What Have I Learned Between Bct and Now

What Have I Learned Between BCT and Now

        AIT began for me in August, and I feel like it has flown by so fast in comparison to Basic Training. One reason I feel like AIT went by so quickly was because of the amount of knowledge that needed to be crammed into a mere 13-weeks. Yes, I referred to 13-weeks being “mere” because I now know that this short amount of time is a brief stop on the long road that is my Army career. I have met new people, and stayed in touch with a few people from BCT. I am steadily becoming aware that friendship is a revolving door for a Soldier. There are going to be people coming and going all the time. I know that this fact is where the terms “patience” and “adaptability” should be prevalent in my vocabulary.

        I have wanted to join the Army for as long as I can remember. Before leaving for training I was given a ton of advice from my wife and my dad, and even some “In one ear, and out the other” advice from my Sailor sister-in-law and recruiter brother-in-law. Well, I know now that I will never stop growing as a Soldier. The one constant in my life is my family. Since I have been in AIT, I have been able to have contact with my family in the form of internet and phone. That has been another contributing factor to why my time has flown by so quickly. I know that further down the road I will be in situations that require blackout communication. With that in mind,I took full advantage of being able to talk to my wife and kids as much as possible while I’ve been her at AIT. It has been those little phone calls with words of encouragement that have got me through all of my tests for class and the monotony of AIT. It has been those same calls that have also seen me through the bumpy road I have had over the two weeks.

        I have not been alone at all since getting into AIT in a literal as well as a figurative sense. I have roommates. I AM NEVER ALONE! It can be a little convenient at times, but my battles have been there for me when I have felt down about anything; whether it be home related or AIT related. Having great Battle Buddies gives any Soldier an outlet, and I can say with one-hundred percent honesty that I have great battle buddies!! I can sum up the last ten weeks in one sentence: I made it this far because of the support of my family and extended Army family. What did I learn between basic and AIT? Anything is possible with the support of the people you love and that love you. Basic Training seemed to take an eternity to complete! With AIT coming to a close it literally seems like yesterday that I signed in to this unit. I chose my MOS because collecting and tinkering with weapons is a hobby of mine. I also thought it would be a great skill set to have later in life when pursuing my path into the Special Forces. Now, that I am this far, I know I made the right decision and I cannot wait to see what’s next in my future. The number one biggest lesson that I have learned is to always stay positive and resilient. Always do your best to stay motivated and keep others motivated as well. We are all brothers and sisters and at the end of the day we are all human.

...