilian world. I definitely look back on it as a positive experience and now that I’m finished it seems like it was nothing at all. 

If it were up to you, what would you add or take away from your basic combat training to make it better?

I definitely wouldn’t have taken anything away from basic training. I am unsure of what they actually would add but I think any extra training would be good training. A new soldier can never get to be too good at field exercises and things of that nature. They say repetition is the father of learning, so if I were to add something it would be more repetition of field exercises to instill muscle memory. 

Now that you're a full soldier with BCT and AIT well behind you, is the Army what you thought it would be or totally different from the picture you had in your mind before you became a soldier?

The Army is definitely different than what I thought it would be. You have to remember that you're not always going to get along with everybody in the Army, but you will still have to work with them to achieve a goal. I didn’t realize that there were people in the that joined for selfish reasons and selfish reasons alone. I also had to open my mind to a whole new spectrum of prerogatives, being that there were soldiers from all over the nation. I could never have prepared my mind for exactly how it was going to be, its just something you have to experience for yourself to know. 

Do you have any regrets or positives about your decision? If so, what would you do differently or keep the same?

I have no regrets on my decision to join the Army. If I had to I would do it all over again because in the end you know in your heart that it’s worth it. All the struggle and things you go through are definitely for a worthy cause. You just can’t forget what you are struggling for and stay on the right path.

What is your best advice for others that are waiting and preparing to ship to basic training?

My best advice for those waiting to ship would first off to be making sure your putting in your PT time. Pushups and sit ups till failure with multiple repetitions at least 4 times a week. Also, I noticed from personal experience that running could really make or break a person. Usually you will run about 2 miles for your workouts and the best way to get better at your 2 mile is by running 3 or 4 miles at a time. I can’t stress being physically ready enough, if you are in shape basic will be tremendously easier for you and you will notice it as well. As far as the mental aspect is concerned, know your basic Army knowledge. The soldier’s creed, Army values, phonetic alphabet, military time, and General Orders are all great things to know before even arriving. Also once you get there be studying and know the information that they give you because it will all help out in the long run. One thing you can’t forget is that it is the drill sergeants job to treat you the way they do. Remember that and realize that it isn’t anything personal towards you. Also remember that its only basic training, thousands have done it before you and thousands will continue to do it after you. 

Is there anything else you'd like to say or share?

The last thing I'd like to say is just stay motivated at all times. Basic training and AIT is as long as you make it. If you are unmotivated and unhappy to be there, your time will drag on and on. Keep a positive attitude and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the time actually goes. You're doing a great service to your country and yourself, so be proud of that. Take pride in what you do and always give it one-hundred percent.

As I'm sure all of you know by now, I am an Army Reserve Soldier, and so I attended drill earlier this month at the end of which I received my permanent orders.  It appears that it is safe to say I am being deployed to Afghanistan indefinitely.  Obviously, to observe Operations Security (OPSEC) regulation, I clearly cannot reveal further information.  However, I just wanted confirm what has already been shared via my YouTube videos and basically provide my thoughts on the matter.

In a small way, I have experienced a considerably consistent time away from home, work and of course, family.  I have spent the vast majority of this year dotting the United States attending schools for training and Army competitions, in all of which I have done quite well.  However, I have already begun to face estrangement from my friends, who also happen to be my colleagues at my civilian workplace, as well as my 1,000+ elementary aged students (FYI: I'm a public school teacher if you didn't arleady know).  In terms of the former, it's been a great year, but as for the latter, this year has sucked.  I've said all this to help shape my ultimate point:  a year of deployment and the time I'll have to be away from work to prepare for it means another year of becoming a stranger.  It's an odd feeling and it was palpable throughout the 2010-2011 school year.  I'm hoping that I can work this out, as my job situation in regards to this deployment is a unique one.  That's all I have to say about this for now.

On a positive note, I do look forward to the experience of being deployed, all the while praying for my safety (lol).  There is a HUGE financial benefit as well as learning more about what my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty aka "army job") will be like in a combat environment.  Honestly, I don't know what to expect but I know for sure I will have a lot to share as I go along or afterward.  In short, I am both excited, afraid but encouraged to do my best as my unit prepares and once we deploy.

Stay tuned!

On 14 January I received an email from my Unit Administrator (UA) pertaining to my army career.  I would like to just post a quote of the email, and while it is an unclassified document, I don't feel it to be appropriate so I'll summarize.  Basically I submitted an application for pre-qualification for a direct commission as an officer in the US Army Reserve--which I did qualify and I'm currently awaiting further direction from higher up the chain of command.  However, my unit is preparing to mobilize for deployment to Afghanistan and a lot of training is forthcoming throughout this year.  In fact, I already have a week of training coming up in February.  Also prior to deploying we have about thee months of training in another state.  The process of commissioning can be very lengthy and frankly the chances of getting commissioned and trained in time for deployment in January 2012 is slim-to-none at the rate the process is going.  Ideally, it would be great to commission and finish officer school prior to deploying, but as I've already stated...  Suffice it to say if I continue with the direct commission I would be placed on an order of merit, which would make me "non-deployable".  

When I read all this I couldn't help but think something along the lines of  "It can never be a singular and simple path, but forks in the road every so often."

So after much discussion, careful and prayerful thought on the matter, this was my emailed reply to my UA:

We shall see what happens in the coming months following this.

Hooah!

This weekend has been very fun. I got a chance to hang out with my favorite cousin, Ashely. She's a cadet at West Point military academy. She came down for Spring Break with her sorority sisters--Gammas--for a nice long week partly on a cruise and on land in the Bahamian islands. From what I was told they apparently had a wildly fun and exciting time. I spent the last two days of their break with them here in South Florida. It was seven girls and me; six of them West Point cadets, and one an officer. We talked often about the army and what we plan and hope to do. They had a good number of questions for me about having enlisted and what I'll be doing. I explained how I'll go to OCS later to be an officer, since I can't do it now (and definitely will be doing so after serving a year--at least I hope I can.) Anyway, we seemed to click immediately and really have fun together these last two days. Next year we plan to hang out together for Spring Break. We just have to figure out where. It should be fun....if I don't get deployed. (On a side note, I really need to call my unit to see what the schedule is for deployment. I kinda doubt I'll get deployed right after basic training, but we'll see. I'm learning as I go.)

Oh! And I'm still sore from the hard run that Taneshina and I did yesterday morning. OMG! lol