Well.

Now I have a few minutes, I may need to go at any moment, please understand it comes with the job. My name is Private Burnham. My story begins back last summer in 2008. My dad remarried and there were some personal issues between me, his wife, and her daughters. Well, it got to a point where I no longer wanted to stay there. I could have moved in with my mom, I could have dormed at college, I could have done a number of things, but I decided to join the United States Army. I really didn't think about how this would affect those around me, it was a selfish decision, I left alot behind. The most important thing among them, my Girl friend, Autumn Gracy. I signed 8/17, and I shipped 9/11. As I stepped off the bus, it wasn't the yelling that got to me, I was used to that. It wasn't the pain, I expected it at least. It was the fact that I was 1,261 miles away from everyone that meant anything to me, it hit me like a bus. I couldn't just walk over and say hi, I couldn't just call, the only means of communication I had was mail, and for the 1st week in reception I had no address to receive mail too. When you go to Basic Combat Training at Ft. Benning, you arrive outside a building called Johnston Hall. Your unit is the 30th Adjucant Generals Battalion, commonly referred to as 30th A.G. This is where you get processed into the Army, it's where you get issued your ACUs, your Boots, your duffle bag, PT uniforms, all that stuff, except your combat gear. All the Battle Rattle gets issued by the Central Issuing Facility (CIF) when you get downrange. Oh, Downrange is the term used to describe your actual Basic Training unit. You will spend 1 week at 30th A.G. on average, maybe alittle more or alittle less, then you get on a bus to your new barracks where you WILL have a mailing address. Back to 30th A.G. You will be stationed at either the Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie company barracks, there are also Delta and Echo company, but those are special companies. Delta is for those who got injured downrange and are attending physical therapy (guess where I am). Echo is for people who are leaving the Army from Basic, for one reason or another, sometimes disciplinary sometimes medical. Quick tips, the chow hall is called Barnes Dining Facility, the left line is for cheeseburgers and whatnot, the right side is for normal dinners and stuff, but usually if you dont want to wait long you have two options: You can cut everyone and just eat the Salad Bar, or you can cut everyone and stand at the big window they have set up just at the entrace to the big yellow hallway, theres a box of chips at this boothe, its the deli line, tell em what you want and theyll make you a sub or a sandwhich, this is usually the quicker, more healthy way to eat at 30th A.G. Since I have alot typed up, I'm gonna post this and continue alittle later.