Personal Narrative: A Career In The Army
Never thought I would go through bootcamp, I’m not even going to enlist in the military. Well here I am. Packing my sea bag a week before and anxiously waiting for the day to head down to Camp Pendleton in San Diego over winter break. I joined this organization just a few months back over the summer when my friend recommended me. An organization unknown to me, it was something new, something I have never experienced. Everything was modeled under regulation of the US Navy and even their uniform! Just a few patches to discern between us. I later found out it was the only band of its kind in the nation, I thought to myself, wow. What have I gotten into, does that mean I have to be amazing in my instrument? The next two months was intense. Learning
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all the protocols, regulations and standards of the Sea Cadet Corps and the music repertoire. It was a neat experience I thought to myself. Until I found out there was a recruit training “boot camp” for newly joined cadets. “It shouldn’t be too bad right? We are still under 18 and it’s only like a week”, well when I signed up it says it was on an active marine base. I was shocked, an active marine base?
Yup, the morning before the first day of training I woke up at 6, got ready and said good byes. We loaded our car and picked up my friend and started driving down to San Diego. The drive down was calm and serene, until we found out we had to memorize the Navy screen and the general order of the sentry. What?!?! Well the rest of the ride was both of us continually reciting these words and phrases until it was natural.
It was cold when we arrived. Never knew it was the cold in San Diego. I was scared, I couldn't sleep the night before.
Today is the day, we entered the guarded gate and headed toward Camp Margarita.
It was a cold morning. All of us lined up next to the fence checked-in, turned in our phones and got our assigned rooms. We standed next to our bunk for the next to what I believed to be forever, but it was probably just two hours. I saw my dad and cousin leave and my friend going to another floor to what I later find out to be another division. It was a weird feeling being in a mix of people around California and even outer states cadets. We were all just standing next to our bunk with butterflies in our stomach. At least I was. The day went by very slow, most likely because of being hours always without a way to contact my parent and not knowing what will happened each day.
Over the course of training, things settled down and it was pretty much a routine now. I got to really know by roommates and cadets in my division. We all helped each other out every time we had assigned tasks which I thought it was a really neat and satisfying experience as we did not know each other just few days before. Each day went by slower and slower as it reaches the end. I almost had a feeling not wanting to head back home. The sense of camaraderie had overcome me. I had that feeling I would miss the people around me and the staff cadets even though they were really harsh on us, but they help give us an experience in which I could never forget.
Coming out of the gate is the new me, the grown me, who is more independent
and survive with the people around me. Without parents.
all the protocols, regulations and standards of the Sea Cadet Corps and the music repertoire. It was a neat experience I thought to myself. Until I found out there was a recruit training “boot camp” for newly joined cadets. “It shouldn’t be too bad right? We are still under 18 and it’s only like a week”, well when I signed up it says it was on an active marine base. I was shocked, an active marine base?
Yup, the morning before the first day of training I woke up at 6, got ready and said good byes. We loaded our car and picked up my friend and started driving down to San Diego. The drive down was calm and serene, until we found out we had to memorize the Navy screen and the general order of the sentry. What?!?! Well the rest of the ride was both of us continually reciting these words and phrases until it was natural.
It was cold when we arrived. Never knew it was the cold in San Diego. I was scared, I couldn't sleep the night before.
Today is the day, we entered the guarded gate and headed toward Camp Margarita.
It was a cold morning. All of us lined up next to the fence checked-in, turned in our phones and got our assigned rooms. We standed next to our bunk for the next to what I believed to be forever, but it was probably just two hours. I saw my dad and cousin leave and my friend going to another floor to what I later find out to be another division. It was a weird feeling being in a mix of people around California and even outer states cadets. We were all just standing next to our bunk with butterflies in our stomach. At least I was. The day went by very slow, most likely because of being hours always without a way to contact my parent and not knowing what will happened each day.
Over the course of training, things settled down and it was pretty much a routine now. I got to really know by roommates and cadets in my division. We all helped each other out every time we had assigned tasks which I thought it was a really neat and satisfying experience as we did not know each other just few days before. Each day went by slower and slower as it reaches the end. I almost had a feeling not wanting to head back home. The sense of camaraderie had overcome me. I had that feeling I would miss the people around me and the staff cadets even though they were really harsh on us, but they help give us an experience in which I could never forget.
Coming out of the gate is the new me, the grown me, who is more independent
and survive with the people around me. Without parents.