Breakfast: pancakes, eggs, cereal
Lunch: Chicken, Rice, sub sandwiches
Dinner: Meatballs, more chicken, potatoes. Every meal with chocolate milk cartons.
Bedtime snack: Hoist (think Powerade) and a protein bar, maybe once a week
This is some more information about my roommates: Rusch was an EMT before coming here. Rennie grew up on a farm.
Things cadets do to be supportive: Cheer each other on during smoke sessions, fix problems with uniforms before cadre notices, and literally push slow people up hills on formation runs.
Honestly, send anything. I really appreciate stuff but my only time to really respond is after lights out when we are supposed to be in bed. I am getting ahead on my knowledge (memorization) so that will open up some time soon.
Things I have been issued: M4 (rifle), compass, body armor, helmet, lots of clothes and even some scooby doo letter stamps.
The hardest thing I have had to do so far: Qualifying on the M4 was pretty difficult for me. I took almost a full day but in the end barely did it. Google army rifle qualification to get an idea.
I liked this the best: The march back to the main area after church has the most liberating, uplifting feelings despite the dread for what was going to happen immediately after.
This was the worst thing: A new cadet in my company mouthed off to one of the highest ranking cadets in the detail so we got smoked for an hour and a half. Real fun.
This was the dumbest thing: 7.5 hours of briefs (class) on the 4th of July. Topics varied from nutrition to etiquette to over all health. Also real run. Staying awake was a nightmare–many new cadets failed at this task and stood for the rest of the day.
My favorite cadet cadre does this: All the platoon cadre act like normal people when it isn’t necessary to be locked up. It sounds simple but most other cadre are always locked up.
My favorite new cadet does this: There is a prior service guy in our company and the day we started wearing of OCP (think fatigues), everyone realized that he was airborne, air assault and ranger qualified. Cadre gives him some space now and he has a lot of good advice on pretty much anything.
Stuff they are teaching: Rifle marksmenship, land navigation with a map, compass and protractor.
