Day the 6th at Fort McCoy

[aadler]

 

The program continues, without anything really worthy of note. I’m supposed to co-lead PT tomorrow, so I’ll have a more substantial meal this evening than has been my practice, to make sure I have the energy for a run of two or three miles. (I also have drill and ceremony tomorrow, plus an official presentation. Together, those should cover 25% to 40% of what I’ll be graded on.)

I did, as I hoped, drop another half a pound since yesterday. After tomorrow, I’ll return to my adjusted diet routine (one light meal per day). I’m now a third of the way through the course, and — except for additional classes — I honestly can’t figure out what they’ll find for us to do during that time.

Since this is Wisconsin, cheesehead memorabilia is a big deal. As soon as I get the time, I plan to buy Susan a foam rubber big-block-of-cheese coaster at the PX. A small, silly thing, but hey, you have to keep the magic going somehow.

Currently, we’re moving through the curriculum quickly enough that today we used part of the class period to watch the first two episodes of Band of Brothers. We did, after each episode, discuss what we saw as examples of good and ineffective leadership, but even so, this shows that we’re somewhat ahead of the game at this point.

*               *               *

Anyone who knows me will agree that, in my private life, I have such rampant self-assurance that it resembles (and may in fact operate as) arrogance. In the Army, however, I am constantly insecure, endlessly scrambling to keep up. I am surrounded by awesome people, dismayingly competent, seemingly at perfect ease in a world where — however much I may love it — I am still trying to feel my way. The standards are high and unrelenting, and the effort to measure up never ceases.

I am proud to belong to this group. I would like to be equally proud of the service I will have rendered once I reach the point where it’s time for me to leave. That second part? still a work in progress.