Another day of "work"

I don't even know where to begin. Yesterday, and probably the day before, I said I can't believe I get paid for this. Today, that was even more true.

The morning started with me getting a tour of the hangar bay from the photo officer who knows EVERYTHING about the ship. He took us out to the fantail, the back of the ship where you get a tremendous view. Then we went to lunch and after that we were picked up for our tour of the flight deck. The shooter who took us around brought us right up to the line so we could watch the planes up close and feel what is like down there. Simply put, its amazing. I've never seen something so powerful so close. It is humbling and tremendous to think about all the work and all the people who make the aircraft fly. We also saw them land and just like last night, it was incredible. Maybe more than the takeoff, the landing requires such precision.

After the flight deck, we got to go on our helo ride with the Eightballers. They always are in the air if there are flight ops going on. We got some great views of the ship and the ocean. A couple of times they just hovered over the water and the spray caused by the props and the helo itself is pretty impressive. They had our side door open for a while and I kept worrying that my ID cards would fall out but they stayed put. We were in the air for about three hours and I'm guessing that could get a little boring after a while, but I was still really glad I went and amazed at how everyone has a role and one person not doing their job can ruin a mission.

So that's the whole day right? No. The ship has a lot of distinguished visitors and most are people nobody has heard of. Occasionally though you get some famous people. Today, Pete Carrol (USC head football coach) and Matt Leinart (USC alum and QB for Arizona Cardinals) showed up along with a few other USC players. All the sailors were excited and they had a big autograph session. The line was crazy and I was just walking around watching the sunset. When I came back from the fantail, the sailors were playing catch with Carrol and Leinart. Coach saw me walking around and threw me a pass. I caught it and gave a quick pitch to a sailor. Wish I would have actually thrown it back but I didn't want to take away from the sailor's time with the celebs. But as I was walking, coach told me it was a nice catch so that was pretty cool.

If that wasn't enough, then we went up to CATC. I don't know what that stands for, but its basically the guys who take care of the planes in the air while the Air Boss takes care of the planes on the Carrier. They acutally let jus go back in Ops and the Officer-in-charge let me stand next to him while he explained how everything and everyone worked together. It is just awe-inspiring that 19-year-old kids are telling billion dollar aircrafts where to go and what to do...unreal.

Quite a day. This whole trip has been more than I ever could have imagined and it definetly makes me strongly consider trying to take a sea tour. The Judge thinks its better to wait until you are O-4, but we'll see. Obviously working on a ship is a lot different than what our experience has been but I'm definetly more interested. Finally off to bed and I'll COD off tomorrow.

Vulture's Row

Still somewhere in the Pacific. I didn't get to go on the Helo like I thought I would but that's okay because today, especially the last few hours, was amazing.

We actually met with clients today and that was pretty routine, but then we went to XOI, Executive Officer Investigation. This is when the XO reviews a case to decide if it should go to non-judicial punishment (NJP) in the form of Captain's Mast. The Captain can then give a punishment for whatever the person did and hopefully they learn. The XO also looks at the case to see if more info is needed before mast. We saw three people brought before the XO, two for sleeping through clean-up and one for indecent assault (I guess he hugged a girl and tried to kiss her...not a good thing on a carrier). It was pretty intense and I'm glad it wasn't me there.

After chow and another round of clients, our Judge took us up to PriFly so we could see it at night. It is amazing to see everyone just operating so fast and doing so many things at once. We couldn't see a lot but we could see the planes taking off and that is pretty incredible. They move so fast right away and yet it looks very controlled.

As we were leaving there was a group of distinguished visitors exiting an area called Vulture's Row. The public affairs officer saw us and lent us some ear protectors and then we went out to Vulture's Row ourselves. From there we could see the planes coming in and a few taking off at night, Helo's landing and taking off, about a billion stars, the moon coming up (it was actually red at first), and the water leading you right out to it. The ship turned around a lot and considering the size of this thing, it can actually turn pretty fast. Keep in mind we are on deck 9 watching all of this...I get paid to do this!

Watching the water and the moon was quite a sight. It is very peaceful even though you hear the jets roaring in the background. As the planes land, they touch down going full throttle so if they miss the cables or they snap, they can take off right away. Of course if they catch the cable, they go from 200+ to 0 in about 20 feet.

Off to bed. Tomorrow is another day of "work."

USS John C Stennis

I'm somewhere in the Pacific Ocean now aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). The command wanted us to see what it is like to go aboard an aircraft carrier and they needed some people to do legal assistance for a few days so it all works out. I flew into San Diego yesterday and got a quick tour of the ship from the outgoing discipline officer (she literally left for her next duty station the next morning) and then went in to town for dinner and drinks.

