Basic Military Training is over! I graduated on June 1.
I'm sure you all want to know what it was like and what I had to do, but that will have to wait for now.
On the final week of training, you are allowed to wander around base (known as base liberty) and make use of most of the facilities and services available. On the Friday and Saturday of your 8th week of training, you are allowed to leave base and have fun around San Antonio (known as town pass) though you are not allowed to leave San Antonio.
Base Liberty is given on Thursday (which begins right after the Airman's Coin Ceremony also known as Retreat), and Sunday (which begins at 9am). However, honor graduates and those who made top PT are given a special town pass on Sunday.
The Airman's Coin ceremony is when you get your Airman's Coin obviously. Once you recieve the coin, you are officially promoted from Trainee to Airman. When you reporting to your MTI, your reporting statement will reflect the change. Though I kept using "trainee" until Friday.
Town Pass is given on Friday immediately following Parade which the official graduation ceremony. On Saturday, Town Pass begins at 9am.
On base liberty on Thursday I went to the main BX (Base Exchange), and bought some Pokemon games thus the sudden addition of three Pokemon games to my Game Collection list. On Sunday I saw Ghost Trick on sale and bought that. It was originally $30, but had a sale price of $13. Yeah, even in BMT you get a paycheck.
You are shipped out to your technical school the Monday following graduation.
I had to wait up at 1am and be outside by 2am. It wasn't that bad since I couldn't sleep all night anyway. I got maybe one hour of sleep that night if that. Other members of my flight going to different tech schools didn't have to leave til 6 so they were still sleeping.
During my time in BMT, I became very attached to my instructor. She'll tell you to get on your face when you screw up and whatnot, but her teaching method is unique. She is not Drill Sergreant Nasty...well she is sometimes. She uses positive reinforcement and encouragement.
It was during the sixth week of training that our flight starting calling her mom. When she starts banging on the door to the dorm at 4:30 in the morning, we're all like, "Mom's home!"
She very much is like a mother to us. She even told the flight that she became more emotionally attached to our flight that any other flight she pushed through training.
She gave those of us leaving early a hug before getting on the bus. When she did so I said, "Goodbye, mom." With a smile she replied, "Goodbye, kid." I almost shed a tear.
During BMT, I never really got yelled at much. If you just do as you're told, you can avoid becoming a target.
BMT storytime will have to continue furthur down the road.
What sucked the most was carrying all my stuff. My civilian clothes and important paperwork were in a backpack while all my uniforms and my other pair of boots were in my duffel bag. Let me tell you that that duffel bag was heavy. According to the scale at the airport when I checked my bags in, it was almost 45 pounds. Now it might not be that bad for most people, but when you're 5ft tall and only weigh 115lbs, it really sucks. Not to mention I was wearing my backpack in front which weighed in at 30lbs. So in total, I was carrying an extra 75lbs on me.
I had more stuff than I thought so when I got to the airport, another Airman heading to the same tech school as I was showed me a store to buy a luggage bag. I was carrying my extra stuff in a trash bag which doesn't look at all suspicious. I got a good one for less than $45. I should've bought a Air Force duffel bag back at the BX for $20 when I had the chance. Oh well. The bag I bought was quite nice. You can carry it like a duffel bag or pull out the plastic handle and pull it behind you.
Me and the other Airmen going to tech school arrived at the San Antonio airport at around 3am. Those of us going to Monterey...our flight wasn't until 2:30 in the afternoon. So what did we do? Why we slept of course! I never really got a long nap. I took a lot of short naps. I was really nervous and excited at the same time and that kept me from getting any deep sleep.
After a while our group headed to the USO. There were a couple computers, a large HD TV and some bowls full of candy. When you walk in, there are large cubbies to place your stuff in.
Since I couldn't really get any sleep, I decided to read the copy of Astro Boy I purchased at one of the various BXs back at Lackland. The copy of Astro Boy I purchased had volumes 1 and 2 combined into one so I had a decent amount of reading material.
After for what seemed like eternity, it was time to get ready for our flight. Our group headed to the gate our plane was at. I forgot to mention that our group was small. There were only four of us. We were the only ones out of our graduating class going to Monterey.
When the plane was ready for boarding, one thing I noticed is that they call on military personal to board first.
I haven't been at an airport, much less flown, since I was very young so this felt like a whole new experience for me.
How would I handle it? Would I hold onto my seat for dear life? Would I get airsick? That'd be funny right? An Airman getting airsick.
So once we all got on the plane we had to listen to the whole "in case of emergency" briefing. Boring.
So the plane slowly moves into position making turns here and there. To me, the runways make about as much sense as the architecture in the early Resident Evil games.
Then the planes stops. Then suddenly, full throttle. Then the plane takes off into the sky.
I was way more excited than I should be. Seeing everything below and then seeing all clouds surrounding the plane. Way cool. And there was still one more flight after this one since this was a connecting flight. I actually like flying now and can't wait till I graduate so I can get on a plane again to get back home.
Part 2 coming soon.