Aim High Erin

Miscellany Monday

2012-03-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

1. I'm not a "loser." I hate when I can't find things, when something goes up missing. It doesn't happen that often, so when it does, I freak out. My BMT wedding ring is not in my ring dish and it's not above the kitchen sink, where it normally ends up if I'm doing dishes. I've already run my hand through the garbage disposal - nothing. I need to check my ABU pockets when I get home, although I don't think I would've put it there. My "real" wedding ring is safe and on my hand right now, but I'd hate to lose my the ring that made it through BMT and tech school with me, especially now that I'm at home. I wear that ring more than my real one now. I'm trying not to dwell on it, so that I stumble upon it later when I get home. Ugh!

2. I was beyond exhausted yesterday evening after getting home from drill. I am so thankful that I don't have anything going on this weekend. I'm long overdue for sleeping in, relaxing, and a couple nice, long runs. UTA weekends usually mean eating more than necessary (thank you DFAC!) and not working out. Sunday evenings are the worst because I have to do a commissary run after I get out of there, and immediately do all of my weekend chores when I get home. Do I complain about this every week? Probably, my apologies. Fortunately for my sanity, I stayed off the couch, kept the TV off, and was able to get some snuggle time in with DH. He always appreciates that. :)

via Temptalia

3. I just got back from the bathroom, where my lipstick broke. RIP MAC Jazzed. I know you can "save" broken lipsticks (I don't usually care for the crush into a palette option), but we'll see how long it takes for me to get around to do that.

4. I fully intended to share good news and ask for well-wishes today, but that positivity got squashed really quickly. DH was supposed to head up to MEPS this evening, one step closer to finally enlisting in the AFR, coming over from the USAR. I got a text from his recruiter saying that they'd cancelled his appointment, which has to be reschedule. DH's conditional release from the Army is very time sensitive and we're getting down to the wire. He doesn't tend to be very patient, but when we hit roadblock after roadblock, I don't blame him for being frustrated. Keep thinking good thoughts for us. Now he's out a couple days of work this week and not getting anything done at MEPS, and he'll have to take two days off next week as well. *sigh*

5. I leave you with this picture of us at the awards banquet we went to on Saturday. I was running late despite getting out of work early, which always stresses me out. When we arrived we took our formal photo right away. I'll be excited to see how it turned out. The dinner was fair, although we were starving by the time it rolled around. The speaker left a little to be desired. Sadly, no one else started dancing when they were cranking old standards. We got to dance to a couple songs at the end before we bailed. I was exhausted by the end of the night, and knew I had to be up early the next day. People were dragging tail the next day in the squadron, let me tell you!

My first semi-formal banquet.

BMT: Wedding Rings

2012-03-05T08:10:00.001-07:00

$29.95 through AAFES

This one is primarily for the married ladies, although if you're a bling-bling kind of married man, you may want to read too.

The question may come up before you leave for BMT about what to do with your wedding ring. If you have a beautiful, expensive wedding ring, leave it at home. The training environment is not conducive for keeping your valuables safe and unharmed.

The females in my flight that brought their wedding rings to BMT ended up keeping them in their security drawers and didn't wear them until graduation weekend. While that's an option, I probably wouldn't want to run the risk of having something happen to it in there, if you were careless about leaving your drawer unlocked.

One of my flight members wore her rings to PT one morning, and ended up taking them off and putting them into the tiny pocket on her PT shorts. Do I even need to tell you what happened next? She lost them. Fortunately, our MTIs were nice enough to allow her and another trainee to go look for them, and they were eventually found. Your MTI may not be so nice and you may not be so lucky. If she would've lost those rings in the sand pits, she could've kissed them goodbye.

Many opted to have their spouses bring them their wedding rings during graduation weekend. When we saw our families on Thursday, they would be able to get their rings, and therefore have them for Friday's Parade and the rest of the weekend, not to mention tech school. This is a much better option to ensure that your ring is safe.

If you want to wear some sort of ring while you're down there, I would encourage you to buy a cheap band. The above pictured ring is sold through AAFES for $29.95. You can get them in Tungsten or Titanium, they are unisex in desire, and they are very comfortable. I opted for one of these before I left for BMT and I actually wear it more than my "real" ring now.

[Sadly, I managed to misplace this ring yesterday, and it's weighing heavily on my mind right now. That ring has been through so much with me! Keep your fingers crossed that I stumble over it tonight.]

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #69

2012-03-02T13:28:00.001-07:00

It's the first Friday of the month, which means it's time for some fill-in fun! Head on over to Wifey's if you're a milspouse (or significant other) and you want to get in on the question and answer action!

1. What is your favorite/most unique anniversary/birthday gift from your spouse? suggested by Bel at Being a Better Me DH isn't into holidays, as I've mentioned on here before. He doesn't celebrate them and would rather just blow right by them. He does try to muster up some enthusiasm for my sake, on our anniversary and my birthday. The most creative gift he's ever given me for our anniversary was a new living room. When does give, he goes all out! It was like an HGTV reveal; I came home one day to an entirely new living room. We hadn't been talking about replacing our furniture, so it was a complete surprise. He'd picked out a new sectional couch, chair, tables, lamps, a rug, and used our existing decorative pieces to tie it all in. He did an amazing job, I was so proud of him and we actually look like we have an "adult" room that is cohesive in its design.

2. What’s your first thought when you see it’s snowing (or what would you say if you don’t live somewhere with snow? suggested by Poekitten from Many Waters C'MON SNOW DAY! At least a two hour delay! Ugh, into work I go!

3. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed? suggested by Erika from Chambanachik Probably the amount of working out I've done versus the amount of crap I've eaten. We've been doing weekly weigh-ins here at school and I'm not pleased with my numbers today. I've been mowing down the Easter candy this week. So much for losing a couple pounds for this banquet... On the plus side, I done two long distance runs, my longest ever!

4. What was your favorite thing that happened in February? This has been such a busy month, it's hard for me to remember any big moments. My favorite thing has probably being seeing my website take off in such positive ways. It's a big motivator for me right now, and I feel out of sorts on the days when I'm not blogging.

5. What are you looking forward to in March? My first semi-formal banquet for the Air Force is tomorrow, and I've been looking forward to that for a while. Pictures to come! I need to force myself to remember to exercise that camera, rather than just bring it and leave it in my purse all night, which is typical of me. I'm also looking forward to paying off one of our credit cards this month, with all of the money I've been bringing in from UTAs (drill weekends) and AT days (annual tour). I'd say I was looking forward to spring break at the end of the month, but I'm on AT orders then as well. Guess that means no wild week in Mexico for me, drat! :)

MMS - We have a winner!

2012-03-01T07:21:00.003-07:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to Mrs. Duh!

She is the winner of the My Memories Suite Vol. 3 software!

Thanks to everyone who entered. If you didn't enter, the code below the banner will allow you to buy the software for $29.97 ($10 off) and you'll receive $10 of credit to use in the store. It may be more than you want to pay right now, but I guarantee you that I've spent more than $30 since I've been using the product, and I've been satisfied with every penny spent. :)

Use code STMMMS88379

BMT: Duties and Details, Part 2

2012-02-29T16:51:00.003-07:00

Happy Leap Day! Today I bring you part two of Duties and Details. If you're just joining me now, check out the introduction and Part 1 (bed alignment, shoe alignment, End of Bed Display) here.

Fire Monitor
The Fire Monitor is a fancy phrase for trash man at BMT, or at least, that's all our Fire Monitor did. Your primary concern as the Fire Monitor is to take the trash out as soon as it's full, and dispose of it in the dumpsters. This is a pretty straight-forward duty, although you're dependent upon everyone else doing their details in a timely manner so that you can get the trash out before lights out. More than one, our trainees were making a late night power march out to the dumpster and back with their flashlights, trying to beat the clock. You can fail an inspection if your trash can is too full in the middle of the night and you get hit with a non-duty, so it wasn't uncommon for our crews to encourage everyone to wipe their hands on their clothes after washing, to avoid using paper towels. The Fire Monitor is also responsible for cleaning and dusting the fire escape. Your MTI will run his/her finger along every surface in your dorm, to ensure that there's no dust anywhere. The Fire Monitor(s) may be one or two trainees.

Utility Crew
This job is arguably one of the more demanding ones, aside from Latrine Crew and Laundry Crew. We had three trainees on utility crew, including one designated as the chief. Your dorm will have a closet in it where all of the cleaning items and laundry bags are stored. No one is allowed in the utility closet except a student leader or a member of the utility crew, and even we always tried to respect their space as well. If someone needs something from the utility closet, the utility crew must hand it to them - they cannot help themselves.

For a room stocked with cleaning supplies, this place has to be impecably organized and clean at all times. This is a difficult task, to say the least. There can't be any dust or hairs left in any cleaning brushes, and everything has a specific storage location. You also can't have any unauthorized items in your utility closet, so nothing can be stashed in there. There is a max number of items you can have, so no more than a certain number of paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls can be stocked.

Utility crew members must keep their closet stocked. They're responsible for going down to the main supply rooms in the squadron to get more of what they need. In some instances, the supply room may be out of stock, so our utility crew would have to bed the baby flights or our brother flight to borrow items. If they don't have the required number of items, we could get dinged, hence the urgency. The utility closet also includes spare hangers, which have to be bundled in groups of twenty, with no more than one hundred hangers in the closet. If there were more, the utility crew had to run them down to the hanger closet in the squadron. Do you get the impression yet that the utility crew is always busy? They were!

Laundry bags are stored in the utility closet as well, and they tend to pose the greatest problem for both the laundry crew and the utility crew. Both teams have to set up a system to distinguish between dirty and clean laundry. We chose to have the open ends of clean laundry bags facing one way, and the dirty facing the opposite way. If there was a wet spot on the laundry bag, the utility closet can fail an inspection. A successful utility crew must work hand in hand with the latrine crew and the laundry crew.

Day Room Crew
Each dorm has a "day room." It sounds like it may be a comfortable place to entertain visitors (ha!) but it's not. The day room is primarily used for instructional purposes, when your MTI needs to address the flight. The day room has a number of cushioned chairs, a few couches, and some end tables. You are never to sit on these couches or chairs, and will be told that you are not allowed to do so until you earn the right as a graduated Airman. There is also a bookcase, a desk with chair for your MTI, a podium, and an empty wall locker. We also had a flat screen TV that never got turned on. There is a white board on the wall for instruction, a mirror, and a bulletin board with some informational flyers. You'll also see various motivational wall decor items. When you are in the day room, you'll be sitting on the floor, in close proximity to others so that everyone fits and that there's a clear walkway for your MTI. The civilian luggage closet is located in the day room, and is kept locked at all times. The day room crew is responsible for keeping this area clean, including polishing and dusting everything. Again, your MTI will inspect the area with his finger for dust, as well as checking mirrors and framed items for streaks in the glass. Furniture has to be aligned and straight. The day room crew is also responsible for the civilian luggage closet. Inside of that closet, civilian items are stacked one on top of the other, and must not go over a certain height. Each bag is tagged with a cardstock luggage tag that must be filled out according to certain specifications that your MTI will share with you. This tag must be on the end of the bag facing out, and visible for inspection. The day room crew will also do the floors in both areas. This crew normally finishes quicker than the others, and can help out where needed.

Hallway/Chrome Crew
The hallway crew will sweep and clean the hallway, which includes a few bulletin boards, the Entry Controller (EC) stand, and most importantly, the chrome stripes on the ground as you step into each of the bays. Be prepared for that finger tip inspection from your MTI! No dust - anywhere! You'll be wiping down the walls, making sure the mirror is streak-free, wiping down the EC stand, the fire exit signs, the hardware on the door, the tops of the bulletin boards, etc. As you enter the dorm, there's a bulletin board immediately on the nearest wall, with a roster of the trainees authorized to enter the dorm. You'll also have a list of MTIs that are authorized to be inside of the dorm. There will also be a reference sheet of access badges that are accepted in lieu of having a name on the roster or authorized MTIs. We had two additional bulletin boards with other important notices and informational flyers, including off-limits places in the area.

The biggest task in the hallway was the chrome polishing. Each dorm is given a roll of polishing cloth that's about an inch wide. You'll cut it into 1" squares and use those little squares to polish the chrome strips using teeny tiny circular motions. You'll reuse those strips until they practically disintegrate. This is a pretty tedius job, to say the least, and your MTI will implement the policy that you can't step on the chrome. Many trainees remind themselves of this policy by saying the word "Chrome!" every time they step over those strips.

Stay tuned, more duties and details to come!

MMS giveaway - LAST day!

2012-02-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

2nd Clothing Issue

Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway for a free copy of My Memories Suite software! If you haven't already entered and were thinking about it - go for it! Entries are low right now, so this could be your shot to win! Check out the official entry page here. Happy scrapping!

BMT: Duties and Details, Part 1

2012-02-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's high time I described some of the possible duties you could be assigned with at BMT. After Dust Down each day, you'll go to your assigned detail area where you'll clean it to inspection perfection standards. Your MTI will select who does these jobs, and may sometimes ask for volunteers. My MTI questioned us initially, to figure out what our strengths were in. Trainees who were artistic in nature, or good at visually eyeballing something got stuck with alignment. Regardless of what is chosen for you, suck it up and do it to the best of your abilities. Excellence in all we do, even if you don't want to do it. You will be resented by your fellow trainees and won't earn any points in the eyes of your MTI if you shirk your responsibilities or fail an inspection because you didn't do your job properly. It is possible to get "fired" from your detail, if you can't perform it to standard, and you'll most likely be assigned to something less desireable of your MTI's choosing. If you do your job well, take initiative/be proactive, you can be recognized for your hard work. Our MTI gave one trainee an additional phone call because she recognized one of the lights was out and went and got a replacement without being prompted.

I'll present the different details/duties in a few different posts, that way this post isn't insanely long.

Bed Aligners
Three to four trainees in your flight will be bed aligners. Bed alignment is one of the priority details, as so many other details depend on the beds being done first, such as shoe alignment. Our bed aligners frequently stayed behind in the dorm behind the rest of the flight or went first at chow, so they could complete their detail first. Beds and bunks move with the slightest tap, so your bed aligners are an easy group to piss off if you mess up the beds. Be kind, don't bump the beds!

Dorms have both bunk beds and single beds, with more bunk beds than singles. I think our bay (two bays to each dorm) had approximately 7 single beds with the remaining 19 or so being bunk beds. The single beds are closest to the front of the bays and the flight office, with the bunks in the back. The bed aligners in our flight used long 2 by 4 pieces of wood to measure the distances between beds, as well as kite string to ensure that they were in line with each other across the aisles. A 3' piece of wood was used to measure the required 3' that the first single bed had to be from the wall. Each additional bed and bunk had to be 4' apart, so we had 4' pieces of wood for that. Bunks and beds had to be aligned with each other across the aisle, so they were perfectly straight. Our MTI brought bright pink kite string and our bed aligners would stretch it across the aisle, align the two furthest posts and kick the other two beds until all four posts were in line. This process is repeated all the way down the line.

Shoe/Chair Aligners
We had two trainees for shoe and chair alignment. They used two long boards (spanning the length of a bunk/bed) and had to do all of the chairs and shoes in the entire dorm. While the bed aligners were doing their thing, they'd be pushing the boards up agains the wall lockers and moving the chairs up against them so they line up with the edge of the wall locker. Once the beds are aligned, they use the same boards to align the shoes. Each bed is numbered and has an "inspection side." If you're laying down (looking up at the ceiling) with your head on the pillow, the inspection side is to your right. Your shoes are lined up so that they are flush with the edge of the bed. The board is held up against the bed posts and the shoes are lined up so that the toes touch the board. Shoes are lined up so that the first pair furthest to the left. The order of the shoes is remembered by the rhyme, "Loose, Tight, Shiny, Wet, White." When all of the shoes are there, you'll have a pair of loosely laced combat boots, tightly laced combat boots, your low quarters (oxfords worn with blues), your shower shoes (black flip flops), and your running shoes. When in place, the heels are touching and each pair is right up against the next, touching at the balls of the feet. Our MTI used to tell us that it wasn't a parking garage - you'll never have an "empty" spot in the line-up. Shoe alignment is similar to bed alignment - it doesn't take much to throw it all off, and trainees can very easily knock shoes out of place. Don't make more work for your poor shoe aligners, try to be respectful of their work and stay out of their way.

End of Bed Display
The last detail that involves working in everyone else's personal areas is the End of Bed Display trainees. We had two trainees that were assigned to this task. The EOB display consists of your towel and your laundry bag. These trainees will align the towel, to make sure the laundry mark is visible and properly displayed, and that the edges are aligned and flush with each other. The towel is positioned on the footboard (nearest to the wall locker), all the way to the left, so that it's touching that left bed post. The right side is where your laundry bag will hang. It's a small cotton bag with a white drawstring at the top and a zipper along the bottom. The drawstring top is wrapped and tied around the footboard. The EOB trainees will ensure this knot is tight and that the strings hang straight down (and don't cross over each other). Laundry bags are not allowed to stay stuffed during the day, and if you're inspected you'll take a hit for this. Many trainees try to get away with hiding clean laundry in their laundry bags, so they don't have to fold/roll it. You'll do this to a certain extent, but you can't have it overloaded. Each laundry bag is required to have a certain number of mesh bags in it (you'll buy these at the mini-mall and put your laundry mark on them) at all times, two, and you'll have four total. You're also required to have two bundled up white kitchen trash bags in there as well, for placing wet laundry or mesh bags in. Your MTI will set you up with these trash bags, or you'll buy more at the mini-mall. I don't believe our EOB trainees examined the inside of our laundry bags to verify if these items were there. Lastly, the EOB trainees examined the towel and laundry bag for any loose strings, trimmed them, and lint rolled both items.

Miscellany Monday

2012-02-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Finally got caught up at work, bring on the Miscellany! It's been a long weekend of training; I was orders Friday through Sunday, so there was little to no downtime this weekend, let alone time for chores. Any teacher will tell you that planning for a sub and re-organizing upon your return is sometimes not even worth the absence. On with the miscellany!

1. Normally I'm really eager for UTAs and active duty orders, but this month is draining. In a period of four weeks, I'm at drill three of those weekends. It may seem like I'm whining, but when you factor in full-time employment on top of it, I haven't had a lot of free time on the weekends. This weekend reminded me why I don't do office work as a full-time job. I was more exhausted on Friday than I normally am teaching crazy high schoolers all day. Sitting and staring at the computer screen, largely uninterrupted, doesn't work for me. It's mind-numbing. I think I would've rather been here at school! Sundays are the worst; as soon as I bail from the squadron, I have to speed-shop my way through the commissary and then race home to do an entire weekend's worth of chores in a few hours. Not fun. I'm hoping to get to relax tonight.

2. Did you know...that if an Air Force aircraft hits a bird while in flight they need to take a blood sample or some downy feathers with a special kit and then submit them for DNA testing? The Air Force documents the altitude, frequency of occurrence, migratory patterns, and analyzes the data to better inform their pilots. Who knew?! Yes, as a personnelist, I sat through this briefing. You know, because I'll be hitting birds flying in between buildings as I go back and forth. ;)

3. I'm hooked on McDonald's Strawberry Banana smoothies. I used to work at Jamba Juice (for four years), so I know they're not "real" smoothies, but I still can't get enough. The local Jamba is way too far away for me to frequent, so I have to settle for the McD's. I had one every day this weekend while I was on orders. Nummy!

4. I visited the education and training office again this weekend and was thankful to learn that our petition to earn credits in a few additional areas was granted. Sadly, I still need three credits in speech, 0.34 credits (really?!) in math, and 0.34 in humanities. So, I'll have to test out of math or humanities (three full credits) in order to fulfill those measely 0.34 credits. Taking a class is also an option. *sigh* I've signed up for the DSST test in speech for this weekend. While I feel comfortable with the recorded speech portion, I received a 67% on my practice test for the multiple choice portion. I've never taken a speech class - I don't know the technical jargon, and I need to learn it all quickly. Part of me is tempted to take a couple classes at the community college, just for fun. I just don't know how well I'd do on some of these tests. We'll see what happens. Maybe a summer session at the community college is in my future. I wouldn't be opposed to it at this point, especially because I'd get to pick classes that sound interesting to me, rather than just taking a test...as long as my Tuition Assistance covers it!

