MONDAY, JULY 12, 2004.  2149

What an exciting day!
 
It's continued to be a really busy week for me and my shipmates, and this upcoming (or current) week will be the busiest days ever for us.  We had this huge inspection today, which included the whole compartment (office, head -- aka bathroom, laundry room, deck, windowsills, everything) and alternately our bunks and/or lockers (that is, either how well we made our beds, or how well we stenciled/labeled, folded, and stowed all of our clothing and most of our gear.)  As yoeman, (a) I don't have much time and thus my shipmates are supposed to help with my stuff, and usually do except not always enough or correctly; and (b) I "get" to follow the inspector around with a clipboard, writing down the hits he calls out on bunks and lockers.  When he got to mine, of course, I was on the edge of my boots.  I stinkin' bombed the thing.  The office was perfect, but I got 4 hits on my locker, which is failing.  They were for dumb things, too, like not having buttoned the cuff buttons of the utility shirt that I had folded up in there.  So it was frustrating.  But the inspector said I can't fall apart; he needs me to have my head on my shoulders and continue on with the inspection.  So I did, and only on the bunk right after mine did my voice crack at all.  Beyond that, I was just fine.  One inspection bombed, yes, but good enough scores on everything else that I'm set.
 
So then, one of my petty officers (actually, this may have been before the inspection) told me that I'm one of our (86 member) division's 3 nominees for honor graduate.  So out of our 86, I'm one of the top 3.  And they had to send a male, and RPOC is always sent (our RPOC is a female).  So it's like either way I was going, and since I'm the one of that, it's like they said I'm the top.  Which is partly because I passed PT0 and did decently well on all the other tests and assessments so far, with excellent military bearing when needed, can train almost anyone in the division for their position,, and have most everyone coming to me for advice, mediating, and/or to support me, all in the midst of the most hectic job for a recruit to have.
 
That was stinkin' awesome.
 
And then all the females were getting ready to shower, and I was slow because I had a corndog for lunch and my stomach was tore up.  So I was standing by my rack getting my stuff out, when Petty Officer came out looking for RPOC.  Since she was in the shower already, Petty Officer told me to get my shoes on and get in the office with my best military bearing, because the FTT inspector was there.  So I did, and to make a long story brief, he ended up giving me a Brovo Zulu (which is a good chit) for "outstanding military bearing and a great team player" as well as a 15 minute phone card.  In the process, I made my senior chief and petty officers have a good belly laugh with one of the answers I gave the inspector, but it was kind of a you-had-to-be-there thing.  And since, fortunately for you, you're not here, I won't bother.
 
Tomorrow is PT1 (the first real physical fitness test) and then there's plenty more fun to be had in the next 2 weeks.  For now, I got letters from my mother and Barbara (pictures included -- yay!) and it's time to go read them. 
 


WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2004.  2203

My RDC's, for whatever reason, decided to only send two recruits for honor board, without even having the ship's leading chief petty officer look at us and choose between.  So, they're sending our RPOC and me.  2 females; something that is NOT done in this kinda situation.  But you always send the RPOC (and our RPOC is a great candidate, anyway) and none of the males could replace me there, so they're pushing the envelope in a big way on this one.
 
Wow, I am so amazed.
 
And then they had the division vote on who they want as the division-decision honor graduate, knowing that I was already nominated for this other thing.  By more than twice the runner up, they voted for me.  Well over twice.  Then the second, third, and fourth most recommended all had within a few votes of each other.  The guy I voted for later asked me (before the results were announced) if I was it, and others came to tell me why they'd voted for me (or in some cases, why they chose the person they did).  It's just blowing me away, having such incredible shows of support from both my RDC's and my shipmates within my division.  Me, the one who took a year deciding to join, who couldn't seem to keep a job or work my way through school.
 
I'm not quite sure yet what any of these things mean other than getting recognized specifically at graduation and attending a special brunch and all, but I'm caught in this whirlwind of excitement and some anxiety.
 
It does help ease my nerves a little that even if I don't do so well tomorrow and I don't get one of the 5 honor-board spots, I’ll still be my division's honor graduate.  But if I do get a spot, our second most recommended recruit will get it.  Unfortunately (in my humble opinion) that doesn't happen to be the guy I really think should get it (as in, I think he should've had more votes than me), but it's a decent-and-helpful enough recruit, and I'm glad for him.  And all my shipmates, who are getting much better as a division, most of the time.
 
Now I need my sleep... honor board is in 8 and a half hours -- yikes!  Nite! 
 


THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2004.  2226

The moral of the story is that I can be fully confident around my peers, and can certainly hold my own under pressure at certain times, but at other times (when I get nervous) I lock the snot up and am not good for anything regarding speaking confidently or having "military bearing."  On top of that, I seem to be really sick again -- I've been nauseous the past 3 days, but I thought it was nerves about the honor board.  However, (or, as my RDC's say, "However, comma,") I've been getting more and more nauseous as the night goes on, and feeling perhaps feverish or just like something is way off.
 
Eh.  Here's to getting healthy when I get out of boot camp and can hopefully sleep more.  And here's to still being my division's selected honor recruit, even if I sucked at the awards board. 


 
SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2004.  0834 -- started chatting (and getting rid of trash and stuff from my letter-writing pile), now it's 0931

Holiday routine is shorter now, because about 2 weeks after I started boot camp, they shortened it to 6 weeks (plus processing) instead of the 8 (plus proc.) it is for my division.  Granted, we have it shorter than many in the past, but honestly I can't imagine how they'll compact it even more and still turn out half-decent sailors.  Just not gonna be good for them, trying to squeeze it all in.
 
The point, though, was that because those recruits need more training time on Sundays, we have less free time even though we’re at the point where we don't need as much training anymore anyway.
 
Today, there's a lot of excitement around these parts.  Within the past 2 days, we were finally granted permission to use HAIR BARRETTES (no more than 2, and must "match" hair color) which is an amazing feeling.  And today, we get to pluck our eyebrows for the first time since leaving home, since our photos are tomorrow!  And lots of the girls are using perm/relaxant/etc. products on their hair, and we'll get to wear makeup tomorrow just during the pictures time, and we all feel like females again.  It's incredible.
 
Yesterday, there was a pretty intense situation in the division involving a few of the females, and everyone called ME over to deal with it instead of an RDC.  Because they've seen something in me that makes them think I can handle pretty much anything.  That something can only be my relationship with God, whether they realize that or not just yet.  Either way, it's honoring and yet stressful.  Butt I diffused the situation, and then spent the next hour and a half AFTER TAPS explaining to the one that started it that just because she's at the same level as me in the chain of command, that doesn't mean that she is right in this situation or that HER "feeling threatened" is any more ok than her making the other female feel threatened.  So, more stuff to deal with today when the RDC's get in.  C'est la vie.
 
It's less than 3 weeks now 'till we graduate, and just a bit more 'till I actually leave.  Yay!!  I am so stinkin' excited about it.  And so proud to think ahead to standing up as honor recruit at graduation, especially.
 
Time to shower, and then I've got lots more to do.  But yes, it's actually good now with some difficult moments instead of the other way around.
 
Please write, everyone.  Thanks immensely to those who have.  People said letters would be my lifesavers here, and they really weren't kidding.  If you know someone else at boot camp (or on deployment or for any other reason, far away from home), please write them, too.  I was really bad about that before, but I'll not forget this in the future. 
                            With love in our Lord, Jesus Christ
                                            Patty
                                            aka
                            Seaman Recruit Tracey...