<p>Yeah, back at last! I'm settled in at my new duty station, and really into my job! Do you have questions in regard to anything in particular? </p>
<p>One thing I just realized I didn't cover was attitude. Beast is tough. I cried my first night, just to destress, and I'm not usually emotional! Be prepared to hurt and to be tired and achy and not want to deal with all the nitpicky little details. You're going to be homesick and lonely. So is everyone else. Push through and give your all. Write your parents whatever you're feeling. They can take the negative stress better than you can at that moment! Sharing the bad experience, whether it be spazzing at duties, failing to remember your knowledge, not qualifying until your seventh attempt, the blister the size of your big thumb on your heel, whatever is holding you back, sharing that can make it smaller. Plus, two days later when you cut a perfect nine slice pie, see your squad leader goof up, or watch a gorgeous sunrise at PT (I have several vivid memories of the sun rising over Kosciusko's Monument) you're going to write them a happy, positive letter that perfectly illustrates the balance of the ups and downs.</p>
<p>Of course, sometimes it seems those downs last forever. Focus on your next meal. When you wake up at 0500, it's only 2.5 hours till breakfast. After breakfast, it's about four till lunch. After lunch it's maybe five till dinner. After dinner, there's only about another three hours till lights out. Then you can sleep till PT, so there's only 2 more hours till breakfast....and you're one day closer to Wednesday's Chaplain's Time, or church on Sunday, which will be cadre free, and a safe place to gather your thoughts for the hours until the next meal. After twenty one meals, you're a whole week closer to the academic year, and some semblance of normal.</p>
<p>For the summer, try not to think too hard. You're all really, really bright. But if you focus on "It's absurd to have to remember who drinks what every morning" you're not going to have the energy to get through the day. There ARE reasons for things. There are nine other people at the table. There are nine lines in the radio message to call for a MEDEVAC. I know that it's Location, Radio, Priority of Patients, Special Equipment, Type of Patients, Security, Marking, Nationality, NBC. I also know that first semester plebe year, breakfast beverages for my table were 2 OJs no ice, 1 OJ with ice, 2 waters with no ice, 2 waters with ice (one a little ice, one a lot of ice), 1 half and half (half oj, half apple juice), if we had it, and one apple juice if we had it, and orange juice if we didn't, and three coffees, too, please. At one point I could recite the highlights of the UGA Bulldogs, because my squad leader said it was important. Looking back, I realize that the memory exercises and the rituals served a purpose. At the time, it would have been easier to just do it, rather than agonize. </p>
<p>General health wise...drink lots of water, salt your food, eat healthy. Even if you're allowed desserts, EAT A REAL MEAL. You need the nutrition. Eat your fruits and veggies, they'll provide vitimins and minerals you're losing through sweat. It's gonna be hot and you're not going to be hungry but heat stroke or heat exaustion is no joke and if you stuck with an IV at Beast, it will be in your medical record for the rest of your career. With that said, if you're not feeling to good: dizzy, weak, vision's swimming, nauseated, heavy sweating, or if you think you're going to faint, put out a paw and say "I'M NOT FEELING WELL, SERGEANT" so they can fall you out of formation, have you sit down in the shade, drink a quart of water, and evaluate you. If you're still waiting for your SL to make their way down the squad and you really, really feel you're going to faint, TAKE A KNEE, don't try and tough a faint out, you're only going to hurt yourself when you fall. Make sure you're peeing clear, or at least close to it. </p>
<p>Stretch at night, if you can find the time. Open your windows from the top and bottom (put the glass in the middle of the frame) and you'll get better ventilation, especially if they let you leave the doors cracked. Drink more water. </p>
<p>Knowledge - Learn the format of the days, as well as the days themselves, and then you're only going to have to subtract one from each number each day. Make sure your entire squad knows the same days! Pick a number and stick to it. They go something like this "Sir the days. Today is Wednesday, 7 March 2007. There are xx days until Ring Weekend. There are XX days until Army beats (next home oponnent) at football. There are XX days until thanksgiving leave. There are XX days until Army beats the hell out of Navy at football. There are XX days until Winter Leave for the Corps of Cadets. There are XX days until Yearling Winter Weekend. There are XX days until 500th night. There are xx days until Spring leave. There are xx days until 100th night. There are XX days until graduation and graduation leave for the Class of 2008, sir!" Some people will give you random things to add on. A lot of people will give you "xx days until your bacchanal" meaning until their 21st birthday. Know Schofields Definition of Discipline. Know the Alma Mater. I linked the music, earlier. Know The Corps. Know The Soldier's Creed. Know the meals. Please, know the meals. You only need to