Personal Narrative: Air Force Basic Training

Growing up the daughter of an Army Basic Training failure was an embarrassment for quite some time. My father went to Army Basic Training straight out of high school, and came back shortly after leaving. He was discharged for injuries of his knees; he was weak. One would not assume a child of someone who failed Basic Training would be eager to go, however I knew it was my time as soon as I received a call from a recruiter asking me to come in. It was my chance to show my dad the person I am without him, as well as fight for my country. I conquered Basic Training the summer in between the summer of my junior and senior year at the age of seventeen. There are four easy steps to Basic Training: two flights, reception, training,

Twenty-six years ago I a 17-year-old boy joined the United States Army. I served my country faithfully for 22 years, two months and four days; I served in the Transportation Corps. My time in the army was a special period in my life. I gain a lot of life experiences as well as professional ones; the military shaped and molded me into the husband, father son, and brother that I am today. During my service, I grew up and learned several life lessons that would serve me well in and out of the army. To get a real understand on how the military shaped me into the person, I am today; I must first give you some insight into the person I was before I left for basic training. I graduated high school in 1991 just four months’ shy of my 18th birthday;

I went pre-med before getting deployed and as an intern I've seen a lot of horrible things. But when it's your friend... Someone you serve with... It stays with you forever.

At times the language and environment was harsh but I came to the conclusion that I needed to take a step back and allow someone to help me progress myself as an adult. For me, graduating basic training was one of the proudest moments of my life and whenever I look back at that day, I know that if I hadn’t of been put through that stress, I wouldn’t have the skills I do today to deal with that. The military was a great thing for me to experience, and I will always be thankful for

As the bus entered the heavily guarded military instillation, I gazed upon the sign that read, "Be All that You Can Be." When the bus stopped, several angry Drill Instructors boarded and began introducing us to a very colorful vocabulary, usually reserved for drunken Sailors. They instructed us to gather our belongings, get off the bus and assemble in a circular formation. As I searched for the strength to get up, I found myself moving, while several Drill Instructors yelled at us for our clumsy attempt to dismount the bus and fall into formation. I wondered if I had made the right choice. However, I have come to realize that my military experiences have tremendously enhanced my self-worth. From those first eight

Have you ever thought about joining the Air Force? Well , if you haven’t, just imagine the respect you’d get for serving our country, the pride you’d feel for helping keep America safe. Imagine flying all around the world and meeting so many varieties of people, seeing lots of different cultures. (Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Quincy) Although the USAFA has its disadvantages, it teaches future service men and women many qualities that they can use in their lives. It also shapes these cadets for the military by teaching them discipline, responsibility, and good work ethic.

Basic and advanced individual training pushed me to give my all in everything I do. The ability to serve my country and travel made me proud. When I was direct commission as a physician assistant in the National Guard it thrust me into a leadership role that I was not trained for, but my life experiences to this point helped me on this path. Training soldiers and maintaining battalion medical readiness was the core of my duties. Amongst the most valuable attributes I developed while serving was time management, extensive preparation and

One of civil air patrol's motto's in the cadet program is "rise to the challenge". When I first joined shortly after my 12th birthday I had NO idea what that meant. BUT over time I've learned SO much about myself and my abilities despite my age. Like most cadets...I want to use MY TIME in civil air patrol to inspire and lead...BUT--most of all I want to offer my service....to my friends , my family and my community....

with great pride and dignity. The unit and I are more than grateful to have served

My Platoon Sergeant has a newfound respect for me as a mortarman and a leader. It was now known how knowledgeable I was and how well I could perform under duress. This was the new image I had created for myself. I was very proud of everything I had accomplished, and my platoon was impressed by my accomplishments as well. I had completed a very long and tiring day, but it was well worth it.

A Veteran Woman On December 7, 2000, I raised my right hand pledging to serve and protect the American people. At the age of 20, I had entered a 240 year-old organization, not really knowing what to expect from it. I was scared, excited, and ready for the new challenges joining this Armed Forces organization would bring. My basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. This old country girl from Mississippi had to get on an airplane for the first time. My adrenaline was pumping so fast that I felt my heart could easily jump out my chest at any time. Despite all the insecure reservations I had and the negative comments I received from family and friends back home, I made it through basic training and spent a long, vigorous, and uplifting

I can not wait to see you again, but more importantly I cannot wait for you to see me in my uniform. I feel like a changed man. I have responsibilities, and I feel important. I have never felt this strong and alive in my life. It's changed my point of view on life and the way I see others. I see all men and women as equal. We are all fighting for the same cause, why should we fight against one another?

ENCAMPMENT! FALL OUT! Those words were what I and one hundred fifty other cadets were waiting to hear the minute we marched onto the parade grounds of Fort Pickett. We were standing under the merciless afternoon sun as the sweat trickled from my forehead onto the lapels of my freshly ironed uniform, and it felt as if that moment was never going to end. Going back exactly six days from that moment, I was feeling an unusual wave of excitement as I signed in at the Virginia Wing Civil Air Patrol Encampment as an Advanced Training Flight (ATF) cadet. After signing in I was introduced to my flight commander and my fellow flight members who were the people that I was going to be eating, bunking and associating with for the next six days. We were

My military service reshaped who I am. My training stripped away any sense of entitlement and I learned more about myself in four months than I’d ever known before. It not only gave me discipline and taught me to perform under pressure, but everything I did wasn’t just for me anymore. I was working hard for the marines next to me in my platoon. The time came when each of us hit a breaking point physically or mentally.

The struggle though basic training changed me by actually realizing that if I try hard enough and am fully dedicated to something I can do anything I want. Before I thought that was something parents told you to keep their kids imaginative. I am also more "disciplined" as the Army says. As well as, I made me realize the effect of family is. In basic you can't call your parents as you like. I may have talked to my mom three times in the eleven weeks on basic training. I didn't realize how good I had it in life until it was "taken" away from me.