Pre-tests, blah blah blah blah blah. Stupid. Nuff said. They tell us we won't know how we did and they won't know how we did. So what the hell is the point of three hours of testing?
After the tests it was time for lunch, not wanting to go off base at lunch due to traffic, I decided to go to one of the stores on base that has a Subway. I make my way in, look by an ATM and see a face...a face I had not seen in 13 years.
Crazy Pee Wee??? No..it couldn't be. I approached, saw his name tag and then I knew it was him. My TI, back then he was a Senior Airman...he got his campaign hat with my flight, we were the first flight he led. We called him Crazy Pee Wee because he looked like a homicidal Pee Wee Herman with a high and tight.
He used to have this damn watch that had a cover on it, looked like a camouflage wristband, but the top of it opened and closed with velcro. So every time he checked the time...you got that sound. To this day when I hear velcro I think “what time is it?”. Funny how those things stay with you, years later Mitch Hedberg made a joke about gambling and having a velcro wallet...he said something along the lines of “that sound was the sound of addiction”. I totally got it, more than most likely would.
Kind bizarre how things came full circle.
For fun, here is 13 years ago...
We talked for a moment and shook hands, it was surreal. Instead of yelling at me it was "good to see ya man!". Just strange. Hard to explain to someone who hasn't been through the system. In a moment that I will never forget and everyone in the military should never forget...never be a dick to people you work with. Odds are, you will see them again. Not only did I see him again, but now he saw something as he went to leave...he looked at my sleeves, then looked at the medals on my chest. We are now the same rank, both Technical Sergeants. He had a four year head start on me and now we were "tied" and judging from his face when he looked at my medals, I think I might have had a few more than him.
Hey, if nothing else Crazy Pee Wee helped get me in the door, and 13 years later...almost to the damn day, he reminded me that things can come full circle, and you never know what the years are going to bring. Good or bad. While I've been there and done that, put bombs on targets, dealt with space shuttles crashing, buildings on fire and countless things in between...he was kind of stuck in place. Not to take from him, he's still a TI and still generating Airmen for the most powerful Air Force in the world...but he's still doing what he did 13 years ago. Every eight weeks he starts over again. Every eight weeks for 13 years starting from scratch and going through the same exact routine.
I couldn't handle that, where is my variety? Hell, I can barely stay on topic for five minutes, let alone same exact thing every day. Enough of the nostalgia though, lets get back to class.
Fast forward and we had some discussions that were a bore, so far the class seems to not be able to stay on topic. I love to joke and play, but damn it man...even I have my limits.
Finally as the day closed some of us volunteered for a tryout. The tryout came complete with an American Idol like audition for a leadership position. About 70 people give or take tried out, and about 30 of us will get something or be an alternate. I guess this will start to show who is above and beyond. We all stood outside until our turn, then entered the room. Adjusted ourselves for a moment and then marched forward to a panel. Stop in front of them...right face and then stare straight ahead...not looking at them or saying a word. Instead you call out commands and complete them. LEFT FACE! ABOUT FACE! LEFT FACE! PRESENT ARMS! ORDER ARMS! Then do another left face and march out of the room.
That ended my day, results in the morning. I have the voice and commands down, but I may have made a misstep or two, nothing serious but it wasn't exactly how I wanted it to go down. I stop about 1 foot short of where needed, it's hard to do something like that when you have no depth perception. I didn't let it show (I think) that I knew I wasn't on spot. I just rocked it and as I heard my own voice, even I was surprised at how well I sounded. If voice alone wins...I am in there like swim wear. I'm hoping to be flight sergeant, I guess we will see in the morning...
No comments:
Post a Comment