Busy

I've spent quite a bit of time on the Army clock this last week. I'm the Davis liason recruiter, and as such, try and refer as many people as possible to my sergeant at the Woodland station (I've had about 4 referals in the last weeks). Last week I was called into Woodland to report and travel with my sergeants into the Sacramento Battalion base to reapply for my shipping orders. I spent several days, missing two days of class in the process (grrrr) because of having to wait on the staff sergeants and officers to make arrangements.
But I finally have what I was called up for! A ship date! September 24th for Ft Jackson, SC! Hooah - finally! It's maybe sooner than I hoped, but I just want to get this Change Of Station over with...

While at the Sacramento base, I spent a fair deal of time in the general lounge where all the kids who are hoping to ship off to basic sit around. Again, as always, I was struck by the fact that they are all children, between 17 and 19 years old. They are fit, to be sure, in good spirits, but so very young and inexperienced. Don't tell that to them of course - there's always enough testosterone running around in that lounge to make defensive attitudes rise quickly, although there's something about wearing a uniform in that crowd which draws instant respect, so maybe I'm lucky.
There was one guy there however - calm, about six foot something, of african american descent, and with a very mature bearing. I read his info sticker and it titled him as a US Army Active shipper - leaving that day. We sat next to each other in the outer lounge where non-military people are allowed, and his very tall and lovely wife and two small children came in to say good bye to pappa. I wondered what his story was. Everyone has a story for joining, but most of them are the same: either it's a kid who's wanted to be in the army since he or she was first able to walk, or it's a kid who's had a lot of trouble at school, is having trouble at home, and wants to get out and make a new life for him/herself. But obviously not this fellow - the only person below the rank of E-4 there who was, besides myself, over the age of 21! I didn't get to ask him why he joined, but you have to know it involved a fair amount of sheer patriotism to have left his family like that.
All I can say is I hope I have his type in my unit...