5. Easter is the best season for candy, hands down. What are you munching on? Here are some of my favorites!

6. Have you entered my giveaway yet for a copy of My Memories Suite Vol. 3 software? What are you waiting for, go for it! I love MMS and can't speak highly enough of how much fun it is to use! Here's another two pages that I've completed with the software.

BMT: My Challenge Coins

2012-02-22T21:55:00.001-07:00

I have a couple more coins to share with you! The first was a gift from my MTI, a tradition he continues to uphold for all of his trainees. Prior to taking our EOC (End of Course exam), he let us know that anyone who scored a 90 or higher would receive a special challenge coin from him. Granted, it takes more than just a 90 on the EOC to be designated as an Honor Grad, but that's one of the requirements. He made a point to let another trainee who had scored high on the EOC, but not in other areas, that he still considered highly of her accomplishments and awarded her with a coin as well.

The Honor Grad coin is available from an awards shop in the mini-mall. If you (or your trainee) is an Honor Graduate, you can purchase this coin if you'd like.

The monument pictured is located at the Parade Grounds.

The second coin I received at BMT looks very much like my squadron coin, aside from the decorative edging. If you notice though, written in the silver edging is "Presented By The Commander." I was awarded this coin from our squadron commander after retreat, in honor of my Top Honor Graduate award. I was most proud of this coin, and typically carried it around as my coin of choice in my pocket, until I was coined by my wing commander at my new unit.

BMT: Squadron T-Shirt and Coin

2012-02-22T21:33:00.002-07:00

Sometime during the 7WOT, you'll sign a roster and cough up cash for your squadron t-shirt and possibly the squadron's challenge coin! It may seem like you're constantly getting hit up for money, but you'll be glad to hand this over - it means you're almost done! I think the total for both was under $15. They make it fairly reasonably priced, as everyone in your flight needs to be wearing a squadron t-shirt for the Airman's Run on Thursday of graduation weekend. Your shirt will be in the squadron's color with the training complex on the front breast and the full logo/motto on the back. Prior to traveling to Lackland, your family can do their research (on the BMT FB page)and figure out what color to expect you in so they can spot you during the run.

I was in the 324th Training Squadron, which is currently in transition to becoming the Medical Hold squadron, and is no longer housed in the Cunningham Training Complex. Your shirt and coin will differ, depending on your squadron. We had our laundry crew wash them as soon as we received them and you'll most likely wear them to bed with your PT shorts on Wednesday night, in preparation for the next morning. It's a great feeling, strutting around the squadron in your shirt, knowing that the next morning you'll see your family and friends.

324 TRS, no longer at Cunningham. :(

The squadron challenge coin is not a required purchase, but there is usually a "package deal" for buying both. Collecting challenge coins is popular in the military, and I knew I wanted to have one to remember where I was reborn as an Airman.

BMT: The Airman's Coin

2012-02-22T21:09:00.001-07:00

This is it folks, the pièce de résistance at BMT, the Airman's Coin! It doesn't matter if you enlisted as an E-3, E-2, or E-1, or if your address says "AB" in front of it and that's what your mommy's calling you on AF Wingmoms. Until you hit Thursday afternoon in your 8WOT, you are a trainee. Call yourself an Airman to an MTI - dare you! You are a trainee up until this coin is in your hand. At that point, you may officially and rightfully refer to yourself as an Airman. Coin in hand, you've earned the title. You'll understand when you hit that point. Airmen are fiercely protective of that title - you have to pay your dues, like everyone else. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing your MTI congratulate you after a long, hard eight and a half weeks, shaking your hand, and presenting you with your Airman's Coin. You'll only get one of these coins in your career, so don't lose it. Chase the dream, future trainees!

This coin measures 1-9/16" in diameter. The front (above) features a raised Hap Arnold logo, the Air Force Core Values, and the birth year of the AF. The back (below) recognizes that you've just become an Airman and has the modern AF logo in the center.

BMT: "Made It!" Postcard

2012-02-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the "I Made It!" postcard that you'll be sending home to a chosen loved one when you first arrive at BMT. You'll get only one of these cards, so figure out who's going to get it (ideally before you go) and instruct that individual to pass that address along to every one who may want to write to you. I sent mine to my husband with the explicit instruction that he post my address on our Facebook pages for friends and family. Make sure anyone who plans to send you anything knows the rules and guidelines for mail before they get over-eager and start boxing you up a care package full of cookies!

The postcard mentions something I haven't brought up on here - the Red Cross. Your immediate family needs to be aware of how to contact you throughout your military career, if an emergency comes up. If you're on duty and an immediate family member dies/is dying or a spouse has a child, you can send a message to your military member through the chain of command by contacting the Red Cross. This is typically the only way that the chain of command will verify that this information is accurate and then potentially authorize the member for emergency leave. Don't expect to have your spouse home from BMT for a child birth, however, if a parent, sibling, or spouse dies, they may be granted emergency leave to fly home for the funeral. Give a few close relatives this information and the number for their local Red Cross. I passed this info on to my father and my husband, in case something happened to one or the other. Active Duty, find more information here; National Guard/Reserve, find more information here.

BMT: Racing for PT!

2012-02-22T20:30:00.002-07:00

My Bib and 4th Place Trophy

One of the fun opportunities that may come up while you're at BMT is the chance to run in a 5K! Lackland AFB hosts a number of road races throughout the year, typically around the holidays. I just Googled "Lackland AFB 5K" and multiple listings came up.

These events are not mandatory, as you'll have to pay the registration fees out of your own pocket. The fees are nominal - our race was approximately $15, and benefits went to a local shelter for women and children. Remember, charitable giving and benefit work is huge in the Air Force, as you'll document your participation for your EPR (Enlisted Performance Report) when you're in the operational Air Force. Almost all of the trainees in my flight participated. It's a great way to build motivation in your flight, and challenge everyone to see how their running has improved since they've been at BMT. An MTI at your squadron will be in charge of organizing the participants from your squadron. As a DC, I collected money from my flight members who were interested in participating and submitted the cash with a roster of our desired t-shirt sizes (sorry, forgot to snap that picture).

The Beach Run came up after we returned from BEAST. The incentive for many of my trainees was the fact that we got out of regular PT that morning if we chose to do the race, and we jumped at that chance. Flights can chose to run as a group or run as individuals. We ended up running as individuals due to the fact that many trainees didn't want to run the risk of hurting themselves prior to our 7WOT PT eval. We dressed in our regular PT clothes and ran around the base, ending up at the retreat pad when all was said and done. Some of the MTIs chose to participate in the race as well, and would encourage runners that were tempted to walk, although it was a fairly stress-free run.

At the end of the race, trainees sat in flight formation on the retreat pad, and waited for the awards ceremony to begin. Awards were given to trainees and non-trainees, in a multitude of age groups, as well as to flights and squadrons who ran as a group. We ended up bringing home three awards to our flight, which was exciting. I took home 4th place in my age group, a feat I chalk up to being an older trainee. It's the only award for running that I've ever received, and it was awesome to have my flight and my brother flight yell "DORM CHIEF!" as I jogged up to accept my award.

If you get the opportunity to do a race while at BMT, I highly encourage you to participate! Racing energy is infectious and can encourage even the most reluctant runners.

Confession - Having recently returned from BEAST, I was used to filling up my canteen from those orange Igloo dispensers. There happened to be some at the retreat pad after the race, so I went over to fill my empty canteen, only to discover later that I didn't get water but purple Gatorade! Having any sort of food or beverage on you (other than water) is scandalous at BMT. I confessed my transgressions to an element leader and downed my clandestine beverage as quickly as I could.

BMT: Dust Down

2012-02-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

"Dust Down" was one of my distinct privileges as the Dorm Chief of my flight at BMT. Dust Down is the way your flight will keep the dorm clean, and is performed at least twice a day during duty days. On Sunday you'll do deep details, so you'll probably only do Dust Down once in the evening.

Dust Down will be lead by the Dorm Chief, and is a series of directions that are given to the flight, which will then echo them back and perform the request. The idea is to get the entire flight cleaning up their own area, so the entire dorm is clean within a period of ten minutes or less. The more often you clean, the better your dorm stays inspection ready at all times and the less effort you'll have to put out when you do clean.

I would stand at the end of the dorm, in between the two bays, where both A Bay and B Bay could hear me. It wasn't uncommon for our MTI, in his thick Puerto Rican accent, to say, "Why are we not doing Dust Down? Let's go!" That was the signal for me to immediate start jumping into my script. While we were beginning DD, someone from the Utility Crew would've already passed out rags (ripped up pieces of towel), so that each trainee had one.

Your MTI's script and procedures for DD may vary, but mine were as follows. They may not be verbatim, but they're to the best of my recollection right now. Every command is followed by with an allotted number of seconds to complete it in. Each command and its count is echoed by all trainees.

Prepare for dust down!
Clear all chairs!

Weapons cases by wall lockers!

Tightly laced shoes on jail cells!

Window sills!

Chair boards and h-bars!

Bed rails and jail cells!

Floors!

Sweepers, go!

That was the first "paragraph," if you will, of the instructions. That "floors" part? You'll be on your hands and knees gathering up all of the dust bunnies with your rag. You'll shake out that rag in the center aisle, where the sweepers will go by and collect the piles. The second paragraph included setting up our personal areas again - putting those chairs back, re-aligning shoes and weapons cases, aligning the towels and laundry bags on the end of bed display, and so forth. The third paragraph has you open your wall locker and align all of the clothing items in there, the flashlight, and the BMTG. Eventually, we became more responsible for our own wall lockers, so we skipped that last paragraph. Once you get your wall locker perfect, you won't want to touch it.

As the weeks progress, more and more of your flight members will be off doing other things during DD, so you may end up having to pick up the slack for your missing wingmen. DD usually happened during nightly accountability, which meant I was gone with another trainee, which meant that an element leader took over for me, which meant three spots were unattended. Get my drift? It happens. Help your wingmen out, they'll repay the favor later!

DD should be a fairly easy task. As you advance in your training, you'll learn strategies to speed the process along, like putting the shoes and weapons cases up early, without waiting for the prompt. Other trainees liked to do all of one task in their general area, while someone else did another task. You can get in trouble during DD, but only if you're not moving with a sense of urgency, or not pulling your own weight - dirt bag trainee moves. Don't be a DBT.

After DD, you'll report to your individual duty areas. I'll be describing those shortly on the blog, so stay tuned!

BMT: Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Enlarge me!

I snagged this via screenshot from Facebook (hence the arrows). I can't take credit for it, but it's fantastic! My understanding is that it was created by someone named Taylor James Garfield - well done sir! If this is inaccurate, please contact me and I'll credit you appropriately.

BMT: The Obstacle Course

2012-02-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Weaver - the oldest obstacle on the course! [Source]

One of the most motivating challenges you'll do at BMT is the obstacle course! I had the opportunity to meet a young woman this last weekend who is considering enlistment. She confided in me that successfully navigating the obstacle course was one of her fears. I reassured her with the same bit of information that I'll share with you now - the obstacle course is not a graduation requirement. Nope, not required!

The obstacle course (during 4WOT) serves as a great motivational and team-building tool for your flight and your sister/brother flight. When you're out there you'll be encouraged to sing jodies [known as cadences to other branches], cheer for each other, and keep the motivation going to push each other further. The course is challenging and you're never just standing there, so it's very physically demanding. Motivation and encouragement will help everyone get through the course, and that's what your MTIs want to see. It's a great opportunity to work side-by-side with your brother/sister flight, since you're gearing up for BEAST soon.

You'll prepare for the obstacle course by loading up your duffle bag with your second pair of boots and a spare change of ABUs. Your flight will march over to the obstacle course, which is a fairly lengthy walk - it's going to feel even longer when your wet ABUs weigh down your duffle!

Once at the course, you'll line up in flight formation, set your duffle down, and remove all of your pocket contents and any jewelry and place it in your hat, which goes in your duffle. The instructors at the course will take you around the entire course as they explain the safety procedures and how to safely traverse each obstacle. Listen to everything they say, and again, follow it to the letter. If you do not follow the procedures, you'll be kicked off the course and you'll miss out on the opportunity to participate. There's a medical team on site, so if something should happen, you'll be able to receive immediate care.

Once you begin the course, you'll be jogging in place constantly, running from one obstacle to the next. During this time you'll be encouraging others or singing jodies. As trainees complete each obstacle, you'll automatically buddy up with the next trainee off, so you never have the same/established wingman. It's a great way to bond and connect with other trainees in your flight.

You'll have a certain number of attempts before you move onto the next obstacle, if you should prove to be unsuccessful. Don't let it get you down, just move onto the next one and keep your energy and motivational levels high! My MTI team was taking bets on how many trainees would end up wet (from falling into the various pools). My team chief actually made a bet with me that if less than 25 trainees fell into the water, we'd all get to have cheesecake as a reward!

The video below was not created by me, but the gentleman in the introduction shares a lengthy video of a group going through the obstacle course. Viewing this video will be better than me attempting to recall and describe each of the obstacles.

As for me, yes, I ended up in the water, but not until the very end with the rope swing. If you hit the water at that point, it's unlikely that you'll be able to complete the last obstacle, which is the monkey bars across another pool. I was proud of myself for doing an earlier water obstacle, where we had to ranger crawl across a rope over a pool, You could choose to ranger crawl or dangle and drag your way across, and I managed to successfully ranger crawl! My favorite obstacle was The Weaver, pictured at the top of this post. The Weaver is the oldest obstacle on the course, dating to 1962. I loved the history of that particular obstacle, knowing that my FIL who graduated in 1964 had probably crossed it himself. You lay on your back the entire time, using your arms and legs to propel you over the yellow beams and over the green beams, until you reach the top.

Once everyone is finished with the course, you'll change (if needed) into dry ABUs and march back to the squadron. You'll awake the next day to discover that you have seriously dark bruises on body parts you didn't imagine could be bruised. Inner arm, anyone? Yeah, I can thank The Weaver for that one.

The downside to the obstacle course? Your 4WOT PT evalaution is usually the next day or the day after that, when you're bruised and sore from the course. Thankfully this PT eval is not your final one!

Remembering Mom

2012-02-21T08:00:00.003-07:00

Source: kikicreates.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

I had originally intended to write a long post on Sunday to recognize the 11th anniversary of my mother's death, but life happened, and I know she would want it that way.

For those of you who are new readers, my mom lost her battle with ovarian cancer on February 19th, 2001, when I was only twenty and in my second year of college. She had been diagnosed approximately three and a half years prior, but as was the case with ovarian cancer (at least at the time), she had a 20% chance of living past five years. It never felt like she was "dying" until the last three months or so, when it became evident that she would never be the same again.

I'm going to keep this post brief, and leave you with the message I posted on my personal Facebook page, which my father shared with his friends as well.

"Eleven years ago today, I kissed my mother on last time and reluctantly watched her physical presence slip out of my life. She's been gone over a third of my life, and while at times it feels like she's missed everything that I consider important in my life, I know she was there for the most essential, formative part of it. I would not have been the woman I am today without my mother. I love you mom, one day we'll meet again. </3 "

[Jamie @ Handling With Grace? - I was thinking of you this weekend.]

My Memories Giveaway!

2012-02-20T15:19:00.001-07:00

My Memories has been making the rounds amongst the milspouse blogging crowd, and I was excited when they contacted me to do a giveaway for their software! I know that many of you have read these posts and seen these opportunities before, and maybe you've passed them by - let me be the one to make you stop and reconsider. Why? Because I actually use their products!

I've been scrapbooking for some time now. I got started over eight years ago (at least) when my cousin invited me to a home party. Like Trinnie will tell you, when I do something it's balls to the wall, so I plunged into paper scrapbooking. I took a few years off, but started back up when DH left for the Army. I started frequenting my local scrapbooking store, snatching up every military-themed item I could find, and I even went to a scrapbooking convention! I accumulated a lot, but didn't get far - I think I left off during BCT/AIT, and never managed to scrap Korea, Bragg, or Afghanistan. Oops. I hadn't scrapped since then, and that was back in 2007/2008.

When I began my own journey into the military, I knew that I wanted/deserved to document my experience as well. Paper scrapbooking was tempting, but given my track record, it probably wasn't the smartest idea, and it can add up financially. I hadn't ever tried digital scrapbooking before, but I thought it might the best option for me. Digital scrapbooking makes so much sense for military families. You're not carting around tubs or bags of supplies and praying that the movers don't damage anything, or hoping that the next home you wind up in has room for a crafting room. With a portable lifestyle, you need a crafting pastime that moves with you, and digital scrapbooking does just that.

My Memories was smart to reach out to bloggers. They know that by the very nature of what we do, bloggers are archivists, documenters, and family historians. When I found won one of their giveaways on Liv's blog, Fairytales and Cancer Don't Mix, I was excited about finally getting to scrapbook my military career.

The My Memories Suite (MMS) software is a breeze to use. It's intuitive, well-designed, and there's little to no learning curve to getting started. If you don't consider yourself a creative purpose, fear not! They have 100+ templates already created, so you can drag and drop photos like you would if you were creating a photo album on any other website. MMS combines the ease of creating a photo album with the flexibility for complete customization and scrapbooking creativity. You can edit photos, integrate multimedia for publishing online, and create an album of any size. You can have multiple albums going at one time, just as you would with paper scrapbooking. I love being able to switch back and forth between albums as I get inspired by one idea or another.

The stock software comes with more than enough to get you started - papers, embellishments, etc. If you want more or something more specialized, you can shop at the My Memories website for kits and other add-ons. The beauty of the shop is that it's not "one style fits all" - My Memories works with all sorts of designers who create and manage their own shops within the site. Kits and add-ons are reasonably priced and sales/specials are held often! Did I mention Friday Freebies? Every Friday the My Memories Facebook page has a downloadable freebie mini-kit. There's a free content area on the website as well. If you've already purchased digital scrapbooking elements from another website, you can integrate them into MMS - complete flexibility!

So, let's get to it! Let me show you what I've been able to create the few short months that I've been using MMS!

Not sure if you have the creativity in you? Don't fret! My Memories is fantastic about getting its customers/users involved and keeping you crafty! Their blog has weekly challenges, features where you can meet their designers (and win free stuff), and my favorite, the Speed Scrap! Every Sunday they host a scrap via their Facebook and Twitter sites. Tune in at 8:00 PM EST and a series of six prompts will be given every ten minutes, for a full hour. They'll tell you how many photos to use, how many elements, different shapes, etc. It's a great way to make time for yourself and your craft, and it's amazing how differently people interpret directions. When the Speed Scrap is over, participants share their finished page on the Facebook page, which I love to check out for future inspiration. All of the pages you see above were made during Speed Scraps.

Get in on the action!

This giveaway will run through 12:01 AM EST on March 1st, 2012. By the end of the leap year, one of you will be exercising your creativity with a copy of My Memories Suite software!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BMT: Weapons and CATM

2012-02-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Howdy, BMT readers! A post about weapons training and CATM is long overdue from me. These are the sorts of big events at BMT that I know everyone wants to read about. So, let's do this! I'll tell you about the highs and lows (across the board and personally) of weapons training!

The M-16 A2 Training Weapon - "Smurf Gun" [Source]

Your first exposure to training weapons will come on your memory work, where there will be a picture of your M-16 A2 training weapon in its disassembled state. There will be a smaller inset diagram of the bolt carrier group. You'll expected to have a general idea of what each part is called, as it will help you out when you're issued your weapon and given instruction/direction by MTIs who are using the proper names of each part.
The memory work also has "knowledge questions" about your weapon that you're expected to memorize.

1. What is the maximum range? 3938 yards or 3600 meters.
2. What is the maximum effective range of a point target? 602 yards or 550 meters.
3. What are the three settings the selector lever can be set at? Safe, semi-automatic, and automatic (3-round bursts).
4. What is the first step in weapon disassembly when field stripping? Clear the rifle.
5. What are the four cleaning groups? Barrel, Upper Receiver, Bolt Carrier Group, and Lower Receiver.
6. What houses the rear sight and any optical devices? Carrying handle.
7. If your weapon fails to fire, what ACRONYM is used for immediate action procedures? SPORTS (slap, pull, observe, release, tap, squeeze/shoot).
8. Identify 3 of 7 weapon safety rules.

Do not point your muzzle at anything you are not willing to shoot, injure, or damage. [Quickest way to get yelled at by an MTI.]

Treat all weapons as if they are loaded.

Horseplay is not tolerated.

Handle the weapon only when told to do so.

