Hello from glorious Fort Huachuca. It has a been such a nice weekend... hell week is officially over and we could finally just relax. Every night of hell week I was out late studying. On any other circumstances, I would have avoided studying until the last second. That is, if I studied at all. However, this was a little bit more serious than just a high school test. IPT determined whether or not I was stuck here longer, something I just can't afford to let happen.
I feel like overall I did pretty well on IPT. We won't know if we passed or not until Monday, and I'll be sure to let you guys know the outcome. However, this whole weekend most of my class has talked so much about it that they have convinced themselves they have failed... and they all have plans to go to Mexico if that's the outcome. I might join them, I could use a nice tan so I can get rid of the wonderful tan line that has formed from my beret. It looks just lovely.
TRADOC does not look so kindly on soldier hopping the border... so we'll have to be stealth about it. If however, no Mexico is necessary because everyone passed, we will all start the next phase. The next phase is called something like HISCO or something along those lines... Human Intelligence Source Collection Operation. I think that's what it is... and that changes a lot of things. I will not have to carry my backpack. We don't carry backpacks because we move onto top secret stuff, and we can't carry any of the material home with us. I am horribly distraught over not lugging my backpack around. I feel like I will get over it very very quickly. But because we change the classification of the course, I won't be able to talk about what I am doing. Some of it, but not a big chunk of it. Also, we won't be confined to a booth or a classroom, we'll be walking around the base in groups on two or three to collect information. I here Burger King is a hotspot for collection... along with the bay... which just happens to house a lot of beds... apparently TRADOC doesn't look so kindly on soldier who happen to collect intel in the bay either.
Ok. This is completely unrealated... but did you know that Arizona doesn't abide by daylight savings? I had no idea. I was so confused last night. I couldn't tell if my phone had automatically reset, and then I realized I would now be 2 hours behind all of you guys when this whole time I had been 1 hour. My whole life I've loved when we set back an hour and dreaded when we have to move forward an hour. I feel like I've lost a small piece of myself... but I also haven't lost sleep. I feel like you should have warned me Mom and Harry... you lived here and you knew all along. You never prepared me for this...
<3 Jacki.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Put Put Champion of the World
First off, happy birthday to my mom. I think today is the first time I can remember not being home for her birthday. My family, in particular my mom, have truly become my best friends over the years. Mom your one of my closest friends and you are the first person I want to call when I find something out. I will never call you because I have dry hands or other weird reasons like a certain sister of mine has done though... but I do know that you are my biggest source of strength some days. I'm sorry that I couldn't talk to you longer than just a little bit this morning. But know that all day you were on my mind, even as I was frantically studying. I love you, momma.
Second off... hello there from glorious Fort Huachuca where it hasn't been so glorious. This week is basically hell week for 35M students. We are in our final days before IPT, Interrogation Performance Test. In essence, it's a horrible combination of the SAT, ACT, and the most important interview for the job you always wanted. It's nerve wracking and this week we have a couple of days to really practice what we need to work on before Friday.
On Friday, we will be on lock down as three different groups head into the booth. First booth, that's me, heads up to the school houst at about 6:15 AM. Until noon that day, we will not be able to talk to anyone but the detainee we are interrogating and we will silently write our reports. Then my group is released back to the company where we will sit silently, not discussing the iteration. The second group will head in at about 8:15 AM. And the third will head in at about 11:15.
Usually we find out the results of the iteration as soon as we have completed the interrogation, however lucky for us they will hold the scores until Monday so that we can freak out until that morning. However, as my sergreant put it... he will know and he can laugh as he pictures us freaking out... he's a friendly guy I tell ya...
Friday determines wether we continue on in the course. If we fail, we have one chance to redeem ourselves before we are recycled or have to start from square one.... all the way back to death by powerpoint. Something I wouldn't wish on anyone... however at least 5 people from each class (6 classes of 30 students each) is expected to not make it. That's 30 people gone just like that. This weekend will be spent preparing for the next iteration in case we failed... so we are on lock down again. But they might let us off for saturday night and sunday.
So, in preperation of a long and boring week of studying late into the wee hours of the night, I went put putting with a few people from my class. I am sad to report that while I talked the talk, even going as far as to say I was the put put champion of the world... I did not walk the walk. And I have suffered from it every single day. But it was nice to get away for a little bit from glorious Fort Huachuca.
I love you guys, and I'm sorry that I've been so busy this last week. Next week, hopefully I'll be able to write and tell you I passed and worried for nothing.
<3 me.
Second off... hello there from glorious Fort Huachuca where it hasn't been so glorious. This week is basically hell week for 35M students. We are in our final days before IPT, Interrogation Performance Test. In essence, it's a horrible combination of the SAT, ACT, and the most important interview for the job you always wanted. It's nerve wracking and this week we have a couple of days to really practice what we need to work on before Friday.
On Friday, we will be on lock down as three different groups head into the booth. First booth, that's me, heads up to the school houst at about 6:15 AM. Until noon that day, we will not be able to talk to anyone but the detainee we are interrogating and we will silently write our reports. Then my group is released back to the company where we will sit silently, not discussing the iteration. The second group will head in at about 8:15 AM. And the third will head in at about 11:15.
Usually we find out the results of the iteration as soon as we have completed the interrogation, however lucky for us they will hold the scores until Monday so that we can freak out until that morning. However, as my sergreant put it... he will know and he can laugh as he pictures us freaking out... he's a friendly guy I tell ya...
Friday determines wether we continue on in the course. If we fail, we have one chance to redeem ourselves before we are recycled or have to start from square one.... all the way back to death by powerpoint. Something I wouldn't wish on anyone... however at least 5 people from each class (6 classes of 30 students each) is expected to not make it. That's 30 people gone just like that. This weekend will be spent preparing for the next iteration in case we failed... so we are on lock down again. But they might let us off for saturday night and sunday.
So, in preperation of a long and boring week of studying late into the wee hours of the night, I went put putting with a few people from my class. I am sad to report that while I talked the talk, even going as far as to say I was the put put champion of the world... I did not walk the walk. And I have suffered from it every single day. But it was nice to get away for a little bit from glorious Fort Huachuca.
I love you guys, and I'm sorry that I've been so busy this last week. Next week, hopefully I'll be able to write and tell you I passed and worried for nothing.
<3 me.
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