Basic Military Training - Air Force

Its cold in Texas, such a shock for a Nebraskan who always thought Texas was a desert all year round.   Almost as if by a divine whim I had a jacket on, saving me from most of the bitter wind biting at every piece of exposed skin it could.   All the guys were still together, Wilson, Davis, Anderson, Suttor, and I.   This is also a shock, since once we landed in San Antonio we did not expect to ever see each other again.   Marching heads held high to the USO to check in and get on a bus to go to Lackland Air force Base. Another surprise comes as we see the buses, they are nice travel buses with comfy seats and T.Vs.   As we ride in an unknown direction a Senior Airmen talks to us in a calm collected voice saying “Smile, laugh, talk, enjoy it while you can.   I am your friend.” No one smiles, laughs, or talks.   Fifty men on the bus, all scared, and nervously smirking to themselves, attempting to convince themselves Basic Military Training is not as bad as they once thought.   We pass under a large stone gate and continue through the security check point, which says “Welcome to Lackland” it seemed cheerful enough.   As we rolled up to the large dorm building we would be staying in for the next two months men in large brimmed dark blue hats emerge faces hidden in night, my only thought is how terrifying they looked.   The doors swung open, and a single man stepped on.   Nothing but a wide smile appeared beneath his hat and he began spraying us with commands and harsh words.   I don’t think anyone understood what he said, yet for some reason we all stood and began piling off the bus and as I passed the man I heard him counting down “10.. 9.. 8”.   I was safe, that was all that I could think of, “I got off in time.”   It didn’t matter, with at least ten more aboard the bus the Military Training Instructor reached zero.   He stopped everyone and told us to get back on and sit down.   Once again sitting, he came back on and again told us to get off.   This time we all made it off with no...