The next morning the ship got underway and went up to the flight deck as we pulled out of port. The aircraft arrived a few hours later and are currently taking off right over where I am sleeping. Seriously, they are landing just a few feet above where I sleep...crazy. How I am going to sleep is beyond me at this point but I guess people are able to do it. We were given several pairs of ear plugs which will hopefully help but they can only do so much.

The ship is enormous and it is very easy to get lost. To get up and down to the different levels you have to walk up and down these very narrow stairwells that take quite a bit of getting used to. On at least one occasion I have hit my head, but luckily I didn't fall down the entire staircase.

We eat pretty well. The officer's mess is always stocked with something to eat, even if it is just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If we don't like the food they offer at one of the regular meals they can always make us a burger, a grilled cheese, or something like that.

Today we also got to briefly see the bridge and meet the commanding officer of the Stennis. A very nice man, but certainly very busy and needing to stay focused while the pilots got qualified to fly on and off the carriers. We also went to primary where the Air Boss (the guy who controls the planes on the flight deck) is stationed. Later on I think we'll get a more detailed tour.

At dinner we sat with some helicopter pilots and one of them offered to take us for a ride tomorrow so that should be amazing. I'm hoping to get some good pictures but I'm sure I'll just be taking it all in as well.

After dinner, I walked around the hangar bay, where all the planes are usually stored when they are not on the flight deck. For this short trip, the hangar bay is pretty much empty so you will see people running around, and even playing some sports in this huge space. I walked around to see if I could see a sunset from anywhere and even though I couldn't really see the sun going down, I could see the sky changing color and the water as the ship effortlessly cut through it. It was quite a sight to see and I'm glad to have the opportunity to be on board for a few days. Life as a JAG continues to give me chances to do things I never would otherwise get to do.

Four month update

Hard to believe I've been in the Pacific Northwest for four months now. I know I'm not doing a good job at updating this blog, part of that is because I really just can't say a whole lot about my job (gotta love attorney-client privilege). I can say though that I'm really enjoying it. On an average day I see between 5-7 clients and then do research, work on cases, perform military duties, and that sort of thing. Some of the cases are interesting and some are just simply listening to the client and giving them a quick piece of advice. It really is amazing how quickly you pick up on some of the things that at first seemed almost impossible to figure out.

This past week, the deputy Judge Advocate General, Rear Admiral Houck, came into town for a visit. My biggest job during the trip was to drive to the airport with my Commanding Officer and pick him and his aide up. Seatac airport is a little over an hour away so it gave me an opportunity to get to speak with the CO and meet the Admiral. The trip went really well and the Admiral turned out to be an incredibly nice guy. It was reassuring to see that as people in the JAG Corps continue to rise through the ranks, they continue to be good people. All of the JAG leaders I have met so far have been wonderful and I can only hope that continues.

Other than that, I continue to live in Silverdale, WA just about five minutes from where I work. Teresa will be moving out here in June and once she arrives we'll find a place in Seattle. Its going to be quite a commute for me, but I'm looking forward to living on the other side of the Sound. The weather is starting to get a little nicer and I'm trying to bike a lot more. I'm going to be participating in the Seattle-to-Portland ride in July. Its a 200-mile bike ride that will be quite a feat if I can finish it.

That's all for now. Looking forward to heading back to MN memorial day weekend!

Whidbey Island

Wow, two posts not all that far from one another...shocking I know. Well, I'm up at Whidbey Island now on temporary assignment duty (TAD) for today and tomorrow. Our command only has one attorney at this branch office and with it being a naval air station (NAS), they are deploying all the time and keep very busy.

Whidbey Island is about two hours from Silverdale and its a pretty nice ride. The weather isn't nearly as bad now as it was when I first got out here. Might rain in the morning, but that's about it right now. LT Head met me and took me out to dinner at a local restaurant and gave me a briefing on all the work we were going to be doing today.

This base has two different types of aircraft, the EA-6B Prower (top), and the P-3C Orion. A lot of the training they do is at night, so you may just see the lights from the aircraft flying away as you hear the roar of the engines. One of my jobs today was to go to one of the hangars and have an outreach with a squadron. What that means is giving them a brief on what a will is, explaining powers of attorney and filling out forms for all of the people who want one. We went through about 50 people in a few hours and at the end of it, you're just exhausted.

