The Chronicles of SKFATC..

[MP_Girl]

So for those of you who are aware, skfatc has gone away to boot camp, well now he has started a diary of his daily life, and in a letter to a friend, and on myspace he asked if we would post them for all to read:

"05 Oct,

So RCPO tells me that several people in the division are fustrated with me. On top of that, he tells me that the RDCs are also. I'm sick of it. they don't have the courtesy to even tell me. I guess if they didn't get mail for a couple of ddays that would make everyone suddenly like me real quick. The reason why supposedly they all are mad at me? Because evidently I ask too many questions. So, I guess I'll just shut up and not ask ANY questions and do things wrong. Do the RDCs think I'm not fustrated with them? They promised I'd get my phone call I missed last night, then I was supposed to get it on Holiday Routine, then later this afternoon. I never got it. Makes me want to jump the fence, but I don't want to go to jail. Why me? I guess I'm just a bad guy. Seriously, I'm so fed up with this B.S. Sometimes I wonder why I decided to go this route. Is this the path that leads no where or is this the path toward where the Lord wants me? 3-2 and 4 weeks and 3 days left. I guess we'll see.

06 Oct

Today, another roller coaster. I'm stuck with OS for the next 2 years. Kinda a bummer, but could be worse. Came back and drilled in the compartment. Went to chow, then class on the Navy's Equal Opportunities Program. Came back and had to rush and leave for PT at Freedom Hall. Did 4 or 5 sprinting cycles. Ate cow, showered, listened to RCPO, MAA, and Iron PO duke it out in front of Chief and Petty Officer. Then, we were yelled at for a lot of people missing knowledge questions and not being able to stand at attention. One month tomorrow until graduation. Today was a bit better than yesterday, hopefully tomorrow is even better.

07 Oct

Today wasn't bad. RCPO actually decided to ease off and alow staff to help so that really helped base tension. Still, didn't get my phone call home. I'm going to talk to Chief and see what's up. I think I hurt my knee, but I'm just going to suck it up. Had a class on rape/sexual assault, then computer NKO on the 9mm. Ate early chow, went on watch. Got to talking to one of the females. Just talking. She said when I told her about the whole aviation thing it was cool. Anyhow, picked up mail, in house class, and now I'm in my rack."

Oct 8:

Today was another roller coaster. My watch relief was over 30 minutes late and I missed a class and almost missed the make up. I got yelled at by POs and later on, I explained why I wouldn't leave my post until properly relieved. He told me that he was being hard on me because I wanted to be trained. He also said I need to quit being passive and tell someone when that happens. Chief said I'm only allowed to ask 3 questions a day. Had confusion about who was doing mail tonight; but it was cleared up before we went to PT. Did a 12 minute sustained run. Tomorrow the USS Marlinspike Seamanship Training.

Oct 9:

Today was bad. Had a good starting at the Seamanship training. We all passed the practical test with time to spare. Had real fun in house PT session. Ship staff is kinda jacked up. The RCPO for them is a good guy but the MAA needs to get his head out of his rear. Stood watch from 2000-2200, now here I am. We get up at 04000 for a PFA. I'm worried about the run. Hopefully, I'll pass. It'll be one less obstacle in my path to graduation and brings me one step closer to being a sailor in the US Navy.

Oct 10:

WEll, I failed my PFA today, but barely. 35 push-ups and I didn't get to finish my run due to getting sick on the final turn. I did improve my sit-ups by 4 from 59 to 63. Just really a P1 and WTI (Personnel and Weapons Turnover Inspections), both which I passed. Had a 40 minute ITE session since the division had 18 fail the PFA. Ate chow, had ship staff (mail room), came back to the compartment and chilled. Now to taps.

Oct 11:

Well, today started with watch. Had BASES at 12 and at 2:30, I went to Tranquility because my knees are bugging me. Turns out I have tendonitious in both knees. I'm LLD (light/limited duty) until Tues. when I've got to go to sick call and get physical therapy. I'll be fine though, I know I will because God's going to help me.

I've got watch from 22-24 tonight and I'm JOOD (Junior Officer Of the Deck). We're supposed to have live fire next week. Hopefully I'm not LLD.

Well, this wraps up the first installment of my life from RTC. Send me letters

(PM me for his Address, I'll get it to you)


Stay Tuned for more letters of the chronicles of SKFATC

[TruBlu]

This is really cool. I've never actually read a diary of someone's time spent at boot camp. I like the very strait forward in the now talk of it. I can't wait until the next installment, and wish him only the best.

[pingjocky]

As a former RDC, all I could hear through the entire thing was "WHHAAAA, WHHAAAA, sniffle, sniffle, WHHAAAAAA!!"

Jeez. Navy Boot Camp isn't that hard, and this guy wants to jump the fence because he missed a phone call? Hey, have him give me his RDC's phone number (Oh wait, I still have the number to MCPON Hall...I could get it myself), and I'll give them a call to make sure he gets a phone call.....

Right after every single fella/gal on deployment right now get theirs!

[/sarcasm]

R/
Pingjocky

[soccermark23]

I'm with ping on this one. This kid really needs to suck it up. I think all of our phone calls were 'delayed' but you just have to live with it. It really seems to me like he just wants a lot of sympathy.

[MP_Girl]

While you guys don't know him personally, we all went through this phase. I know I did...specially red phase (YUK)

This post was not intended for debate, just for informational purposes. While you may be sarcastic, give him a break, seriously, if you have issues, pm the mods, but do not publically humiliate one of my good friends...

[pingjocky]

we all went through this phase

We did? I seriously don't remember seeing you in my boot camp company....weird, hmmmm, must have missed you...sorry bout that.

