A Sign of Life.

Believe it or not, I've been here a week. Feels like a month. So much has happened, I really don't know where to start. Unfortunately for the internet world out there, nearly all of what has happened won't ever be publicly posted.

Needless to say, I arrived at Maxwell AFB in Alabama last Tuesday night just before midnight, and have been living quite a different life since then.

This is pretty much the first time I've had a spare few minutes to do much of anything. I'd love to unload just pages and pages of journal entries, but to be honest I don't know if it's going to happen.

Many people were planning to use my site as a source for information about what life is like at OTS, but the briefings that were held regarding what was to be kept private are going to prevent that from happening. Posts will consist of the various major events that go on, as well as how I'm feeling about the whole thing and whatnot. When it comes to procedures, things to memorize, or what you should know to get a leg up by the time you get here, I won't be discussing it.

Truthfully, I'm glad I was learning at the same pace as everyone else. There is an absolute truckload of procedures to learn, and you're purposely given not enough time to learn them, in order to cause mistakes and pressure. Stress is paramount, as is sleep deprivation. The best advice I can give a week in is just to remember what you're here for, and realize everything making your life miserable is temporary.

One of the reasons I decided to post today was the fact that they just dropped off the first of my two BDU tops (Battle Dress Uniform- the camouflage outfit) with the name tapes sewn on. Up to this point we've been wearing plastic nametags, and that will continue until the upper class graduates in about a month.

When I pulled it out of the bag though, it was an interesting feeling. For the first time I had a piece of clothing that said WILSON, U.S. AIR FORCE. I guess it's kind of like being handed your starting jersey for a soccer team or something. My roommate is piror active service eleven years, and says he still remembers the first time he saw him name "in lights" so to speak.

Nothing had really been hitting me thus far, but I think that finally made me realize I'm really here. We're confined to campus for the first several weeks, which consists of an area about the same size as Manzanita Village back at school, or maybe a couple football fields square. Thus I haven't seen any of Alabama really, other than the midnight bus ride in from Atlanta to Montgomery. Other than the heat, and constant lightning warnings, I haven't really seen any evidence that I'm quite far from where I grew up. I'm sure as time passes I'll figure it out. Seeing my name on the uniform is pretty cool though. Being referred to as OT Wilson isn't as exciting (officer trainee) although for some of the personnel paperwork they refer to you as Staff Sergeant Wilson, which takes some getting used to.

So anyway, I'm alive, and moving forward. I count something like 73 days left until OTS graduation. Ouch. More when there's more. Eventually.