Despite all of that, the work we are doing certainly makes a difference. Even though it might just be a will, it certainly can help our sailors and pilots be focused on getting the job done instead of worrying about what will happen if something unfortunate happens while they are away.

Tomorrow is going to be a really busy day and I'll hopefully be able to handle it. Heading home tomorrow night though and then I'll be heading to MN on Friday night to help Teresa get her place ready to sell. Even though it will be a short trip, getting home will be good.

Updates

I know it has been forever since I posted anything on here and I'm pretty sure that nobody is reading it anymore, but I'll write something anyways. My goal originally was to write on this and let my friends know what I was up to and hopefully help prepare some people who were about to go through the same things that I did. Don't know if it helped, but some people have written to ask me follow-up questions, so I guess it meant something to someone.

I've been at Naval Legal Service Office Northwest (NLSO) for about 45 days now. Living on the West coast is certainly a big change, but it has been a pretty incredible experience. For anyone considering a career in the JAG Corps, I would encourage you to do it, no matter what branch you are looking at. You will meet some of the most amazing people and do things that you will never forget.

My position is currently as a legal assistance attorney. Our office helps sailors and their wives with their problems, and everyday you have a new issue walk through your door. In 45 days, I have done over 50 wills, I have assisted people with landlord/tenant issues, I have helped someone get married to a foreign national, I have worked out deals with creditors, I have seen people at their lowest point and found a way to give them hope. Not bad for your first month-and-a-half on the job.

This weekend was President's Day so no work today. It also meant that Teresa flew out to see me and we had a great time exploring the Northwest. If you have never been out here, take the time to see it. If this weekend was any indication, the spring and summer are going to more than make up for the rain we get in the winter. I'm currently living in Silverdale, which is on the western side of Puget Sound, so Seattle is a little ways away.

I should probably write just a small section on Naval Justice School. While it got overwhelming at times, it was a good experience. Newport, RI is a beautiful part of the country that I probably would never get to see otherwise (I'll be going back there in April for more training). You work very hard and you are expected to retain a lot of information, but you meet some great people and get practical experience and education from people who are out in the fleet doing this work. You gain a respect for the Navy and the JAG Corps, and the training does pay off. To anyone who is about to go to NJS, here is my advice: Suck it up and get it done.

Gotta run to bed, anyone who has questions, please feel free to email me or put a comment up on here.

Graduation

I am currently on a Northwest flight headed to Minneapolis. We were delayed a bit out of Providence but it could have been worse. I have officially graduated from Officer Development School and it feels pretty good. The graduation ceremony was alright. We struggled marching with the live band there but most people in attendance didn’t seem to notice. Standing at attention or parade rest for that long was quite a challenge but we all survived. It was really weird saying goodbye to people in Hotel. Some I will see in 2 weeks at NJS but most I will probably never see again. We spent so much time together and went through so much…what do you say to these people? We mostly just wished each other luck and said “see you in the fleet.” Didn’t seem like enough.

This whole experience has been incredible. Looking back on it and thinking about how scared I was in the beginning and how that changed into confidence as time went on, I do think I have changed for the better. I feel like I can say, “I am an officer in the Navy” and stand tall while saying it with pride. We learned a great deal of info about the Navy in our classes, but I think we learned even more about ourselves. There were certainly times that I wanted to quit and go home, but we pushed on and we all made it through. I think pretty much everyone can say that they are proud of what we accomplished and that they are better people as a result of going through what we did in the past 5 weeks. Its hard to believe that those going through OCS are not even half-way done and still have seven weeks to go. It should get easier for them shortly, but still.

After I checked out, I went to the Tennis Hall of Fame with my parents. Dad and I played on the grass courts for an hour. It certainly is much different than regular surfaces but we had a great time even if our longest rally was only about 5 strokes. The museum was nice but I’ll have to go back during NJS to appreciate everything there.

At the airport, a lot of people from my class were there and so we all hung out for a bit before going our separate ways. Gardner from India company was flying to Minneapolis as well and I was able to get both of us bumped up to first class so we got to relax a bit on the way back.

Now I will be home for a while before heading back for NJS. I’ll be spending a lot of time with Teresa, but I’ll see some other friends as well. It should be a nice break before the next round of training. For now, its time to relax.

Last few days

Today, I reached the point where I say to myself, “Its time to get the f out of here!” I’ve learned a lot in my four weeks here so far but the introvert side in me kicks in about now and realizes I’m ready to go. Everyone else gets giddy; I get annoyed.

