Let me tell you a story about the first day of Basic Combat Training, also known as BCT. It was living hell. I cannot explain to you how awful it was without going a bit overboard. I left home on June 19th and went over the train tracks on June 26th 2013. It was over a hundred degrees and I still missed home, I missed my parents and my sisters. I missed my best friend. I was sick and tired; a lack of sleep was a huge thing down there. That’s what they wanted though…tired trainees.

The night before we went over the tracks they spilt us into our platoons. I was sent with a few of the friends I had made and was ready to start my training. We went back to our barracks and packed everything up for the next morning before bed because we had to be on the field and ready by 4 AM. It was dark that morning and cool with only light from the moon. I sat on my new belongings and prayed about what was about to happen.

We ate breakfast and waited in the sun for the buses to arrive. I remember hearing the trucks pull up, not buses but cattle trucks. The Drill Sergeants got excited because our platoon Drill Sergeants were finally here and we no longer were their problem. I was scared to death about what was going to happen. I had already heard about the first day that they like to call “Shark Attack” and was ready but more scared then I have ever been in my life.

“GET OFF YOUR FAT ASSES RIGHT NOW!” screamed the only female Drill Sergeant for my platoon. “Alright, second! You’re second platoon Cobras. We are the best and we will be the best. NOW GET UP!” I did not think twice. I got up, stood straight and kept quiet. She was the most intimidating person I had ever seen in my entire life. I was terrified of all of the Drill Sergeants that stood before me. They were strong, they were scary. They were LOUD.

For a good hour or so my platoon sat and was yelled at. They made sure that we drank water, and were ready to go. We hauled everything we had onto our backs and ran towards the trucks. At least 65 pounds of gear was hard to hold for my small body but I managed my large duffle bag, I had to. I got my stuff in the trailer and got in line for the cattle trucks but was sweating so bad that the sun screen I had on my face was running into my eyes.

“What’s wrong private? Do you miss your mommy? MAN THE F*** UP SOLDIER!” screamed Drill Sergeant Moye. I ran as fast as I could onto the truck and sat down. They told us to keep our heads down and think about how stupid we were and we better be ready for hell. I kept my head down like they told me but I prayed the whole way over the tracks.

I laid my head on my backpack and closed my eyes. I thought to myself “God, help me make it through this. Don’t let me quit. I know I can do everything through you who gives me strength but God, I’m scared.” I kept thinking that for ten minutes while we road in the cattle trucks to our bay. They told us to look up and we saw our home for the next ten weeks. Red roofs, tan stucco paint and concrete floor. I did not know what I was doing.

They had us dump all of our stuff to make sure that we had everything we needed and did not have things that we weren’t supposed to. I slipped my family picture into my bible and packed everything back up. We got a two minute phone call after that, from the moment we hit power to when they said stop. I got ahold of my mom and started crying, begging her to let me quit. My two minutes were up to soon, I said goodbye and I love you for the last time and followed the female sergeants to my bay.

We were split up, the side next to the door was for second platoon and the farther side was for fourth platoon. We each had a bed and sat our stuff down. The drill sergeants started screaming and telling us we had 30 seconds to shower. “WASH THE HOT SPOTS AND GET OUT!” they yelled while banging on our wall lockers with hangers. One of my battle buddies took too long to strip so she had no choice but to shower in her uniform. Lucky for us we got to change into our physical training uniform and get ready for bed.

“Better head up to bed privates! We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow” said the First Sergeant as we finished our first CQ formation. “You got 20 seconds or you drop!”

I have never run faster in my life. Every single person that was still outside after 20 seconds had to drop and do pushups till everyone else was in bed. I knew how to make my bed and was in bed within ten minutes. I cried myself to sleep; I wanted my mom and wanted to be in my own bed. I was not prepared for what was about to happen next.