Training Day 2

I'm writing this on an exercise machine because this morning I was told … never mind, that was too hard. I'm doing better than before, but I got in trouble hardcore and may not graduate in time. Please ask Gunny if I might not get my MOS if I don't graduate on Jan. 12 or if it is locked. I wrote a lot of letters and didn't seal them, then accidentally left my footlocker open and the DIs found them. In one I wrote (jokingly) to tell Gunny to fuck off for sending me here. Now DI Sgt. Sagullo says she's putting me on rifle watch, (where you walk a post around our M16 rifles and keep them secured) and not letting me PT so that "you'll fail the PST (physical fitness test)". I have no free time now 'cause I'll be using it to study and PT so I don't fail, but ask anyway.

PLEASE LETTERS!!!!!

Tell people I'm stressed but having fun, and to write but I can't write back. I'm on the DIs 'destroy' list – they tear up my things and my bed and stuff, not other recruits – because of my footlocker and letters.

We drill a lot – in formations and marching, and are starting to attend etiquette, history and martial arts classes. We sound off ditties (like 'pick them up' and 'BOOT TOP HIGH!') during marches.

I'm homesick but enjoying myself. I'm in the rack (bed) closest to the DI door, so I don't get away with shit. Every morning they wake us up and we have 20 sec to get on line @ attention, then they count backwards from 100 as fast as possible, and all 59 girls have to be out of the heads (bathrooms) by then. I never make it! I wake up 20 mins earlier at 3:40 to go then. We do a lot of repetition – making all the racks in 5 mins then tearing them up and making them again. We call out "knowledge" (we'll be tested later) in formation (like "Ma'am, discipline is the instant willing obedience to all orders, self- reliance, and team work Ma'am.")

I'm trying to keep my head down.