That being said, I had a good weekend. We were allowed to put on civilian clothes for the first time and it felt great! I did Burns a favor on Friday by taking her duty shift so she could go to a concert at some bar in town. Saturday I went to Boston with Rosenlund, Moody, and Nochisaki. It was a great time and just so nice to get off base and out of town. We went to the USS Constitution, a few stops on the freedom trail and the Fours for dinner (Sports Illustrated ranked it the number one sports bar in America).

Sunday was mostly just email and football. Vikes lost in overtime, so that sucked. I’ve gotten pretty close with some of the people here recently and I hope that carries over. NJS should be interesting since some of us from ODS will be together again in a much different setting.

This time Friday and I will be home…hard to believe. Oh, before I go, I should talk about our latest pool experience. We simulated swimming away from a sinking ship and I hated it. My lifejacket made it harder to swim and I kept getting kicked. Three more days!

Few More Days

I realize that it has been quite some time since I put up a new post. I've been trying to put up some old entries in my journal but realized that even those are way behind schedule too.

The past few weeks have been very busy but good. I've learned a lot and there are now only a few days left before I head home for a bit. I'll be leaving here Friday at 5:30 on a direct flight to MSP and then I'll be there for about 10 days before heading back out to Newport for Naval Justice School. After that, I'll be heading out to Bremerton, WA and my first duty station.

Even though ODS has been challenging, its been very rewarding as well. This is more than just a job. Its a complete lifestyle change and they really do a good job here to teach you about the responsibilities that you are now undertaking and what it means to be an officer in the Navy.

Some of the highlights included the Buttercup. This is a simulation of a ship that gets hit by a torpedo and is leaking. Your team must patch all the holes and stop the water from filling the compartment or else you fail. Needless to say, we all got REALLY wet. The water came up pretty high but our team actually did pretty good. During the second run-through our team leader "died of a heart attack" and I actually took command. I started barking out orders and had this really weird adrenaline rush. I think we did good though.

This past weekend, we got to wear civilian clothes for the first time in four weeks. You never realize how good it feels to put on your own clothes until that ability has been taken away. Some of us went up to Boston on Saturday and we took a tour of the USS Constitution, stopped at a few sites along the Freedom Trail, and walked around and ate dinner at the Fours, the number one sports bar in America according to Sports Illustrated.

Graduation is Friday morning and we have a lot of practice to do in order to get our marching to a level where we don't completely embarass ourselves. Its actually a lot harder than it looks and if one person is out of step, the whole thing falls apart.

I don't really know what else to say about the ODS experience. Its been such a roller-coaster, but I've met some amazing people and done some things that I never thought I would do. Its been one of the most challenging things I have ever done, but I really do believe it has prepared me for what lies ahead in my career as a naval officer.

Anchors Aweigh!

New class and Buttercup

Today was an odd day. For starters, a new ODS class started today, Kilo and Lima. Its weird to see them because we know exactly what they went through and what they are going to go through. I try to see how they're doing though and re-assure them that they can do this.

Today we had the Buttercup, a simulation of a ship that has been struck by the enemy and is now leaking. The morning session was spent learning about the equipment, how we were going to operate it and also getting an overview of where things were on the Buttercup. After that it was time to run drills. On the first one, I was assigned to the I-patch team which was responsible for repairing a leak that shot upwards. We got it fixed but forgot to leave our post with two hammers so we had to do it again. We eventually got it and I guess we saved the ship.

The second time around I started out on the K-patch team. Our job was to stop water from coming in the door and flooding the compartment. The investigators didn't see it until the separate hatch it was in was nearly full of water. So, when we went down we had to hold onto the pipes above. We were then told to get out so they could pump out the water. As we were standing on the deck I noticed our leader was lying down for some reason. Apparently they told her she was dead. Whether that was planned or not, I'll never know. Some of us looked around to see if anyone already had, or was going to, take command. When nobody did, I volunteered and just started barking out commands. Things seemed to go pretty smoothly and everyone said I did a really good job. It helps that my voice can be heard over the noise of the Buttercup and the chaos of everyone moving around and shouting.

We had PT in the afternoon even though India was not back from firefighting yet. We had a 20-minute run and then Sr. Chief informed us that someone broke the cell phone policy again and that India's Division Officer told someone that one of our members brought food into King Hall, another violation. We ended up going to the Pit, not so much for the violations but for not handling it amongst ourselves. It sounded like the reason we had brought food in was that one of our members was sick. It didn't matter though, since we ended up in the sand.

Firefighting is tomorrow and I'll probably sweat about 5 pounds off of me. Then we have more PT scheduled...woo-hoo!

