First I want to say that I am so excited to be going into the Army and I am proud to have the chance to serve my country... with that being said I'll go into some details about who I am and why exactly I chose the Army.
I graduated 21st from high school and was extremely lazy and spoiled when I went off to college. I made enough mistakes to land myself in about 10,000 dollars worth of debt and through fighting with my parents and wasting the money I was making I ended up homeless and alone. My parents eventually took me back in but by that point they had moved to where I am now, and I am stuck in the middle of nowhere anxiously awaiting Basic Training.
I can't say that the Army has always been a goal of mine. My mother brought up the military as my final option and when she did that I cried like a baby, however, through much soul searching I realized that this is what I want and I'm willing to do anything to achieve success in the Army.
To be completely honest my dad didn't want me anywhere near the Army, so we went to see the Air Force recruiter. It was a miserable experience for me and I wish that I had gone to the Army first because the Army treated me like a human being who meant something to them instead of just a number.
Through the Air Force I took the ASVAB and got a 94, which wasn't exactly surprising, I've always been really smart when it comes to tests and things you learn in classes. * Common sense is a whole other story though* So I thought that I could get into the Air Force faster since I could go into any MOS.
Things didn't work quite like that though and 2 months after I first spoke to my Air Force recruiter I called the Army. I introduced myself, told the First Sergeant my ASVAB scores, and mentioned that I would like to leave for BCT as soon as I could. She sounded really excited and told me to come up to the office on Monday and we could start everything.
When I heard that I was so excited, until I looked up the Army weight requirements. When I moved to where I am now I weighed 190 lbs. *I was quite a porker* I had dropped the 25 lbs to make it to Air Force requirements but that was still over my Army requirement and in the time it was taking the Air Force to send me to MEPS I had gained 5 pounds back. So when I went in I talked to my new recruiter and she took my measurements and let me know that I was over the maximum body fat % but that there was the ARMS test. *Assessment of Recruit Motivation and Strength*
So we went through the motions, I had a few juvenile incidents which had to be cleared up and a traffic ticket that I couldn't pay but my recruiter paid for me saying that I could pay her back when I got my first check in basic. * That was the point where everything started to work out for me*
On my first trip to MEPS I hadn't received my waiver from the CO*commanding officer* so I just did the physical portion. * Let me say here that the ARMS test was all about motivation. If the nurse giving me my test hadn't cheered me on the entire time I don't think I could have made it*. Once I passed that I came home.
I've done the first of two interviews now and once I complete my second interview *God-willing that will be today* I can leave for my second MEPS trip where I'll pick my MOS *military occupational specialty I'm hoping for 68 W- which is essentially combat medic :]* and be sworn in. I'm planning on leaving for basic in January. The only thing I'm worried about now is that my ARMS test only lasts for 30 days so if I don't get back to MEPS before they leave for Christmas then I'll be up a creek without a paddle.
In the mean time I want to keep track of the things I'm doing everyday to prepare myself physically and mentally for the next stage of my life. I try to work out everyday but I know I'm not working as hard as I could so I'm also hoping for the people who read my blog to help me get the motivation I need for this. I currently weigh 167 lbs and I am 5'7. So if I can lose 4 lbs then I'll be fine as far as the physical goes but any suggestions people have for work outs would be greatly appreciated. Currently I run a mile in the morning then do as many push ups as I can on stairs followed by sit ups. I only eat the three meals daily and today is my official last day of soda drinking so I'm hoping to cut out everything I can before I leave.
Mentally I'm trying to focus on good things and good times that I can remember when I think that I can't do something. I'm also memorizing things such as the General Orders and the Army Core Values. I feel like if I start living the Values now I'll be set in whatever I choose to do.
Ultimately in the Army I'd like to get through BCT and AIT to come out on the other side and I want to be deployed to the MIddle East while I'm fresh out of training. After the 4 years I'm signing up for I want to go to Medical School to become and Orthopedic Surgeon which has always been my dream. I plan to go in on the HPSP scholarship from the Army in order to come out with my M.D. and pay back the Army for the years they paid me for. I'll be a captain in the Army after that program and I'd just like to continue moving up.
I know this is the right thing for me and for once I feel okay about everything that I'm doing.
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