12JAN10

We have just passed two of three major hurdles in our recruit training.  One was an inspection by our Battalion Commander.  He is the most senior enlisted member on the base, except for the Command Master Chief.  Normally, since it is winter in Cape May, and generally colder than the inside of an industrial-sized freezer, we wear our Operational Dress Uniforms with the sleeves fully extended.  But if it were summer-time, we would have to put on our ODU with the sleeves rolled every time.

So, needless to say, if you all have been checking on the weather your recruit is standing around in, we have had exactly zero opportunities to wear our Operational Dress the inspection ready way.  We learned how to do the sleeves with Petty Officer Garza in week 03, but without practice, we were unable to do it properly.

Senior Chief Health Services Technician Wong, our Battalion Commander, was our inspector.  Naturally, all the recruits were stiff as boards in the morning and at chow.  Everyone was worried we’d fail.  We thought he would come abreast of someone, notice the one thing wrong, but not have enough time to deal with it.  Our hope was to pass, and we did. 

Senior Chief Wong told us that he was impressed by how well we had starched and ironed our uniforms.  Our Company Commanders were also pleased.  We got good marks from them; even our hard-liners were pleased with how well we had turned out.

Our next hurdle was the Manual of Arms Test.  We were worried as a few of our number were new to the Company, and could have used a bit more practice, but in the end, it all turned out alright.  We kicked that test to the curb.  Our Section Commander, OSC Heinzman told us that we were one of the best tests he had done in a long while.

After all of our Company Commanders had each congratulated us on the discipline and pride we had just displayed, the Company floated around on Cloud 9 today.  It was a great day (a very rare thing a boot camp), and all of us are planning our On-Base Liberty and the 10/10 we will get on the Close Order Drill test next week.

16JAN10

So much has happened this week it’s hard to know where to begin.  But let’s start with the fact that Tango did 10,000 times better this week than last.  After knocking it out of the park on our Manual of Arms test (our Section Commander, Chief Heinzman said he would put us up against Week 08 Marines), we proceeded on a generally high plateau for multiple days.

With the Manual of Arms Test out of the way, we knew in our heart of hearts that our Company Commanders were proud of us.  We sang cadences, we were congratulated by all three of our Company Commanders, and we were praised for having the self-discipline, work ethic, and team work to come together, snap-to in a military manner, and generally put on “the best Manual of Arms test Chief Heinzman had seen in quite a while.”  And, to add to our joy, we knew we would get to have on-base liberty on Saturday.

This info put a bounce in the step of Tango.  The next two days were spent in heavy Admin mode.  We all got our first military IDs (CAC Cards), and then spent head and water breaks comparing pictures and complaining of how awful we thought our nose, forehead, hair, etc. looked.  It was generally amusing and in good nature.  There was a lot of, “You think yours is bad; check this out!”

We also had an incredibly interesting set of Seamanship classes this week.  Petty Officer Stoltz was in full force this week teaching us the basics of firefighting.  It is incredibly important for every Guardian to know not only how to fight fires, but why fire acts the way that it does.  We covered the “dry” material first and then learned about all the gear that you actually fight the fires in and with.

Petty Officer Stoltz and a crew of Damage Controlmen spend Wednesday and Thursday testing both Port and Starboard sides.  We would line up in groups of about 10, then, “Fire, fire, fire” (possibly the first time that phrase has been stimulating since boot camp began).  We then put on full coveralls, flash hoods, and oxygen equipment.  There was a time objective to meet and shipmates all over helped each other out without any prompting.  That is becoming the norm in Tango.

After we had all our gear on, we lined up, right hand on the shoulder in front of us and plunged into a smoke-filled room.  Once you were directed to your hose, groups of 3 would transit down the hose, break the bail, and begin fighting a simulated fire.  Instructors called for various degree angles (90, 30, or Straight Stream) and rotations.  Each recruit switched and fought the fire until we had doused it.

As an added bonus, Port Side was privileged enough to be given a lesson in pipe repair by one of the Damage Controlmen present.  Petty Officer Bechtler showed us how to wrap a broken pipe with a cast-like material, with a metal Jubilee clamp, and with a piece of rubber and some marlin (hemp line).  The group was pretty fascinated with the intricate detail of the work that we might end up getting the chance to do if we get stationed on-board a cutter.

Thursday afternoon was Tango Fight Club.  We finally got to do pugil sticks.  And even Captain Thomas, the base Commanding Officer, stopped and watched us for a little bit.  Her comment to Petty Officer Vanover was, “Wow, you got a lot of rage in this company.”  We might be very proud of this.

The pairings were essentially done by weight.  If that meant that one of the girls had to fight one of the guys, so be it.  And many of our shipmates surprised the crap out of the rest of us with their spontaneous tenacity.  Each of the Company Commanders took a corner; you either had Petty Officer Garza or Petty Officer Vanover as your personal coach.  As recruits stumbled away from the battlefield, the two corners echoed with calls of, “You got ‘em.  Just stay low, and jab.” “He’s getting angry.  You’d better bring it.”  There was a lot of yelling, surprised inhales and exhales, and general good nature.  This was possibly the single greatest bonding experience we have had with our Company Commanders.  To have them, quite literally, in our corner meant a lot to many of the recruits.

After a generally good day on Friday, recruits were bubbling over for Saturday and On-Base Liberty.

The first thing everyone did as they signed out was head immediately to the Exchange to buy necessities such as candy, ice cream, soda, beef jerky, chips, crackers, and chocolate and pig out for a number of hours while laughing, telling stories, and finally getting to know some of our shipmates for the first time.  Ever since we got here, many of us have been so locked on, that we never allowed ourselves to come to terms with the fact that many of our shipmates are, in fact, cool people.  People whom we can tell jokes and laugh with, and people that we will enjoy to have as our colleagues as we leave the intensity of boot camp for the far-more relaxed fleet.

After the exchange, we went to the Harborview Café to play pool, eat fries, hamburgers, buffalo wings, and soda, and play video games.  However, many people just sat around with their shipmates and talked over a meal.  Normally, in the galley, the greatest amount of talking over breakfast, lunch, and dinner is, “Shipmate, could I get 2 napkins.  No wait, 3.”  But today, we were able to use the generally social task of eating to get to know people that we have been curious about for nigh 07 weeks.

Some people went to the movies after that (the base played Star Trek at 1900) and some called home.  The night ended well as everyone came back, stayed locked on (even though none of our Company Commanders were there), and field dayed (cleaned).  Thankfully, we were finally able to buy some Lysol so here’s hoping the spraying of chemicals burns away the Cape May Crud.

As we head into Week 07, Tango is confident, calm, collected, and capable.  And, honestly, it looks this time like we might actually stay that way.