Off base adventures

This weekend we were able to go off base for the first time. We had to do so in our whites though which presented several challenges, mainly keeping them clean. The city of Newport is very nice, but very expensive as well. A beer cost about $5.50 each and my pasta dish was about $18. We were told beforehand that most of the servers don’t like the Navy people because they are known to be bad tippers. So, we wanted to try and change that. The only problem was the service was so bad that they didn’t deserve a good tip. It was a vicious circle. After dinner we bar-hopped for a little while before eventually finding a place where a bunch of our classmates were already at. I left around 10:00 and spoke to Teresa for a while. Unfortunately, I fell asleep while I was on the phone with her…whoops!

Yesterday, I went on the cliff walk. It’s a long hike that takes you along the coast and you can see a lot of old mansions. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention about the whites is how people react to us. We got a lot of weird looks, some thanking us for our service, and even the occasional car full of girls honking and telling us we were hot. It’s an odd feeling, but it does make you realize that you are always watched and always judged. But getting back to the cliff walk. We actually went into one mansion called the Breakers. This was the summer cottage for the Vanderbilt family and it was enormous. We found out that they only used the place for 6-8 weeks each summer…what a waste. I can only imagine what their main house in NYC was like. The tour was fun and our guide used to be in the Navy as well. We had dinner at the O Club later and I chose to call it a night after that and talk to Teresa for a while. A number of my classmates went to a Blues Bar in town though and I guess they were a big hit in their Navy whites. Hopefully they all acted appropriately.

Today was all about football though. We went to a sports bar that broadcast most all of the games, including the Vikings win over Atlanta. There was only one other Vikes fan there and he was really annoying. It was fun but I’ll probably just watch most of the games from the O Club since the beer and stuff will be cheaper.

Tomorrow we have the Buttercup. It’s a simulator that helps us with ship salvage. Its supposed to be a lot of fun so I’m really hoping it lives up to the hype.

The halfway point

We passed the halfway point the other day and its one of those times that you think, "wow, we're halfway done," but the very next thought is, "we're only halfway done...ugh." In my experiences though, the second half always goes quicker.

Due to Labor Day being on Monday, this was a shortened week. Having an extra day this weekend was great, but it also meant that we were swamped for the other days. The class schedule this week was brutal and we were in class for 8-10 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday and while the topics are important for us to know, they can also be fairly dry. Oh, one other thing about the Navy: it LOVES powerpoint!

During class, its funny to watch people get sleepy. We don't get a ton of sleep here and all of the teachers understand this. During class they tell us to stand in the back if we start to get tired and as the day goes on, you see a lot of peple standing back there; sometimes over half of the class.

After last week's performance on our tests, when a little over 20% failed (scored less than 80% on the test), we tried to hit the books a little harder this week for our cumulative exam. Luckilly everyone passed and we were able to talk during meals. Prior to this we were to keep quiet and just look straight ahead...tougher than it sounds and kind of akward.

The week also included me getting some x-rays on my back. They showed that my back goes slightly out of alignment at the bottom, but its not really a serious condition or anything like that. Just something I have to deal with and take care of if things get worse. They did give me some Motrin, and that has definetly helped a lot.

Today was our whites inspection. Summer whites are not exactly my favorite uniform to wear because essentially they are a magnet for dirt and they are very easy to see through. India company's Chief Campanella was our guest inspector and he brought along of his fellow chiefs. They yelled at us quite a bit to make sure we were all standing perfectly still with our eyes looking straight ahead. In the end, inspection went fine I guess and I got my knowledge question right ("Chief, the seventh general order of a sentry is: talk to no one except in the line of duty.")

During drill practice, we began to fill posts for graduation. We held auditions for Battalion Commander and I gave it a shot, but was not named a finalist. Everyone said I did a great job so that made me feel pretty good. I was a little bit bummed, but life goes on.

In the remaining time we have here we will go through some leadership training. I'm actually kind of excited because I'm hoping that I will be given the opportunity to prove myself in that time.

This weekend we actually get to go off base and we are all very excited about that. If we do go out, it has to be in our summer whites so people are already packing the tide sticks to take with them. I would like to go to Boston, but it sounds like people want to do that next weekend instead. Sunday is the first game for the Vikes and I'll be looking for a bar that will show that game.

Two weeks left...I can kind of see the light.

Observations about OCS from an outsider's perspective

Before I go any further about my experience at ODS, let me just say that the people going through Officer Candidate School (OCS) are insane.

