*My unit - Charlie Company - arrives in one week!*
I wish I could find a source online that doesn’t drain the quality of my pictures. They look excellent on my screen, better on Steve’s, and then on Flickr and Facebook it looks like shit… Anywho. I got a lot of great shots at TDC today, our second day in the field. Alpha Cadre (the company’s leaders, who are all officially army soldiers) have learned to recognize most of the PAO’s, particularly the writers and photographers. They pick and tease us constantly, poking fun that PAOs never do anything, they have the best job, the easiest job, etc. I can’t imagine how Bobby’s days have been going, but I’ve barely gotten a second to breathe. Today is the third day in a row I thought I might get off work early and now I’m squeezing in a quick type/dinner break before another assignment. The hours stretch out across the whole day. Steve was right - some days I work 9-5, others I’m up at 4 and working until 2100 - 9pm. I must admit though, sometimes, I make the work for myself.
The story I was covering today, for example, didn’t require my writer, Sara, and I to stick around for the entire event. Grab some quotes, get an idea of what it is, snap a couple shots, leave, deadline finished by lunch. Instead, we both elected to stay and watch the Cadets heave and ho their way through the obstacle course, directing and appointing and delegating - and epicly failing - at every portion of the course. We enjoyed it, seeing the Cadets struggle and fall off the balancing beams, barking inappropriate instructions to one another. (The article, by the way, should be running at the website tonight - check it out http://leadertrainingcourse.com/)
This afternoon and evening, as well, I probably could have kicked back and relaxed. Alas, I elected to accompany a Drill Sergeant that is helping Sara and I with a story to his evening formation to chow. And was invited back to witness (and shoot) smoking his Cadets in the barracks tonight before downtime. This kind of access and coverage would NOT be extended to civilians anywhere else. I guess it’s because this isn’t real OCS or BCT (Officer Candidacy School, or Basic Combat Training - both the first training steps toward being an officer or enlisted in the Army), but who cares? I get to be in the barracks while Drill Sergeants scream their heads off at crying cadets. That’s a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment