Update

[Tom Yum]

What's up guys! Just checking in. Graduated Bootcamp and am shipping out to enchanting Coronado, Ca - for some....fun under the sun, water and fast boats.

Miss keeping up with the boards. Won't be keeping up as much, but I'll check in when I can.

Later

[DickHardman]

good luck tom. you are going to love CALI.

[Guest]

Hey Tom

Great to hear from you, congratulations on your Boot Camp success. All the best of luck in your training and hope to hear from you soon.

[Tom Yum]

Thanks, guys. Getting yelled at was the easiest part; its a given and you know its going to happen. Some people don't take to it well, but its bootcamp - no BS, you have an idea what its going to be like and hopefully your idea was close.

You're given simple tasks (labelling uniform parts to getting out of racks at 0400 and on spot), alot of stress (Instructors getting you to restart, yelling etc.) and time pressure. Sometimes they restart you for the hell of it to see how you react. They pay close attention to detail and you either gradually figure it out, get ahead of the curve, keep up with it or remain sloppy and backward.

Scored Marksman on my shooting, just a few points short of Sharpshooter - can't wait to get some consistant range time in and get it up there!

Physical fit tests went well. I think alot of people assumed I'd get my ass handed to me because I'm 10-some years older than alot of recruits. During some of the swim evolutions, I won relays - where it really does pay to win (losers get hammered!). I'm a middle of the pack runner (amongst 18-24 year old athletes) up to about 4-5 miles, after that its a battle of wills!

My best physical achievement was during the Captain's Cup competition where I banged out 151 pushups in 3:00. Never once got shin splints; got a really bad flu though and that was a test in itself.

Bootcamp was a pretty good experience. Ready for some more training. About 1/4 of us were college grads; there were 7guys in the 27-31 age range, which may or may not be suprising. I was the second oldest there.

The last and most important thing I want to ad is that you can't do it by yourself. You depend on your fellow recruits to survive! Look after them as well. It'll be a rewarding experience all around.

Find the guys you think are like-minded, who want to be there, are stable and squared away and you should be okay.

[Hardball]

What branch did you join? I'm gonna guess Navy.

[DickHardman]

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[Tom Yum]

hey tom, ive been thinking about doing something similar to what you did. im only 24 right now, but ive been thinking about either serving in the military or joining the local police department when i am a bit older and more responsible, around when i am like 35 or so..

Do your research now, then decide yourself when the time is right. There are better resources to ask than myself, especially since I'm still pretty new to military life.

[DickHardman]

god has blessed me with an able body, and a good understanding of martial arts. i want to one day use them to help people. i want to be one of the good guys. i want to use my physical gifts and skills to help people.

btw, if the san jose police department didnt recruit people who have smoked weed in the past, they wouldnt have anyone there to serve lol.....

[DickHardman]

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[DickHardman]

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[Hardball]

Kicking pot is not that easy when you are HOOKED. Everybody thinks it's easy to quit but Dick will find out as soon as he tries to quit.

[Guest]

I signed up to be a Royal Marine when I was 23. I got through all the tests and to the end, the Admiralty Interview at Royal College Sandhurst. I failed at the final hurdle, I was failed on my character, which for me was the hardest reason to swallow.

The feedback I received from the recruiting officer was that, when it really came down to the wire, it was their considered opinon that I would question orders that conflicted against my moral code - putting the misson and those around me in danger. I guess I was not cut out to be a soldier, which is a regret that stays with me.

So Dick if you are, then it would seriously piss me off if the only thing stopping you was the fact that you enjoy a toke on a reefer. Thats a bullshit reason, so kick it in the nuts and do something about it, if you feel thats where you belong.

[treelizard]

Thanks for your service, TY.

[Guest]

Thank you for that Mike. Its hard not to be able to follow a family tradition, especially when you are told "you don't have the character". Its also hard to watch the TV for 10 years wanting to make a contribution you weren't allowed to make, but hey ho.

And the irony? I ended up teaching the Royal Marines, and also a unit from another area in aquatic Special Forces that I can't type, because I'm under NDA. As is customary at the end of a long day taking shit from these guys, they took me to the bar and indulged my love of Guinness as a thanks. As I seem to recall from the invaluable (and rather blurred) round the table chats, they struck me as men of an impeccable moral code and unswerving belief system that I admired greatly. It did leave me wondering.

Anyway, there we go, thats life.

[DickHardman]

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