Tales from the U.S. Army airborne school roster number 111 class 43-88. I was at Fort Benning Georgia in August 1988 to attend jump school. I had done my basic training here four years earlier with Sgt. Smith who would be my black hat true instructor for airborne school. I was standing in formation at five in the morning. It was cold now, but Georgia has hot, humid daytime temperatures that were draining mentally and physically for a student from Northern California. I knew I wanted to be here even though there would be physical and mental stresses, challenges and the possibility of serious Injury. The students would be weeded out at every point. I did not want it to happen to me. During my four years in the Army, I learned that I like to be an independent, resourceful, goal oriented problem solver. In the infantry, I had to obey the orders and not think for myself. Uniformity in everything was demanded. I had to pass jump school to attend Special Forces school where I had a slot waiting for me. I wanted to be a Special Forces ambassador in uniform so I could represent my country abroad. Special Forces trains a host nations military by teaching it essential skills. I wanted as many overseas assignments as I could get. My respect for Special Forces and my desire to be part of this elite group gave me my motivation to continue and never give up. I wanted to be in one of America’s best units. As I was waiting in formation for physical training to start, I expected the session would last for about half an hour. As I started the jumping jacks, sit-ups and push-ups. The session kept going for a very long time. I had no idea when it would end. There were five instructors who kept yelling at our platoon of 25 men. They ridiculed and hara... ... middle of paper ... ...at they cut down the trees to recover the parachutes. NOTE TO SELF TALK ABOUT GRADULATION THE AIRBORNE WALK PINNING OF THE SILVER WINGS. After all my jumps in as many countries and different types of aircrafts I have jumped I can’t not forget that moment. Ever. I look back at my beginnings at Fort Benning Georgia were I started my airborne training and went on to Fort Bragg North Carolina for the special forces qualification course. Not only do I have airborne brothers but I have Special Forces brothers throughout the world. Physical training where is especially challenging because we had members of seal team four training with us to get there’s they had just graduated from there SEAL school and could run five minute miles all day and night even though I was in good shape is still kick my butt. The normal pace for running at any Army school is a 6 ½ minute mile.
Meeting these heroes is what motivated me to apply. These brave warriors offered the ultimate sacrifice for their country. They became the best of the best. They became my role models and my idols. As I held my saber high above their heads, I realized what I wanted to do with my life; I want to be an aid to those in need while being the best I can be. I don’t want to be a hero. I just want to help find justice and peace in this world. I realized that day that the best way to do this would be to join the military. My original plan was to enlist, but I also want to go to college and continue to learn and better myself. Therefore, I made the biggest decision of my life. I decided to apply to the United States Military Academy. I decided to apply to stand side by side with some of the smartest, bravest, and toughest heroes America has to offer. The graduates of the United States Military are considered the best of the best which is what I wish to
Though grueling and tedious, the rewards for hard work and studying are priceless. You leave the military with a whole new meaning of life. To be able to protect your friends, family, and country is an honor that anyone should be able to enjoy.
Although I grew up in a military family, I never saw myself going into a military career. Up until I was about fourteen years old, I planned on being a marine biologist in Hawaii. Sounds nice, right? Well, at the end of my eighth grade year I decided that I might as well join NJROTC, because all of my friends were doing it and it seemed okay. I have to say, looking back, I was quite naive. Joining NJROTC was the smartest and most valuable decision I have made to this day.
Quickly, I make my way to the waiting Blackhawk helicopter. Even with my full combat load strapped to my back the rotor wash threatens to push me over. My face is pelted with grass and other debris; motivation and determination makes me run harder. As I reach the Blackhawk the Black-shirt directs me to one of four repel lines anchored to the aircraft. I wrap the line through my d-ring and climb into the cabin. I wait, crouched in the doorway, for my three other comrades to finish their hookup. The Black-shirt completes his check of our hookups and gives the pilot the thumbs-up. Abruptly, the helicopter lifts into the air leaving my stomach somewhere below.
My initial reason to enter the Air Force was a great way to pay for college which turned into a call of duty and a service commitment which has actively allowed me to contribute to the Air Force mission. Thus far I have led a joint force search and rescue effort and a multinational exercise to preserve freedom. As an F-15E instructor WSO and combat mission ready WSO I actively contribute to ensure our freedoms are preserved and the attacks of September 11, 2001 will never happen again.