Keep your finger off the trigger until your weapon is on target. [This is HUGE at BEAST - your finger will be up, almost at a diagonal, overemphasizing that it's nowhere near the trigger.]

Never get ahead of the instructor. [Never mind how much experience you have - wait.]

Always ask questions if you do not understand.

During 1WOT, you'll be issued your weapon, the M-16 A2 training weapon. It is a fully-functioning weapon that has had a few parts removed to ensure that it does not fire. The majority of the parts are there. You'll receive a hard case for storage, which contains an empty magazine, a red cap for the tip of your weapon, and a fabric mat with outlines of each of the parts. Parts of the weapon are colored blue, as pictured above, hence the nickname the "Smurf gun." The MTI that issued weapons at our armory was not a very patient person. Ensure that when you handle the weapon that it's not pointing at anyone, or you'll go to the back of the line while everyone else receives theirs in front of you. Don't stress, your MTI will show you how. Receiving your weapon seems exciting at first, but by the end of 6WOT after you've returned from BEAST, you'll be eager to ditch that thing.

Learning how to handle and clear the weapon are priorities in your training. Your MTI team will instruct you on how to hold the weapon in the low ready position. On occasion, you'll sling the weapon over your shoulder, holding the strap with your bent arm making a 90° angle. I highly recommend handling the weapon with two hands at all times so you have more control and so you can be more conscientious of where it's pointing. MTIs have very specific procedures for clearing the weapons that you must follow. Wait for their commands, as they'll direct you to approach the clearing barrels (located in red-outlined boxes outside the dorms). You'll repeat their commands, show them that the weapon is on safe, and go through the rest of the procedures (ensuring an empty magazine, pulling the handle back, pushing it forward, releasing the bolt catch, closing the hatch, and ensuring that it's back on safe). [Don't quote me on that order, it's been a while.] They are very strict during these procedures, so make sure you're paying attention and waiting for their instructions.

Weapons are stored under your bunk, with the case centered and flush with the end of the bed, closest to the wall locker. As long as you have it in the dorm, you'll have to dust it, detail the inside of the case, etc. The weapon case becomes another part of your personal area, and therefore it is an area/item that will be inspected. See why I say you'll want to ditch the thing after a while? The inside of the case can't be dirty, and must contain all parts. On Sunday deep details, we used to clean out the cases and lint roll the foam liners.

One of the next things you'll learn how to do is disassemble your weapon. Your weekly schedule will even include time to work on this task, as you'll be evaluated on disassembly and assembly in 4WOT, and you will be timed. Fear not, most every trainee mastered this task. I think we only had a couple not pass on the first attempt, largely due to nerves. We'd been practicing for so long that most of us were disassembling in a little over a minute. I think my best time was 1 minute, 18 seconds, or something in that area.

You'll clean your weapon twice during BMT, when you initially receive it, and after you return from BEAST. Many of my trainees looked forward to that first time we cleaned our weapons, as they felt like they were really doing "military" training at that point. You won't enjoy it as much after BEAST, since there will be sand everywhere and you won't be able to turn it back in unless it's clean.
You'll finally get to use your weapons (in a simulated sense) when you learn tactical movements and defensive fighting positions. All of these exercises are in preparation for BEAST, so listen up and pay attention. You'll do a tactical march in a staggered formation out behind your squadron, generally near the PT area, where the sandpits are. You'll get to practice manning DFPs (defense fighting positions), which in layman's terms is a sandbagged, u-shaped structure used to guard an entrance. You'll learn non-lethal ways in which to use your weapon, including slashing, butt-stroking, thrusting, and so forth. These skills will also be used when you do pugil sticks.

Around the same time in training, you'll learn how to high crawl, low crawl, and work in pairs to advance between places of concealment, in a leap-frogging motion (forgive me, I forget the term). This is one of the dirtiest days you'll have (until you get to the obstacle course or beast, of course). Low crawling with your weapon is not fun. You're in a Captain Morgan pose with a cheek in the sand, and they expect you to get down and dirty, only moving that one bent leg. You'll feel like a sea turtle, trying to make it's way to the water. You'll move slow and you won't be able to see where you're going. Sand will accumulate in every pocket on your person.

One of my favorite activities during DFP training was the apprehension procedures. You'll learn how to safely/correctly pass through by giving a sign/counter-sign. If you're manning the DFP, you'll learn how to prompt those advancing, and what to do if they don't give the correct countersign or advance to attack. As the Dorm Chief, I was the lucky person who got to play the advancing party. I had my face in the dirt a lot that day. The apprehension part goes a little something like this (try to imagine me doing this over and over):

Put your weapon on the ground in front of you!

Turn 180° from the sound of my voice!

Take 6 paces forward! Stop!

Slowly get down on your knees!

Slowly get down on your stomach!

Put your arms out in a T!

Spread your fingers!

Spread your feet apart!

Face up!

If you want to stand out and take a leadership role at BEAST, now is the time to show your interest and motivation! Your MTI and student leaders will be discussing who stands out after doing this training. If you'd like to be the BEAST Monitor, a TDL, or the weapons monitor, now is the time to shine. If you're too timid or nervous, you most likely won't be considered. Practice that war cry and take this seriously.

I haven't described Entry Control (EC) on the blog yet, which is a fancy term for guarding the door at the dorm. It's a skill that is utilized in combat and every Airman is expected to know EC procedures, as there's always the chance that you'll be assigned to an atypical job when deployed. Your dorm will have two trainees on EC at all times, 24 hours a day, for two hour shifts. As long as you have weapons, the trainees on EC will be required to carry them.

CATM finally comes around in 5WOT, a day that many trainees await with great anticipation. CATM stands for Combat Arms Training and Maintenance - when you go to the shooting range! You'll board the bus to drive over to the other side of base. Again, take a five to ten minute nap along the way, if you can manage to calm your excitement for a bit. We got lucky on one of those bus rides to have an incident come up at the gate that delayed our trip - extended nap time! Sleep is an essential commodity at BMT - take advantage when you can!

When you arrive at the range, you'll exit the bus and line up in flight formation. There will be MREs in large bins - you'll be instructed to walk by them in a single file line, grabbing one without looking at the label. The MTIs love to tell you that this is not a restaurant - grab and go, and trade with other trainees. Once you've got your MRE, you'll file into the classroom. You'll be grouped with another flight or two of trainees, for a total of four. We didn't end up going to BEAST with these folks, although we speculated that they might be our partners there. We were broken up into two different classrooms, so your flight may be split up for this portion.

Classroom instruction consists of reviewing safety, being issued your (working) weapon, learning how to load a magazine, and so forth. You'll also learn how to charge and fire your weapon, as well as troubleshooting procedures for if it doesn't fire. You'll take a lunch break before you head out to the actual range. You'll have a certain amount of time to go outside, pound your MRE, and get back inside for the second half of training.

You'll walk across a small street to the actual range, where there is approximately one CATM instructor to every six to eight trainees. You'll don hearing protection and wait on instructions. Follow everything to the letter. Your safety and the safety of those around you depends on it. You will be kicked off the range if you can't comply with directions, at the bare minimum. When live fire is involved, they're not going to be very understanding. The CATM instructors will show you a number of firing positions that you'll shoot from, with and without your gas mask donned. Oh, did I forget to mention that? ;) That's what makes weapons qualification challenging - half of your shooting is done with the mask, and both sessions are timed.

About.com has a great article on how the session at the firing range is broken down. I've reviewed the article and it seems fairly accurate to my experience, so check it out if you're interested in reading specifics with the appropriate terminology. There are a few errors though - you will not use the M-9 pistol and the article doesn't specify how much of your shooting is done with the M-16 while in and out of the gas mask. In a nutshell, you'll do some initial firing so the instructor can help you align your sights and increase your accuracy. Then, you'll do practice sessions in each position, with and without the mask. Lastly, you'll do the full qualification where you'll have to make 25 out of 50 shots in a timed session to qualify on your weapon. If you want to earn the ribbon for Marksman, you need to make 45 out of those 50 shots.

Qualification in the area of shooting is not a BMT graduation requirement. Let me write that again. Qualification in the area of shooting is not a BMT graduation requirement. Similarly, if you do not qualify for the marksmanship ribbon, you'll have other opportunities in your AF career to do so. I say this for a reason. CATM was not a fun experience for me. I am somewhat of a perfectionist and set high expectations for myself. I came to BMT hoping to walk away with all four ribbons. I'd done some shooting before, and thought I'd done fairly well in the past. During the course of my range training, it became apparent that I really wasn't that good of a shot. Tired and stressed, the pressure of performing started to get to me and a had to take a few moments to compose myself. Yeah, I cried at the range, I'll admit it. I had the full emotional breakdown. It may seem silly to you, but mentally I was having to deal with the fact that not only was I not going to be a Marksman, but there was a chance I might not even qualify with the minimum standard. I didn't want to crack, especially in so public of a place, but it happened. Luckily my CATM instructor was sympathetic, rather than tearing me down during an already discouraging moment, and tried to help me pull it together. [It didn't hurt that he looked like Jon Hamm from Mad Men either.] I ended up barely passing, but I qualified nonetheless. I wasn't the only one who had a negative experience. There were a couple other trainees in my same boat, even one whose AFSC was Security Forces. Not an encouraging experience for her either, knowing that this was going to be her job. Most trainees loved CATM and were enthusiastic after completing the qualification, leading them to ask others about their score, which was difficult to stomach if you weren't particularly proud of your score. Ok, enough whining and complaining from me.

After you finish up at the range, you'll head back over to an outside cleaning area where you'll clean your weapon. You'll turn your weapon back into the armory (locked wheeled boxes) and board the bus to head back to the squadron.

There you go folks, CATM and weapons! Not my finest moment at BMT but it happens to the best of us. It didn't stop me from being successful in the long run and one of these days I'll earn my marksman ribbon. :)

What's YOUR song? Link-Up Week 46

2012-02-16T08:29:00.001-07:00

I've been plotting my weekly song for a few days now. I'd stumbled onto one song, became convinced that it was the one for the week, then promptly changed my mind this morning.

I remembered this gem from my school days, and it's been fitting with the anniversary of my mom's death coming up this Sunday. It's been 11 years since she's been gone. Last year I came to the realization that she'd be gone for a third of my life. Expect a letter to my mom this weekend.

You know when a song resonates so well with you that you're convinced it's been around forever, when it's actually a new hit? Yeah, this Jake Owen song felt like that when I saw him back in concert in the fall. It's starting to hit the radio more often, which makes me a happy camper because I love to belt it out.

Happy Thursday, everyone! The weekend is almost here and I'm beyond excited to get some downtime in!

BMT: Shakedown Sheet

2012-02-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Do I have a treat for you today! I was rummaging around my home office, looking for a binder to organize my Air Force documents for UTA weekends, when I found the original binder I purchased and took to BMT. [Reminder: Don't bring a binder, it's unnecessary. If anything, bring a 5 or 6 compartment accordion folder.]

What was in that binder? My shakedown sheet! Titled "Health Morale and Welfare Briefing," this sheet details where items that you've brought to BMT need to go on the bed when you dump out your luggage. When all of this stuff is organized and separated, you'll report to the MTIs wandering through the squadron, and they will inspect (and criticize) your belongings.

Enlarge me!

I'll go ahead and list these items here, since I know the text is a little faded. The valuables go inside of the security drawer in the narrow tray, which is locked at all times. You'll wear the key to this lock around your neck at all times (including when showering) and you are never to have it outside of your clothing. You and your fellow trainees will yell "Key Check!" if you see someone's key out and you need to remind them to put it away. Don't let the MTIs catch you with your key out. Authorized items will go in your security drawer as well, in the back half (or underneath your towel) where you have personal space. Unauthorized items are confiscated. Some may remain in your civilian luggage, others are confiscated and not returned (like food or my unmarked travel bottles of body wash).

Valuables

Driver's License

Money

Checkbook

Calling Cards

Stamps

Jewelry

Batteries

Authorized Items

Any important paperwork

Personal hygiene items

Stationery (letter writing material)

Motivational reading material (Religious books)

Small photo albums (remove all pictures for inspection)

Unauthorized Items

Weapons, guns, knives

Alcoholic beverages

Food items

Aerosol cans

Drugs or drug paraphernalia

Tobacco products to include lighters

Pornographic or obscene material

Books or magazines

Gambling devices (cards, dice)

Over-the-counter or Rx meds

Vitamins or nutritional supplements

Cell phone, cameras, CD/MP3 players

Other electronic devices (remove batteries)

Hope you enjoyed this little treat from BMT!

BMT: Love in the Squadron

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

[Source]

Love is in the air, folks, even at BMT! In honor of the holiday, I bring you the tongue-in-cheek topic of "Love in the Squadron." Before you get upset about it, know that I am completely aware of the fact that the purpose of BMT is to train Airman-hopefuls, not to make love connections. Regardless, we're human and love and attraction are natural emotions. So, let's talk about love, sex, attraction, self-love, and all of that goodness as it relates to BMT! I'm giving you fair warning here...

Eight and a half weeks?!
Before all of you sexually active adults start worrying about what you're going to do for eight and a half weeks, let me tell you that I don't even think that thought crossed my mind when I was down there, at least not in the first half. You're so insanely busy and stressed out that you're not thinking about sex. By the time you go to bed at night, you're so tired and exhausted that again, you're just thinking about sleep and not about sex.

As for self-love, the only privacy you have at BMT is in the bathroom stall. You're sleeping in a bay with twenty-five other people, so you're not alone at night. If any of my females took care of business, they were pretty damn discreet. I can't say the same about the males in my brother flight. There was at least one who bragged about his accomplishment and subsequently his name was used to refer to masturbation after that. Probably not his best idea...

One of my favorite quotes from that time period came from one of my females, who was venting to her Element Leader: "I'm exhausted, I'm frustrated, I'm horny." Welcome to BMT. You can understand why people go crazy when they hit tech school.

One of the older flights told us, "Around 5WOT, brother flight starts looking good." True! You'll start noticing everyone around that time, and trainees that didn't stand out before start looking a whole lot hotter. Our females started commenting on who had the best bodies in brother flight, who was the hottest, etc.

As you get closer to graduation weekend, all of that will change. The end is in sight and your spouse/significant other/lover is coming to see you and booking a hotel. I believe we were told that the powers that be do not encourage sex during graduation weekend, but we all know it happens. There will be no stories of bodice-ripping back in the dorms those nights, as if you do get naked you'll be gingerly removing your blues as to not wrinkle them or mess them up. [Side note: set yourself an alarm, don't get caught up in the moment or afterglow and not make it back to the squadron on time.]

Hello sir/ma'am!
As you become more comfortable, you even start noticing the MTIs. As I mentioned in my MTI post, many instructors get their ABUs and blues tailored to a snug fit. Couple that with bodies that have spent some quality time in the gym, the use of cologne/perfume, and a bunch of undersexed trainees and you have some frustrated individuals! They may be reprimanding you, but damn if they don't look good doing it! Some of the most attractive MTIs in our squadron were also some of the meanest, and my females felt like many of them knew they were good looking and acted that way because of it.
A popular MTI amongst my females was a younger male who always wore the best cologne. He would walk by our flight and we would all take a nice, long inhale of breath. At one point, even a [heterosexual] brother flight member commented that this particular MTI always smelled good. Definitely distracting as you're trying to focus on drill movements!

Another memorable moment came during our class on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response. The MTI teaching the class wasn't necessarily a stunner, although he wore his uniform well. It was his words...oh, his words! For instructional purposes, he described some scenarios involving sexual harassment. During one particular scenario, he described in detail the desires of an aggressive male making an advance towards a female and describing what he'd like to do, from a first-person voice. I think all of the females held their breath at that point, and more than a few of us were thinking, "Yes sir, bring it on!"

Yes, we were checking out our MTI team - while they were in PT gear, when they took of their ABU tops in the dorm, while they were in blues. Throw fifty females together and we were a bunch of school girls.

Be smart about your "locker room talk" though. Each dorm has a two-way intercom near the front door. The MTI working CQ can choose to turn your box on and listen, like a baby monitor, to see if you're behaving yourself. I think we were commenting on an MTI's appearance one day when I realized the box was on. Oops.

Long-Distance Loves
If you're new to long-distance relationships, especially those in the military lifestyle, prepare for challenges due to the distance and the lack of communication opportunities. The ones worth keeping will stick around. At least one female in my flight received a "Dear John" letter and another female chose to break up with her boyfriend over the phone during one of our (very public) weekly phone calls. Be prepared - regardless of your personal turmoil, you'll still have to suck it up and press on with your training, all while maintaining military bearing.

Laundry Room Connections
The laundry room and laundry crew are the biggest culprits when it comes to BMT love connections. Due to gender mixing amongst those doing laundry, there's a greater likelihood of "trainees behaving badly" in the laundry room. Some trainees will try to "volunteer" for laundry crew so they can rendezvous in there for some face/flirting time. Beware of these individuals, as they can get themselves and the flight in trouble if they're caught. Again, if they're caught talking (versus studying) and an MTI pops their head in, they can get in trouble. We had a couple of our trainees make a laundry room love connection, although they waited until tech school to start dating. If you're worried about someone on laundry crew, make the suggestion that they switch duties.

You brought what?!
You'd be amazed at what trainees will bring to BMT. It is not uncommon for MTIs to find condoms and crazier yet, porn! I've seen/heard it direct from the source, folks! What are people thinking?! These are big no-nos, understandably. Your MTI will not schedule you time for sex during training, and you'll rarely watch movies (only of the instructional variety), period, let alone porn. We had a really nice flat screen TV in our day room and we never turned it on.

BEAST
Did you know that some trainees try to get away with having sex at BEAST? C'mon now, folks, never a good idea! You're two weeks away at that point, you can wait a little bit longer! They will warn you against having this idea as you prepare for BEAST. Trust me, you wouldn't want to have sex out there anyway. It's dirty, it's dusty, you're sweaty, you smell nasty - just not the sort of place where you'd want to have your first encounter with anyone. BEAST does, however, lend itself to more mingly opportunities, since you'll be working closely with your brother/sister flight and two other flights. You'll get to know them better at BEAST than back in the squadron, so there is a fair amount of flirting that happens out there - just don't get stupid and try to make physical contact.

No-Nos
We have some love-themed no-nos to discuss today, and it's better to bring them up now while we're talking about it, rather than putting it off for another no-no post.

Swapping contact info - Don't swap contact info with anyone from your brother/sister flight while you're in training. Graduation weekend, fine, but not during training up until then. We had a trainee jot down the name of a brother flight member so that she could write him during BMT, from one dorm to the next. Huge no-no, and it was only made worse by the fact that she wrote down that info and other notes to him in her BMTSG.

Talking to trainees of the opposite sex - Obviously, this is somewhat of an archaic policy, as not all trainees are heterosexual, but you're not allowed to talk to members of the opposite sex, unless you're completing an MTI-approved assigned task with them. Don't get caught and be careful if you're chit-chatting in the dry cleaner with them.

MTI Warnings

Source: vintagevalentinemuseum.com via Erin on Pinterest

As you get closer to graduation, your MTI will begin discussing some common tech school issues with you. There are high instances of extramartial affairs as well as new marriages that occur at tech school. They may sound extremist when they warn you of these possibilities, but they're not far off from the truth. You've just been "released" from eight and a half weeks of being severely restricted, and now you've got freedom and money to burn. Throw in co-ed classes, bars on base, the ability to wear civilian clothes, and leave the installation and (to quote my dorm's red rope) "people start losing their damn minds." Expect to hear these warnings at the end of the BMT, and don't completely blow them off. Keep a watchful eye over your wingmen and help them make smart choices. I've seen both of those situations happen and once you're there you'll see how easily it can happen, even to the best of people. Be cautious about making permanent decisions during a temporary situation.

Happy Valetines Day, everyone! Remember those Core Values of Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do! ;)

To DACP or not to DACP?

2012-02-13T19:49:00.001-07:00

I love interacting with my readers and hearing what you want to read about. There's so much to tell and it's easy for me to go off on my own tangents and get distracted. If you have a suggestion for a topic I haven't covered yet, email me!

This post comes at the request of Mary, who wanted to know my reasoning behind leaning away from the Deserving Airman Program. I've been hesitating to post anything about it, since it's such a personal decision that hinges on so many factors - I don't want to influence anyone one way or the other. I also haven't researched the program thoroughly, so I don't want to misinform anyone. Take everything I've got here for what it's worth, and look into the program for yourself and consult with your career advisor.

