New Beginnings, the Road to Success

As you know by now I have decided to join the US Army National Guard. I was sworn in July 22, 2011 in Jacksonville, FL. I will be shipping to Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson, SC.

Carrie (my wife) and I have thought long and hard about this decision and we are certain it is the right thing for ourselves and our family (future members withstanding). Joining the National Guard has allowed me the opportunity to fulfill a life long dream to serve our country and our great nation. Growing up in Pensacola, FL and seeing the military up close and personal instilled a deep desire in me to serve and to be a part of something far larger and greater than myself. I am thrilled to finally be able to start my own military career.

The road ahead of me will be a long and difficult one. I enlisted in the National Guard as a 09S, an Officer Candidate. After the successful completion of BCT (Basic Combat Training) I will go on to Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Camp Blanding in Starke, FL. OCS is an eighteen month long course designed to teach the candidate how to be a leader and realize their full potential as a soldier. Upon completion of the course I will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army National Guard. After commissioning I will go to branch training where I will learn to be an officer in my assigned job. The hope and plan is to fly helicopters for the Army in the Aviation branch. Time and the needs of the Army will be the determining factors as to how I branch and what job I will be assigned. (Fingers crossed for an aviation slot!)

I have created this blog to keep anyone who is interested informed and up to date on my progress through training and on into my military career. I have never kept a blog and I hope I will maintain it and keep it functional and useful. While I am away at BCT Carrie will be keeping everyone up to date by posting information from the letters that I will write to her. At BCT I will not have access to any form of communication other than conventional letter writing. (What ever that means. I think it is the old internet or something.) I will not be able to write everyone and this site should serve as a useful center point for all interested parties.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and check things out. Please feel free to leave me/us comments, questions, concerns, etc...