DSS Done

I graduated!

We left Fort Leonard Wood without looking back and some friends of mine were kind enough to drop me off at the airport. We had some trouble finding it at first, so I got to see the St Louis Arch for the first time.

Staying at the USO, there were Privates everywhere, and a whole lot of Marines (some training at FLW like Engineer School and MP school all services come to train on) and they were telling me Marine Boot Camp horror stories from Parris Island. Don't know if they were embellishing a bit, they may have been, but I've always had a lot of respect for Jarheads and they were asking me and a couple of my buddies a lot of questions trying to get a comparison of how the Army and the Marines differ. Depending on where you go to Basic, whether you are in an all Male Unit or a Co-Ed unit, or if you're at Jackson, Leonard Wood, Benning, Sill or Knox, I get the impression it differs a bit from location to location. The training is the same, but how they get the message across may be a bit different.

DSS was a lot easier then I expected it to be, and a part of me wonders how I would have done if it had been harder (I'm not as young as I was when I was a private, obviously). I'm still frustrated about my stupid Sciatic Nerve, as I still can't fully step out on that leg when running so my run time completely sucks, but I'm feeling better and hopefully it will be alright by tomorrow. When I fly around some more.

I got a ton of pictures that the DSL's took while at training, I'll see about posting a few of them.

The Hat is Mine

PX. Saturday. 1300.

Bring your hat and badge.

But no, seriously, we were specifically told not to go to the PX and bait privates this weekend as we are not officially Drill Sergeants until Tuesday at 1400. So other then the brief moment we got to put on our hat and badge to take a class photo, we are not allowed to wear them out and about post.

We have been encouraged to wear them in our rooms and specifically get used to putting them on a certain way because when we graduate, there is a certain method of doing it that requires some practice so we are all uniform and don't look jacked the hell up.

I'm still getting used to the hat. But I think the Australian Bush style really suits me. Some of the females don't like them and expressed that they would rather have the Montana Peak that the guys wear, but I'm fine one way or the other. I'm just glad that after Tuesday, I don't have to wear the beret again until BNCOC.

Only a few days left!

So, what do I have planned for this weekend?

For one, I plan to sleep in until at least 9 on Saturday. This week has been exhaustive (though fun!) and I just need to recooperate and prepare for a lot of flying next week which will land me somewhere in South Carolina for a couple of weeks of non stop work doing what I came here to do, train privates!

Our training is complete (hallelujah!) all we have left to do is turn in all of the crap they've issued us, pray that CIF (central issue facility) accepts it, get issued some headgear, pack everything else, offer our constructive criticism, rehearse graduation, and graduate! Then I can yell at people for failing to call me Drill Sergeant!

I'll probably only enforce the Drill Sergeant bit with IET privates and DS Candidates though.

I feel like I've been repeatedly punched in the head for some reason.

Combatives R Us

So the update, for those who are curious.

My back still hurts. But I've sucked it up with the help of Motrin. Some days I don't notice it to much and other days I get really grumpy because my back feels like crap. But I can do most things I'm required to do except for run really.

Today we started Combatives. This was actually a lot of rolling around on a mat trying to get the dominant position and learning about chokes and such. I can now say I've been choked by a Drill Sergeant (he was allowed to for instructional purposes). Not fun. But good information to know, so me and my battle buddy went about doing blood chokes on each other and tapping out. That will take you down REAL quick.

But combatives was a lot of fun! Though not very good for my back.

In other news (waiting on the pictures which I will post) I got promoted! I'm now officially a Staff Sergeant!

The NCOER that I have commented about a couple of times just delayed it a bit, so I'm not to worried about having to Appeal it because I'll stay right here at Staff Sergeant for a few years and I'm just fine with that. I'm not ready to take that next jump to Sergeant First Class for a long while.

Just combatives all next week and I get my hat on Friday. :)