Today, I reported to the Conus Replacement Center (hereafter, “CRC”), 6 days of training, credentialing, record-checking (i.e., to make sure that each soldier has a will, a recent physical exam, etc), and issuing gear . Because a few people who read this will be going to CRC after me (and also, just to keep a personal diary of the experience for the curious and for my own memory later), I will be writing in some detail about this week, on a day-by-day basis.

So day one, then, went like this: I had no idea exactly when I needed to sign in because that info was not on my orders (or on the web site for CRC), and a few attempts to call the personnel at CRC were essentially unsuccessful. But those who had gone before me told me that I needed to be there sometime in the afternoon. Now, here’s how it works with me. If you tell me that I have to be at some undesirable place (i.e., anywhere the Army wants me to be) at “sometime in the afternoon”, I’m gonna get there as late as possible that still qualifies as afternoon. So I showed up at 4:59 PM, or 1649 in military lingo (which I’m afraid I am already adopting), and signed in with a Specialist and a PFC who were very polite and friendly. They directed me to a sergeant, who assigned me to a room in the barracks (upper bunk bed, sweet!) and issued me blanket/pillow, etc. Fortunately, I had already secured lodging at the guest housing on post (Olsen Hall) and would be staying there, where I would have the distinct advantages of a working, personal latrine, a double bed to myself, internet access, and a precious little bit of personal space. Easily worth the $36 a day to me.

After checking in as above, I was informed that I could do some computer training, or I could be done for the day, and do the computer stuff (about an hour worth) over the next few days. I am usually a “get it done now” kind of a guy, but this had been a long, long day (goodbye to the kids, 5 hours drive to Columbus with a stop at the temple to pick up military garments), so I decided to cash in my chips, and went to the hotel room, and hit the sack. A long day, as above, but one in which I got done what I needed to, and there were a lot of things on that list, and one which ended with a hot shower and a warm bed. In America. No complaints here.