BCT Day 34
The following information is a portion of “Marck’s Boot Camp Diary”. The information contains a straight-forward look at Basic Training Life on a daily basis. The information contained within this page is used with the express written permission of the author. For more information about the author view the “Author’s Information” at the bottom of the page. Some choice phrases have been censored.
August 27th, 2002
Here I am at the shooting range. Isabella is locked, cocked, and ready to roll. I got her nice and lubricated last night and she’s been marinating all night ready for action. We are at the same range that I have to qualify at in two days. I wore my civilian glasses so that my helmet doesn’t push down on my coke bottle ugly ass birth control glasses. I think it will help me shoot better, because I suck. I’m under extreme pressure to qualify by hitting 23 out of 40 targets. If I don’t, I get recycled to another company at the beginning of white phase and I don’t get to graduate on Sept 26th with my platoon.
Last night was good. I got some mail. It was specially cool to receive a letter from one of the readers of my diary. I think it’s awesome that I influence someone in some way. The reader is from Washington state. Sorry I don’t have the name handy. He appreciated that I write about BCT first hand. I write for people who don’t want or need the commercialized version of the army. I might compile my diary into a book! To the reader, thank you for your support. Oh, and for those who are wondering what my MOS* is, it’s 63W (Wheel vehicle repair).
I just had my first try. I hit 12 targets. Now I’m really worried. I need to double it to qualify. I feel like a failure. This is the worst I’ve felt in BCT. I will improve on my next try or I don’t deserve to keep trying. I won’t see anybody on Sept 26th. I’ll just fail on Thurs and be recycled. Unless I cut the **** out right now. And I WILL do better. My life depends on it. At least my future does.
Well, it’s a few minutes later. I did improve by four. But 16 is still not qualifying. I am seven hits away. If I can improve more tomorrow (we’re doing the same thing), I’ll be set. I’m not even dreaming of getting expert though. That’s 37 hits. It would be nice because one drill sergeant is dropping all the experts off at the movies and picking them up when it’s over. Another D.S. is bringing his DVD player and TV and letting the experts watch movies. I’m just hoping we all qualify because the platoon with the most qualified people gets a banner for their flag. If that’s us, we’re getting a pizza and soda party. Mmmm…I miss pizza.
We’re probably also get more privileges, such as more phone time and more trips to the PX. I need more ricola cough drops, damn it. It’s the closest we get to candy and it’s allowed. I’m addicted. I also need floss. It would be really nice if one of my close friends could send me a package with a bunch of different flavored cough drops and glide unflavored floss. Dejan, you asked if I wanted anything and I said no in my letter. Well, I just thought of something. Seriously, I’d owe you big time. They do allow us to get packages, as long as the contents are allowed. Don’t stick anything else in there, though. I’ll have to throw it out. They make me open it in front of them.
*=Military Occupation Specialization