For those who don't know what OCS is, let me try and explain. The school I go to is Officer Development School, or ODS. With the exception of Nuke Boy, we are all Staff Officers. That means we are more supportive and advisory than anything else and we will never be in command of ships or squadrons or anything like that. The people going through OCS are trying to become unrestricted or restricted line officers. These are positions that can be in command of ships, and are much more involved with mission planning, intel, etc... They are the ones who wear stars on their sleeves and shoulder boards while I will have the JAG Corps insignia instead. OCS is a 12-week program (mine is 5) that used to take place in Pensacola, FL. It recently moved up to Newport to be part of Operational Training Command Newport (OTCN). The class that lives above us started at the same time we did and is the first here at OTCN.

But getting back to my main point: they're insane. They appear to be up at all hours of the day, doing pushups, shouting or getting shouted at, wearing odd clothes and those who wear glasses have to wear ones that are given to them by the military and they are not what most people would call attractive. We see them mostly in the chow hall and that is a sight to see. Not only do they control what they eat and drink, they control HOW they eat and drink. To watch them all at once bow their heads, pick up a spoon, put food on the spoon, put food in their mouth, chomp, chomp, chomp, all at the exact same time...there are really no words to explain how creepy it looks.

When we first got here, they were mostly wearing these green jumpsuits that looked they came from the local prison. I understand that they are not supposed to be comfortable and this is mostly training for if they get captured, but its hot outside and I can't imagine working out in those and having the energy to move let alone shout commands like they have to do.

I did see one of them in sick call the other day and he looked like walking death. I felt so bad for the guy but it was obvious that he wanted this very badly and he wanted to serve his country in the best way he could. He told me a little bit about what they are going through and it took quite a bit of effort to not let my jaw hit the ground. All of us at ODS have a tremendous amount of respect for the people going through OCS. I mentioned that to the guy and he really seemed to genuinely appreciate hearing that.

No matter how bad we think we have it sometimes, they have it 10 times worse. They are truly amazing to watch and I just hope they survive the training.

Memorize, memorize, memorize

When we first met Senior Chief Boyd, one of the things he did was toss a bunch of small green note pads on the floor and told us to each grab one. That notebook has basically become our bible. Everything we are told to memorize, we write down in that notebook and we are told to memorize A LOT. So far, I have memorized the Sailors Creed, The Code of Conduct, The 14 Characteristics of Leadership, Part of Anchors Aweigh, and General Orders. That probably doesn't mean a lot to most people, but trust me, it's a lot to memorize.

We basically take every opportunity to memorize this information. While we are waiting in the hall for our next evolution (basically the next thing on our agenda) you'll see everyone looking at their notebook, moving their mouth as if they are saying the passage to Sr. Chief, or looking skyward for some divine intervention to help them remember the 11th General Order.

And how do they get you to memorize that information? Fear. If you don't memorize it, your whole company fails and you worry that you have to go to the pit (an old sand volleyball court that scares us all to death after being in it once already). LT Brewer walked down our hallway with all of us at attention and got about six inches from some people and told them to give the definition of endurance, bearing, or tact. Needless to say, it can be a little intimidating.

I will say that it is amazing how much of it I remember. My short term memory has started to fail me as I get older but for some reason I've been doing pretty well with the information we have. However, once I get Sr. Chief or LT Brewer looking me dead in the eye and asking me to repeat them, it gets a little tougher to remember.

Beginning of ODS

Okay, I have a little bit of time so let me see if I can get some updates going here.

As you may recall, I received my orders to report to Officer Development School (ODS) only two days prior to when I needed to be there. Needless to say it was a mad scramble to get my apartment all packed and everything done before leaving on that Sunday. With the help of Teresa and my parents though, we got everything done. The highlight of those few days was finding out that I will be going to Bremerton, WA once all of my training is done. It is right outside of Seattle and I think it will be a great fit!

So onto that Sunday. My flight was supposed to leave around 1:50 I think from MSP with a layover in Detroit before eventually landing in Providence where I would take a shuttle to Newport. Unfortunately it was raining and for some reason one of the runways at MSP was shutdown (never did find out if the two were related). To make a long story short, I was supposed to get into Providence at about 8:00 and I didn't get in until shortly after 11:00. The shuttle didn't leave until 12:00 and after taking what felt like the longest shuttle ride in history, I made it to my room at 2:00 a.m. Monday morning. Keep in mind, we were supposed to be up at 5:00 and I had heard rumors that we were going to be woken up at 3:30. Welcome to ODS. Oh, I forgot to mention that they gave us these jumpsuits to wear that were pretty hideous and made it really hard to go to the bathroom.

