Reflections on Big Army In-Processing…

Now…I need to qualify everything I’m about to whine about. Compared to what Vets from WWII, Korea and Vietnam went through, my life is a dream…

In processing in the Army is A THING. Thus far, my life in the Army has been carefully sheltered, managed and judiciously exposed to the larger, person-eating processes of the Big Army…. All bets are off now, baby…

So, on Sunday, 7 September, 2008 I officially began to engage my career as a soldier… I reported to Training Center McCrady, right next to sunny Ft. Jackson, SC. This is a Mobilization station for IRR (which I am) and N. Guards (which I’m going to be working with). This is a confused and confusing place with a VERY dedicated staff of NCOs and civilians (and the occasional officer) working EXTREMELY hard to get us through this experience as quickly as possible, while still keeping us basically intact as human beings…this is a hard job…
We start off by knowing absolutely nothing before arriving here – most with absolutely NO IDEA (like me) WHAT we will be doing or WHY we are here and not training with the unit our orders mention we are assigned . Now, I say ‘mention’ because the unit to which we are assigned is really no more than a footnote in single spaced full page type – it’s barely a bi-line. You have to work to find it. I had to call a Major Chaplain I know to interpret the orders for me…and it took him a bit to get it figured out, too. What chance did I have as a buck LT and baby Chaplain?! *dear in headlights*

But, in spite of all that, I’m just bouncing up and down because it looks like God really means it; He really does want me to care for soldiers in harms way…I’m stoked!

Then I arrived here…

Now, all ‘bouncing’ must cease (or at least be stuffed in a duffel bag temporarily) as the mood here is VERY TENSE. The staff are great and working hard to ‘humanize’ this potentially VERY dehumanizing process. But we new soldiers aren’t staff… we’re tense – ready for whatever might pop up out of the woodwork – a cranky Drill SGT ready to drop us (do push-ups), an officer disguised as a civilian who might be offended by humor revolving around criticizing the higher-ups for the organization we now find ourselves in, the occasional ‘turkey’ of a fellow soldier who just ‘won’t get with the program’ and play well with others…we ready. We can do it. We can handle it. We think…

So we’re tense…it’s taken until today for that to ease off and us to realize this too will pass, we are all human beings, we all have good intentions at heart and are actually an AMAZINGLY cool bunch of people. And the Drills are not that cranky and are absolutely not dropping any of us. And the officers are cool – great stories and leading well by example (at least in attitude if not in barracks hygiene…for at least one of them, it’s been 30 years since he’s been living in a barracks) and I have yet to find a genuine turkey yet…

So..you ask, dear friend…what HAVE we been doing? Paperwork. Forms. Receiving 7 immunization shots…in 2 days… Hearing tests. Vision tests. Physicals. Briefings. Paperwork. Finance (gettin’ paid…). New ID cards. Paperwork. Waiting in line to do…you got it, more paperwork… The last 3 days have been an overwhelming blur of waking between 4- 5am, rushing to get to the site where all our stuff is being processed, waiting, rushing, waiting, getting back to the barracks between 6-9pm, crashing, trying to work out (I have managed to get in 2 days!!!) and trying to not let the stress and weird pace make us all sick (I’ve been religious about my vitamins…)

I’m bruised, exhausted, starting to come out of being completely overwhelmed and totally blessed. The other thing that’s been happening these last few days is that I’ve been getting to know and encourage the soldiers surrounding me. We’re all very anxious – we know we could be going to places where we or someone we’re going to know could get seriously hurt or killed. We all have people we love back home who we’re fearful of how the time and events that happen while we’re apart will change us and our relationships. We fear the potential of many losses. Yet, we’re here. Some will stay and do what they can, coping as best they can. Some cannot stay for a variety of reasons and will go back to difficulties already in progress. I have had such unique and amazing opportunities to love on the folks around me and be the presence of Christ among them. It’s been humbling and awe-inspiring for me, in the moments I have had to reflect. I’m getting my ‘bounce’ back out of the duffel…please keep us in prayer.