Who am I?

6 semesters of training comes down to 33 days of evaluation.

It is time.

I am ready.

Bring it on.

I'm leaving this Friday June 8, 2007 to Ft. Lewis, Washington for ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC). Thousands of ROTC cadets around the nation will be attending their LDAC regiment this summer. I will be with several hundred people I have probably never met. We will all be evaluated on our leadership skills in the field and in garrison, map reading skills, marksmanship with an M-16 rifle, physical fitness, and many more.

The one thing I really had a problem with is the swim test. YES there is a swim test that is needed to take in order to become an officer. NO I don't know why it's necessary, but I do know it is something I need to know how to do. I'm glad today I was able to work it out and find a technique that let me swim with the M-16 at a set distance. It would be very disappointing to have my commissioning as an officer be hindered by a simple swim test.

I'm just about ready to go. I finished packing last night. I'll be able to spend the next couple days to hang out with friends and family as well as do some quick review about what I have to do this summer. I have butterflies in my stomach as I'm typing this blog. It all comes down to this.

After LDAC (July 10), I'll be flying out to my follow up assignment: an internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. I am assigned to work in the MICU for the next month. I'll be working with other cadets and my preceptor with patients and getting group projects completed. I know this experience will help me in my future career as an army nurse.

All this will happen this summer. I believe it will happen so fast I won't have time to process. But I do know I want LDAC to be over fast. I'll have it well in D.C. Staying at a hotel, work 3-4 days a week and 3-4 days off to go sightseeing; it'll be a blast! I'll go say hi to Lincoln, check out the archives, catch a home run ball at the Washington National's stadium, and climb the Washington Monument.

This year was the hardest for me in ROTC. I couldn't do it alone. God was there to help me in the difficult parts of training. As I look back, I see it wasn't that hard, but at the time it most definitely was. I feel God's power and glory knowing that he can work through someone like me to march a company, write OPORDs, and even pass my physical fitness test. I also thank God for giving me great mentors who have also helped me this year.

This week:

• Tuesday
• 12am - Hang out with Friends
• 3pm - Hang out with mom
• 7pm - Cousin's graduation
• Wednesday
  
• 1pm - 2pm - NCLEX review session
• 8pm - Bible Study
• Thursday
• 6.30am - Golf
• 6pm - Family gathering/dinner
• Friday
  
• 6am - Fly out to Seattle, WA; then drive south to Ft. Lewis

If ya wana hang out before I go, let me know! I appreciate the calls, prayers, emails, and comments that I've been receiving about this summer. I REALLY REALLY appreciate your words of encouragement.

Recap - Summer Schedule

• LDAC
• Jun 8 - Jul 10
• Walter Reed
• Jul 10 - Aug 1
• Return back to Fresno, Cali
• Aug 1
• South Cali trip
  
• Aug 9 - 11
• 21th Birthday party
• Aug 18
• School Starts
• Aug 27

See you in August!