Boot Camp Memories

Have you ever looked back and thought, "Damn, is this really my life?" That seems to be right where I'm at today. I hit my year mark with the navy on March 2nd of this year. It's crazy when I stop and think how much my life has changed. Last year at this time, my Grandmother was just getting out of the hospital recovering from surgery. We are so blessed to have her here with us today. I'm so glad she's walking again and her spirits are up. It was definitely rough seeing her at the hospital for so many months.

Last year at this time, I was headed to boot camp. I would like to share with you all, my hilarious stories and memories from boot camp.

I signed with MEPS on February 16th, and had basically 2 weeks before I left for basic training last year. Two weeks gave me just enough time to say goodbye to everyone and a solid 14 days to freak out. I couldn't do a single push up before I left. I couldn't run longer than 10 minutes. I had no background in military knowledge whatsoever. Boy, was I in for it!

So my family threw me this wonderful going away party with lots of great food and friends before I left. Ask my brother what happened on the way there. I was driving those back country NC roads, reciting the sailor's creed for him as blue and red sirens flash behind me. "Shit!" "Jonathan, he's gonna write me a speeding ticket and I won't be able to leave for boot camp and I'll have to tell everyone today I'm not leaving." He approaches the car and sure enough, tells me I was driving too fast. He asked why. All I could see without tears falling down was, "Sir, I was just trying to recite the sailor's creed for my brother so I can be a sailor in the U.S. Navy. Please don't give me a ticket. I'll go 15 mph the whole way there. Just please don't give me a ticket because then, I'll have to wait 6 months to go to boot camp." Sure enough, he gives me a warning. I never told my mom until AFTER the party was over.

When you get off of the airplane in Chicago, you meet up with everyone else and that is when the yelling begins. You line up in single file, and get on a bus that takes you to Great Lakes. As soon as the bus stops, a petty officer comes on the bus and yells at everyone to get off the damn bus and get inside. Guess who got so nervous she fell down the stairs getting off the bus? Yep, that's me. In my 3 minute phone call home to tell my mom that I arrived safely all I said was, "Mom I'm here. I just fell off the bus. I gotta go. Bye" Yep, that was our conversation.

My goal in boot camp was to blend in and stay quiet. That is NOT the way it happened. We had these guard belts with canteens that we had to wear all the time to stay hydrated, when they weren't in use we hung them on the hooks, canteens facing left. The second day I was there, I hung mine to the right. Bingo. So much for blending in. My RDC (recruit division commander) threw it on the ground and asked me why I was on my own fucking plan. I was so lost in the sauce. It took me weeks to figure out why he was yelling and throwing my canteen on the deck, haha.

In boot camp, we marched alot. And commands were repeated over and over again. The funniest times occurred at night while the division was sleeping and you were on watch. The RPOC would yell in her sleep, "Division 151, ATTEN-TION." All at once, bodies would sit up at attention.We even had one girl doing sit ups in her sleep.

My rack mate got her wisdom teeth pulled out and was on strong pain killers one night. We were getting ready for the evening prayer and I turn around to find her bowing her head, counting, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8....1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. When told to get in her rack she cried and said, "No, there are ants all in my rack. I'm not sleeping with those ants." I coaxed her into sleeping by giving her my ant free blanket.

After falling not so gracefully during the seabag relay, one of the guys in my division reenacted me falling. It was hysterical. All my RDC could do was shake his head, laugh and say, "Fuckin' Greene."

This post is probably long overdue and sadly I cannot remember all that I should since its been so long ago. We got beat for two hours one day because someone pooped in the toilet and didn't flush.

I drank ALOT of water.
RDC:"Greene, where the fuck do you think you're going?"
Me: "The head, petty officer"
RDC: "Greene, you just fucking skated off to the head 5 minutes ago."
Me: "You told us to drink 12 canteens a day petty officer"

Looking back its all pretty hysterical. Especially when I think about me in boot camp at the very beginning. I was clueless. I guess it all works out the way its suppose to. I still can't believe I'm in freaking JAPAN!

Bye for now
DG