Easter at BSNCOC

Today is my third day at BSNCOC at FT McCoy.  I'll write a little on how I got here and what I've done since.  BSNCOC is the Battle Staff NCO Course and here at Ft McCoy it is three weeks long.  It is in two phases, the first one being distant learning and the second phase being resident.  I kinda of sign up as something to do, and it seemed like a good idea at first.  I really think it will be a good school, I just hate being away from home, especially at the beginning of Spring.

 

The leaves were just beginning to come out and the flowers were starting to bloom.  The weather had warmed up and I was ready to get serious about my running.  The kids are still in school and Gil is working a lot.  It's really hard on her to come home and take the kids where they need to go after a hard day at work getting "pluses".   I really miss Canim and the kids.  I think that this will go by fast for me - because we are so busy here - but slow for them.

 

I arrived here on Friday after a long extended lay over in Chicago.  I thought I was the only one going to miss the 1800 deadline, but there were 16 of us on that plane.  Once we got here, we immediately changed into APFT's for the weigh in.  This is no problem for me because I can weigh an additional 12 pounds then what I do.  After in-processing and drawing lining, I finally went to bed around 2230. 

 

Wake up was at 0500 for the 0530 APFT formation.  It was cold and you had to change into shorts and short sleeve shirt for the push-ups and sit-ups.  I managed to do 55 push-ups, 64 sit-ups and ran my two miles in 13:52 - 12 seconds slower then I did on my test three days prior.  The hard part was that I caught a cramp in my left calve while doing the sit-ups.  It is still hurting today.  This sucks because I want to get back to running.  Anyway, back to the APFT.  My grader was a hard grader who docked my 1 or 2 push-ups.  He turned out to be my Small Group Letter for this course.  He seems like a good guy.

 

Today we studied Map overlays and symbols.  We will be doing this for the next four days and will take the test on Friday.  This is supposed to be the hardest part of the course.  I sure hope I pass it.  I don't want to have to retest.  I'm usually pretty good with these things, so we'll see.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Today, SFC Biddix and me are going to Colleys house for Easter dinner.  I'm just waiting on Biddix to get back from his class so that we can leave.  Hope he hurries up.  

 

Well, Biddix didn't show up.  Colley came by and inspected the spartan living quarters that I now call home.  It is maybe 10 x 12 with a small bed, night stand, and a desk.  He made sure he told me about how nice it is at the ARTEC with a TV in every room and maid service.  Here, we have common showers, common shitters, and a day room in another building.  Anyway, we left a note on Biddix's door and left.  Colley had chicken in the smoker, cold beer, and cheese curds.  Not a bad deal.  Biddix called soon after and Kim and I went to pick him up.  We had a great time talking about the Guertz / DeBerry days.  I also got two beer bottles for my collection: a local beer called "Fat Squirral" - no I'm serious, and a brew called "Blue Moon" which was a pumkin beer.  The Fat Squirral actually had a nutty taste but it was better then the pumkin beer.  Got  back around 2230 and went to bed.  Will get up tomorrow and start drawing rectangles again.