I disagree with you...go figure. Kids need to learn to "embrace the suck," if you will. It is not the RDC's job to cater to his every whim. It is their job to transform him from a whiney little sack of whatever civilian into a Sailor. I've made 90 day patrols without communication with the outside world...no letters, phone calls, newspapers, anything...and he's whining because he missed a weekly phone call?

And he's a PT failure? Yeah, he's on the top of his RDC's candy list for sure.

One of the purposes of basic training is to get a person ready for the hardships of military life...if he's whining now, I'd hate to see him on day 60 of an SSBN patrol....or heaven forbid he gets sent IA to the "big litter-box."

R/
Pingjocky

[Billyd]

I do know SKF and while I can empathize with him, I have to go with ping and Mark. His RDC is doing to him what my MTI did to me. SKD is being prepared/trained to be a sailor. He is not training to be a boyscout. This is a time of adjustment and while I can feel for him, I also know that he will finish recruit training stronger than when he started, physically as well as mentally.

I would venture to guess that sfk opened his pie-hole and informed someone that he was in the NSCC, so they expected more from him. The best thing for a recruit to do in basic training is to be a part of the background. He drew attention to himself in some way and that rarely ends well.

[mtnsldr]

Its in our nature not to go easy on new recruits. Life is harder out in the world 90 percent of the time. Those who can't hack it don't need to be in.

A short story: I had an E-6 who was a pretty squared away dude (I thought) had a couple of lapses on judgement on my first deployment, but nothing too major... Invited him to come on my second deployment after he had made E-7. He had a complete meltdown 4 months in and was entirely useless.

I didn't like BCT, but nobody is supposed to. However, I didn't whine, I did what I was told. I didn't ask questions, I did what the Drill Sergeant asked of me to the best of my ability. Sometimes I got it wrong and got smoked. Then I learned I needed to listen more carefully. Personally, I'm surprised the RDCs are not at the point to smoking him everytime he opens his mouth if he asks so many questions. If he was in my platoon/company outside of IET and was consistently displaying a lack of attention to detail (asking questions that have likely been addressed, or trying to turn implied tasks into directed ones) he'd probably be getting counseled. It is the leaders responsibility to direct in a clear and simple format, and the subordinate's responsibility to execute.

[MP_Girl]

Originally Posted by pingjocky

We did? I seriously don't remember seeing you in my boot camp company....weird, hmmmm, must have missed you...sorry bout that.

I disagree with you...go figure. Kids need to learn to "embrace the suck," if you will. It is not the RDC's job to cater to his every whim. It is their job to transform him from a whiney little sack of whatever civilian into a Sailor. I've made 90 day patrols without communication with the outside world...no letters, phone calls, newspapers, anything...and he's whining because he missed a weekly phone call?

And he's a PT failure? Yeah, he's on the top of his RDC's candy list for sure.

One of the purposes of basic training is to get a person ready for the hardships of military life...if he's whining now, I'd hate to see him on day 60 of an SSBN patrol....or heaven forbid he gets sent IA to the "big litter-box."

R/
Pingjocky

PingJocky,

Not trying to start an argument here with you, but what I meant by "We all go through this phase" is looking back at when I went through Boot Camp, during Red Phase, I was miserable and whiney. See, the job of boot camp is to transform from citizen to soldier, citizen to sailor ect. ect. I remember the days that I'd do things I was asked to do, and then get smoked because I did them wrong. While I can understand your phone call drift, I meant was the fact that the first few months are a lot tougher, because you are still in that mind frame of a citizen. If skf did open his mouth about NSCC, he would be the Drill Sergeants "Buddy" for the rest of boot camp, because I do know that the Drill Sergeants do like to pick out people who have training and experience, just to try to break them down and build them back up again.

This was not meant to be a debate by any means, only to inform skf's friends what is going on with him, and his views on things. I'd agree with you that it sounds a little whiney, but I can honestly tell you how many times I failed my PT test, only to build myself up again, and how many letters went home to my mom crying and complaining, asking her to rescue me from misery, and then I realized it is all a head game. Thats when the Drill Sergeant liked me the most, because I had come to realization that it was all a head game, and they tried to break me.

No doubt in my mind that SKF will come through, probably in the next chronicles of his life at boot camp. No doubt in my mind that he also will make it through this phase, and continue on a lot mentally and physically stronger then he thinks he is.

[MP_Girl]

Originally Posted by mtnsldr

I didn't like BCT, but nobody is supposed to. However, I didn't whine, I did what I was told. I didn't ask questions, I did what the Drill Sergeant asked of me to the best of my ability. Sometimes I got it wrong and got smoked. Then I learned I needed to listen more carefully. Personally, I'm surprised the RDCs are not at the point to smoking him everytime he opens his mouth if he asks so many questions. If he was in my platoon/company outside of IET and was consistently displaying a lack of attention to detail (asking questions that have likely been addressed, or trying to turn implied tasks into directed ones) he'd probably be getting counseled. It is the leaders responsibility to direct in a clear and simple format, and the subordinate's responsibility to execute.

No one likes Basic, join the club. I was one of the few that would turn it around and do it all over again, and this time better if I had the opportunity. I understand the questions thing, because we had a Recruit named Wilson who did just that, and Wilson got us grilled all the time for stupid questions that did not exist. I'm surprised that the Drill Sergeants are not giving him hell if he is indeed asking many questions to them. Really, my best advice to him is to shut up, keep quiet and do whats asked. I wish I could have talked with him before he left to warn him of those things, but I'm sure he will eventually learn...