Back to Echo...

I know I haven't been writing much lately. It's been pretty busy with BRM and everything. The privates picked it up in the end and did well overall. Maybe not as well as some platoons have done in the past, but they made great strides from the dismal start they had. Overall I'm pretty satisfied.

Sometimes I feel like there's nothing left to write about concerning Basic Training. It's like that movie "Groundhog Day" but without the good days. Same ranges, same privates, same problems, same successes... blah. I've been here too long. I'm not saying it's all bad, I just need to get back to the Infantry.

I've explained it like this before...

I like to play PuttPutt with my kids. It really is enjoyable for me, but mainly because I like to see them have a good time. On the other hand, it's like I play PuttPutt all day every day while all my friends are all playing the US Open. I still like seeing them have a good time, but the new has definitely worn off for me. It's less of a challenge and more of a grind than it used to be.

It's the same way with BCT. I genuinely enjoy seeing them become soldiers, but that new car smell is gone. I can see why this is normally a two year tour. (Without the involuntary third year extension that I got.)

Well, change is in the air, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be going back to E Co in a few days. That should be plenty challenging enough to keep it interesting for a while. Echo is a different sort of animal with it's own unique challenges. I hate to leave the platoon I've got now, but they are almost done and the most important part is the foundation you lay in the beginning anyway. They'll be in good hands without me.