I have been in the Army for almost seven months now.
Seven months sounds like a long time, but it really isn't. It's quick. It's short. It's nothing compared to the life that I still have left to live and the life I am providing for my family.
Is it hard to be away? Absolutely. I miss my beautiful little girl every day. I miss waking up to my husband every morning. I miss cuddling with my dogs while I read my book. I miss it all.
But this has been an amazing experience, for myself and for my family.
When I joined the Army almost seven months ago my goal was just to make it through BCT and AIT. I wasn't planning on making friends. I wasn't planning on getting to know anyone. I just wanted to get through.
And then I got on the plane with four of the craziest guys I have ever met and flew to Oklahoma to begin my journey. Along the way we met a couple others heading to the same place. And when we got there? Talk about a ton of people. There were about 50 of us waiting for the midnight bus. And let me just say that it was a terrible bus ride.
We had no idea what we were in for when we stepped off that bus. It was cold. It was raining. We had all our stuff with us. We were a mess. But we got there.
And then we made it through reception.
Reception was some of the worst days. They were long and tiring and we weren't doing anything but sitting around waiting for our name to be called for the next appointment. Oh, and there was a holiday that week so we spent an extra two days in reception. Joy.
But I realized during that time that there was no way I was going to make it through by myself. I started talking to the other females in my platoon and getting to know them. I learned their names, where they were from, what they did before the Army, and why they decided to join. I started making friends.
And then we went to the other side of the tracks and began our journey through BCT. And we met the males in our new platoon and began talking to them, getting to know them. We learned their names, where they were from, what they did before the Army, and why they decided to join. We made more friends.
And then we talked to the people in other platoons and got to know them. And guess what? We learned their names, where they were from, what they did before the Army, and why the decided to join. And pretty soon I had nearly 200 friends in the Army. It was crazy!
My platoon at BCT has seen me laugh, seen me cry, seen me angry, and seen me in pain. My platoon at BCT has been there for me when I've needed someone to just tell me I could do it. My platoon was there for me when I didn't know where else to turn. They supported me, just as I supported them. We helped each other and we made it through. We graduated from Army Basic Combat Training. We did it. And it was an amazing journey.
And I walked away with memories of people I will remember for a lifetime (though some of them I wish I wouldn't...).
Then I came to AIT with about a third of the people I graduated BCT with. And when we got here we formed a new platoon with Soldiers from another BCT. And we started talking to those soldiers and getting to know them. We learned their names, where they were from, what they did before the Army, and why they decided to join.
I have now spent 3 and a half months in AIT. And I have even more friends than I did when I graduated BCT.
And I say friends because that is what we have become.
These people aren't just my battle buddies. They are my friends. And some of them are my family.
They have seen me in my darkest days and supported me and helped me find the light again. These people have picked me up when I've been down. They've laughed with me and helped me to feel included. They have helped me understand what it means to be willing to sacrifice your own life for another.
I never want to see these people hurt. I never want to see them cry. I never want to see them struggle.
I want them all to succeed. I want them all to know happiness. I want them all to know love.
I want them all to feel as though they have a family bigger than just the people back home.
I have grown to love these people over the past 3-6 months. I have grown to care so immensely for these people that I don't know how I am going to leave them.
I didn't join the Army to make friends. But I will forever be thankful for the bonds that have been created during these initial months and for the people who have become lifelong friends and family to me.
Thank you for pushing me through and being there for me.
I love you all and I am so proud of each and every one of you.
