July 11 & 12, 2009

Yesterday was only rough for about two hours. We started out with PT which is starting to get fun. It is less and less hard each day. We ran a mile after some strenuous pull up and push up exercises. After that we got ready to go to the gas chamber. WOW! I wasn't worried going into the situation, but it wasn't too horrible. We were briefed about the rules and procedures, then were lead into the chamber. It freaked me the hell out. I couldn't breathe! It burned my skin, eyes, throat, lungs and all of the above. I thought they were never going to let me out of that room. Some people really started to freak out, one guy especially. He started to bolt for the door and Drill Sergeant "M", closed lined him. It was a huge relief to get out of that room. That C.S. Gas is no joke. It's a high concentrated form of tear gas. Once we did that, we were pretty much done for the day. We ate dinner, cleaned our weapons, got smoked, etc.. We got to go to bed at 9:00 pm (2100) and wake up this morning at 0700. We got ten hours of sleep! It was amazing.
Today is July 12 th which is our 10 th day here at BCT. We have been noticing some weird stuff going on here. The Drill Sergeants are being nicer. We aren't getting yelled at as much, and we are slowly getting more privilege's. For example, we get cold drinks now instead of warm ones, from the d-Fac (dining facility). We are allowed more than one drink now, we can get more food, we get more then five minutes to eat, and we are slowly being able to be treated like humans.
They can still be Jack Asses and will still smoke us, but they joke around with us more now. We think we are slowly being phased into White Phase. If that is the case, then please bring it on.
I am slowly beginning to adapt to the military lifestyle, and each day is beginning to suck less and less. I still would rather be somewhere else than to be here, and I miss my family like crazy!
Once this is all over and I graduate, I'm going to take a few days off to go home and recharge my batteries. I need to for my own sanity, then I will move onward to where I will be stationed. I miss a lot of things from the civilian world: Food, Soda, Beer, Girls, Music, My Family, My Freakin Dog, My Niece and My Motorcycle, being able to drive my truck, being able to shower when I'd like to, being not sweaty, wearing civilian cloths, etc. I'm looking forward do so many things when I get out of here. Being denied things like this makes you really appreciate the little things in life.
Anyways, this morning I got up , ate a huge breakfast (hey Dad, I've gained 8 lbs since I've been here) and then we went to church.

We had to march since the church was right down the street. Our Drill Sergeant (not one of mine) took us the wrong way, so what was supposed to be a walk down the street, turned into a two mile road march. We all got to church late and all sweaty. Besides that part, I really enjoyed it. It was a good spiritual release, and I'm definitely going back next Sunday. I got a Bible now, so I will have something to read now. I'm not a real church going person, but I think I'm going to give this a chance. When we returned from church, we ate lunch and then did some yard work, out on the PT track,pulling weeds. Then we had to come back into the bay to clean mop, sweep, and wax the entire thing. We all had to write out the chain of command 10 times, and I had already done it and it was due by Monday the 13th. I found out earlier that we couldn't abbreviate anything. So I had to go back and redo everything! I just now finished, and now I'm writing this letter. I really don't know what is going on with the mail, but I still have not received anything. I can't call or use the phone or anything like that, so this is my only means of communication. Please, Please write me! I just want to hear from my family. If you have been writing, then I appreciate it. I don't know why it is taking so long to get mail here. I'm just getting lonely. It's almost time for chow, I'll write more tomorrow. I miss you guys.

PFC Zaleuke