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!
8 comments:
I found your page after googling "Navy JAG blog" to get more personal info about the program besides what I've found on the Navy websites. I sent in my package a couple weeks ago and am waiting to hear back from the board. I'm a second year law student in Minneapolis as well and so far have found your posts very helpful. I apologize for stumbling upon you if your site is mainly for family members (the risks of the internet I suppose) but I look forward to hearing more from you. Keep up the good work :)
Glad that this is helpful for you. I'd be happy to provide answers to any questions you might have about the application process. I'll be in Minnesota this Friday and I should be there for about 10 days. Feel free to email me at maschultz1@stthomas.edu. Good luck with your application and don't get discouraged if you don't get in the first time. I applied several times before getting in.
thank you for writing this blog. I have been following your experience at ODS closely as I will be following your footsteps next month. I have so many questions regarding ODS and am wondering if you would take the time to answer them. Thanks and best of Luck!
~mike
Mike,
I'd be happy to answer your questions, so email me at maschultz1@stthomas.edu.
Best of luck at ODS
The information here is great. I will invite my friends here.
Thanks
Hello there : )
Shopping on the web or in-store? which usually would you go for? actually wondering lol.. i like in-store only because i hate waiting it to come!
Thanks
Isabella
Thank you so much for making this blog! I'm a senior in undergrad in Sioux Falls, SD. I'm trying to decide which law school to go to and have narrowed it down to a list of four which includes Saint Thomas. I'm also considering Navy JAG - my grandfather is a retired Navy Captain. I may email you with a few questions if that's okay?
Post a Comment