After waking up my roommate and figuring out that everyone had pretty much been there since Saturday, I lied down on my bed and couldn't fall asleep at all. I got out of bed at 3:30 and waited outside with everyone else, just making out the outlines of faces and trying to stay awake. The first day was basically just administrative stuff and people telling us about all the different policies, how to stay safe, and that sort of thing. We also got our t-shirts and shorts that are known as PT gear (physical training). We would wear these for almost a week before actually putting on our official uniforms. I'll try to get some pictures up in the near future showing me in my wonderful gear.

The next morning we heard a loud voice coming down the hallway telling us to get out of bed and into the hallway. This turned out to be our Division Lead Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Boyd. He proceeded to shout at us and tell us what we were here to do and how he would kick our butts if we screwed up and all sorts of stuff. Not a lot of it registered because I was so tired and just couldn't stay with it. We were then introduced to our Division Officer, Lieutenant Brewer. He joined suit and yelled at us, telling us that we were not worthy of wearing the same uniform as him and that we would have to earn his respect and everything that we do here. It was pretty clear that this was going to be a tough road ahead and we were just getting started.

So that was the start of ODS. I'll try to write more later today or this weekend!

Matt

2 Weeks Down

Good morning everyone,
Today was the first day that I was able to get internet access and actually speak to the outside world. I will write more later, but I wanted to let everyone know that I am doing fine. This has certainly been a challenging two weeks but has been very rewarding and I'm learning new stuff every day. I will be coming home on either the 21st or the 22nd of September and then I'll be coming back out to Newport about a week later.

This weekend we have a lot of liberty (free time) but we are restricted to staying on base. That's not all bad because the base is just HUGE! Anyways, I have a bunch of work that needs to get done so I will write more later. Thanks to everyone for your support and giving me the strength to get through this. The first couple days were a bit rough, but I'm doing much better now.

Go Navy!

Matt

Classes galore

So my hope of writing every other day in my journal went out the window...big shock there. The past couple days have been busy but the weekend is now here and I'm looking forward to the liberty we get this weekend.

We had a lot of classes this week that culminated in a 25-question multiple choice test today. I did pretty well and passed, but 8-out-of-31 in our division did not. Our Sr. Chief and LT were not happy about that so we need to have group study time this next week and make sure that doesn't happen on our final exam.

We also had our first room inspection. While it didn't go great, we also didn't fail and I don't think anyone in our division did either. Our liberty this weekend includes being able to go to some of the other places on base, so we went to the Officer's Club tonight and had a few drinks to unwind. It was certainly good to get out and see a new place on base. The O Club is right on the water and I'm sure I will be spending a lot of time there.

The other big thing this week is that my back really started hurting during drill today. I think it was probably the terrain mostly, but I'm now on restricted duty and can't do anything until Tuesday at the earliest. It sucks but there's nothing I can do about it. They are going to take some x-rays on Tuesday though so maybe that will reveal something that I never knew.

Pretty tired after only a few drinks so its time to crash. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Week one in the books

We had most of yesterday to do whatever we wanted so I got caught up on a bunch of work mostly. LT Brewer told us to write him a letter explaining why we were here. I wrote about Grandpa and how I wished he was around to see me in uniform. I know he's watching down on me though and keeping out of the Pit so I can take some comfort in that.

Today was pretty quiet. We had PT in the morning and the stomach exercises are either going to give me some rock-hard abs or just kill me. I can't tell just yet. We have a run tomorrow and I'm hoping it will be no more than 3 miles, but we'll see. I think some people would really struggle with that distance, but they may break it up a bit.

Today we also met our drill instructor, a master sgt. with the Marines and over 20 years experience. Its pretty obvious that he could intimidate us very easily if he wanted to but I know he will be good for us and get our butts in gear. I will likely lose my spot as squad leader because apparently tall people in the front just looks weird. Whatever is best for the team I guess.

Tomorrow is also the start of academices. I'm really curious to see what the classes will be like. Its starting to feel like high school sometimes and having homework won't help that feeling. Off to bed now!

Swimming and the Pit

Hard to believe that almost one week has gone by. The past two days have been interesting to say the least. Yesterday started out with our swim test. 61 people all in an enclosed area where sound just bounces off everywhere...maybe you can already see where this is going. We were excited to be doing something new so were a little chatty, even after we were told to "close it up." Since we didn't exactly do what we were told, we paid the price and I'll get to that in a second.

The swim test itself was actually a lot of fun. We learned how to inflate our clothes so they could be used as flotation devices and it actually worked. I have to admit, I was amazed at how easy it was. After that, we ate lunch and did our first PT session with LT Brewer. To put it mildly, it was a very humbling experience as I thought I was in decent shape, but he wanted to show me otherwise. I held my own, but there is certainly a lot of improvement that can be made.

