Going Back In

(There's an extra post today --just below this one)

That was about all I remember from the field exercise.  Even to this day when I get really tired or physically exhausted I think to myself, "Yeah but this is nothing like that time in PLDC."  Yeah, totally unmatched.

Going back in from the field was more work --a lot more work than being in the field.  We had to clean all of the equipment and remember, it rained so everything was muddy and messy.  We had to take down our weapons and clean them.  It was really just a full day's work --lots of dirty busy work, the kind I didn't much care for.

But the good thing was once you got your assigned equipment cleaned and pass inspection, you were mostly free for the day.   I mean, mostly because we did have to stay in uniform and on school grounds and not go back to our rooms but you know, at least we clean and dry.  Oh clean!  That's right!  We weren't allowed to shower until that night.  I was miserably dirty.  Yuck.

So now all that was left was the 5 mile run.  Barring any discipline action, everyone that made it this far was going to graduate.  That certainly took some of the pressure off.  So I thought I was on easy street--that I would just glide my way onto that graduation stage and get another pretty little colorful ribbon to wear on my uniform.

Then one day after the filed exercise we were in the classroom I was called down to the Sergeant Major's office -- again.  But this time I had no idea what this was about.  None.

So I went down to see CSM and I forget exactly what he said to me but then he told me I had a visitor.  He said, "There's someone in the empty room over there waiting to see you.  Go head, don't take too long then get back to class."

I was so scared.  First of all, we weren't allowed visitors so I thought I was being set up.  Secondly, I had absolutely no one that would come visit me.  Anyone in the military would know not to even attempt a visit.  The only civilians I knew were my family and even in the bizarre off chance they actually were in Germany, they wouldn't just show up to PLDC for a chat.  No, they'd go to my unit and then the unit would call the school . . . and if it were some type of emergency Red Cross would call.  Red Cross doesn't make personal appearances, do they?  I was baffled.  I was afraid and I was confused.  The only thing that I could come up with that might happen was maybe a very HUGE maybe ---there was a particular detail about a case I had been working on and it was ready to go to trial but some evidence or paper or something was missing and no one could find it and in order to go to trial, it had to be found.  I mean even that scenario was far fetching but honestly, I could think of no person and no circumstance in which a visit would be warranted.

None.

So, I walked out of Sergeant Major's office, into the hallway and into the empty classroom.  I very cautiously stepped inside and much to my surprise --no, much to my shock there standing before me was . . . .