I don't like the army. Let me rephrase that... I don't mind the army itself. I DETEST being a part of it. There are reasons. I've run out of numbers. So here are reasons F, II-27, and Walrus.v.2ox6 why I feel this way.
F: SRP (Soldier Readiness Program [or some crap like that])
This can pretty much be summed up in one phrase: Hurry up and wait. I don't like standing in line. I enjoy being herded and rushed to get in a 2-hour line even less. This weekend we had to go through a bunch of checks to make sure we were ready 'just in case' we get deployed. 180-something soldiers...1 doctor. Efficiency.
II-27: APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test)
I'm 23. This means that in order to pass this test, I must complete 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and a 16:36 or faster 2-mile run. Push-ups and sit-ups, no problem. On Friday I got 55 and 70, respectively. I ran my 2-mile in 16:50. That's 14 seconds over for those of you who like math as much as me. I failed. The whole test is worth 300 points. The minimum score to pass is 180, with at least 60 points in each event. I scored 221. Yet, I failed. my run was a 57. At this point I had two options: Take it again next month (um...running in November...NO!), or take it the next day. I decided it would look better for me to at least try taking it the next day. So Saturday morning I knocked out my minimum 40 and 50. I managed to pass my run with a 16:34. Yep, I made it by 2 measly seconds. (Here's the fun part) I have shoulder issues. Too complicated to go in to detail, but it sufficeth me to say my left shoulder sucks. As I came up on my 34th push-up, I heard/felt something in my shoulder go awry. It's been hurting worse than ever for the last 2 days. I can't reach over my head. I can't lie down on either side for very long. It hurts to breathe.
Walrus.v.2ox6: NLUGTFHBAIMITWSADN (Not letting us go the freak home because apparently it's more important that we sit around doing nothing)
This basically comes down to PPP: Piss-Poor Planning. Now, at drill we have to train on common soldier tasks. They're redundant and boring, but they're something to do. This weekend someone apparently decided that all the sergeants needed training on some stuff. That left all of us low-ranking fellas to sit around. On our thumbs if we got too bored. Personally, I don't know what could have been done to make everything run smoother. That's not my job. I do, however, know that everything could have been much easier. Especially the part about us not being able to go home til the Blackfoot guys (who were in Preston with us...yeah makes sense) got back to their armory. Ok. Their bus was supposed to pick them up at noon. Someone with too much brass decided it was a good idea for them to only use one buss for the whole battalion. All the units had to share ONE bus to get them home. So they finally left a little after 1. Now, with all our training completed, and the whole armory cleaned, we had to wait another hour-and-a-half for them to get home before we could leave. WTF?!?
I'm annoyed. My shoulder hurts. And I'm supposed to decide whether I want to re-enlist...HA!
That is all.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Army = Angry-Making...
Posted by Norte at 12:30 AM
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8 comments:
My dad was a Captain in the Army, but he was kicked out because he would let his guys go home if there was nothing to do and if they got everything they needed to done. Someone higher up thought that it made better soldiers if you made them sit around looking at the wall and/or sitting on their thumbs, apparently it builds characteristics you will undoubtedly and desperately need in a war zone. So they kicked him out. Cant you see the correlation between war and looking at the wall while sitting on your thumbs? Me either....
The army and I were never friends.
When I joined the army it was really a decision between the Nation Guard and prostitution... I should have been a prostitute.
More money, screwed less!
AoS your bluntness is well appreciated! If I were you Norte I'd go get your shoulder looked at. I hurt my last year and I couldn't do many of the things you can't. Also putting on my seat belt really sucked. It turned out I had screwed up my rotator's cuft but it wasn't too bad. With at little self therapy I got it to heal but if anything worse had happened I would have had to go under the knife. Rotator cuft surgery rehabilitation really sucks but then again it would probably keep you from being deployed... Hmmm!
When do you get to get out?
August 11...
Dude, you don't know who I am. Having spent many years in the military so far; I understand your frustrations. However, please be careful what you put on blogs. The army is performing difficult tasks under trying circumstances. Many of our fellow soldiers are being killed or wounded daily for something that is noble. Warrior tasks, as mundane as they are, will keep you alive when everything turns south. I can't speak enough for PT. Fighting/Evading would suck if you were out of shape. Again, I totally understand your frustrations. Best wishes as a civilian......if that is your choice. This entry is only to offer a different perspective to the crap we endure.
I understand that CTT is important. I re-read what I wrote and realize my error. I meant to emphasize that we were sitting around doing nothing and only got around to completing 2 tasks per day.
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