Bweinh! Goes to Boot Camp — Week 1

June 23, 2007, 10:00 am; posted by
Filed under Articles, Job  | 5 Comments

Bweinh!’s own Job Tate went through training to become a Seabee in the US Navy.
Read his dispatches here: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 6 | Graduation

“The end of a matter is more important than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.”
Ecclesiastes 7:8

We come from all over, quite literally: San Diego, Burma, Texas, Nigeria, the Carolinas, Arizona, the Philippines, and Vermont. Congregated in O’Hare International Airport’s USO, we had our last civilian meal and watched The Bourne Identity on DVD. The thick apprehension in the room was cut only by forced bravado, nervous laughter and naivete.

We were embarking on a 36-hour sleepless endeavor of fittings and proddings, extreme dental cleanings, shots in every prone piece of skin, and learning the distinct differences between our drill instructors’ breaths. The old lady at the USO smiled knowingly when she thrust a pillow under my arm, advising me to secure some shut-eye. But she knew, just like me, such an attempt would be futile.

I found some guys from Maine and we stuck together for a few hours before being separated by “The Grinder,” where we were sorted into divisions and given our seabag and first uniform — a pair of Navy sweats and New Balance tennis shoes. A harbinger of the coming week’s activity.

Boot camp is very real. I think the most accurate description is that it’s akin to holding your hand in an open gator’s mouth ALL DAY, just waiting for it to snap shut. Watching grown men cry and sweat in salty unison will sober you up quickly, and will make you work furiously to ensure you don’t join their ranks. Our drill instructors do not attempt to be our leaders; they work, rather, to foster mutiny. We team up against the common enemy, and with every passing day, our barracks turns more and more into the Bounty.

The first week of Navy boot camp is one of mass uncertainty, deep, deep exhaustion, and intense aggravation. They reduce you to infants, telling you when to eat, sleep, shower and use the bathroom. I was surprised (and admittedly frightened) by how many recruits dropped out that first week. Asthma attacks, torn tendons, failed drug tests and just good old-fashioned quitting. You learn to make friendships sparingly. Those friends may not be there when you wake up.

Up to this point my name and clean tongue have been the only real witness of Christ I’ve been able to exude — those and my prayers at meal times, but I’ve found they’re best for ministering to my own soul, rather than my fellow recruits. As I said, boot camp is very real, and it contains all of the imagined horrors. But I do have a great peace knowing that I serve, first, the armor of God before the uniform of a United States sailor.

Coming in Week Two: Intense Training


Comments

5 Comments to “Bweinh! Goes to Boot Camp — Week 1”

  1. Bweinh! Goes To Boot Camp -- Week 2 : Bweinh! on June 28th, 2007 5:48 pm

    […] Bweinh!’s own Job Tate is currently training to become a Seabee in the US Navy. Read his first dispatch here. […]

  2. Bweinh! Goes to Boot Camp -- Week 3 : Bweinh! on July 5th, 2007 5:34 pm

    […] own Job Tate is currently training to become a Seabee in the US Navy. Read his first two dispatches here and […]

  3. Bweinh! Goes To Boot Camp -- Week 4 : Bweinh! on July 15th, 2007 6:40 pm

    […] own Job Tate is currently training to become a Seabee in the US Navy. Read his first two dispatches here, here, and […]

  4. Bweinh! Goes To Boot Camp -- Week 6 : Bweinh! on July 26th, 2007 3:26 pm

    […] Job Tate is currently training to become a Seabee in the US Navy. Read his first three dispatches here, here, here, and here. Week 5 was radio […]

  5. Bweinh! Goes To Boot Camp -- Graduation : Bweinh! on August 12th, 2007 8:40 pm

    […] Tate has officially become a Seabee in the US Navy! Read his first five dispatches from boot camp here, here, here, here, […]

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