Remembering your first day is always good for a few laughs too. I had no sooner gotten sworn in with a group of about twenty others when the Sgt. doing the swear in procedure hands me a five and says "go get me and the Captain two coffees at the diner across the street...and remember you are in the Army and if you don't come back the MP's will find you and you'll go to prison", "OooKay sarge I'll be back", hell I was RA, I had joined not been drafted, I was already here on my own.
After a train ride to Ft.Dix we got a bus ride to a building where we were issued our first gear, a raincoat and a fatigue hat, thankfully since it was February and the weather was between rain and sleet and miserably cold. We put the hat and coat on and were taken outside where we stood in the mud and got to test out our new stuff while a cpl. stood under an overhang smoking a butt and drinking coffee. After about ten minutes he saw we were getting a little antsy along with getting wet so he gives us an update..."the sgt. is inside having a coke and we'll take you to the mess hall as soon as he is done." At least he was honest, no reason to lie to lower than whale crap recruits. Welcome to the Army