The Deserving Airman Commissioning Program is an Air Force Reserve specific program. If you're a Guardsman or an active duty Airman, this is not for you, although you may have something similar - see your career advisor.

It's hard to find information on DACP online, even in the Air Force Instruction (AFI) manuals. I found a few AFIs, but they were specific to particular wings, versus the AF Reserve overall. The program provides enlisted Airmen who have their degree the opportunity to put in a packet and go before a board to be considered for commissioning. I'm a little unclear as to the next step, whether you have to go to full-blown Officer Training School (OTS) or if you go to a two week abbreviated school at the same location to learn officer/leadership skills. Regardless, after that you'll have to go to officer tech school to learn your job from the officer's standpoint. You must commission by age 35, that I'm pretty certain about.

My thought process goes like this:

I did the BMT/tech school thing all summer. If I was accepted into this program, I'd have to repeat this process all over again, from the other (officer) side. Do I want to do that again? Granted, they'd be "nicer" to me, but still.
It was recommended that I wait a year before applying. I'd have to put in for the board and hope for the best at that point, then carve out time (hopefully during summer) to do all of this training if accepted. This is taking a while, can you tell?
Let's say I actually did get accepted. By the time I finished everything, I'd be 32 or 33. Do I want to be a 33 year old Second Lieutenant, starting over from the very bottom on the officer side? Or do I want to keep plugging away on the enlisted side, where I've seen a number of individuals advance fairly quickly in my unit and easily make SNCO?
It's either MTI or officer - I really can't do both at this point in my life, as an older Airman. If I pursue the MTI route, I'd be too old to commission by the time I was done. If I commission, I wouldn't be able to be an MTI, as I'd be an officer.
I'm not dependent on the military for my retirement plan. If I wasn't established in my career, I might push myself down that route, but that's not the case. If I retire from the military, the money will be an added bonus to my pension and other retirement plans that I have from teaching.

Ultimately for me, the desire to pursue a career as an MTI changes everything. When I first enlisted, I thought the officer side was the end-all, be-all, but my opinion has since changed. I have so much respect for the chiefs in my unit, especially when I see female chiefs around the wing. These individuals are no less of a leader than their officer counterparts. I can see myself mentoring and leading other Airmen in this sort of a position, versus leading as an officer. I associate SNCOs with advanced experience and hard work, characteristics that I hope to embody for others.

I haven't talked much about this decision on my blog because I haven't completely closed the door on this option. You never know what's going to happen down the road that might make me reconsider, namely a surprise pregnancy. I would hesitate to pursue MTI school if I had a very young child. We'll see what happens, but at this point, I'm gunning for a lengthy enlisted career!

Mary, hope that answers your question and sheds some light on my decision! The DACP is a great option for enlisted reservists who have their degree already, or who are close to finishing their degree. If I were younger, I think I would definitely be researching it more seriously.

Miscellany Monday

2012-02-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

Time for Miscellany Monday and a wrap-up of my UTA weekend! This is going to be a ridiculously busy week for me, and I'm dreading it after not getting enough time to rest and recuperate this weekend. It could be worse, I need to remember that. At least I get downtime and I go to sleep every night in my own bed alongside my DH. I digress...

1. I learned that I wasn't really a 5 skill level yet, even though I'd finished and passed my CDCs. I haven't hit the required "time in training" in order to upgrade to a 5 level. Yes, "upgrade" is the official Air Force term. Try not to feel like a cell phone. I'm supposed to be close, if not complete it, by the time I finish my seasoning training.

2. Speaking of my seasoning training, I finished the necessary paperwork to put in for all of my training over the summer. I'm going to be working from the start of the summer to the end, with only federal holidays off. Sure, I'm giving up my summer again, but I want to get that training under my belt and the money will be going to debt repayment. Goals, people, goals! There are some casual plans in the works for a BMT reunion between my flight and my brother flight, so I may get to sneak a little vacation in there.

3. I realized I haven't updated you all on the status of my CCAF degree. Turns out, with my nine years of collegiate work, I'm only halfway to my AAS degree. Halfway. My joke has been, if I told you I'd been going to college for nine years and I'm only halfway to my AA degree, you'd think I was a loser. The sergeant helping me in education and training is putting in a petition/request for me to get credit for some of my classes. Hopefully it works - I really don't want to have to take twelve classes (or take twelve DSST/CLEP tests). I am planning to take some DSST tests to earn credit for a speech class, as well as a couple of management classes. If I don't earn management credit that way, I can earn it through my Airman Leadership School (ALS) course, but I can't take that for another two years. I want to get my CCAF while I'm waiting for everything else (ALS, promotion to SSgt, putting in my packet for MTI school).

4. I'm one step closer to feeling like I'm doing my job! Today I finally got access to the computer software personnelists use to complete a number of functions. My position has me a bit isolated from the main group of personnelists in our wing (the FSS), so getting the necessary training requires extra effort on my part. Luckily, I'm able to work with them when I do my seasoning training, and also on my upcoming annual tour days over my spring break. One would think I don't like vacations. ;)

5. A gas mask fitting and a free government passport? You know what that means - deployment readiness! No, I don't have deployment orders, but I'm always making sure that I'm ready to go. Call it naivete because I'm new and inexperienced, but I do want that opportunity to serve and fulfill the mission.

Weekend in a nutshell! The big awards banquet is coming up soon - I picked up my tickets yesterday! Good thing I've been asking questions, as AFI 36-2903 isn't as clear as I'd like it to be about what is and isn't required for semi-formal dress. Better to ask than to commit a faux pas on the big night.

**I've got a fun post for you tomorrow in honor of Valentine's Day, about love BMT style! Yes! Everything you've wanted to know about love, sex, and attraction at BMT. Seems absolutely ridiculous, but folks, we're mammals! Someone cue that song...**

BMT: Air Force Pride!

2012-02-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Trainees show their pride and motivation through various ways at BMT, including regular recitation of the Airman's Creed, Air Force song, and living up to the Air Force Core Values.

Knowledge of these items is not essential before BMT. You should know of them, but if you don't have them 100% memorized before you go down, don't stress too much. I remember reading through them on the plane. When you get settled into your squadron, you'll receive a copy of your memory work, which includes the AF song, Airman's Creed, and so forth. I believe we were told we had a week to memorize these items, but by the time 1WOT and PT starts up, you'll be reciting them every morning at PT, so the sooner you learn those, the better.

Airman's Creed
The Airman's Creed actually hasn't been around that long, only since 2007. When you get out into the operational Air Force, you'll find a number of SNCOs (Senior Non-Commissioned Officers) who don't know the creed, because it wasn't a part of their training. Say it loud and proud, and show off that Warrior Ethos! You'll recite the Creed every morning at PT, when you begin classroom instruction each day, and during Parade when you graduate. An MTI will recite the first line ("I am an American Airman") and you'll chime in with the rest. The last line is usually spoken as loud as you possibly can, or near screamed if you're outside.

I am an American Airman.

I am a Warrior.

I have answered my nation's call.

I am an American Airman.

My mission is to fly, fight, and win.

I am faithful to a proud heritage,

a tradition of honor,

and a legacy of valor.

I am an American Airman.

Guardian of freedom and justice,

my nation's sword and shield,

it's sentry and avenger.

I defend my country with my life.

I am an American Airman:

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind.

I will never falter,

and I will not fail.

Air Force Song

Not a good singer? Doesn't matter. You'll be signing the AF song "loud and proud" every day before PT! In those first few weeks of training, we would sing it at night in the dorm before lights out, just to practice. Make sure you yell that "hey" nice and loud!

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,

Climbing high into the sun;

Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,

At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun!

Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,

Off with one helluva roar!

We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!

Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Air Force Battle Cry

Your squadron has it's own motto and battle cry. For us in the 324 TRS, it was "Check out these Knights! Ready for Battle!" You'll also have a squadron chant, which is used during PT and also during the Airman's Run. Ours was "3 - What's it feel like - 2 - to be struck by - 4 - by a Knight's sword?" All of the squadrons share the AF battle cry, which is typically used before chow in the first few weeks and it is also said [shouted] during Parade. It's also where I got the name for this blog. :)

Aim High! Fly! Fight! Win!

Air Force Core Values

The Core Values are the backbone of your training. Your MTI will be denoting in the computer database ("BMTS," I believe it's called) whether or not you've exhibited the Core Values for the week, or whether your behavior has demonstrated a lack of Core Values. I've written about them before - they are essential to your success at BMT and beyond, in your Air Force career. They could merit a post on their own, and maybe I'll touch upon them more in the future. They came up every day in tech school and still influence my efforts in the operational Air Force.

Integrity First

Service Before Self

Excellence in All We Do

Again, don't stress if you don't have all of these items memorized before BMT. Trust me, by the time you're done you'll know them all inside and out. Most importantly, say them all "loud and proud," with pride as a member of the World's Greatest Air Force!

BMT: No-Nos, Part 2

2012-02-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

How about s'more BMT No-Nos, folks?! Today I bring you BMT No-Nos, round two, MTI edition! The following behaviors are no-nos for MTIs. Some of these are hard and fast rules, and others are a bit squishier. As in the MTI post, I'm not an MTI, nor have I been through MTI school, so much of what I know is based on what I've been told from my MTIs or inferred from them.

Foul Language - MTIs are not allowed to use foul language, expletives, curse, cuss, however you want to put it. Well, they're strongly encouraged and told not to, but we all know how it goes. If anyone asks you if your MTI uses foul language, you give your reporting statement and tell them no, your MTI does not cuss. This is one of the few times at BMT when there's some leeway for Integrity First. Depending on your MTI, you may or may not hear much foul language while you're at BMT, and typically only in your dorm if it slips.

MTIs have created a number of euphemisms to compensate for their inability to use foul language. One of the most popular phrases is, "What the piss, trainee?!" There is a popular Facebook page by this name, if you enjoy MTI humor. Another favorite moniker is "DBT," which is an acronym for "Dirt Bag Trainee." DBT is used to describe trainees who lack motivation, lack excellence, and anything else that might frustrate an MTI or get a flight in trouble. Trainees will refer to other trainees by this term as well, so it's not just the MTIs singling people out. DBTs aren't particularly concerned with their training or their wingmen.

One-Finger Pointing - MTIs will not point at you with one finger. I'm not sure if this is a written rule that they can't, but they won't. Instead, they'll use what's known as the "knife hand." You will learn to love the knife hand! We used it all during tech school, just to be funny. I still knife hand my husband from time to time, as evidenced below. This particular knife hand is mimicking my brother flight's MTI, who used to side hop towards his trainees while knife handing them.

He doesn't look intimidated enough...

Manhandling - MTIs will not put their hands on you, in any way, shape, or form. They will not do it in anger, they will not do it to assist. If an MTI needs to correct something about your dress and appearance, they will tell you verbally or they will tell a wingman to help you. If they need to correct your positioning during a drill movement, they will verbalize their instructions.

Throwing Mail - MTIs are not supposed to throw mail. While this is a rule, some MTIs interpret "throwing" differently. Fear not, they will not drop kick your packages or fling a letter at your head.

Lights Out - If an MTI is the opposite gender of his/her flight, he/she is not allowed to be in the dorm within thirty minutes of lights out, nor are they allowed to be present when the lights turn on in the morning. Normally MTIs will handle any business before they leave for the night, but if they forget something they'll call over the intercom.

That's all for now! If any other MTI No-Nos come to mind, you can expect another edition of this post!

What's YOUR song? #45

2012-02-09T10:46:00.001-07:00

I debated what I wanted to put as my song for this week of Goodnight Moon's link-up. I really haven't been listening to a lot of music this week, other than the background noise on my iPod during runs, which I don't really concentrate on. I figured I may as well send this one out to my students and highlight a funny classroom story while I'm at it. :)

I have two students who love getting a rise out of me by coming into my classroom and singing the most inappropriate songs they know. Normally these songs are 80's and 90's R&B numbers with sex as the theme - think Keith Sweat and later artists like Color Me Badd or Ginuwine. Granted, I love these songs, and most of them I not only know, but rock out to on my iPod. These two students get a kick out of learning which songs I'm familiar with, and will therefore tell them to stop singing because they're inappropriate for the classroom.

One of these students has been singing "Rock Steady" nonstop for the last two days. It's fairly appropriate, unlike the rest of his repertoire, and he has such a serious look on his face when he starts singing it. Too funny! Enjoy this classic!

BMT: Awards and Honors

2012-02-08T21:36:00.001-07:00

There are several awards and honors that you can set your sights on when you're at BMT, and some come with immediate perks that may keep you motivated to push yourself harder during training.

Ribbons and Medals

The Air Force Training Ribbon is awarded to all Airmen who complete BMT. If you successfully make it through BMT, you'll be sporting this ribbon on your chest when in your blues, beginning on the day of Parade! [No ribbons or stripes are worn on Thursday, the day of Retreat, also referred to as the Coin Ceremony.]

The National Defense Service Medal is currently being awarded to anyone serving after 9/11/2011, as well as certain periods before then. There is currently no "end" date for the period that began on 9/11. This medal and the AF Training Ribbon are awarded to everyone graduating from BMT. The next two ribbons are more difficult to earn.

Trainees are given one chance at BMT to earn the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon. There is only one visit to CATM (the shooting range) at BMT. Trainees receive classroom training and are then taken to the range, where they'll shoot approximately 100 practice rounds in various positions and in/out of the gas mask, and then have a (timed) opportunity to hit a certain number of rounds on a target. When I was there, you needed 45 out of those 50 shots to qualify for Marksman. It was a difficult task and few earned it.

Another challenging ribbon to earn is the USAF Basic Military Training Honor Graduate Ribbon. There are numerous requirements to be designated as an Honor Graduate, and your MTI has the final say in designating who receives this award and who doesn't. According to the BMTSG, earning the ribbon is "based on the whole-person concept including academics, performance, leadership, teamwork and conduct." Up to 10% of graduates from that flight may be designated as Honor Graduates. I remember my MTI being given a smaller number of "slots" than that by our Training Superintendent, and him having to advocate for additional trainees he felt deserved that honor.

In order to be considered to be an Honor Graduate, you must complete all performance evaluations (Core Value Ratings, individual drill, reporting, training weapon, FEST, SABC, and BEAST) with a satisfactory grade - fail one evaluation and you're automatically out. Recruit Living Area evaluations (wall locker, personal area) are also considered if it comes down to it. You must also receive a 90% or above on the End of Course written test (taken in 7WOT) and a 90% or above on the final PT eval.

Honor Graduates are recognized on Thursday of graduation weekend, prior to Retreat (the "Coin Ceremony"), and in the same location. Don't fear, at that point the spectators are in the bleachers waiting for Retreat, so your loved ones will see you being recognized that day, even if they don't check at the Reception Center that morning to find out if you're an Honor Grad. Honor Grads head to the Retreat Pad before the rest of their flight to line up for this part of the ceremony.

Honor Grads preparing to be recognized. [Credit]

The Honor Grads march out in front of the spectators, where their names are read off one by one, going in numerical order by flight, and alphabetical order within each flight. After all of the names are read off, they'll award the Top Honor Graduate award to the trainee with the greatest cumulative number of points. That individual will come forward, salute the commander of the 737th Training Group and accept their award. This individual's photo will pop up on the official BMT Facebook page.

CMSgt Williams with Top Honor Grad Awards [Credit]

The other perk to being an Honor Grad? You'll get a town pass on Sunday, when the rest of your flight members are stuck on base.

PT Awards

Top PT Male/Female - The weekly graduating female and male with the fastest run time on their final PT eval will be honored by running with the group commander in the front of the formation during the Airman's Run. This means your family will see you first on Thursday! They'll also receive a Sunday town pass, a certificate, a bronze Eagle trophy, and you can see their photo on the BMT FB page.
Top PT Flight Male/Female - The fastest runner in your flight on the final PT eval will receive a Sunday town pass. When I went through BMT, this trainee also got to run with the group commander as described above.
Thunderbolts - These trainees have earned a total score of 90 to 99 on the final PT eval. The BMTSG says these trainees receive a certificate and a patch, but we just received a certificate. You need to be at least a Thunderbolt in order to be in the running for Honor Grad status. One perk to having a score of 90+ is that you won't have to do another PT test for a full year, versus the six month timeline for everyone else. [This information is current as of today.]
Warhawks - These trainees have earned a total score of 100 on the final PT eval. Again, this person just received a certificate, but they also earn a Sunday town pass.

Set your personal standard high and achieve those goals!

BMT: T-Shirt Rolling How-To

2012-02-07T15:10:00.001-07:00

Great news! The YouTube uploader delivers and we have video #6 in the "Rolling and Folding" series!

This video shows you how to roll sand t-shirts, which are one of the most difficult items to do from your clothing drawer. Males have white t-shirts to be worn underneath their blues shirts. My understanding is that these are rolled the same way, which means males have double the work as females (ladies rejoice!). Some trainees thought that having the bare minimum number of rolled shirts in your drawer was the way to go, but having a few in there (3-4), actually holds them into place better. You have more room for error, but they will "lock" in place. Too few shirts and you risk having them roll around when you open the drawer, which will give you display demerits.

Sand t-shirts require a wingman to do them properly, to help you maintain tension and keep them compact and tight. Figure out who's good at shirts! The two perfect shirts I share with you in this video were not done by me. Barter with your wingmen and work out a trade. You'll hear this suggestion a billion times for a reason - it's how things get done. Roll them perfectly one time, display them, and never touch them again. Alternate between one shirt on your body and one in the laundry.

Again, this video cuts out at the very end, but you got all of the important information I needed to share!

BMT: Rolling Socks How-To

2012-02-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

After fighting with the YouTube uploader last night, we have another video! I knew that when I went to bed and it had 890 minutes to go, a successful upload would be a miracle. Come morning, the video had 3402 minutes to go, so I tried again, and bam! Me rolling socks! The 6th video (rolling sand t-shirts) should be uploading at home right now, but I'm thinking it's having the same issues. It should be up by the end of the day, hopefully.

My camera has a limit of ten minutes, and I knew I'd be pushing it with this video and the sand t-shirt video. It cuts off at the end, but I'm pretty much done anyways, so I hope you don't mind. I'm sure you've gathered that I'm a pretty verbose, wordy individual. It's the teacher in me! I was trying to hustle, I promise!

Grab a wingman and let's get rolling!

BMT: Guard and Reserve

2012-02-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Most of you have picked up on the fact that I'm a Reservist, or at least, I hope you have. Regardless of if you're active duty (AD), Guard, or Reserve, all future Airmen go through the same training for the same length of time at BMT. There is only one location where the Air Force does basic training, and that's good ol' Lackland AFB!

Flights contain a mixture of trainees, from all different components of the Air Force. The primary thing that distinguishes one trainee from the next, in terms of component, is their roster number. Rosters are used for everything at BMT, from signing off to indicate that you've received something (a phone call, a box lunch, a particular training), to taking accountability. If trainees are to be put in a straight line, it'll be done so in roster number order. Prior to every class, accountability will be taken and roll is called using the roster numbers. Active duty trainees have roster numbers without any letters attached to them (1, 2, 3, etc.). Guardsmen have roster numbers with a "G" in front (G1, G2, G3, etc.). Lastly, Reservists have roster numbers with an "R" in front (R1, R2, R3, etc.).

The only other time AD, Guardsmen (ANG), or Reservists (Res) will be separated from each other is when they go to the career counselors or the liaisons. If I recall correctly, it was in the third and the seventh weeks that we visited the liaisons. During these visits, the Guard and Reserve liaisons will speak to you about issues with your orders, paychecks, tech school, and how to utilize them as a point of contact. Your liaison is your first source for information about any issues with your unit back home. They need to be made aware of any delays in your training, such as recycling, medical holds, etc. They are the ones that will adjust your orders accordingly and get you a new schooling date if you're being held back for whatever reason. If a serious need arises, you can ask your MTI to make you an appointment to see the liaison. Questions from trainees wanting to switch from Guard/Reserve to active duty need to be discussed with the liaison, but understand that it's a difficult process and it's never guaranteed. I'm not discouraging you from seeing them about that matter, but make sure you're 100% serious about trying to make that switch. The liaisons in place when I was there were fairly gruff - don't waste their time, and only see them if you absolutely need to. They have hundreds of trainees to deal with and a limited number of staff members, so they're very busy and not very patience. Fear not, you'll have liaisons at tech school as well, and they tend to be a lot friendlier.

