The calm before the storm

This is my first post to this blog, and is going to me one of many more to come. As many of you know, I decided to join the United States Army a few months ago. Over the past three years, I spent my time attending Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green Kentucky. Before I finished my junior year of college, I could already tell I was getting sick and tired of the day to day bull-shit that was involved. I was a resident assistant in one of the dorms on campus, and I hated my job. After spending three years at college, there wasn't much that I actually did like about college. The classes themselves weren't difficult, but they only take up about 25% of one's time living on campus. I had a lot of down time, and there is only so much drinking and partying one can do before it becomes repetitive and somewhat boring. I had a lot of good friends, but they too had their own agenda and were usually busy doing classwork or other things, and I also had a few failed relationships that I needed to get away from. College to me was very similar to high school. Being on a big campus of 18,000 you would think that you wouldn't have to worry too much about drama, but you'd honestly be surprised. I needed a new start, and more importantly I needed to get away. I started looking into the military pretty heavily towards the end of the school year, and I spoke with a few recruiters and looked at the four main branches of military: Army, Navy, Air-force, and Marines. The one that seemed to jump of the page and appeal to me most was the Army. Being that my father was one of the main reasons I was at college, I decided that it was only fair that I include him in the process of me joining the Military. I had his full support, and together he and I began the somewhat lengthy process which would result in me finally signing my Army contract. I am not a patient person, and I suppose the Army will make me learn to be one, but all I wanted to do was get the Hell out of Bowling Green and start my life as an Army Soldier, so it's safe to say I was relieved when everything was said and done, and when I became Private First Class George Zaleuke. 

Everybody who enlists in the military has his or her own reasons for doing so, and I want to make one thing clear about my reasons. I was not running away from anything despite the fact that I was tired of school. I needed a new beginning. I was tired of being a broke college student. Did you know that currently only about 14% of college graduates are finding jobs? The economy sucks right now, and I'll be damned if I'm going to work my ass off, graduate, and have to settle working as a manager at a Chucky Cheese (sorry Ryan..lol) But the fact still remains, I think the Army is my best bet at job security at the moment. The pay and the benefits are well worth it alone. I've never been able to sit in one place for a long time, so I also cant see myself getting a job and have to start a career living in only one place. I want to travel and see the world, and the military can do that for me. I've also never been one of those hardcore patriotic types who wear the American Flag T-shirt or the Osama Bin Laden shirt that says "wanted: Dead or Alive" but then again I'm no Anarchist or Nihilist either. So being able to serve my country brings out some kind of pride and will hopefully reinstate my faith in our country that our government has seemed to completely diminish over the past eight years. 

As for right now, I have about 27 days until I ship out to Ft. Benning for basic training. My MOS (military occupational specialty) is 11b otherwise known as Infantry. Currently I'm doing all I can do to prepare myself mentally and physically for what is to come. I've been running and lifting, and will continue to do so until I ship out. I'd like to at least prepare myself and my body enough to where BCT wont come as such a shock during the first few weeks. I decided to start this blog for a few reasons. I know my family and some friends would like to know what I'm going to be going through on a day-to-day basis, and I know that I will get little to no time to use the telephone to tell them about it. I'm also not going to have a lot of time to sit down and write each person a personal letter due to the fact that during the first few weeks we will have very little personal time to do so; maybe an hour at best. So my plan is to write one letter a day, or as often as I can and send it home. These letters will address the things I am going through and the things I am having to do daily. I'm going to send the letters home and have either my father, or a friend type them out and post them to this blog as if it were me actually posting them due to the fact that I wont have access to the internet during this time. All of my friends and family will have the URL to this blog and if they wish to, they can get online daily and read what I have to say. I will also have my address posted on here so that anyone who wants to can write me while I'm there. If I have time, i'll try to write you a personal letter and shoot it back to you, but as of right now this blog will be my letter in response to everyone. I also want to use this blog as something I can look back on and re-read after everything is said and done, and see how much I have changed from start to finish. I think it will also be good to use for anyone else considering joining the Army, or for those who themselves are about to start basic training. 

As for right now, it is all just a waiting game, and I'm more excited/anxious/nervous and a tad bit scared of what is to come, but I think that all is a good thing. This will probably be one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life so far, but I'm looking forward to it and the challenges that await. I hope you all enjoy reading this, and actually take the time to read it. My friends and family are all very important to me. 

I'm holding onto the words that the great Tim Armstrong once wrote: "My Jungle's made of concrete, through the silence I could feel, my aim is true and I will walk on through these mountains made of steel." 

-PFC Zaleuke