Day 18

Day 12 of BCT

Today marks 8 weeks until graduation day! When I think about how long that is and all that I have to accomplish, I worry that I won't make it. But then I remind myself why I'm here and all that I've already accomplished, and I know I can do it. I just know He'll provide the strengh to get me through.
Today in PT, we had our first day of pullups. You are allowed to push your feet off the chest of your spotter, so it wasn't too bad. All of our PT is done in sets of 5 or holding for 30 sec., so nothing too extreme. We're in what the Army calls the Toughening Phase.
We had another Hot-A for breakfast. Some people would rather go to the DFAC to eat, since you get more choices, but I hate marching to the DFAC, so I like the Hot-A's. I will admit that pancakes,eggs, and sausage every day does get a bit old. But as they like to tell us, we're not here to taste our food, just scarf it down and move on. We usually get about 10-15 minutes to eat, so it's not really too bad. I have yet to feel hungry.
We they spent the morning at our DT area practicing used to the three shooting positions: prone supported, prone unsupported, and kneeling. We practiced pulling the trigger with a penny on the barrel of the rifle to get used to holding it steady and not jerking when squeezing the trigger. We took advantage of not having the DS right by us though, and while "practicing" the prone supported positionn, we visited and got to know each other a bit more while also giving each other tips for shooting.
After another Hot-A lunch, we marched to a mock range where we then learned how things work at the range. For safety, there are set procedures for when and how to do everything. After practicing at the range, we then went to practice grouping our shots at the GST. It is a computerized range inside, that uses lasers to simulate the shot. It tracks how you move the rifle between shots to help you identify what you might be doing wrong. I shot 20 rounds and was still struggling to put my groups in the same spot. After the others had their turn, I got another chance to shoot about 15 more rounds, and I started to get a little closer. After everyone had a turn, we marched to the DFAC for chow. We then had platoon time.
Platoon time is one of my favorite times of the day (after sleeping!). We meet in the male's bay and sit on the floor around our DS's feet, while they sit on a locker. They usually are more relaxed and even joke around with us. Our female DS loves sports, and shares scores with us. If we mess up and talk when we aren't supposed to, they change back to stern DS's really quick. I enjoy getting to see them more relaxed. It feels like we are actually getting to know them a little bit. We don't usually do a whole lot in platoon time, other then recap the day and cover information for the next day. If we behave and show discipline, they let us have more personal time. If we managed to make them upset, they usually keep us there until the last minute before Hydration Formation.
This time, we had our first mail call during platoon time. Se were all giddy with excitement at the possibillity of mail. Sadly, only a few people got mail, and I was not one of them. I'm sure plenty of letters have been sent my way, but it's the Army and it takes a while to get mail sorted.
The day then finished as usual with enough personal time to change into PT's (what we sleep in and do PT in), head to Hydration Formation, and then to bed.