The only other special requirement for Guardsmen and Reservists is that you have to have a copy of your [current] orders on your person at all times. You're able to get away with not carrying them to PT, but if you're in your ABUs or your blues, you need to have a nicely folded, clean copy of your orders on you. Do yourself a favor and put them in a small, Ziploc baggy when you're doing anything physically demanding where they might get wet or damaged, like on the obstacle course or at BEAST.

Stereotypes and Attitudes
Be prepared - you're going catch hell for being Guard and Reserve. We had a unique situation in our flights; aside from three to four AD trainees in both brother and sister flight, we were all Guard and Reserve. Guardsmen and Reservists have a reputation for being relaxed and informal in nature, which is the complete opposite from the atmosphere at BMT. There is some truth to that negative stereotype. The operational Air Force is quite different from the training environment. Training environments will teach you how things are supposed to be done, but you'll learn in the operational Air Force how things are really done. The gap will be significant or insignificant, depending on your command, your supervisors, your career field, and your component.

Be prepared to hear the following stereotypes. "Guard and Reserve...

...are just here for a paycheck."
...call their superiors by first name."
...don't care about dress and appearance."
...don't care [period]."

You'll see MTIs roll their eyes when they refer to you as Guard and Reserve, spitting the words out of their mouths with disgust. "Mother effin' Guard and Reserve!" "Oh that's right, you don't care, you're just Guard and Reserve." We heard it constantly - get used to it, and just disregard it. Prove them wrong. Show them that you have just as much motivation and commitment to the Air Force as your active duty counterparts. Ultimately, many of them are just using this as another way to motivate you and push you harder towards excellence. Service is service. I could've gone my entire life without serving, and still been able to support my family and have a rewarding career. I chose to enlist and I choose to serve. You probably have similar reasons for going Guard or Reserve, so ignore the nay-sayers. Maintain those BMT standards and bring them back to your Guard or Reserve unit and show them what Excellence In All We Do is all about!

BMT: No-Nos

2012-02-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

The following behaviors (or vocabulary words) are BMT No-Nos. The sooner you remove them from your everyday behaviors (or language), the better you'll fare. Keep it up and you'll be sure to get blasted verbally, put on your face, or have a 341 pulled. 20-20-20, anyone? [I promise, I'll explain those disciplinary actions further in a future "MTI Tools" post.]

"OK" - The word "okay" is not acceptable at BMT. Use the word "acceptable" as a replacement. This makes for amusing conversations when the word "acceptable" is used in an inappropriate context. Our MTI asked how one of our females was holding up one day - she answered, "I'm acceptable, sir."

"Ladies," "Girls," "Women," etc. - Any other word other than "females" is a no-no. You can imagine how difficult of a habit this was to break as a leader, when I'm trying to organize and delegate. If you're offended by being referred to as a "female," get over it. They don't care. If you are referring to your sister flight, the phrase "sister flight" is acceptable.

"Boys," "guys," "men," etc. - Same concept as above. The word is "males." If you are referring to your brother flight, the phrase "brother flight" is acceptable.

"T.I." - If you refer to your Military Training Instructor as a "T.I.," you'll be reminded that they are not rappers. Don't forget the "M" in MTI.

"Sergeant" - Until you're in the operational Air Force (as in, graduated from tech school already), you will always refer to a superior by their entire title. I made the mistake of referring to someone as "Sergeant" when I wasn't sure of his rank and I was promptly corrected.

"Tech Sergeant" - Same concept as above. Always pronounce the full and complete title - "Technical Sergeant."

Smiling - Your MTI will probably tell you that they don't smile - ever. I'm very much a smiley person, so it was hard to make that transition. Part of military bearing is showing no emotion, regardless of what is said. Work on your poker face.

Showing emotions - Along with the smiling and the poker face mentioned above, you need to reign in your emotions as well. Motivation is one thing - I'm primarily talking about sadness, disappointment, and other emotional breakdowns. No smiles, no smirking, no hint of sass in your face or attitude in your voice. This is extremely difficult if you're an expressive person, as I am. I learned during zero week that if I didn't get that in check, my life was going to be extremely difficult. It's really easy to breakdown when you're exhausted and stressed out, but you must keep it together at all costs. If you mess up, you can't let it show in your face.

Touching your face - Don't get caught picking at your face, resting your face in your hands, etc. I mentioned the rationale for this one in the sanitation post.

Drinking coffee, soda, smoking, etc. - Any of these habits? Are you addicted to caffeine or nicotine? Kick those now, as you're about to go 8.5 weeks without them! You may resume them in tech school, but prep yourself for cold turkey now.

Chewing gum - Yet another no-no! You'll find gum in the MREs later on in your training. Don't you dare chew it!

Needing privacy - There is no privacy at BMT, get used to it. You're going to see everyone naked, you're going shower in close proximity to everyone else, you'll talk to other flight members while you poop, you'll change in front of everyone while holding a conversation with them, you'll comment on each other's body hair, and so on. You don't have time to be self-conscious, so start getting over it now. I once had a conversation with two other trainees - at least one of us was naked while another was on the pot. We embraced the moment and our friendship. :)

Sleeping in silence/pitch dark - Hey friends, not an option! There's going to be 50 other people in your flight, who may or may not be making noise while you're trying to fall asleep. They'll have flashlights on, they'll be working in their areas after dark, the trainees on EC (Entry Control) will be talking, etc. It won't be too big of an issue, as you'll be so exhausted you'll fall asleep quickly.

That's all for now! You may see "No-Nos: Part 2" in the future, depending on what comes back to me! Mind your Ps and Qs, trainees!

BMT: MTIs

2012-02-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

MTI Campaign Hat w/ MMTI Blue Rope [Source]

I haven't yet discussed one of the biggest factors in your success at BMT and in your Air Force career - your MTI. They say you never forget your Military Training Instructor. They take you in your rough, civilian state and mold you into Airmen. They break you down, they build you up; they torment, they mentor, as Mrs. Duh so wonderfully put it.

The information I'm about to share about MTIs comes from my experience and impressions. I will not try to make claims about things I know nothing about, so if I seem to be vague, that's the reason. Perhaps Mrs. Duh can jump in when I fall short, or confirm/deny - her DH is currently on MTI duty. Hopefully in two years, I'll know what's really going on. :)

Distinguishing Identifiers

[Source]

MTIs wear what's called a campaign hat. Only MTIs are authorized to wear it, so you won't see it on any other Airmen in any line of duty, and only during MTI duty. Campaign hats come in two different materials that I know of - felt and a tightly woven straw-type material. I'm not sure if there are specific seasonal restrictions to the hats, or if they can wear whichever they choose. Female MTIs have a different shape to their hats. The male hats resemble what you've seen on Smokey the Bear, the female hats have more of a classic cowboy hat shape, with one side snapped up. Both hats have a leather strap for securing it to the head. You'll see MTIs carry their hats by this strap sometimes, and if you get the chance to look closely, you'll see that most MTIs have this strap personalized with a tooled message, usually their nickname. The blue rope you see on the male hat above is only authorized for those who've earned the title of Master MTI.

The ribbon you see in the photo above is the MTI Service Ribbon. The source for the photo is the Military Training Instructor Association (MTIA) website, which states that this particular ribbon in the photo is the first one ever created. You won't see this ribbon on your MTI unless they're in blues, understandably. Another item you'll see when they're in blues is the "cookie," which is an occupational badge for the Air Education and Training Command, awarded to instructors. It's a round badge worn underneath their name tag. You'll see the a similar (if not the same) AETC badge on your instructor when you get to tech school.

You'll also hear your MTIs coming. MTIs wear taps on their boots when in ABUs and their dress shoes when in blues. The taps aren't just to make you run scared in the other direction, or to make shivers run up your spine when you're hear them. Taps are used to bring the flight to attention - they're the indicator to let you know that something is coming. When you hear the tap, you know a preparatory command is about to be issued.

MTI Teams
MTIs work in teams. Your flight will have a Team Chief, who is your primary MTI. Your flight may also be instructed by other MTIs in your team, who step in to help out from time to time. They may "babysit" your flight while your MTI is off doing something else, or they may step in to do one particular part of your training. The MTI who taught us drill and how to march that first week was a team member, and not our primary MTI. Your MTI also works closely with your brother/sister flight's MTI, so you may see that MTI frequently as well. We had no less than seven MTIs who came in at various times to instruct or "chat" with us, whether it was to babysit, teach us drill, or discuss hair regulations. It is not uncommon for your MTI to invite other MTIs to give you the "Come to Jesus" talk. MTIs teach the wingman concept and utilize it themselves.

"Tormentor to Mentor"
Mrs. Duh nailed it with this phrase. When you first arrive at BMT, you're convinced that MTIs are there to make your life a living hell, and they do a pretty good job at it too. I went down there know it was a "mind game," but living it is an entirely different story. I considered myself a secure person, I knew who I was, I was confident. An MTI has the ability to tear that down in minutes, let me tell you. Ultimately, their goal is the cliched "break you down as individuals to build you back up as a flight." Their mission is to break you of your bad habits and produce Airmen who they'd be proud to serve alongside of in the operational Air Force. Many MTIs take on this challenge because they want to see Airmen of quality rise up through the ranks.

The ends justify the means, in the case of MTIs. Some MTIs are "old school" in their mannerisms, and use intimidation more than others. Others have a stronger mentorship style. You're likely to see a mix of both within your MTI team and at your squadron. Again, they work as a team, so you'll experience it all. You'll catch glimpses that one MTI likes you as a trainee, and others you'll never get that feeling from. I was convinced my brother flight's MTI wasn't a fan of me at all, as he always spoke to me with disgust, but he glowed about me to my family during graduation weekend and sends me thoughtful messages now that I'm in the operational Air Force. With that, I must say that the scariest, roughest MTIs are often the ones most deserving of your respect and deference.

One of the MTIs in our squadron was universally feared, especially by females. He was a crusty, menacing older black man, with a scar above his eye and his campaign hat worn low, making his eyes look especially sinister. His walk was ominous; he moved just slow enough to make your hair stand up and make you wonder if the next pause meant that he'd stop and address you.  He had a way of speaking to you in a slow, soft voice, and then blowing up, inches from your face. He's the kind of person who spat when he talked, if he was that close to you. It was enough to make me hustle back up to the dorm and burst into tears as I quickly commanded our flight to do whatever it was he asked. I used to regularly warn trainees if he was sitting at the Snake Pit as they entered the dining facility. I grew less intimidated of him as the weeks passed, and I was honored when he asked our flight to address a younger flight about hair regulations, since it was one of the things he yelled at us about initially. I took what I could get, in terms of kudos. As I grew more confident, I would greet him as he passed by. Prior to taking leave, he called me down (by name) from the dorm to let me know to keep my flight in order while he was away. During our 8WOT, he addressed our flight and brother flight in one of our classes, and spoke in a relaxed manner as he gave career advice. Sadly, I missed much of this class to handle Dorm Chief business, as the teacher in me was intrigued by his instructional style. He was clearly a successful educator, and I wanted to learn from him. I am blessed to still keep in touch with him, and I look forward to reconnecting with him later in my career. Don't be quick to write off these MTIs in your squadron - you may find that they're the ones who have the greatest impact on your training.

MTIs will let up on you as the weeks pass. Once you start taking ownership of your training and give them what they want to see (military bearing, motivation, hustle, sounding off, confidence), they won't give you as hard of a time. If you mess up at anything, correct it without showing any emotion or disappoint in your face and you'll be fine. It's when you lose military bearing that they blast you.  One of the lovely parts of progressing in your training is that you'll increase in your confidence level and feel more comfortable addressing your MTI, and you may find yourself being able to have a "normal" conversation with him/her.  MTIs tend to prey on the newer trainees, so you'll notice that fewer and fewer MTIs are monitoring you during PT in the morning since they're all over with the first and second weekers.

"Blue Ropes"
Master Military Training Instructors are referred to as "Blue Ropes" for the blue cord they wear around their campaign hat. Per MTIA, blue ropes represented 10% of MTIs and the best of the best. I didn't see any blue ropes that pushed flights in my squadron, so I can't say for sure that they don't push. The blue ropes at my squadron typically had more demanding roles as leaders, such as section supervisors, or being in charge of Drill and Ceremony. Becoming a blue rope is a demanding process that requires multiple evaluations and assessments of the MTI's skills and abilities as an instructor. I've known of a few top-notch MTIs that go before the board and don't make it, for one reason or another. They're allowed to reapply and retest when the next opportunity presents itself.

MTI Duty
MTI duty is not an easy assignment.  It's not for everyone and it's not an involuntary assignment. It is a special duty assignment, and therefore your MTIs have another AFSC (job) that they're trained in prior to applying. MTIs are there because they've applied and been accepted to attend MTI school. MTI school is held down at Lackland AFB as well. They participate in classroom instruction and then complete the certification phase, which is what I'll compare to student teaching below.

The MTI tour is a stabilized, four-year tour at Lackland. An MTI responsible for a flight is referred to as "pushing a flight" on "the streets," or as a "street MTI." MTIs can also work in other areas, such as at BEAST or the reception center. Working the streets is a demanding job, with long, exhausting hours. MTIs typically begin their day at 0400 and may not leave until 2100. When you have a flight, it's a seven day a week job, including national holidays. You can imagine the strain this puts on a marriage and on families, even if you live close to base and don't have a long commute. If you were waking up that early, getting that little of sleep, and rarely seeing your loved ones, you'd be pissy too. Sure, MTIs receive special duty pay, but like teachers, they're not doing it for the money...plus, many are taking that money and stocking up on cases of Monster. Folks, that stuff adds up! ;)

I get the impression that MTIs have much more pressure on them than what we as trainees may realize. While you're being assessed as a trainee, your MTIs are being evaluated by their section supervisors, their training superintendent, and by STAN/Eval Team (Standardization and Evaluation). Your failure as a trainee reflects poorly on your MTI, so much is at stake. MTIs must also uphold the highest standards of dress and appearance, drill, and military bearing. There is no room for error when you're the role model. Set a bad example and you'll reinforce bad habits. The rule of "you get out of it what you put into it" applies here too. MTIs maintain impeccable uniforms, and many have them tailored to hug the body more so than the large, boxy ABUs you'll be issued. The hair on female MTIs has to be flawless. I knew of many male MTIs who tried to work time at the gym into their overloaded schedules as well. I imagine that male MTIs must feel a lot of pressure to physically look the part, and they're typically the ones demonstrating your exercises at PT. For both male and female MTIs, being overweight is not an option, as it shows a lack of excellence and a lack of discipline.

Cut your MTIs some slack. On top of everything I've described here, they have a mountain of paperwork to complete, and everything has to be done to the letter, documented in the computer, and filed appropriately. They have a huge amount of accountability and responsibility that's placed on them. Are you surprised to hear that there's usually a shortage of MTIs? You shouldn't be. They have their own, special MTI-specific recruiters.

MTI Organizational Structure
Squadrons are broken down into sections. I remember our squadron having at least four sections. Each section has its own supervisor, who is responsible for the MTIs who work within that section. Above the section supervisor is the Training Superintendent, who is the senior most enlisted member at the squadron. A squadron commander rounds out the chain of command. You also have a first sergeant, who is available to meet the needs of both MTIs working in that squadron and for any issues that may arise with trainees. We never really saw nor heard anything for our first shirt - the only time I saw him was in the 8WOT, on morning of the Airman's Run. Our interactions with the squadron commander were minimal as well, although you had to be on the lookout for him to render appropriate military honors.

Other Leaders
You may see the following individuals working with your MTIs.

MTIs in training - These Airmen wear ABUs, but have not earned the right to wear the campaign hat yet. They are either being mentored or assessed by current MTIs. In essence, they are similar to student teachers. We had one who taught us a drill lesson while she was being evaluated, and who participated as an evaluator when we did Control (a drill assessment).

MTIs being disciplined - These MTIs are referred to as having "lost their hat." For whatever reason, if an MTI has received disciplinary action, they will lose the right to wear their hat for a period of time. I can only imagine that this is a huge ego blow, as the campaign hat is a visible symbol of your MTI duty. To lose one's hat is a very public proclamation that they have done something wrong in the eyes of their leadership.

US Air Force Academy Cadets - You'll recognize cadets by their berets (worn instead of ABU hats), and by their USAFA PT uniforms that they'll wear during drill. Cadets range between the ages of 17 and 23, and are down at Lackland as part of a summer tour. I'm not entirely sure if they are picked to do so, or if they choose to do so. If your flight has a cadet working with your MTI, they'll take over some of the leadership roles, and may march you in Parade. They may conduct PT, work CQ, and eat at the Snake Pit with your MTIs. Generally, my experience with cadets at BMT has not been positive. Many of them seemed snooty in their demeanor, and they did not seem friendly at all, despite the fact that they had yet to graduate from the academy and become commissioned officers.

[Edit: I was going to discuss MTI Tools in this post, but it's getting lengthy enough, so I'll save that topic for the next one!]

Miscellany Monday

2012-02-06T10:35:00.002-07:00

Oh Monday, here again so soon? The weekends go by so quickly and next weekend is UTA (drill), so I really have no time to relax. Luckily, we don't have students on Thursday and Friday, just professional development and a "Knight of Excellence" in the evening on Thursday. On with the rambling!

1. Finished our taxes over the weekend, which was both a blessing and a let-down. In the financial world, it was a win for us - we broke even, exactly. The exact amount we were receiving from the feds? Yeah, Colorado took all of it. I was hoping to get some money back to shuttle to debt, but no such luck. We're going to have to budget that the old fashioned way.

2. I went for my longest run ever on Saturday! I'd been tempted to do a big circle around the area, and mapped it out on Google. It ended up being 7.41 miles. I've only ever done 10Ks as my longest runs before, so I set out to do a nice, slow, long run. I made sure to adjust my pacing accordingly, I layered for the 32 degree temperature, donned my reflective belt, and hit the pavement. The prettiest part of my run was also the hardest - I knew if I made it past that point, I'd be golden, and I ended up finishing in 1 hr 15 minutes! If I can do 7.41 miles, I'm over halfway to my goal of being able to run a half marathon this year!

3. A new(er) AF Reserve recruiter friend of mine asked me what half marathon I was planning to do this year. Truthfully, while I've said I wanted to do one this year, I haven't plunked down the cash and given that goal a suspense date. She turned me on the Colfax Marathon, coming up in May. It's an urban marathon, running through all of downtown Denver. The full marathon even takes you through Mile High Stadium. The half marathon takes you through historic neighborhoods in Aurora, and even through their fire station. The idea of doing a nice, flat track while I ogle beautiful homes I can't afford is really tempting. Plus, the price is reasonable for a large-scale half marathon. I think I may see if I can't pull together my registration fees.

Harvey's Seatbeltbags Convertible Tote

4. I'm not an expensive purse kind of girl, nor am I the kind of Coach-toting military spouse. No offense if you are, it's just not something I prioritize for with my money. I will buy one purse every few years and carry the hell out of it - everyday, everywhere. How do my purses manage to hold up with that kind of wear? Simple folks, Harvey's Seatbeltbags. They're popular in SoCal, where they've been around for over 15 years, but not widely seen outside of Orange County, where they originated. They have vintage and Rockabilly influences, which pop up occasionally in their designs. I just sent my first bag, which features a Franciscan Starburst design, off to the "bag spa" where they'll clean/restore your purse to like-new. Long story short, I finally committed to replacing the seatbeltbag I've been carrying around for the last 2+ years. I've been wanting a crossbody bag, and a coral one at that. Spring collection, you slay me! "Flamingo" color = hot pink? Me thinks not, looks like a coral to me! Game on!

5. Not a Super Bowl/football girl either, and DH doesn't care. We were happy with going on about our usual Sunday business - chores, commissary, laundry, and the gym. I did splurge a little and made a few dips, trying to make them as low-fat as possible. I love Ruffles and ranch dip, so I bought the Baked Ruffles and made the dip with low-fat sour cream. I even made something from Pinterest! This dip turned out pretty great, but once it gets cold you'll have to reheat it. I tried dipping scoops in it later and they crumbled.

Source: eat-yourself-skinny.com via Erin on Pinterest

BMT: Illness and Sanitation

2012-02-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

This seems like an odd topic for BMT, but I promise you, it's huge.

