DonePlete

The huge job of in-processing the new class is, as we say here, DonePlete!
It was quite a huge job and took everything about coordination, planning, and leadership that I've learned in the last couple years in order to pull it off. I'd try to explain more of it, but after me spending time typing it and you spending time reading it, you still wouldn't really understand. It was a week of prep, and two long days of pulling it off, but I actually loved it. It was great to see things come together and be the one to make it happen. I played the part and marched around like Gen. Patton; making decisions, putting out fires, and helping to make sure the newbies knew their civilian life was over. The environment we created was really effective. I could walk up to someone and they'd be shaking, literally poring sweat, and so freaked out they couldn't repeat a two sentence quote they'd been studing for three hours - all that without even raising my voice.
If all of us hadn't gone through the same thing I would feel like a real jerk, but we've seen how good it was in the long run. In a couple days we'll relax a little bit and let them start showing a little initiative.

This brings me back to the subject of our upperclassmen graduating a week ago. First of all, they're almost all high-quality guys that I look forward to serving with in the future, and some of them I'll be going through UPT (pilot training) with. What struck me the most though was getting to watch the ceremonies as they were commissioned. It was really moving and I look forward to that time five weeks from today. It's sad that most of the people in this country have no idea that there is a constant stream of men and women who willingly give up so much of their own freedom in order to take on the burden of protecting the very freedoms that are so regularly taken for granted.