I survived the nine and a half hour ordeal known as SRP. Other than having optical inserts for my gas mask and Army-issued earplugs, I'm golden. I even did my country proud and proved that I'm not pregnant. Seeing how last weekend I was drug tested, I am beginning to believe that having fun is illegal in the Army.
Such is life.
SRP isn't really anything exciting. Like everything else in the Army, it's a hurry up and wait thing. Get in a line that is hours long and wait, doing the chair shuffle every few minutes. Boring, to say the least. Very good for getting to know the people around you. Very good for recreational reading. Not so good for studying, but that's okay. (I couldn't get anyone to volunteer to do my homework for me, unfortunately.)
The people on The List did SRP with our New Unit. We're not officially attached to them yet, but, we will be. It was interesting, spending the day with them. I will have to stay on my toes for inappropriate behavior. A private was trying to get to know me in the not-so-good way. "Hey, since we're going to be deployed together how about we go out for drinks tonight?" He did not quite get my subtle hints of "I have to study". Later, I saw his first sergeant talking to him. The very same first sergeant that knows all about the foreign boyfriend and my cancelled trip. Nice try, buddy. Next time remember that I outrank you.
I will note that I was one out of two people that had all of the required gear at the site. Do I get a cookie? (Or a coffee?) The very nice warrant officer gave me a few tips and reminders about gear and accountability. Basically, don't cut anything, make sure that someone does the paperwork for a mass turn-in, and get signatures and copies. Sounds stupid, but it's very important. The gear that I signed for at the showdown was valued at around $1200. And that's just a fraction of what I'm signed for. I can't exactly afford to replace all or part of that.
Legal, medical, dental, finance, personnel... all good. And went very smoothly. Well, except dental. That was the longest line of the day. Of course.
Next week: off to reclass school.
They asked for volunteers, so I volunteered. I deployed and spent a year in the sandbox. I came home. The Army decided I was too broken to serve any longer and gave me temporary medical retirement. I'm a civilian again and married right back in. My husband is gearing to deploy. In the meantime, I have a strange love-hate relationship with the Army. Sometimes it sucks, sometimes it doesn't.
About Me
- Techno
- I'm a contradiction all by myself. Soldier and student. Stargazer and computer geek. Boots and music. Paper pusher and globetrotter. It all works out in the end.
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A bit of history...
There was a call for volunteers to deploy in Spring of 2006. I volunteered, was selected, passed the screening process, and was sent to reclassification training to go from being a bandsman to a human resource specialist. After graduation, I was home for roughly a month. I met the rest of my new unit right before we were sent to mobilization training. Once validated, we were sent overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I left university, quit my job, dumped my foreign boyfriend, and said a few very painful goodbyes. But I don't regret it one bit.
In early August, I was MEDEVAC'd out of the desert. My unit was just a few weeks away from going home. Now my only job is to get better. The irony is that they returned to their homes before I did.The Army has offered me disability and temporary retirement pay. I'm taking it. Bye bye combat boots.
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