I took this class for an elective class my freshman year to junior year. --My high school in Purvis, Mississippi didn’t have it--. Everyone I knew was in the class, therefore it was a must have class. There were drills, promotion boards, PT, and boot camps where we would rappel off towers and do other crazy things. My classmates felt like family after a very short time. I kept the class when my family and I moved from Germany to Texas. My Chief in Texas was just the sweetest old man. He could make you feel at home even if it wasn’t his home. His motivation, advice and care to see me succeed contributed to my grades in high school and my decision to join the military.
Devane, D., Gates, S., Hatem, M., Sandall, J., Soltani, H., (2009), Midwife-led versus other models of care for childbearing women (Review), 3
I was kept in basic training for an additional five weeks. My optimistic outlook on the events taking place at the time were now as shattered as my hand, yet I still couldn't find it in me to quit. I did all that I could to make my hand recover as fast and efficiently as possible to get back and complete recruit training. The long weeks only made the stay in Cape May all the more difficult as I was known by every intimidating and angry instructor on regiment and was exposed to even more bizarre and grueling moments within the program. Eventually, I made it through and was off to my first unit in Galveston, TX. A week after my arrival I was subject to medical discharge do to a spontaneous back
Through training, Soldiers become faster, mobile, smarter, lethal, stronger, and resilient. The qualitative performance factors are essential during physical readiness that enhance mobility include coordination, agility, balance, flexibility, stability, posture, power and speed (Headquarters Department of the Army, 2012). The training types during PRT systems are off-ground, on-ground, and combative training. Army PRT optimizes physical performance within every environment of training
The years in Jrotc was good. Because I manage to be a better person. My freshman year was hard because I really didn’t know what to expect from this program. I was so confusing because I didn’t know much what Jrotc was but I got introduced into good friends. But my First Year instructor was SGM Cooper he help me a lot within my first year because he told me how to wear the uniform. And he taught how to help myself to build characteristic that I thought I never thought I had. But my freshman year was over all good cause I got more sense what JROTC had to really offer for me and I thought I had a future in the military. My sophomore year was better because I had more sense and I was a upper class I was finally let 2 so I had to teach the let
Being a soldier was a really tough life. In the end I hated doing the same thing day after day with no change in sight, I despised the leaders that didn 't take care of their subordinates, and most importantly, I couldn 't lead my soldiers from the front anymore. I 'll be the first one to say that joining the army was the best thing to happen to me. I have grown so much as a person and the lessons I learned are invaluable. In the end I realized the negative factors outweighed any possible benefit I might receive from continued service. It was time for me to
Being able to clearly understand how my job contributes to the Air Force, the Joint Environment, and the DoD is extremely satisfying. I take my work seriously because I know that what I do can have a direct impact on the military’s ability to fight and win wars. The personal achievements that I have experienced during my 22 years in the Air Force are also very gratifying. The work I did as a Security Policeman stand out the most. It was here that I went from a boy to a man in just a few short months and fully understood what it meant to be a part of the military. From humble beginnings in a small town I made the decision to enlist and take on a task bigger than myself. I had no idea what I was getting into.
Military life offered the exciting adventure of traveling around the world. For example, in my first five years, I was only in the states one time. During my army career, I traveled to Kuwait, then to Egypt, then to Ireland, to Germany, to Saudi Arabia, and finally to Korea. In the states, I have lived in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Philadelphia, Florida, South Caroline, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia. My orders will tell me where I will report to and whether it is state side or to another country....
Physical training is a very essential part of the army culture. Physical fitness has a direct influence on their combat readiness which also ties into needing to be mentally and physically tough. Being physically fit allows you to be productive and also gives you the opportunity to enjoy even the little things in life. It also allows you to be able to adapt and survive through tough living conditions. Having the proper diet and exercise can improve a person’s quality of life. Maintaining a high level of fitness helps you perform at higher levels throughout your life. Healthy muscles are less susceptible to to injury, less likely to tear and give in to stress. Which is why it’s important to take care of your body. Soldiers who don’t meet military fitness standards risk being discharged or maybe disciplinary actions.
I remember the day that I left for boot camp. I was terrified. My stomach was queasy, my head was cloudy, and every time I imagined what was about to happen to me, I started to cry. It was an incredible leap I was about to take. The mental preparation was the most difficult part. I had no idea what to expect. I had heard many horror stories about the things that occur in Boot Cam...