Chapter 8

[March 9th, 2021]

The bus ride is short. Nothing really happens on the ride to the MEPS facility. It's very quiet. I ended up not sitting next to anyone I knew. What was eventful was whenever we got out of the bus. As soon as we got out we were being instructed to get into a formation. Then ordered to take off our shoes. Of course, the instructor was really nice about the whole thing. He kept a level tone the entire time and never raised his voice. It almost surprised me. We did as we were told and were ordered to enter the facility. We go through a security screening process when we enter the building. Apparently, the first thing that we'll do is attend a briefing about the MEPS. We put all of our belongings in these cubbies and move along. Just like that. I enter the waiting room and sit down. Nobody I know is in here yet so I'll just wait it out. "Hey, you." "Hmm?" I look to my side and see a man that looks to be in his 20's looking at me. "What branch are you going into?" "Army."

"I'm going into the Air Force." "Really? What led to that?" "Well, I want to serve my country but I really didn't want to die." He chuckles awkwardly. "The pay was also really good, and I stay in the states most of the time. That still doesn't change why I did it. It feels cowardly." "No, you're just fine. I think that you're still doing your part." "Yeah, thanks." He looks away. Almost nervous. "What's your name?" He looks at me, surprised that I was even remotely interested. "Hanz." He's a total stereotype. I can look at him and tell he's German/Irish. With that, I'm almost surprised he's not a marine. All of them almost look German/Irish. "It's Jackson." He nods to me and looks onward. "It's nice to meet you." "Yeah." I hear the door open and I see Brandon walk in. I look at him curious as to the whereabouts of our friend. "Where's Mable?" "Hell if I know." I shrug it off. Me and Brandon just sit there for a while when the time comes for a briefing. I grab the papers that I brought with me and make my way into the briefing room where the MEPS commander is standing. We are made aware of the different tests that we will take and that the MEPS process may take well over 12 hours. I'm completely fine with it. It's not like I have anything else to really do at the moment. We are then supposed to speak to a representative of the branch that we want to join. So that's exactly what I do. I went in there, presented the papers, my birth certificate, and so forth. Then I was given a name tag and sent off to the service desk. That was where they got my picture and fingerprint and sent me to testing, and that's where I'm going now. The first test is the medical examination since I've already taken the ASVAB. I go through the door to the medical examination room and it's just like any other room here. A lot of chairs, with a lot of people in chairs, with paperwork to do. I sit down and listen to a man in a sharp-looking uniform talk about the tests that we'll do in this specific test. We're doing tests in a test to get the results of one test. When you say it like that of course it sounds ridiculous but when you think about it, it's just like any other test. You have multiple sections to complete, and they all have a different focus. There's a hearing test, a sight test, height and weight examination, and muscle group and joint maneuvers. We also need to get them a urine sample for a drug test. None of those sound like an issue. I go to the bathroom after he's done and get the urine sample, and then head back. Off to the hearing testing. I walk into a room and stand in front of a metal box with some headphones on. We also have a button on a controller, plastic, stick like object. What we need to do is press it when we hear a beep. So the test begins. I wait, wait, and I hear the beep. I press the button as soon as I hear it and wait for another beep. This continues for about 5 minutes and the test is over. That's just about how all the testing went. It was pretty boring overall. So then lunch comes around. I practically sprint to the mess hall because I can finally socialize with people I know. I quickly find Mable sitting alone looking overwhelmed by the amount of people that have been crammed into the lunchroom. She spots me and waves at me. I smile and sit down beside her once I get there. "How's the testing going?" She looks at me like she's thinking about how to respond. She really isn't a good fit for the army. Granted, I don't think that me or Brandon are either. "It's been ok. It's been really boring." "Same here, it's much more difficult alone. You just feel really awkward I guess. Like you don't belong." "Yeah, that's just how we are I guess. I didn't think that you guys were the type of guys to join. Or at least people with a personality like yours. It's almost like you're too upbeat or cheery." She's only known us for 2 days… I almost feel insulted. "I never thought I'd find someone like you in here either." "Well, I'm here." "Well, I can see that." We sit in silence for a second to see if Brandon was going to show up, but he doesn't. I wonder what's taking so long. I mean, I wonder a lot, but seriously. I'm not hungry right now, so I guess that I'll just sit here. "Aren't you going to eat?" "I'm not hungry right now." "That's not good, you need to eat." "What are you, my mother?" She looks away seemingly upset. "No, I just think that you should eat more." "I have a slow metabolism, it's fine." I think for a moment but don't quite know how to strike up a conversation so the rest of the lunch goes by in silence. When lunch is over, everyone files out, leaving a very confused Brandon in the door frame. I walk to him and he looks at me as a set my palm on his shoulder. "Isn't it time for lunch? Nope, it seems that you're a little late. Next up is the job placement. I walk into the counselor's room and he motions for me to sit down. I do so and he looks at a clipboard in his hand. I get a sudden feeling of… deja vu. "So, what are you hoping to do in the army?" "Nothing in particular sir. I'm just happy to be wherever the Army puts me." "Well, given the fact that your ASVAB scores were a cut above the average, you can do just about anything you'd like." I think to myself, I could do anything. Well, I'm not really sure what "anything" really is. "I'll just be a rifleman." "Alright, so 11-Bravo it is." "Yes, sir." "As an 11-Bravo you'd make around $30,746 a year." That's really not that bad. After he tells me this he just continues to talk about the ship out times and the different aspects of being an 11-Bravo. It's nothing special. Just an average grunt. After I left it was just processing. I'll spare the details on that. After processing was the oath of enlistment. I wandered into a room filled with other enlisted men. All of them standing in rows. This time though, there's no chairs. I fall in with the elements and we recite a phrase. All of us. Together. "I, Jackson C. Hues, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." With that, It's off to basic