Month: January 2006

I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow for almost a year, and in less than 8 hours I’ll be on my way to Quantico. I talked to a bunch of friends today and said my goodbyes. I feel excited to start training, but I’m nervous and totally stressed at the same time. I feel that I am as prepared as I can be, but it will be a long and very hard 10 weeks, and I’m sure I’ll feel like quitting more than once. But I have confidence that I will make it through.

In exactly one week I will be pulling through the front gates of Marine Corps Base Quantico. It seems everyone wants to know if I’m nervous, I think everyone going to Quantico is nervous. Hearing the stories and seeing the pictures will make anyone question why they signed up for this, and we’re not even there yet.

When I pull through that gate, I will be giving up all of the simple freedoms that for the past 24 years I’ve taken for granted.

Yesterday was my 1-month pre-ship PFT (physical fitness test). I left my house at 1:30PM and freaked when I realized my truck wouldn’t start. I called the Staff Sergeant at the OSO office and told him what was happening and if he had any advice (he is a mechanic in the Corps). He said that “the problems an easy fix, but you ain’t fixin’ it” (SSgt is from El Paso, TX). He then asked if I was calling to tell him I wasn’t going to make it. I responded hell no and hopped in a cab.

I scored a 273 out of 300. I did 18 pullups (I actually did 22, but the SSgt said 4 of them weren’t good enough), 100 crunches, and did my 3-mile run in 20:50. I’m not terribly happy with my run time, but considering how bad my body felt, I think 20:50 was acceptable.

After the PFT the Staff Sergeant offered to give me a lift home and take a look at my truck. After 2 minutes he had it running. He gave me a list of things to buy, as well as some advice on how to take better care of my truck in the winter.

The Staff Sergeant has nicknamed me “fruit loop” and claims he doesn’t like me but I think he’s lying.