Besides that, today might be one of the most exciting days of my life up to this point! Only because it's got to be one of the most exciting days in HIS life up to this point. I'd like to think our wedding day takes #1, but at this point in time, I'm pushing it aside for this momentous day in both our lives (and honestly, it's gotta be 15x better for him than me). Why, you ask? He finishes FTX today. *Insert extra cheesy smile here* For those of you who may not be completely keen on the Army jargon, lemme give you a rundown of just what FTX is and why it is just too cool that he's completing it today. K? K.
FTX stands for Field Training Exercise (yes, we all know "exercise" doesn't start with an "X"...I didn't make the rules here). Throughout the course of OSUT (14-week One Station Unit Training strictly for Infantrymen), our men do three of these exercises. The first two are cool, I'm sure, but they're small game compared to this last beast. The last FTX stretches over a 7-day period, where they can't shower, brush their teeth, or sleep in a real bed. They are in the wilderness, wild boars and all, for the entire week. It's intense. More intense for them than us, but I guess with how vicariously we live through them, it's sort of intense for us, too. Here's a schedule taken directly from the post's website.
Black Phase Schedule
- 11C Training
- 36 – 48 Hour Continuous Operations (The Gauntlet)
- Army Physical Fitness Test
- Battle March and Shoot
- Checkpoint Operations
- Cross Rifle Ceremony
- Defensive Fighting Positions
- Five mile Eagle Run
- Foot March 12 miles
- Ground Fighting Techniques
- Honor Hill Cross Rifle Ceremony
- Land Navigation Qualification
- MK-19 Machine Gun Day & Night Familiarization Fire
- Process EPW & Civil Internee
- Seven Day Field Training Exercise
- Squad Tactical Training
- Urban Operations
At the end of this phase, soldiers will be MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) qualified.
Even if you just read through that and have no idea what it says, it basically means that they've been sleep deprived, shot at, beat up, made to run several, SEVERAL miles with 80 lb. ruck sacks and full kit on, and then all kinds of other crazy stuff that normal people just don't volunteer to do (but they get to wear that awesome face paint for some of it!!!). And today marks the last day of this week of madness for them! Tonight, they will march 12 to 14 miles, with that 80 lbs. on their back, all the way to Honor Hill. This is HUGE for an Infantryman. This is where he becomes official before graduation. They receive their crossed rifle pins, prayers are said, creeds are recited, and they all dare to breathe a silent sigh of relief that they've made it. They didn't give up. They didn't let anything win over them. They have accomplished what others will only ever dream of. They are U.S. Soldiers. I can't imagine the pride that must surge as those men walk through those massive gates bearing the words "FORTES FORTUNA JUVAT" - "Fortune Favors the Brave", and surround a fire that rivals anything the local rednecks could conjure on a Friday night. I know how ecstatic, proud, relieved, and exhausted I am just by BEING so ecstatic and proud! I can't imagine that on top of doing all the crazy stuff they've been subjected to!
So, maybe that gives you a little better idea of just what is so very exciting about today. There's also the prospect of a phone call in the very near future, but you learn quickly from the very beginning about NOT getting your hopes up concerning these types of things. In exactly 2 weeks, Husband will be crossing state lines, headed Southbound this time, coming home with us for a handful of days on leave. I will get to fall asleep next to my Egghead again at last without worrying about having to take him back to post at a certain time. We might, dare I say, actually have a few days of being somewhat normal! But then, back on the bandwagon we go. We're off to Virginia to deal with that Metro madness, and start our new life together, at long last. This is the single most exciting and promising time in our lives. The world is ours. :)
So, maybe that gives you a little better idea of just what is so very exciting about today. There's also the prospect of a phone call in the very near future, but you learn quickly from the very beginning about NOT getting your hopes up concerning these types of things. In exactly 2 weeks, Husband will be crossing state lines, headed Southbound this time, coming home with us for a handful of days on leave. I will get to fall asleep next to my Egghead again at last without worrying about having to take him back to post at a certain time. We might, dare I say, actually have a few days of being somewhat normal! But then, back on the bandwagon we go. We're off to Virginia to deal with that Metro madness, and start our new life together, at long last. This is the single most exciting and promising time in our lives. The world is ours. :)
They have accomplished so much in just 14 weeks. I hope tonight is AWESOME for them!
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