know the next three, but really that means five, so at breakfast, you need to know breakfast, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch, because after breakfast you'll need lunch dinner breakfast, and you may as well know the next one, just in case you don't get a chance to study until after lunch. The format for that is "Sir, for breakfast we are having, egg patty, sausage links, assorted cereal and orange juice" or "Sir for lunch we are having, turkey wraps, chicken noodle soup, raspberry parfait and poweraid" You'll always need to know the dessert, two other dishes, and the drink. You'll always have assorted cereal at breakfast, and orange juice too, so that's easy. Make sure your squad memorises the same menus, too. STANDARDIZATION is KEY. Call a decent minute, loud and proud. "Gooooo Blackhawks! Attention all cadets and new cadets! There are five minutes until assembly for breakfast formation! The uniform is Army Combat Uniform under wet weather gear! Five minutes remaining!" Call five, four, three, and two. Two sounds like "Goooo Blackhawks! Attention all cadets and new cadets. There are two minutes until assembly for breakfast formation! The uniform is Army Combat Uniform under wet weather gear! This is the last minute to be called for this formation! Do not forget your lights! Two minutes remaining!" Between minutes you WILL be asked what the menu is for that meal. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. Please know that because it's awful to have to stand on the wall and be corrected for something that easy.</p>
<p>Do table duties well. Everyone has a part to play. If you're sitting gunner, cold beverage, or hot beverage, go directly to the table. Hot beverage needs to go get coffee in the morning, and fruit at the other meals. Gunner doesn't do much but cut the cake, so help the hot beverage corporal out and arrange the table in height order, point the milks out the door, and generally square stuff away. Cold beverage corporal needs to know their knowledge COLD. You're first in line of sight, and you'll be asked what the meal is. Again, I guarentee it. For cold beverage, when they announce take seats, sit. "Sir, the cold beverage for this meal is blue poweraid, would anyone not care for ice, sir?" LISTEN to the response, then flip all the cups right side up and start pouring. pour all the water, then add ice for people who want it for their juice, then pour the juice THEN pass. Don't get confused. This is the fastest way. After you finish pouring, start passing likely condiments, ketchup if there are potatoes on the table, steak sauce if there's meat, mustard for sandwiches, salt for everything. If the food comes, keep pouring, the gunner will take care of you and the hot beverage corporal. Don't be greedy, there's plenty of food. Also, don't dick your buddies over, ALL your squad should drink a glass of water initially, this is about speed, not enjoyment. You can have juice after water. Some table comms will make this mandatory, I did, during Beast. Hot beverage corporal waits for the cold beverage corporal to finish then says "Sir, the beverage for this meal is coffee, would anyone care for a mug of coffee, sir?" and then he flips the necessary mugs over and pours coffee. Leave 3/4 of an inch space at top to keep from spilling, half an inch if you're all nervous. When the dessert reaches the gunner, he'll hold it up and announce "Sir, the dessert for this meal is congo bar, would anyone not care for congo bar sir?" Count the table then carefully cut the dessert. "Sir the desert has been cut, the cut dessert to CDT (highest ranking NCO at the table), please, sir." THe cake is inspected and rejected because it takes a bit to get good. If the dessert comes in pieces, like icecream bars, it's "Sir, the dessert for this meal is ice cream sandwiches, would anyone not care for an icecream sandwich" Count six as wanting a sandwich, for example. "Sir there is one ice cream sandwich per cadet or new cadet at this table with four remaining." At this point, the cold beverage corporal waits for the new cadets to finish preparing their plates, such as serving themselves food or arranging their sandwiches, pouring condiments, etc. Then, "Sir, the new cadets at this table have performed their duties and are now prepared to eat!" The table comm will then decide if you can eat at that point. Once he gives the command of "Eat" chow down in a civilized manner. Now it's the rest of the squad's turn. "Sir a joke...", "Sir, I was wondering", "Sir, movie quote!" Everyone should have at least one piece of trivia...Music, sports, literature, odd facts...Nothing with numbers, though, or you're going to have to count that high, aloud. Song lyrics are good, although you make actually have to sing them, and movie quotes are good although you may have to act them out. If you keep the cadre entertained, they will not ask you knowledge. They're hungry too. This is a good place for parents to help out, my parents sent me a lot of trivia. (Obligatory bzzzt link, here :) <a href="http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/%5B/url%5D">http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/</a> )</p>
<p>Be motivated and loud, even if it's false. If you pretend like you're having a good time, eventually you'll forget you're pretending! Go with the flow. Be Zen. And remember, it's never personal.</p>