We came back to King Hall, showered and changed before heading to the back of King Hall for what we thought would be drill practice. However, due to our previous lack of listening skills, we were introduced to our new friend: the Pit. An old volleyball court that could easily be renamed Satan's Playground. I did learn a new exercise though: the Bear Crawl. Unfortunately for me though, I also learned that I suck at it. For those who don't know what this is, you are on your feet and hands crawling from one end of the pit to the other...sound easy? Try it yourself and don't let your knees hit the ground. After almost collapsing from shear exhaustion and from holding a water bottle over my head for five minutes (much hard than it sounds especially after three or four bear crawls) it finally ended.

Today was a different story. We picked up our uniforms in the morning and prepared for inspection. Everything has to be measured exactly and that takes a lot of time. None of us knew what the inspection would be like, but we soon realized it would hurt. We stood in formation and at attention or parade rest (which really isn't much of a rest at all) for over an hour in brand new shoes. While we were doing this, Sr. Chief Boyd looked over us and asked us a question about something we were supposed to memorize. I got asked about a general order and I got it right after hesitating for a second. We all did well and were allowed to use our cell phones for a little bit on the weekend. You sometimes take for granted how nice it is to be able to call home and hear a friendly voice on the other line.

That's all for now! Gotta get some sleep.

4 Days Down

Tomorrow is our first day of physical training (PT) and its obvious that everyone is a little bit worried. We had an introduction session today to the exercises we will be doing and some of them are going to hurt quite a bit, especially the stomach ones. We also had our first PRT test which checks to see if you meet the Navy fitness standards. The test consists of sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5 mile run. I passed just fine, but I know that I can do a whole lot better. Hopefully by the end of my time here I'll get better results.

Today we also did drills. This involves, marching, taking commands, responding, moving as a group. I'm the squad 2 leader, but before you think that means anything let me explain that the only reason I am in that position is because I am one of the four tallest people in my division. I actually kind of like drills since we have to do everything together and when we graduate I'm sure we will look a lot better.

Tonight was also my first attempt at polishing shoes. I'm sure it will get easier but so far it sucks. Its incredibly time consuming and you feel like you don't get ANYTHING done.

Some people in my group have been a few more responsibilities. The memorizing takes a lot of time right now, but I would certainly like to do my share to help out our unit. I put my name down for Academic Officer, but Sr. Chief picked someone else. I probably would have picked someone else too since I kind of fumbled announcing my return after coming back from dental check.

We've been eating just fine. I was afraid we were going to be really restricted on what we eat, but we eat 3 full meals per day. Instead of losing weight, I think I'm actually up a few pounds since its basically buffet style and we haven't done a whole lot of PT yet. The food isn't horrible, but there is not a lot of variety. I've had this cheese and lasagna dish at least three times already.

I could so go for some Taco Bell right now!

Navy JAG...the end of the beginning

Some of you may have heard, but I have accepted a commission in the United States Navy JAG Corps. For those who don't know, this means I will be an attorney in the Navy. It was a long waiting process, but after I had basically given up all hope I got a call telling me that a spot opened up. Needless to say, it threw me for quite a loop but for the past few months I’ve been dealing with paperwork and physicals and it sounds like that is now all done.

I thought I would be leaving in September but I just heard on Thursday that I am leaving on Sunday! I need to report to Officer Development School in Newport, RI by Sunday, August 19. Everything has been crazy since I found out and I’ve been running around like a madman. I have to pack up my apartment, change my address, and try and see some friends as well.

My initial training (called Officer Development School) will be five weeks long. After that finishes in late September, I will be coming home for a bit before I start Naval Justice School in October, a 10-week long course in Newport again. After NJS, I’ll be heading to my base. I just found out today that I will be stationed in Bremerton, WA outside of Seattle. I’m very excited that I get to go to this base and live in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t know how I will deal with the rain and general grayness of the area, but I’ve heard that the summers are just incredible.

This is an amazing opportunity for me and I can’t believe that it is actually happening. Keeping in touch with friends will be hard but I hope that I will be able to. I won’t have access to my hotmail or St. Thomas accounts during ODS so you can post comments on this blog if you want to get in touch with me. Once I have my Navy email address, I’ll post it on here.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to update my blog so you can hear about what kind of stuff I will be doing. The next few weeks are going to push me pretty hard, so I hope I’ll be able to handle it.

All the best,

Matt