I will Survive

Well this past weekend was very eventful. I went to Camp Ripley for our annul Joint FTX training (ROTC thing). We left on Thursday around 11:30 am and got back on Sunday at 2:00 pm. It was about a five hour bus drive on the worst highways in the world (thank you Minnesota). The night we got there we did our night land navigation which is when they give us co ordinances on a grid map and we have to find the flag that goes with them. They give us 3 hours and five grid points and it starts at 9 pm and the only light you can have is an army flashlight with a red lens. The red light really doesn’t help unless the map is made for it and ours wasn’t. We still rocked it though. The freshmen got to pair up with each other and my partner and I finished with 45 min left and got 4 out of 5. We got to sleep at 1:30 because some junior in our squad got lost. We got up the next morning at 4:50, went to a team building activity till 10 and then did our day land navigation. Once again we rocked it. That night we camped outside under the stars in 30 degree weather with a C-130 buzzing us until 2:00 am and then we woke up at 4:00 am packed up and then started our 12 straight hours of STX lanes (simulated combat drills). It was then that I realized that out of all the colleges that were there UND was so much more prepared. Our juniors were much better leaders and we all knew what to do because we practice it every Thursday. We ended the day with a 3 mile Ruck March (all our gear on our backs). We ate a nice dinner and then spent the last 3 hours from 8 till 11 cleaning our guns (m-16). Yes it took the full 3 hours.
I am still alive and well. It was overall a very fun and educational weekend. I was not allowed to bring any electronics like cell phones or cameras so I don’t have any pictures to show you.
(only 3 ½ more weeks till we come home!!!)