Adventures of Tack and Thomas: Creek Pic

Off Post Overnight Pass

Checkin' out what's up on dannychoo.com and then will step out to grab brunch. This is my last weekend in Virginia and I'm enjoying it. Next weekend I have my first drill weekend after I will have graduated next week. Can't wait!

Thomas and Tack stunnas

Going away meetup with friends, best wishes - GDS Vlog 011

Yesterday I went out to dinner with some of my close friends at Cheddars for dinner.  It was nice to have them there as well as my mom and brother.  I was not in charge of the camera.  My friend Lisette took over and made it happen.  I just edited the footage together when I got home is all.  Anyway, we had a lot of fun hanging out and those of you that are preparing to ship off to basic training, no matter what branch of the military, should share your time with your friends and family too.

I am David

My friend told me this weekend that I am too meek and mild, and that is his main concern about me having joined the Army. He thinks I'll get chewed up, and spit out, as well as brainwashed. For the record I am by no means bashing my friend here, but I find the conversation we had interesting.

Let's do a character study.

Statements like his have been said to me in various situations throughout my life, and yet I rise to the occasion. I am David and I have a friend in the highest place. A lot of people know OF Him, but don't KNOW Him. And in as much as they don't know Him, or should I say, dismiss His very existence and involvement in human affairs, they therefore miss out on a major aspect of my being. In fact, a whole part of me goes unnoticed and untapped by many people, even friends because they don't know, nor understand Him. My point is, folks just see the physical reality of me, but don't know one iota about my spiritual being and the power therein. I'm not saying I can dodge bullets and I'm impervious to IED's (LOL). I'm just saying that He's been my number one advocate since before I was born. All my joys, my fears, my ups and my downs He has known and understood. And every time, I mean EVERY time there was a gargantuan, Goliath of an obstacle in my way--an obstacle that I viewed with my human limitations as insurmountable--He took me through it and I succeeded. I have had naysayers and "Debbie Downers" speak the worst tripe in the worst times of my life, and yet I rise. I'm not as naive as my disposition tends to convey and I make it common habit to play innocent, yet I know more than I let on. Additionally, I don't trust people with certain aspects of my character. More on this latter point later. In short, I practice being wise as a serpent and innocent as dove. I like to call it the Lion-Lamb persona--they're one in the same.

Next, I have found that if people shutup more than they talk, they will learn more about their surroundings. In fact, in a short span of time and quiet, one can learn people's strengths and weaknesses, who truly holds power or control in a given situation, and can better plan to fight or flight, both literally and figuratively speaking where applicable. Suffice it to say, I'm extremely quiet and I've been told A LOT by friends, family, peers, and coworkers that my quietness can seem unsettling to them, to sum up their statements. My stillness is often misinterpreted and I'm commonly asked, "Are you okay?" Frankly, this question has gotten annoying, as I am now serving customer number 1,295,398.  And this "customer" will walk up to me and inevitably ask me, "Are you okay?" at which point, I roll my eyes and ask God to forgive the expletive that slipped from the lips of my  mind's voice.

Ever heard the Bible verse that unctions that one shouldn't cast his pearls before swine? Well hear me out on this because it's important. Our minds are precious and this is true because they are amazingly capable of remembering everything, so don't fill it with junk. Having said that, I've spent years treasuring my innermost being, thoughts and feelings. I like refining myself to be a person of very high integrity--though I have monumental flaws...MON-U-MEN-TAL. But this takes me to my next point. I dislike this age of over-share to some extent.  But by over-share I mean, for example, this strange obsession as of late where people share in the most disgusting, unabashed way, very personal and otherwise sacrosanct details of their lives. Furthermore, I find it difficult to understand how people can so callously talk about sex, how they did it, with whom they did it and how many times.  Then these intimate details are shared with not only their unfaithful, loose-lipped friends, but the world as if it were a badge of honor. I am not that kind of person and I dislike it! Only God and maybe the government (LOL) knows the details of what happens in my bedroom behind closed doors. Not even my best friend knows. I'm so tight-lipped that my mother has to ask if I date at all. As an aside, I don't outwardly judge people like this with my words, but in my mind... that's a secret. ;)

In short, I'm like a room with a single locked door and no windows. If one wants to know what's inside, I'm not going to let you in. You have to knock, wait, and I'll consider you. And I don't make promises...never. THIS is why I'm often misinterpreted. But I don't see myself changing anytime soon. Deal! Remember this, what you see is only what I'm allowing one to think of me based on what I willingly reveal about myself. Anything else one may think or concoct about me is their own creation, and something I have no control over, nor do I care to manage.

Yes. I know the army won't be a walk in the park and I'll cope. Do I have a choice? Technically yes, but generally speaking, I don't. Besides I'm not looking for a way out, I'm trying to get into the army. I like what I've seen so far and I want more. I want to end this entry by saying that I detect an air of condescension in my friends alleged concern. I sense, "He doesn't know what he's getting himself into." In truth, statements like this actually have no baring on the wrong or right-ness of a choice that has been made. But for arguments sake and to close, I'll list my "flaws" that I think brought about his statement: "The army will chew you up and spit you out." "They are going to brainwash you."

I/am...

• Very idealistic
• See a lot of life in black and white
• Too quiet
• Cautious 
• Overly analytical 
• Black 
• Overly professional
• Conservative 
• Extremist 
• Rigidly logical, dare I say Vulcan-esque (LOL!!)
• Selfish 
• Highly moral
• Fickle
• Extremely spontaneous
• Random
• Short-tempered
• Argumentative
• Cantankerous
• Stubborn

I will revisit this matter after basic training, and then after a few years in the army. We'll see what still stands and what remains.

Meet Timothy

Below is a video of a Future Soldier, who found my videos on YouTube and felt the desire to share his excitement for becoming a US Soldier.  He recently posted this video and in response to it I had the following to say to him (below the player).

Look Timothy, in your mind you're already a soldier and that's the way you should look at it. You're proud of your choice, and hold onto it! As for ideas, perhaps you can look into the long list of Future Soldier Training that you can be learning and vlog about your "pre-soldier" experience. I view vlogging as visual journaling and art. It's mostly for yourself, and hopefully for others to follow your journey. Remember that! :) Be real, be authentic. More importantly, be yourself. -David

I hope he takes what I said to heart.  He's young and he'll figure it all out. :)

Just thought I'd share. 

Oh and while I'm at it, there are more like him that either I subscribed to on YouTube or vice versa--ranging from folk joining or in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force.  Great people we have in this country!

Future Soldier Training

So I was supposed to have a meetup with some other guys and my recruiter for Future Soldier Training (FTS) but he texted me and said that we couldn't meet. So that left me to have to motivate myself to get up and take care of what I know still needs to be done on my own.

I have to boost myself--have that intrinsic motivation to get my butt in gear. My voice teacher used to put it this way, he'd say, "Apply the board of knowledge to the seat of education.". In other words, get my butt moving!!!! Waiting on a teacher to get me going isn't really wise.

So yesterday I didn't go run like I intended even though he canceled our meetup and to make up for it my friend Taneshina and I went for a run this morning. FYI: Taneshina is a west point cadet in incredible shape, with great strength--enough to put me to shame. Like she's pumped!! LOL!

The bottom line is I will be pushing myself to exceed the minimum standards of the initial PT assessment during the first week of BCT.

"Future Solider Event & The Specialist Guy"

I'll get to the title of this post in a minute--I wanna take the long route. :)

Today we had a future soldier gathering of all current recruits awaiting shipping out to BCT from various select cities in our county. We met up at the beach with blue skies and a beautiful ocean. It was awesome and VERY exciting. The only downer is I couldn't participate fully because I over exerted myself and thereby over worked my left calf muscle. Been limping a bit since. It's so not serious, but it had me out of commission for the last two days plus today. At any rate, we all got into formation, stretched, exercised and then began an alleged 1 mile run (was actually around 3 miles). I didn't run, obviously. So while the group was gone us beat and hurt folk chilled and talked army stuff, both recruits and sergeants alike. Afterward, there was food, volleyball and basketball games. I left early but during the time I was there I really absorbed the experience.

The time that I spent "networking", I guess is how I can put it, I found to be the most beneficial aspect of the event. Not only was it cathartic in terms of settling nervousness of not knowing each other, but also boosted confidence in what we are all there for, and this is why I'm loving my army experience thus far.

Here is where the title comes in. A large majority of the recruits that I've met from my station and then from other stations are younger than me. I'm 27, soon to be 28 in April. The others are like in or just out of high school. And some graduated a while back are in their late teens to early twenties. On the other end of the spectrum I think there were maybe three guys that I counted on one hand that appear to be in their 30s--everyone else is under 30, judging by appearance. Now I bring up age, because I've been getting a lot of comical ice-breaking reactions from the younger recruits because of my young look. I appear to be in school. Some thought I was a high school senior, and some thought I was in college, therefore my early twenties. So today, while me and other recruits from our station were talking, one guy asked me my rank. I said, Specialist. There was an awkward silence and they then another who already met me a month ago added, "Yeah, I know him. He's the specialist guy". And all I can think is, is this a bad thing or a good thing? lol So today I've been dubbed by the folk 7 to 9 years younger than me as "The Specialist Guy".

So one of the common questions I've been getting lately are inquiries about my age and/or rank. Generally, I have been led to understand that my speech and smile, specifically give my age away. And while all this isn't new to me, I still find the reactions very amusing to say the least.