I'm going back into the Army, this time I'm doing it COMPLETELY different. The day after I got back from San Pedro I had already made up in my mind that this is what I wanted, what was best for me for now, and what I wanted to do. So I went in to a recruiter and told him what it is that I wanted, what it was that I needed, and where I wanted to be. He was completely and utterly straightforward with me in telling me what was a reality and what would be a stretch, but that nevertheless I could make something happen. I filled out some paperwork, mostly introductory, and we proceeded into the next two weeks to make sure we had everything down pat.
We came across a few bumps on the road, as expected with anything Army related, but nevertheless we worked through everything and did our best in trying to get me back in and on the move. One of the biggest things I wanted to get out of the Army this time around was a commission as an officer, and for my duty station to be in Europe. I confided in many of my Army buddies that I know now, or great friends from the past that I've kept in touch with, all of whom have been stationed somewhere in Europe. Perhaps the best advice I got from anyone though was from my friend Joseph Mercer who was my roommate during Advanced Individual Training in Fort Huachuca, AZ back in 2005.
Mercer is quite a character, to say the least. He joined the Army at age 28, I was 19 at the time, so there should have been a huge gap between our maturity levels from living together. Perhaps it was that he was absolutely immature, or maybe I was a little more mature at my age, but I like to think it was an amalgamation of the two. Realistically, we all know what a shitbag I can be sometimes though, so feel free to make your own assessment :-) Regardless, those 6 months of my life have probably been some of the best and most memorable ever. AIT was a time for growth, physically, professionally, and definitely on a personal level. It was also a time of copious amounts of fun. Having a roommate like Mercer made things even better though. We often watched out after each other and made sure to always try to stand out in any situation, while keeping low key all at the same time. Joe is from a small town in the middle of Georgia, he definitely didn't lack in personality.
During our weekends off, we would often spend our time hangin' with our other friends from the platoon, go out into town and do some shopping, blowing our money as all soldiers do, and throw hotel parties and drink ourselves into oblivion. It always seemed like a safe bet until the day we all ended up renting out a hotel room right above a room one of our Drill Sergeants had gotten. We saw him walking out of it with our Company XO, who was perhaps one of the hottest female lieutenants I have EVER seen. She was a recent graduate from West Point, and she would often enjoy leading our company during PT in the mornings. Sometimes while conducting PT, she would make us all do flutter kicks and all kinds of ab workouts. The funny thing is that she never wore underwear beneath her shorts, and we could tell because when she did those exercises she flashed everything at us haha. It was a golden ticket to be in the first squad when she did PT with us. Anyway, that night we found out this Drill Sergeant was banging her out. He gave us a death stare, and with that stare alone we knew to never speak to anyone about such a thing. It never happened.
After AIT, I came back to Maryland to start college at UMD, Joe received orders to be stationed in Germany and we kept in touch throughout the years. He, along with many, told me that if I have the chance to go to Europe with the Army, to DO IT! He was especially helpful in giving me the pros and cons about such a move, the good and bad and what to expect. Nevertheless, he strongly encouraged me to do it because it would be one of the best things in my life. Last summer, I had made it a goal of mine that by the end of this year I would somehow find a way to move to Europe, and I began learning French for that particular reason.
After so much uncertainty this whole summer, I'm extremely pleased to know that I have finally reached that goal, it just seems that Ill have to start learning a 4th language. WORKS FOR ME! If everything goes well for me and it goes as planned, around this time next year, or perhaps a little later Ill be coming back to the US to attend Officer Candidate School. After 14 weeks of that, Ill then be a fresh Lieutenant in the US Army and be stationed anywhere in the world. Although it's most probable that Ill stay in the Intelligence field, Ill be adding flight school to my wish list as well as Finance. I figure that if I don't stay in Intel, those are two fields I can't go wrong with.
There are many other details that I can't disclose here for obvious reasons, but if I really care about you Ill fill you in personally on some of those and answer a few questions you may have. The beautiful thing of it all is that right now all I know is that I'm going to Europe, but the country is unknown. Of all the possible options on the list include Germany, Italy, England, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and a few enticing others...Ill find out when I get there. Regardless, I'm filled with joy and excitement and cannot wait until I leave here on December 9th.
-WanderingTerp
1st Platoon 'Devildawgs'
Delta Company, 309th Military Intelligence Battalion
Ft Huachuca, AZ
October 2005