I've mentioned before that your MTI's first priority is your safety and well-being. A significant part of that is your physical health. As a trainee, the onus is on you to ensure that you're taking good care of yourself while you're at Lackland, so that you may progress in your training, rather than be placed on a medical hold. Once you get down there, you'll understand why you want to graduate as soon as possible. Being held up for any reason is heartbreaking, as it further delays your chance to see your family/loved ones, and separates you from your original flight. Take care of yourself. Do everything you can to make sure you're in the best of health.

BMT = Increased Risk
It is extremely common to get sick at BMT. You're in a new climate (heat and humidity), there's different flora/fauna/insects in the area, you're living in close quarters with 50 other trainees, you're stressed out, you may not be hydrating properly, and you're not sleeping enough. All of this contributes to a reduced immune system, leaving you susceptible for illness.

What happens if I get sick?If you're sick and need medical attention, your MTI will allow you to go to Reid Clinic, which is the health clinic for trainees. They open around 0600, so you will typically eat breakfast in the dining facility, sign out at CQ, and then walk with a wingman to the clinic. While you're at the clinic, you'll have to call your CQ via in-clinic phones to let them know that you're still there waiting. Don't ask to go to the clinic if you don't really need to - it's not worth the waste of your time. They'll usually just offer you a "cold pack" or a "pain pack" and send you on your way, after waiting forever. These are paper bags that contain over the counter medication, such as a pain reliever, throat lozenges, decongestants, etc. Typically the clinic require you to try a couple cold packs/pain packs before they take it to the next level of care. You're still expected to train when you have a cold, even if you've gone to the clinic and gotten a cold pack. Push on, trainee, push on. This can make training extremely challenging, when you're have to give it your all, despite illness. Yes, they do have sick call at BEAST, if you should get sick out there.

If you have a physical ailment, such as a blister, they will give you a blister pack, which contains some bandages and moleskin, but not much else. Those three packs (blister, cold, pain) will go with you back to the dorm. You'll notify your MTI that you have them in your possession, as he/she has to keep a medication list. You'll store them in your security drawer, and you're allowed to carry a day's supply in your pocket.

As a Dorm Chief, my Training Superintendent told me that "Dorm Chiefs don't get sick." You miss too much while you're gone and as a student leader, the impact is felt even more so. I almost followed that directive, and toughed out most of BMT. I never went to Reid until 7WOT, after our final PT eval. I was sick all through BEAST with early symptoms of Bronchitis, but managed to hold it off with a cold pack. I was not going to risk my timely graduation and all of the pomp and circumstance that came along with it, especially as a Dorm Chief.

Medical Waivers
If the clinic staff deem it necessary, you may be placed on a medical waiver. If you're really ill, they may place you on bed rest for the day, but it's a rare occurrence. You can get waivers for a number of items, including the following:

Running - No running, or self-paced running.
Eating - Extended time to eat meals.
Shower - Extended time for showering, usually due to a skin condition that requires a special body wash.
Spandex - Ability to wear/not wear spandex due to chafing and skin irritation.
PT - Limitations on the types of strength training activities a trainee can perform.
Drill/marching - No drilling or marching. These trainees have to walk at ease in the back of the flight, behind everyone else.

When you return to the squadron from the clinic, you'll check back in with CQ and provide your MTI with your waiver. He'll/she'll make a copy of it and return one to you. You're required to have a copy of your waiver on your person at all times. Be prepared for MTIs to ask you why you're not doing XYZ along with the rest of the flight - you'll have to give your reporting statement and let them know you have a waiver. If requested, you'll retrieve it from your pocket and show it to them. Waivers do have an expiration date - don't get caught trying to pass off an expired waiver - they do check.

Take care of yourself!

MTIs really emphasize that it is your responsibility to take care of yourself. Your body is property of Uncle Sam, and if you get sick you jeopardize graduating on time, moving onto tech school, and entering the operational Air Force at the projected time. This is costly for everyone, and if your MTI knows you've been failing to take care of yourself properly, they're not too sympathetic.

Taking time out of your training to go to the clinic or being put on bed rest disrupts your very busy training schedule. If you miss a mandatory class while you're at the clinic or on bed rest, your MTI will be forced to reschedule that for another time. This may mean attending that class at another squadron or missing out on a more exciting, non-mandatory class/event (like pugil sticks) because you have to attend a make-up class during that same time slot. In the worst case scenario, it may mean you don't get to attend BEAST with your flight, as you haven't taken the appropriate mandatory classes in time, so you'll end up going with another flight during your 7WOT while the rest of your flight is strutting around in their blues. Drill/marching waivers may mean you miss out on Control (a drill assessment that is a factor in Warrior Flight competition).

Steps for Self-Care

Hydrate! On the back of every bathroom stall door, there's a poster that shows you urine colors to self-assess whether you're hydrating enough.
Sleep. Get as much sleep as you can. Try to stick to your MTI's schedule. It's tempting to stay up and write letters after lights out, but get to bed as soon as you can to maximize your sleep.
Wash your hands and/or use sanitizer. Wash your hands frequently and use the hand sanitizer that they've "provided," as well as the dispensers before every meal.
Don't touch your face! You'll soon learn that touching your face is a huge no-no. MTIs and classroom instructors will be all over you if you put your hand on your face, due to the fear of getting germs from your hands near your mouth and other facial features.
Don't bite your nails. Again, they'll yell at you because your dirty hands are now on your face and in your mouth.
Eat properly. Make smart choices, fill up on protein, fruits, and vegetables while in the chow hall. Limit the carbs you consume. Make sure you're eating, period! Don't not eat because you think you don't have enough time. Trust me - your MTI and your flight members are watching, and will report you if you're not eating, which is equally as bad of an offense.

Worst Case Scenario

If your condition is significant, you will be removed from your squadron and sent to the 324th (formerly the 319th) for medical hold. There you'll wear a colored armband to identify your status. Medical holds aren't the only trainees sent here. Those awaiting discharge (for controllable and uncontrollable circumstances) are also sent here. Trainees who prove mentally unstable and suicidal are also here. Trainees in the Get Fit flight, who have failed to pass their PT tests, are also sent here. It's not a happy place, and it may represent being that much closer to being discharged and never fulfilling your dream of becoming an Airman.

If you're lucky, you'll recover from your illness or condition and be sent back to a squadron (notice I didn't say your squadron) to resume training where you left off. We had a trainee that was on medical hold for four weeks due to dehydration. All of those relationships you built at your original squadron will be lost, and your flight mates will graduate and be off to better things long before you. You'll be sent to another squadron to try to fit in with a new flight that's already bonded. It's a difficult transition.

If you're not lucky, you'll be discharged and sent home, either honorably, less than honorably, or dishonorably, depending on the circumstances. Some trainees are sent home to recover, and then have to go through MEPS again to be cleared to come back.

Final Thoughts

The moral of this story is take care of yourself. While it may seem like a good idea to get sick and be sent to the clinic in hopes of a waiver that gets you out of PT, it's not. Don't prolong your stay at BMT or jeopardize it completely. Getting out of PT may be a temporary relief, but eventually you're going to have to do your final PT test. If you're not physically prepared at that point, it's only going to drag out your BMT experience even longer. Don't feign mental illness or suicidal thoughts to get out of BMT. You were mature enough to enlist, you need to be mature enough to suck it up and see it through. Plus, they can tell if you're faking it, and you risk UCMJ action and a negative discharge that will scar your working career for life. Stay healthy so you can graduate and get on with your Air Force career!

BMT: Folding (Female) Undergarments

2012-02-03T10:16:00.002-07:00

I was not too pleased to wake up this morning and find that this video hadn't uploaded during the middle of the night, but crisis averted! We're up and ready to go, early in the morning! Part 4 in our series on Rolling and Folding covers female undergarments, including sports bras and underwear, and touches upon regular bras. I don't know the procedures for folding male undergarments, but I would imagine folding men's briefs wouldn't be that much different.

Featured here are those magical Under Armour Active Hipsters I've been telling you about. I'm not receiving any compensation from them for promoting their products, nor is this an affiliate link, but mark my words - these panties pass inspections. Have fun!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #68

2012-02-03T09:17:00.003-07:00

MFF is back! If you're a milspouse or a mil s/o, head over to Wifey's to link up!

1. What is your favorite winter memory? One of my favorite winter memories is being up in Big Bear, CA, at my Grandma's old house. Those were our primary snow experiences, growing up in CA. Her home was warm and cozy, a dark-interiored cabin with lots of antiques, a wood-burning fireplace, and a bowl of nuts for cracking. I remember waking up, peering out the light green gingham curtains in the upstairs bedroom and seeing snow falling softly through the tall pine trees. She had enough land on her properly that this beautiful sight wasn't broken up by the fence or the home of a neighbor. Just beautiful.

2. What is your current favorite TV show? Hmm...I got more than a little excited last night when I saw the 11 minute preview for "Real Housewives of Orange County," although I must say that my current favorite is probably "Property Brothers" on HGTV. I love catching that one when I'm bumming on the couch. Oh, to be in the home buying and renovating position!

3. What was your favorite thing that happened in January? Celebrating my 1st anniversary with the Air Force! The rest of January seems like a blur at this point.

4. What is the best sound in the world to you? Waking up and hearing the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and hearing the shrimp vendors selling their product. Mazatlan, Mexico, naturally!

5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned as a MilSpouse? To pursue your own dreams and recognize when sacrifices need to be made to achieve them. Sometimes you need to put yourself first. Choosing to stay behind in CA while DH went to Korea, North Carolina, and then Afghanistan wasn't easy, but it was the smartest thing we could've done for my career and our financial future.

BMT: PT Folding How-To

2012-02-02T22:13:00.001-07:00

Rolling and Folding Part 3 is up and ready for your viewing pleasure! Watch me fold my PT gear, including shirt and shorts. PT gear is one of the easier things to do, as there are no specific rules as to how it's supposed to be folded. I'll demonstrate how my MTI taught me how to fold shirts and shorts.

[FYI: I accidentally dropped the "s-word" in this video, if that presents a problem for your viewing environment.]

AF Reserve: Shameless Plug

2012-02-02T21:30:00.001-07:00

If you're visiting my website directly, you may notice that I have a new tab, "Getting Serious?"

Many of you may be visiting my website because you're just starting to research the Air Force and want to know what you'd be getting yourself into. You may or may not have contacted a recruiter yet, and you may not be at that point yet, understandably.

If you're thinking about the Air Force Reserve, let me tell you about the Get1Now program.

Get1Now is a referral program for the Air Force Reserve. It allows me as a reservist to submit your name and contact information to the USAFR. From there, a local recruiter in your area will connect with you and answer questions, provide you with information, etc. In exchange for my referral, I may get tickets to concerts/events and if you were to follow through with enlistment, I have the opportunity to earn various electronic gadgets.

If the information that I've provided has been helpful for you and you don't already have someone else to credit with your referral, I would love to be your person! Please contact me for more information, I'd love to chat with you! Ultimately, I'm passionate about what I do and whether I receive anything or not, I love educating people about the opportunities that the U.S. Air Force provides.

BMT: What to Pack

2012-02-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

So, you've enlisted and your ship date is quickly approaching. It's time to pack! I find it interesting that some trainees got a list of things to bring and others had nothing.  My reserve recruiter gave me a nice packet (dated December 2008) that gave me explicit info on what to bring. I'm going to reproduce that list for you now, and give you my commentary on what is essential, what is not needed, and what is really up to you. Italicized items are on their list, and grouped into categories based on my opinion/experience.

Yes, bring these items!

Twenty copies of orders - It sounds totally crazy, but bring twenty copies. There's a slim chance that your orders might be amended, but for most they won't. If you're a reservist or a guardsman and you already have a slot at school, go ahead and bring twenty. You'll need one in your pocket in all times, and it can't look trashed. When you get to tech school, you'll need a ton of copies as well. I don't think I ever had to worry about not having another copy, which was an issue that some had. Bring these copies in an accordian file, which you'll want by the end of BMT for storing your items.

Unit Personnel Records - Your recruiter will hand you a sealed envelope of paperwork to bring down to the Reception Center. Don't lose this, and always have it on your person, in your carry-on luggage. I kept mine with my copies of my orders.

Social Security Card - Yes, bring this and another form of ID, such as a driver's license. Most reservists and guardsmen will have their military IDs already, whereas active duty trainees won't. If you've got your military ID, bring it.

Glasses - If you wear glasses, bring them. Make sure they have your current prescription in them. They'll use them to make your new BCGs and frame of choice. Don't bother bringing your contacts, which really aren't authorized for wear at BMT. They post really graphic pictures in the latrine of contact lens abuse. You'll get to wear them at tech, so have your family bring them down for graduation.

Clothing for Three Days - Keep it simple, folks. Plain, neutral, sold-colored shirts. I grabbed a polo shirt or two. Jeans and khakis are fine. I wore my running shoes with these outfits. Ladies, if you wear a regular bra one of these days then you'll have it when you wear your blues in 7WOT and 8WOT. Otherwise, wear your sports bras. Depending on the weather, bring a light jacket. I brought a jean jacket for my 31 May ship date. I didn't really need it at Lackland, but it was handy when I went to tech school. If you wear bright colors, crazy prints, etc., expect to be called out by your MTIs.

Ballpoint Pens (Blue or Black) - Bring both colors, but primarily black. Black is the standard color for filling out and signing anything, but you may want blue for taking notes or writing letters. You'll be "given" some stick pens when you arrive, but if you have a preference, bring some. I also brought my own Sharpies and a laundry Sharpie. Never hurts to have another Sharpie!

Shampoo - Don't bring a full-sized item. You just need a travel-sized one to get you through until you do your first mini-mall run. Ladies, bring a 2-in-1. Don't dispense your shampoo into an unmarked travel bottle of your own, they'll throw it away.

Deodorant (non-aerosol) - You may want to bring a clear deodorant, as you'll have to wipe the thing off every day before displaying it in your security drawer. I chose to bring a clinical product and was careful to wipe it off regularly.

Toothbrush - Make sure it's a standard style toothbrush that will fit into a full-length toothbrush container. Don't bother with your electric toothbrush, and pass on the travel toothbrush. You'll need a full-sized toothbrush.

Shaving Equipment (males) - I'm not a man, but you're shaving every day. I'd bring a razor with replaceable blades.

Shaving Cream (males) - Again, I'm not 100% sure. When in doubt, bring a small one to get you through until your first mini-mall run. You can always share with wingmen.

Toothpaste - Either bring a travel-sized one or one in the small, hard plastic container, versus the tube. Get a straight, white paste over anything colored or with flecks. Don't bring a full-sized, regular tube. You won't use it.

Shower shoes - Buy the cheap, $1 black flip-flops at the BX or at clothing sales. That's what everyone will buy at the mini-mall. They need to be solid black and these ones fit the bill.

Soap - Bring a travel-sized liquid body wash. Don't bring bar soap, don't bring a full-sized soap. You'll buy a full-sized body wash at the mini-mall.

Tampons/pads - If you have a preferred product, bring it. The smaller the item, the better. You're going to have to shove these items in the back of your security drawer in a small space. Put them in a Ziploc or something that will keep it contained and small in size.

Six Bras/Sports Bras - You may want to bring one "real" bra, to wear with your blues.  You can get away with not bringing the full six, but you'll want to have enough to last between loads at tech school. You'll do PT six days a week in BMT, but you'll do laundry enough that you could probably get away with four of them. Keep in mind that it's better to have more than you need and stash them in your civilian luggage than to be in need of more and not be able to get ones that meet your needs at the mini-mall. Try to find ones in a technical fabric that folds flat, as you'll have to keep the edges flush.

Hair bands, bobby pins, etc. - Bring full, new packages of items that match your hair color. See my hair post for more details.

Six Pairs Underwear - Purchase/bring these items in colors of white, black, or grey. I highly recommend Under Armour, which can be found at the BX. The fabric folds like a dream and helped me achieve demerit-free clothing drawers.

Brushes or combs - Try to bring/purchase one that isn't super huge - again, it'll be shoved in the back of your security drawer.

Nail Trimming Equipment - Yes, bring 'em! You may use the nail trimmers for clipping threads, although I preferred my sewing scissors.

Shaving Items (females) - By the time you finally shave, you're going to want a nicer razor, not a cheap throw-away. I brought a Venus razor and had a couple blades available. You'll need to display a razor in your security drawer, so it will sit there, untouched, until your MTI authorizes its use. Don't bother with shaving cream, as aerosol cans are a no-no. I opted for the kind of razor blade that had the shaving cream built in.

Stamps - As mentioned in the mail call post, you can buy these on the first mini-mall run, although I think it was worthwhile to have them early, especially since you'll need stamps to send your "This Is My Address" postcard to family.

Watch - If you don't bring your own watch, you'll buy one there. Doesn't have to be fancy, just a plain black sports-style watch that tells time. Your puntuality is critical in the AF. They follow the saying, "If you're fifteen minutes early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late."  You don't want to be late to anything, as it'll mean disciplinary action of some sort. I would recommend bringing something that is water resistant, but that isn't too expensive. You wouldn't want to ruin your fancy sports watch on the obstacle course, or have it come up missing.

Nope, save your cash!

Laundry Soap - You'll be provided approximately six jugs of laundry detergent for the laundry crew to use, as I mentioned before, and when you run out you'll buy some at the mini-mall. Don't bother bringing your own.

Toothbrush Tray - Maybe bring your toothbrush in a plastic bag or with a small cover. You'll end up buying a full-sized toothbrush tray during the first mini-mall run. It's a very specific one that is branded "Lackland AFB." You'll be required to keep it cracked open 1/4" when it's displayed in your security drawer.

Notebook and paper - Don't bother. You can buy a steno notebook on your first mini-mall run. You don't need a notebook or loose leaf paper. If you bring anything of this nature, bring an accordian file to store your important documents, when can be used when you go to tech.

Black shoe polish - Skip. I preferred the clear Kiwi quick polish sponge, which you won't need to buy until 5WOT.

Shine brush/cloth - Skip. Again, you won't need anything of this nature until 5WOT.

Soap tray - Nope, because you shouldn't bring bar soap.

Two Towels - Nope, don't bring 'em. You'll get your issued ones that you'll be required to use. The only reason my towels came in handy later is because I didn't have to buy new towels when I got to tech school. You can use your BMT brown ones there, but you may want something a little larger/fluffier.

Cotton Balls - Nope, waste of cash.

Spray Starch/Fabric Finish, Iron - Your MTI will have these items available for you when the time comes. You'll rarely use them, even then.

Foot Powder - I'd hold off until you get down there and determine how much space you have in your security drawer or if you even need the stuff. A few of us ended up buying some eventually, and it's readily available at the mini-mall.

Batteries (D Size) - These are for your flashlight. Pass on this, you can buy them and replacement bulbs at the mini-mall. You won't need them for a while.

Calling Card - Bring your cell phone and be done.

Your Call - "Maybe" Items

Six pairs of nylons/panty hose - You definitely don't need six pairs, if any at all. You'll have the option to buy these at the mini-mall, and the only time you'll wear them is graduation weekend. During 7WOT, they'll typically have you in pants, since it's easier. If you think your size may be more difficult to find, or if you just want to be safe, buy a pair of navy (found at the BX) and a pair of nude before you go.

Envelopes and Stationery Supplies - If you don't want to use the AF-branded stationery items from the mini-mall, then bring your own items. I didn't use the stationery items that I brought down with me. They stayed in my civilian luggage.

Sewing Kit - I felt it was beneficial to purchase mine before going down. I bought one in Clothing Sales, one at the BX. One was AF-specific and had supplies for your blues, which I didn't see when I was at the mini-mall. A wingman had to borrow it at one point to make a repair. The other was a small, D-shaped case in sage green fabric. This one contains the scissors you'll use to clip threads. If you don't buy them before BMT, you'll buy them at the mini-mall.

Three Pairs White Socks - I brought crew length socks, as well as wore some short socks down there. I packed more socks than necessary, and I kept them in my civilian luggage. It turned out to be a smart move, as you're able to wear a white sock of your choice, including ankle socks, when at tech school. You really only need socks for those first three days when you're in civilian clothes.

