Off we go, into the wild blue yonder...

39 years ago, today, I joined the United States Air Force. It was the best six weeks I ever spent.

The military is different now. In the Air Force, the TIs (training instructors) are drill sergeants, and they are tough! At least they were 39 years ago, when I enlisted. No one in my family had ever been in the service, and I needed to go.

I joined for 6 years because you would earn your stripes faster that way. I lived in Eureka, California and had just graduated from high school. An acquaintance of mine, who shall remain anonymous, joined with me. This poor guy was about as ready for basic training as Lindsay Lohan is ready to be on her own.

One of the first things we had to do was urinate in a cup for drug testing. He couldn't go. He had what my wife calls shy pee. So I filled it for him so he wouldn't get in trouble. When we got back to our dorm, we had to account for everything on a list, including a flash light that we had to put batteries in and screw it together. He couldn't do that either, so I did it for him. After that, I kind of kept my distance. It's easy enough to get in trouble by yourself, let alone having an inept partner to help that situation along.

We finished about three AM. At five o'clock that same morning, one of our sergeants came in banging on a trash can lid, telling us to get out of bed. We then had ten minutes to sweep under our bed, complete the three Ss and get downstairs in formation.

Next, it was off to the barber shop for a buzz cut, which we had to pay $0.80 for. Then we got our uniforms and chow, which was disgusting. The meals improved dramatically after that first one.

Next, it was off to physical training, which consisted of running a mile in the San Antonio heat. Where I came from, the median temperature was between 65 - 70°, but it was about 90 when we ran in full fatigues and combat boots. I was running slow, naturally, when I felt a kick that was so hard, the pain was nearly intolerable. The kicks continued all the way around the track.

The next day, I beat 15 guys during the same circumstance, so I guess his cruelty paid off.

There is so much to tell. I'll finish it tomorrow. I'll see you then.