Three phases, mass punishments, and cadences.
As I mentioned before, I loved basic training.
Especially the early morning.
There are mornings when I sneak outside for a smoke; I close my eyes and imagine myself back. It was always dark when we headed outside for the first formation. Dark, cold, and rainy. Just like living in the PNW. We complained, of course- but I always felt like I was in my element.
For the next 20-plus years, I would carry that feeling. I loved the long drive to work. Lines of cars going through the gate simultaneously. All of us standing in formation to greet the beginning of the day with a salute to our fallen brothers and sisters in arms.
There is no better feeling than feeling like you belong to something bigger than you.
But in basic training…. it meant more.
Basic was divided into three phases. Red, white, and blue. Think of it like high school. It was the hierarchy of soldiers in training.
The first phase was red, and it lasted for a month. It meant you were nobody. Not entitled to the title soldier. We didn’t know left from right. How to point a gun. How to run. How to move as a single element. Hell, we didn’t even know how to dress ourselves.
That’s the thing about basic- there is a lot to learn. Those first four weeks become a blur of memorizing the Warrior Creed, rules and regulations, and rank structure. The first week is incredibly challenging because personalities and lack of sleep equate to a lot of mistakes. The punishment was physical activity.
And we were always punished as a whole and not as an individual.
I questioned the methodology at the time but looking back, it was effective. We had to learn how to work together as a unit. We needed to build trust in one another. We needed to become an effective war machine.
I remember our bays being trashed, our gear tossed out of lockers, and our beds flipped because someone didn’t make their bed right. I remember the late night ‘PT session’ where it was 8:30 p.m., and we were outside doing jumping jacks for half an hour. I remember having to drink an extra canteen of water because someone didn’t finish theirs, and we all needed to learn the importance of hydration.
Before you get all sentimental and enraged by the methods, I need to say something. It’s a damn good thing they treated us that way. Regardless of whether you want to admit it or not, the military’s number one priority is to go to war. That’s what we are trained to do. As much as it hurts to hear, it means one thing.
Us or them?
Who’s returning?
Of course, I didn’t realize the full weight of what I was taught at the time. But neither did the veterans of previous wars. We were all trying to keep our heads above water.
But over time, the constant berating and punishments lessened. We became a unit. With a motto. And a peep in our step when calling cadences. I loved cadences. I still believe that one of the criteria for becoming a drill sergeant is that you must be able to sing.
There is nothing more motivating than singing about a yellow bird and ripping its head off.
True story.
There were other cadences, too:
C-130 rolling down the strip, Airborne daddy’s gonna take a little trip. Mission uncertain, destination unknown. Don’t even know if we’re ever coming home.
When I get to hell, Satan’s gonna say, “How’d you earn your living boy? How’d you earn your pay?” I’ll reply with a boot to his face, “I made my living sending souls to this place!”
Hey, Hey, Captain Jack, Meet me down by the railroad track. With my rifle in my hand, I wanna be a fighting man.
Count Cadence, Delay Cadence, Skip Cadence, Count. (One) Airborne Solider, (Two) Better do your best, (Three) Before you find yourself, (Four) In the leaning rest, (One) Hit it, (Two) Kick it, (Three) Stab it, (Four) Kill it. One, two, three, four, we’re not the damn Marine Corps. We like it here, we love it here, we’ve finally found a home. (A what) A home. (A what) A home. A home away from home.
Candances were about accepting our fate. It’s easy to look death in the face with a catchy tune.
Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.
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