Specialist Black

Monday morning I went back to MEPS to finally complete my enlistment. I had to get there at 6am, and sit around in the medical center for hours. Literally, hours. Then finally with a group of other ladies we got hearded into the exam room to once again strip down the underwears and have a doctor come in and take our weight, height, and look us over for any new injuries or tattoos. Two of the girls were supposed to ship that day to basic, pretty sure one of them didn't ship because of a severe foot issue, severe enough that I have no idea how she cleared her first physical. The Dr. went nuts making little notations in her file, and then said they needed to have some sort of private consultation.

I got dismissed for the medical center, so I have no idea what became of her. Then I had to go back to the National Guard office and sit for another hour and periodically sign some official looking document, before I was sent off to get my fingerprints. Fingerprints seem pretty routine right? Well for some inexplicable reason my fingerprints are suddenly "very" scarred and in "terrible condition," so after four different people attempted to fingerprint me on the computer, we had to resort back to the old ink cards and mail them into the FBI.

After that I returned to the National Guard office to sign more documents and then meet with a lady about my top secret security clearance that will take months to complete, and if you know me, there's a good chance the FBI will want to chat with you. Then we left and went to Draper.

In Draper they picked out my first uniform for me. Everything feels like a tent, but my recruiter swears the stuff shrinks a little. I also was gifted some little shorts to work out in. Can't tell you how excited I am to try those on... So with my new Army gear in tow we went down the hall to some offices and signed more paperwork, set up a military e-mail address, and finally Glen showed up to offer some familial support. They swore me in, and had me sign my enlistment contract. When it was all said and done, and my freedoms were gone, the guy swearing me in shook my hand and said "Welcome to the US Army, Specialist Black." I had a weird moment where I wanted to laugh, like it was some kind of a joke title. It's me though, I am now Specialist Black, and I report to basic training in Ft. Jackson, SC on May 15th. It's a long ways out still, so I'll be attending drill in Spanish Fork one weekend a month until I ship to basic.