Three Pairs Spandex Shorts (females) - I chose to purchase three pairs of Under Armour Heat Gear compression shorts prior to BMT. They weren't the cheapest, but I was glad to have them and their magical fabric. If you don't buy them at home, you'll be told to buy them at the mini-mall, where they ran about $10-15 a pop. I liked having options at home, where I could buy the inseam that I wanted. I ended up coloring the UA logos with a Sharpie, as they were in the process of deciding that any visible brands weren't allowed.  They can't force you to buy them, but they will blast you if you're not wearing them. The AF PT shorts are billowy, so it's easy to look up your shorts during strength exercises if you're not wearing them.

Happy packing! Maybe I'll do a "Things NOT to Bring to BMT," if need dictates!

What's YOUR song? #44

2012-02-02T08:36:00.003-07:00

We interrupt this BMT extravaganza to bring you the song that I keep playing over and over and over again on my iPad! No hidden messages here, just a great country cover of a Rod Stewart classic. It just works for her! Find the rest of the link-up here.

BMT: Towel Folding How-To

2012-02-02T08:11:00.001-07:00

Video #2 in the Rolling and Folding series is live! As soon as I was done with dinner last night, I was calling my ol' wingman (I love you MeGacker!) who was a beast at folding towels to double check part of my work and show you how it's done!

I'm working with low-tech equipment over here. My digital camera tops out after 10 minutes of video. Good thing too - I messed up in the first video! It'll force me to be concise in my words, which is a difficult task sometimes. These things take so long to upload, I only finally watched both of them in their entirety this morning.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy watching me fold a towel. I'm beyond thankful to be back home where I can just hang them up after drying, with no folding whatsoever.

[Psst! I mention in the video that the towels are so small you walked around half-naked most of the time, because it didn't cover. I would never know this from personal experience...nope, never.]

BMT: Running Shoes

2012-02-01T22:09:00.002-07:00

If you're conditioning yourself for BMT, chances are you're running. At least, I hope you're running. Don't wait for BMT to see how you fare at running. But wait, let's get back to shoes...

A foot scan will determine necessary support. When you arrive at the BMT reception center, one of the first things you'll do is step onto the foot scanners. Most running shops have something similar. They measure where you're putting pressure on your feet when you're standing, as well as measure arches. It spits out a report that will state what sort of support you need, your arch height, and your shoe size for all of the military issued shoes.

You are not "issued" running shoes. Nope! These aren't freebies! You'll head over to a building across from clothing issue where you'll be using your EZ Pay card to purchase your new running shoes. We're not shopping either, you won't have a selection. The sales associates will take a quick glance at your printout and quickly ring you up for the ones necessary for your feet. When I was there, the stability shoe being offered for sale was the Asics Gel 1160. They ended up costing approximately $70.

You are not required to buy their shoes. They might suggest it, to maintain uniformity with the rest of your flight members, but it's not required if you've brought an acceptable pair of your own. You must make a decision though. If you buy their shoes and have your own, one pair will need to go in your civilian luggage. You can't have both in your shoe display. Your selected running shoes will be laundry marked, re-laced, and tied off at the ends.

My Experience and Recommendations

I started training four months prior to leaving for BMT. I went and had my gait assessed at a running shop, which I highly recommend. They'll go beyond the analysis that you'll receive at the BMT Reception Center. A good running shop will have you do the foot sensor, as well as video tape you while you run on a treadmill. They'll see how your foot strikes the surface and determine the best shoe for your feet. Did you know that your running shoe needs to be a size larger than your street shoe? Being properly fitted was a great decision that I made. My shoes were pricier than the BMT ones, but I knew that the sales associates spent time finding the best solution for my needs.

If you purchase a shoe that you intend to take down to BMT with you, find something with a subdued color scheme. This is not the time to splurge on those eye-catching, multi-colored kicks. Remember, you don't want to call unnecessary attention to yourself. We had a trainee who brought down her hot pink running shoes. She ended up with a new pair of Asics, needless to say. Mine were New Balances in tones of grey and white, with some darker cranberry accents, and they worked out fine. Another trainee I knew had the Reebok zig-zag ones, in black with white soles and those were acceptable as well.

If you require or prefer to wear a special insert in your shoes, go ahead and put them in your pre-purchased running shoes and you shouldn't have any issues bringing them down to BMT. Many of the trainees in my flight weren't happy with their Asics, and purchased cheaper inserts at the mini-mall when given the opportunity. Better to come to BMT equipped with what you need then to come up short. With my broken-in New Balances that I'd been used to training in, I never had shin splints and never got any blisters (my boots didn't affect my feet either). Blisters can be a significant issue for a lot of trainees, so if you can prevent that, do it!

If you buy your own running shoes, wear them as the only pair you bring with you to BMT. It'll save you space in your luggage, since you're not allowed to check any bags.

If you're a minimalist runner, know that you won't be able to get away with wearing Vibram Five Fingers. You are required to wear the issued, standard PT socks, pulled all the way up. When I got to tech school, I learned that these shoes were authorized, albeit with a white sock of some sort.

Happy trails, runners!

BMT: Cell Phones

2012-02-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Let's clear up all of the cell phone questions right now, since I know it's a concern if you're heading off to BMT.

Yes, bring your cell phone down to BMT and definitely remember to bring your charger. Some trainees opted to cancel their contracted plan and buy a pre-paid phone instead. That's not a bad idea, just make sure you've purchased enough minutes, or that your family members can top it off for you while you're away. If you stay with a contracted plan, make sure you look into whether they offer a military discount and take advantage of that.

You might want to opt to cancel any data plans or texting plans while you're away. You won't be authorized to do anything other than make phone calls while you're down at BMT. No looking at texts, no sending/replying to texts, no Facebook, no Tweeting, no Instagram, no pictures, no BBMs. Phone calls only. Can they see what you're doing at all times during phone calls? No, but it's an integrity issue and your integrity is everything at BMT. Trainees police themselves. If someone sees you texting, you can bet your MTI will find out eventually. Don't jeopardize losing your phone call privileges over a quick text.

You'll be able to use your phone while you're in transit to Lackland AFB, up until the point that the bus stops on base and you get off at the reception center. Take advantage of it - that's the last time you'll text, Tweet, and FB for the next eight and a half weeks.

When you arrive at your dorm, your MTI will collect your cell phones and place them in a small garage storage box with pull-out drawers, the kind used to store nuts and bolts. The box is numbered to coordinate with bed numbers, so your bed number and phone drawer number will match. I recommend placing your charger in this drawer, and take your battery out of the phone to store in the drawer as well. This will help save your battery for when you need it and will eliminate any chance that your phone might accidentally go off while in storage. Why do I mention that? Of course, it happened! On my first terror-filled night, we were woken up by a cell phone that wasn't properly turned off...and a very irate MTI who hit the lights and made everyone get out of bed.

Your very first phone call will be the "I've arrived safely" call. You'll all be handed your phones and you'll get a few minutes to read off a scripted message to your family. Once you've read off the message, you'll hang up. This is not time for stories or a catch-up. Just a quick message and an "I Love You" and you're off the phone.

Typically trainees get one fifteen minute phone call a week, normally on the weekends. The timing will never be standardized, so tell your family members to be prepared to answer the phone at any time. Welcome to the military, that's how it goes when you're deployed as well. Sometimes you'll get them, sometimes you won't. When I couldn't get my husband on the line, I'd call my dad or other close friends/family. There is a roster that you'll initial off on every time you make a call.

Your student leaders and/or Flight Office Technician (more on the "House Mouse" later) will facilitate the phone call sessions. They'll pass out phones, and don't dawdle when they do. Grab your phone and fire it up. There's always someone with a slow phone that you'll wait on. As a Dorm Chief, we eventually started going off of my timing. I would verify that everyone's phones were ready and yell "GO!" I would eyeball my phone the entire time, giving everyone a five minute warning and a one minute warning. In the end, I'd count down the last ten seconds and you had to have hung up by the time I hit one.

There will be a lot of tears after that first phone call. The first week and a half is extremely stressful, and once you get your loved ones on the phone, it gets to you.

Be mindful of your behavior, as it'll affect your phone calls. If you are a stand-out trainee, you could be rewarded with a bonus phone call, as I've mentioned before. If your flight is misbehaving or not performing up to standard, you phone call may be delayed. Don't risk it. Your flight performs better when they know a phone call is at stake.

Your phone will be (permanently) returned to you on the Monday morning when you ship to tech school. If you're lucky, you'll get it the night before. You will not have your phone during base passes or town passes with your family. I kept asking my DH or FIL to hand over their phones during our outings, so I could get my fix.

**If you choose not to bring a phone, know that you'll rarely get to make a phone call at the same time as other trainees. You'll usually have to wait for a sympathetic flight member to let you borrow their phone, and it'll have to be at the MTI's convenience, since they'll have to time your call separately. Maybe you'll have a great wingman who'll forego their call so you can use their phone during the designated time that week, but most of us don't want to put someone in that position. They'll get their call later, but still. If you're concerned about costs, find a cheap pre-paid phone. Using a calling card on the patio phones isn't typically an option, and definitely not during the designated time. I never set foot on the patio during my entire stay at BMT.**

BMT: YouTube Debut!

2012-02-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

It ain't pretty, but then again, neither is BMT! Am I right? Dang skippy...

My Air Force anniversary plans of dining at The Airplane Restaurant fell through last night, after a hectic day at work. Since I had some time, I figured I would finally pump out one of those videos I've been promising! Go easy on me, folks. It was the end of the day and I set up shop in a corner of my dining room. It's my first YouTubing experience, so I didn't realize how long the uploading would take. I ended up giving up and going to bed while it was still processing. I didn't get a chance to edit - maybe one day I'll make a better title screen and have fancy captions. :)

This video is the first in a series on rolling and folding, which is easier shown that described through words. As this is an introduction, I don't get into rolling and folding just yet, but describe the necessary materials, why it's important for graduation, and its purpose in the training environment. I'll show you what an inspection sheet looks like as well, so you can understand the magnitude. The only thing I forgot to mention is that you'll need a ruler too!

Enjoy! I'll jump into our first actual items for rolling and folding in the next video. Subscribe to my channel if interested!

One down, nineteen to go!

2012-01-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Source: google.com via Erin on Pinterest

Happy 1st Air Force Anniversary to Me!

The big day is finally here! The day that inspired my recent series of BMT postings, which lead to many of the recent changes in my blog. This day wouldn't be complete without a blog recap of how it all came to be.

One year ago today.

In 2010, I had been joking with Trinnie that if I hit thirty and wasn't with child that I would finally join the military, as I'd been talking/dreaming about for some time. With no small children to care for, I had no excuses and nothing holding me back. After that day came and went, I started researching my options. The officer recruiter for the Navy Reserve shut me down quickly, for being too old with a non-technical degree. They discussed no other options, just a "thanks but no thanks." Well fine, I'll let my brother be the token sailor in our family. Then I called an officer recruiter for the Air Force Reserve, who told me that due to our area being saturated with prior service officers joining the reserve, it would be difficult for a non-prior service Airman like myself to find an available slot. Some reserve officers were traveling out of state for drill, just to pick up a slot. That wasn't something I wanted to do. The suggestion was made that I enlist, put in a year of good time, then apply for the Deserving Airmn Program, which allows enlisted Airmen to make the switch [you still have to do OTS, though]. That seemed reasonable to me, and I didn't mind working a little harder to achieve my end goal, especially if it bought me some street cred.

28 Jul 2011 - Top Honor Graduate

I linked up with a recruiter at my local base and began making arrangements to meet with her. In the meantime, I started a running program to prepare myself for what was to come. I was surprised at how how quickly things things moved. I was signed up for my ASVAB, getting nervous about MEPS, managing to get through MEPS without issue, selecting my AFSC, and enlisting in a period of a few weeks.

It was a snow day on the day of my enlistment, and I found out the base would be closing early. I had mentally prepared myself (and friends/family) for a late afternoon ceremony. As soon as I could break away from school (during my prep period/lunch), I jumped in the car and told DH to grab FIL and meet me there. Sign here, sign there, grab an officer, and away I went, raising my right hand and repeating those words that so many others have recited before me.

13 Sep 2011 - Distinguished Grad

It doesn't feel like it's been a year already, mainly because I've only been in training and permanent party status for the last eight months. There's still a few trainees from my flight and my brother flight that are still in tech school. These last eight months have challenged me beyong what I could've imagined. When they told us at BMT that this would be one of the most difficult things we've ever done in our lives, I thought they were exaggerating. I figured I had age, education, and life experience on my side. I was wrong, and I underestimated the undertaking. The blood, sweat, and tears I poured into becoming an Airman made the accomplishment that much sweeter.

If this first year is any indicator of the rest of my career, then bring it on! The sense of pride and accomplishment that I've felt has been worth any temporary feelings of pain or frustration.
Since entering the Air Force, my dreams have changed. While I once thought the officer side was my end-all, be-all, a change of heart has lead me to realign my goals with sights set on MTI school. It seems cliche, as a lot of Airman claim to have the same dream when they're still early in their careers, but I see it as a natural extension of my teaching career and a blending of my two passions. We'll see where this journey takes me though!

I'm looking forward to growing in my career field over the course of my second year in the Air Force. I hope to make significant progress toward my CCAF degree, complete seasoning training, and complete a number of my on the job training requirements, if not all of them. My goal for the year is to achieve deployment readiness, in terms of my knowledge and skill level. My dream for the year would be to receive a quarterly award as an Airman.

Here's to the next nineteen years! May they bring me as much success and fulfillment as the first has!

BMT: MTI Secrets

2012-01-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

One of my regular BMT readers asked me the other day, "In between all of the yelling and demanding, do they actually teach/show you how to do all this stuff in BMT?"

Fear not, readers! I may paint a dismal picture some days, but as I told this reader, they actually do want you to succeed! With everything that I've been writing lately, apparently I'm due for a more positive post. It's time to let you all in on some secrets that won't become clear to you until the end of BMT, if at all. You know, the stuff the MTIs don't want you to know...

Now, if you're a permanent party Airman already, you may be wondering why I'm letting all of these outsiders in on the goods. Ultimately, everyone is going to learn the hard way. Everyone will tell you that BMT is a "mind game," that they're trying to "break you down to build you back up," blah, blah, blah. I'm not knocking it, it's true. You may know that going into BMT, but it's a whole 'nother thing to experience it and live under that stress. I can tell you everything there is to know about BMT, but taking and applying that knowledge is up to you and a host of other factors that'll affect you (stress, fatigue, hunger, hydration, etc).

Let's get to the secrets already, so you can feel better about this adventure you're undertaking...

1. Your MTI likes you. Mhmm. They know who you are, too. It may take them a week to get your name straightened out, but they know who you are and they like you. When your MTI is meeting with your student leaders, they'll discuss trainees and while your MTI may not praise you to your face, he/she is praising you when your name comes up. If you're trying your hardest, volunteering, and always working with a sense of urgency, your MTI knows it. They just won't let you know that you're doing well, because they want you to constantly be questioning your performance and striving to do better. The only exception to this rule is if you're constantly being written up, receiving 341s, question their authority, etc. Then your MTI probably doesn't like you, because you're a dirt bag.

2. Your MTI cares about your emotional well-being. They may ride you, blast you, and constantly make an example of you, but if you're having a genuine emotional issue, they want to hear about it and consult with you. If it's something that's very personal in nature, they can do a closed-door meeting in the flight office, as long as your DC or another trainee is present. As intimidating as it is to report to an office and ask to speak with your MTI when you're already an emotional wreck, please do it. If you're struggling with something that your MTI needs to be aware of - reach out to him/her. If you or another trainee you know of is contemplating suicide, tell your MTI (or any MTI) immediately. I say this because it happens; stress affects people differently. Your MTI will lose the "attitude" if you need to have a heart-to-heart, because your emotional well-being matters.

3. Don't sweat the 341s. The MTIs will try to intimidate you with threats of pulling your 341, and some may actually do it. Signing it may feel official too, and you might think you're in for it at that point. Ultimately, until your MTI inputs the comment into the computer, reads it back to you, has you key in a pin number, has a witness key in a pin number, it's not official. It's not being counted against you until it's in the computer. If you get a 341 pulled by another MTI, notify yours as soon as you can. Your MTI will appreciate if you're straightforward with him/her, and can admit your own fault. You may find that because of this honesty and integrity, they don't process that 341 in the computer, especially if it was a minor infraction.

4. Recycling is a Last Resort. They're going to threatened it up and down. They're going to talk about the "time machine" and you going back to an earlier WOT, for failing to progress in your training or for disciplinary reasons. You'll live in fear of being recycled, up until the very end. News flash - they don't want to recycle you any more than you want to be recycled. We had one trainee that was recycled, and our MTI agonized over it. I got the impression that he had never recycled anyone before. Think from a business standpoint for a minute - if you have a trainee that's being held back, it represents a greater financial burden on the Air Force, since they're having to feed and lodge you for that added time. You're potentially taking up the space of another trainee, and emptying a slot at tech school. When it finally came down to it, the section supervisor called me and my entire student leader team into his office. Suddenly, the tune changed from this trainee failing to demonstrate progress in her training to us failing her as a leadership team. We were made to feel guilty for not being better wingmen. They want you to succeed, they don't want you to fail. While some recycled trainees deserve it, some MTIs see recycling as a reflection of their own failure. They've failed to educate the trainees entrusted to them. A healthy fear of recycling is good, but don't let it rule your BMT experience.

If I leave you with one message from this post it's that you can do this. If you're motivated, if you're driven, and if you're committed to the process, you will become an Airman. You never forget your MTI for a reason. Being an MTI is like being a teacher - the paychecks don't justify the long hours. That's not why they do it. MTIs assume that role because they want to make a difference. They want to improve the quality of Airmen coming into the Air Force. Your MTI wants you to succeed. It's not always going to seem like they're on your team, but they are. Put your faith in the process, give it your all, and you'll come out on top.

Miscellany Monday

2012-01-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

I love a Miscellany Monday, since I'm such a rambler when I speak. After a weekend, there's always some goodies to share with you!

1. FIL (father-in-law) is home! I haven't seen him yet, but he's back! My DH went to Phoenix this weekend to pick him (and his things) up and bring him home, after being gone since October visiting family and doing some odd jobs. I'm blessed to have a great relationship with my FIL, and he's very conscientious about giving us our space, not telling us how to run our home, helping out with cleaning, etc. He's a model live-in parent, and we have a lot in common. Did I mention that he's retired Air Force? He out ranks everyone in our home by leaps and bounds, but you'd never imagine it by the way he acts. One of the most humble, down-to-earth people you'll ever meet. Love me some FIL!

2. Growing up in California, we had access to a plethora of grocery shopping options. When my mom was battling her cancer, she strived to decrease toxins in her food, so she shopped (and ate) a lot of organics. Enter a life-long love affair with Trader Joe's. Back in CA, you could throw a stone and hit a TJ's. In North Carolina, you had to drive an hour and a half to get to the one in Raleigh. In Colorado? Not even an option. Go ahead and drive four hours across the New Mexican border, and you'll find one in Santa Fe. With as crunchy as Colorado is, it's a shame that we don't have a Trader Joe's, or even a Fresh and Easy market. Nope, just Whole Foods, which is a drive up town and too pricey for a full weekly grocery run. Long story short, DH made a run to the Phoenix TJs when he was coming home. He brought back goodies for me, gluten-free granola for one BFF and Maple Cookies for the other BFF. He called me from the store to read off the names of all of the beauty items, so I could place my "order" over the phone. He even brought back some surprises, including two new reusable bags, freeze-dried blueberries, and some organic banana chips, in addition to my other requests. I am such a lucky girl, and a happy camper at that!

[Source]

3. It seemed fitting to do something special for my Air Force anniversary tomorrow night for dinner. What would be more appropriate than The Airplane Restaurant?! We've eaten there before, and it's pretty awesome. You get to eat inside of a KC-97 tanker that has booths on either side of the center aisle. The cockpit is open for pictures, which we took when we went with Trinnie + family last time. Good times!

4. When you join the AF, you don't automatically become versed in plane identification. They don't teach you that at BMT. I can't look at a plane and tell you what it is, aside from the one flown in my squadron. Just sayin.'

5. This weekend felt long on one hand, but very unproductive on the other. Haley and I did Mandt training on Saturday morning, which is restraint training in a school setting. We got out early, but the majority of my afternoon was spent napping and moping. Sunday I woke up early, but then went back to bed and had a late start, so I really only got my Sunday chores done. DH was convinced I'd cleaned though, when he came back late last night. :) Sure darling, of course I cleaned!

Welcome to Aim High Erin!

2012-01-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a day! When I woke up this morning, I had not planned on making such major changes to the blog, but with everything that's been happening lately, it seemed appropriate. Two days away from my 1st anniversary as an American Airman, and I'm feeling even more committed to sharing my experience with others.

"Aim High Erin" serves as a better descriptor of me as a person and what this blog is all about. "Aim High" is part of the Air Force battle cry, linking me with my branch of service. "Aim High Erin" speaks to the pursuit of my goals and the Air Force Core Value of Excellence in All We Do.

The most noticeable change (if you're looking at the website directly) is the new banner, reflecting the new name and url. The button has been updated as well, but if you've copied and pasted the code you won't need to update anything. The image of your button will update automatically. I've also added a new button that promotes my page specifically for those heading to BMT or readers of that series.

New social networking buttons have been added to the side, including an email button, a button for my new FB page, and button for the YouTube channel in the works. Many of these social networking pages are still in the works, so give me a chance to get things up and running. It's my hope to begin adding vlogs when I introduce rolling and folding at BMT, and YT is the best way to do that. If you were previously following me on Twitter under the name @USNsis, you may have noticed that I updated that name to match the blog (@AimHighErinAF).

I don't plan to give up doing personal, "fluffy" posts all together, so I hope that you'll stick around, even if the BMT series isn't your thing. I'm still a milspouse blogger, and a proud one at that!

Thank you again for visiting - there is so much more to come!

BMT: Flag Conditions and Hydration

2012-01-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

In my last post on the BEAST, I mentioned "Black Flag." No, I wasn't referring to the punk band associated with Henry Rollins. I'm talking about the lovely weather you're about to experience when you truck off to Lackland AFB.

Flag Conditions

While it may seem otherwise some days, your safety and well-being is one of the top concerns of your MTI. Throughout the squadron and the base, you'll notice solid colored flags flying from flagpoles. You'll also hear MTIs make announcements like:

Attention in the squadron, attention in the dormitory!

WBGT 91.3°.

Black Flag!

The weather dictates the activities around the base. MTIs are required to be mindful of the current flag conditions, and you'll want to do likewise. Of course, if you're doing BMT during winter and spring, this may not apply to you. If you're fortunate to be in Lackland during the summer months, as I was, this will rule your experience.

Pretty self-explanatory. At your squadron there will be a flag hanging outside each entrance of the tunnel, on the east and west sides, one from the main flag pole, and one out near the PT and drill pads. CQ will have a runner change them when the conditions dictate.

When Black Flag hits, you won't march when outside of the squadron's overhang. So, if you're on the way to the mini-mall or any of the other buildings outside of the squadron, you'll get to march at ease. If you're at BEAST, you'll get to remove your Kevlar vest and helmet. Needless to say, we used to pray for Black Flag some days.

Hydration Schedule

One of the first things the MTI who picks you up will have you do when you get into the dorm is to fill your canteen in the latrine sink. Did you just double take and re-read that? Yes, you'll be drinking bathroom sink water for the next 8.5 weeks. Forget about your Smart Water and your Brita pitcher back home. Heck, forget about kitchen tap water - bathroom water it is! Not only will you drink it, but you'll drink a lot of it. The web canteen belt I've mentioned is something you'll be wearing at all times. It holds your canteen and your satchel (an ABU-print pouch which carries your BMTSG and your study materials).

Every morning at PT, you'll be reminded of the hydration schedule:

All trainees are reminded to drink

1/2 to 3/4 a canteen per hour,

not to exceed 12 canteens per day.

This will seem nearly impossible at first. It's significantly more water than most of us are used to drinking on a regular basis. You're pounding all of this water, then going into the dining facility and being required to drink two additional beverages at every meal. You'll be reminded to take sips of water, versus chugging, which can contribute to nausea. Like I've mentioned before, it's not uncommon to see trainees throw up after every meal during 0 week. If one person in your flight yells "hydrate," every is supposed to follow that directive.

If you become ill, one of the first questions the MTIs will ask you is how many canteens you've had that day. They expect you to follow the hydration schedule, and you should. Be careful about the next words out of your mouth when they ask you that question. It can be difficult to keep track of how many canteens you've had, so make sure you're sipping regularly. Your body will need it in the hot Texas heat. You're working harder than most have ever worked, under stressful conditions and minimal sleep. Plus, regardless of the heat, you'll be in full uniform (ABUs) with the sleeves down. You won't be rolling those sleeves up until you hit tech school.

The hydration schedule is absolutely essential when you're at BEAST, as I mentioned in my last post. You'll be tallying the number of canteens you finish, which makes it a lot easier to maintain.

Hydration is everyone's responsibility, and the MTIs will be none too pleased if you put yourself out of commission by failing to maintain the hydration schedule. You're property of Uncle Sam, and you need to be taking care of yourself so that you can continue to train on schedule. Dehydration can get you sent to the 319th (the squadron where injured trainees are sent), and you'll have to recover before you can be sent back to another flight to resume training. You don't want this. You're only dragging out your training longer than 8.5 weeks, and you'll return to a flight that's not "yours," possibly not even in your same squadron. If you made any friends in your original flight, kiss them goodbye. A girl in our flight was sent to the 319th for a month for dehydration. A month. Trust me, you don't want to be at BMT longer than you have to.

One important thing to remember is that your hydration today affects your body tomorrow. You can't gulp water right before a run day and expect to be "good." You should've been drinking enough water the day before. It's especially important to be maintaining the hydration schedule the day before any big, physically demanding event, such as PT tests.

Cheers, future trainees! Drink up!

A Thank You and Commenting

2012-01-28T17:25:00.001-07:00

First off, thank you to all of my new readers who've found me through @AirForceReserve on Twitter, or through referrals. I'm more than happy, willing, and excited to help others who've made the decision to enlist in The World's Greatest Air Force! Motivation is contagious - the more you connect with others who are in the process of enlisting or permanent party folks like myself, the more encouraged you'll be to pursue your own dreams. Stay focused, ignore the nay-sayers and negative thoughts, and keep your eyes on the prize. Enlistment has been one of the best decisions that I could've ever made.

After reading it on another blog and from my own personal experience, I've switched to pop-up commenting, versus the embedded commenting I have now.

While I'd rather it work properly when it's embedded, I understand that some people are still having issues with Blogger not allowing them to comment on the embedded system, yet they're successful with pop-up commenting. I want you to be able to comment. Please, ask questions, ask for clarification, make recommendations for my next post, etc. I want to serve your need to know. I'm a teacher, it's an innate desire. :) If I'm not making sense, tell me. If I didn't cover a topic as well as you would've liked, tell me so. Don't get an acronym? I've been thinking about a reference page for that. I'll do my best to meet your needs, as long as OPSEC and PERSEC allows me to do so.
Thinking about commenting? I answer every single comment I get, and try to do so directly! Are you a "no-reply blogger?" The fastest way to get back to you is for me to reply directly to your comment, but I can't do that if you're a no-reply blogger. Check out that link and correct your settings. It'll also save you the hassle of having to check back to see if/when I've replied to your question. Thanks again, it's been an amazing few weeks leading up to my first anniversary!

BMT: The Beast

2012-01-27T23:45:00.001-07:00

The BEAST challenge coin, available for purchase.

By request, today I bring you BEAST! And I'm not just talking about myself! ;) BEAST stands for Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training, which is the field exercise you'll do in week 6 of BMT. BEAST serves as a culmination of all of your practical, hands-on education at BMT.

Prior to leaving for BEAST, you'll receive training in SABC ("Self-Aide Buddy Care" - first aide), CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear warfare), defensive fighting positions, and non-lethal rifle fighting techniques. Around week five, this training will ramp up, and your classroom lessons will discuss "predeployment" procedures and information.

Your MTI and student leaders will select several trainees to take on leadership roles at the BEAST. These roles include:

BEAST Monitor - This individual functions as the Dorm Chief of BEAST and will work with other BEAST Monitors to organize and strategize.
Tactical Deployment Leader - Four trainees are selected to be TDLs, which are the Element Leaders of BEAST. They assist the BEAST Monitors.
Weapons Monitor - This trainee is responsible if anyone mishandles their weapon. They should have weapons handling down pat.
SABC Monitor - These two to three trainees are responsible for ensuring that all trainees understand SABC procedures and can execute them properly.

The weekend before you leave for BEAST, you'll go to the mini-mall for a predeployment shopping trip. There's a checklist of items in your BMTSG. Things I bought but didn't use include bug spray and flexible bandage tape (for protecting my arms and elbows on the chalk walk). You're going to want to bring hand sanitizer and probably sunscreen, since this is one of the most exposed areas of the base and you're outside all day. You'll also prepare a second canteen, so that you have two on your web belt at all times. All of these items will be packed in Ziploc bags in your duffle bag. You'll carry your duffle bag and your rifle (without the case) onto the bus on Monday morning and be transported to the BEAST, which is located on a remote side of the base.

For whatever reason, this particular area of the base seems hotter than back at the squadron. Throw in some sand, MOPP gear, sweat, and it can seem unbearable at times. By the time the week is over, you'll be thankful for the "luxurious" squadron living. I remember saying that I would gladly roll and fold in my air conditioned personal area for hours after that experience! Our flight joked that there would be no more fussing when our MTI asked us to do something, regardless of how ridiculous it seemed. Bleach the latrine floor with a toothbrush? Not a problem, on it Sir! We were thankful just to be back. Keep in mind though that we were at BEAST in the middle of July in Texas - you can imagine.

I was really anxious, and not in a good way, when it came time to leave for BEAST. I was unsure of what I was getting myself into, and shortly after I would acquire a chest cold, so I wasn't the best of company. Luckily, the BEAST Monitors were in charge, so I was able to take a back seat for the first time at BMT.

When you arrive, you'll be briefed under a large open pavilion. An instructor will escort your flight and three other flights to your zone for the week. You'll be with your brother/sister flight and another pair of flights. I found that ours were all sequential - flights 493, 494, 495, and 496 were all in the same zone. We were in Reaper Zone, which we'd heard had the newest facilities.

Mission Objective and Schedule

The point of the BEAST is to simulate a deployed environment. You may find yourself working outside of your normal AFSC/duty skill set when you're deployed, so everyone needs to be trained to assume EC duties.

Monday - Build the ECP and rear security with the provided sand bags. Pick up tactical gear, including backpack, helmet, Kevlar vest, over boots, pants, jacket, and gloves. Receive information on what to do according to certain alarm colors and MOPP ("Mission Oriented Protective Posture") levels. Practice getting into full MOPP gear quickly. Do some preliminary training in SABC, PAR Sweeps, and DFP security. Head to the auditorium/media room (outside of the zone) to watch videos briefing the mission. Eat a hot dinner in the dining facility, where you'll actually get a cookie!
Tuesday - Participate in morning PT consisting of strength training in the hardened shelter. Eat an MRE for breakfast. Participate in exercises for the majority of the day. Training stops if Black Flag is reached. Some trainees may be participate in a chalk walk, which leave on each hour, until/unless Black Flag is reached. At lunch time you'll go over to the auditorium, where you'll watch more videos, usually on LOAC ("Law of Armed Conflict"), while you eat an MRE for lunch. You'll struggle to stay awake. Back to the zone for more training and exercises.
Wednesday - Repeat of Tuesday, but with increased anxiety, as your evaluation is tomorrow.
Thursday - The day of evaluation! After the normal morning routine, you'll prepare for the evaluation, which happens around 0900. There are no chalk walks on this day. When the evaluators arrive, you'll stand in formation near your tent. They'll hand select trainees and direct them where to go (DFP, ECP, PAR Sweep, SABC, etc), therefore everyone needs to be trained in every area, as you'll be expected to execute this procedure to textbook perfection. If you're not selected for one of these areas, you may be selected for questioning, where you'll be given a question about procedures and you'll need to answer it (it's open book). The exercise will begin and you'll be evaluated and scored in all of the areas. They will not tell you your score, but you'll debrief with the cadre afterward. The rest of the day is somewhat relaxed in comparison to the other two, and Thursday evening was very laid back. I remember socializing with our brother flight, and listening to them to impressions and rap battles.
Friday - The morning will be spent returning your MOPP gear, packing at lightening speed, washing and returning your gas mask, returning the sleeping bags to the storage building, dismantling the ECP and rear security, and general cleaning of the area. Finally, you'll all go to the outdoor pavilion you first arrived at, where you'll hear the results of the evaluation. The zone with the highest number of points will be awarded BEAST Excellence, and each flight will receive a streamer to pin on their guidon for graduation Parade. This will be the first time you're reunited with your MTI. If you're anything like us, you'll be thankful to see them and ready to go "home" to the squadron. You'll eat breakfast (your last MRE) in the dining facility and you'll be done for the day. You'll wait in the pavilion until the buses come to take you back to the squadron.

Life at the Zone

In week 4 (or was it 5?) when you're doing CBRNe (the gas chamber), MREs are exciting because they're different and you have a chance to get candy! By the time BEAST is over, you'll be sick of MREs. The cadre is insistent that you walk by the bins and grab without looking, so if you're like me, you'll end up with the same meal over and over (Vegetarian BBQ Burger). Luckily, everyone shares their food, or trades for what they want.
Dinner is the best meal of the day, because it's hot and you get dessert, including a cookie and sometimes a piece of apple pie.
During weeks 1 through 5, you're typically in a friendly competition with your brother/sister flight. When you arrive at BEAST, you're expected to work side by side with them. You'll bond as a result, as it'll be the most you've ever been able to socialize with them. We found that our brother flight was fiercely protective of us, especially when the other two flights stepped out of line, such as when another trainee drew a penis in the sand outside of a female tent.
The videos you'll watch in the auditorium are downright painful. Watch for the narrator who talks with his hands. You'll be mimicking him in no time. Make sure you keep your wingmen awake, although there seems to be more of an opportunity to fall asleep without being completely blasted.
The latrine situation is not pretty. We only had one flight of females in our zone, but that still meant we had fifty trainees using three shower stalls and three to four bathroom stalls. Some trainees thought it wasn't worth the hassle, and chose to just baby wipe it.
The cadre is less strict than the MTIs back at the squadron, which is refreshing. You'll still be on your best behavior, since on the first day they'll teach you really quickly that if you don't hustle, they'll make you run to the perimeter to the watch tower, back and forth until you learn the definition of urgency. Did I mention you've got all of your tactical gear on, and a weapon in your hands? You do.
In the heat of the day, your gear gets heavy quickly and you'll sweat profusely. You'll pray for Black Flag as soon as possible. You'll spend more time than you'd care to in your MOPP gear.
While in the hardened shelter during air attacks, you'll usually don full MOPP gear. This can be stressful for your claustrophobic and anxious trainees, who you'll have to calm down, as they can't remove their gear prematurely. The plus side for the rest of you? When you're laying on your stomach in full gear, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can fall asleep. It was a great time to catch a five minute nap.
You may have blown off the hydration schedule back at the squadron, but at the BEAST, you have to follow the hydration schedule. You'll have a piece of tape on your canteen where you'll tally the number of canteens you drink a day. You need to drink as much as possible, since dehydration can creep up on you easily, especially when you're in MOPP gear. If you become too ill to participate, you'll be sent back to the squadron and considered a "BEAST holdover." You'll have to repeat the entire process next week, with flights that are not your own, while your flight is back doing 7th week stuff and preparing for the EOC. Trust me, you don't want to have to do that.
You will still receive mail while at the BEAST, although you cannot send out any mail.
If you want to go to the latrine in the middle of the night, you have to be in full uniform and gear - backpack, weapon, helmet, and Kevlar vest. You'll start to wonder if it's even worth it. Pee before bed, you won't want to in the middle of the night. The cadre will tell you not to pee in an empty canteen as a means of avoiding it.
You'll still do duties at the BEAST - the latrine crew will clean the latrine, the laundry crew will do laundry, and the classroom crew will clean the auditorium. Everyone else will clean tents, roll and unroll windows, and sweep every single pebble out of the tent.
They'll warn you of wildlife at BMT, including scorpions and snakes, but I don't remember seeing anything.
Everything your MTI told you about echoing at the squadron? You'll finally internalize that lesson at the BEAST, where you'll really be forced to echo everything.
You'll carry your weapon everywhere, at the low ready position, including to the latrine. Do not, I repeat, do not leave your weapon unattended. The cadre will steal it and your weapons monitor will reap the consequences.
Try to take PT seriously - when you return to the squadron, your 7th week (final) PT eval in three days, and you must pass in order to graduate.

"Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!"

You'll hear these words in your head long after the week is over. The alarm will sound and you'll hear the Great Voice say:

Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Alarm Red, MOPP 4.

All of the trainees will echo and respond with:

Alarm Red, MOPP 4.

Get to the hardened shelter!

At that point, everyone will run straight to the hardened shelter. You'll remain quiet and wait for further instructions via the Great Voice. If it's an air attack, you'll don full MOPP gear, do a buddy check on three trainees, then lie down on your stomach. When the initial attack is over, you'll get back up and prepare for the all-clear signal. At that point, you'll send the PAR Sweep team to do the initial scout of the area.

The PAR sweep team consists of four trainees who'll run out (still in full MOPP gear) and do initial surveillance of the area. They'll look for UXOs (unexploded ordinances), check chemical papers, look for casualties, and anything else suspicious in their assigned area. If they find a UXO, they'll identify it and set up a cordon (sp?) where they'll use four orange cones to block off the area. A runner will retrieve a security team to stand watch at the cordon. They'll continue to stand at each cone and prevent anyone from entering the area. If the PAR sweep team finds a casualty, they'll send a runner back for the SABC team. The SABC team will run out of the shelter with the bag of first aide equipment and a litter. They'll perform first aide on the casualty and take them via litter to the field hospital.

When you do the above exercise during the final evaluation, you'll do all of the above in full MOPP gear, including manning the DFPs and ECP.

OPFOR

"Opposing Forces" will be trying to engage you at the DFPs and ECP. These are played by your MTIs, who'll wear a mish-mash of military clothes (usually BDUs) and head scarves. Their purpose is to test whether or not you know the procedures for entry control, including apprehension. It can be intimidating, as their behavior is completely unpredictable. Do not let them pass through your entry control points, which is an automatic failure. In the same vein, do not let anyone through the ECP without running through the proper procedures, including all of your trainees and the cadre.

Chalk Walks

If you have the opportunity to do a chalk walk, jump at it. These are the photos from the BEAST that you've seen at the Contemporary Christian church. It is physically demanding, challenging, and but the sense of accomplishment when you're done is amazing. It is a great way to build up trainees that need that confidence booster. I believe they told us it was a six mile walk, which you'll do in full battle rattle. You'll encounter a number of team building challenges to complete, including getting the team across a "river" on beams, building a temper tent, low crawling up a hill (probably the most challenging for me), and completing a rescue mission in The Village. The Village is a highlight for many trainees, as the OPFOR are MTIs. You'll have to ignore them, clear buildings, and rescue the downed Airmen. Part of the chalk walk also includes the IED trail, where you'll work on spotting IEDs. The entire chalk walk runs about two to three hours. If you hit Black Flag while on the chalk, you'll have to stop immediately, take off your vest and helmet, and walk back to the pavilion - you're done for the day. That being said, if you want the full experience, sign up for the earliest chalk.

Final Thoughts
The BEAST was not my favorite part of BMT, because I was very anxious prior to going and ill on top of everything else. The weather made everyone miserable and the days are exhausting. I was thankful just to return to the squadron, my MTI, and rolling and folding in my (air conditioned) personal area. I missed hot meals. You are able to go to sick call during BEAST, and I went once to get a cold pack. I ended up going to sick call the day after the 7th week PT eval, and found out that I had the early stages of bronchitis. I wasn't very engaged during the process, and was thankful that my BEAST Monitor and TDLs could take over leadership responsibilities. Side note, while I was pleased with our performance, we did not get BEAST Excellence.

The positive side of this experience is the bonding that occurs between flights. BEAST really pulls everyone together, and flights gel as a result. You'll come away from the BEAST feeling confident, accomplished, and eager for what lies ahead. Once 6th week and BEAST is behind you, all you have left is 7th week classes, where you'll wear blues for the first time, your final PT eval, and EOC. The end is in sight and you've almost graduated!

The reverse of the coin, with the Airman's Creed.

[Parts of this post have been edited due to OPSEC concerns brought forward. I will answer questions as best as I can, but please understand if I can't answer everything and elaborate as much as I'd like.]