White Phase

Matt's platoon was finally switched over to white phase last week! White phase is weeks 4-6. It can also be call the "gunslinger" phase because this is where they finally get to shoot their weapons and qualify with them. Matt was so happy to finally be switched to White phase, they get slightly more personal time.....a whole whopping 90 seconds to shower, being timed by a P.G (platoon guide/platoon leader) rather than the 30 seconds they've had up until now, timed by a Drill Sgt. They also are allowed to walk to and from chow without having to march with the entire platoon, they can walk to and from with a battle buddy. I'm sure it's nicer to have a 5 minute break without having someone watching your every breath! lol. Matt is LOVING and HATING this phase. Loving....... because he is getting to "play with the big boy guns" as he put it such as the M24o B, and the M249 Saw, and the 50 cal ....ooooooo...lol..I know Matt's loving this! He is ALL about guns

Last week they got to qualify on their marksmanship with their M16's. Matt was one point away from shooting expert (which he did shoot during practice) but got sharp shooter instead. He's excited that he gets to re qualify every 6 months because I know he's hating having that one shot keeping him from having Expert on his record...lol. When his platoon qualified they actual made a new Brigade record. They were the 2nd troop to qualify 100% of their platoon and the 1st to qualify 95% of them the 1st time around. He's so proud of the men he's training with! Well.........most of them...haha!

They are also working more on land navigation, studying it on maps is one thing, but being taken out in the field and having to find things and get back in a certain amount of time is another. Good thing Matt's pretty good at land nav. He took a lot of time to study this stuff before he went to basic training so at least I know he isn't doing anything he wasn't prepared for. lol. Always the Eagle Scout!

Now, as to why he's hating it. Well, when you draw attention of the Drill Sgt. for anything, weather being a model recruit or the group moron who can't seem to "catch on", you never know what will happen. For Matt, lucky, lucky man, he has been noticed as being one of the best they've had go through in a while and as such was given a new battle buddy to take under wing. Evidently he's stuck with some 31 year old moron who can't seem to do anything right! Poor Matt. That means more and more work for him, more stress, and frankly having to deal with someone day in and day out who has the personality of an acid dipped brillo pad! lol. He said something along the lines of "it's sad that he can get the 3 boys here at home to do things he can't get this moron to do." lol. He basically has to hand hold this guy into such simple things as getting dressed correctly and not looking like a scrub in uniform, which at this point should be common knowledge. He (the moron) failed to lock his wall locker before leaving the barracks, which is mandatory, and got the entire platoon smoked for over an hour and a half in the pit because of it. It's little things this guy just can not seem to catch onto! Oh well, hopefully soon this guy will either catch on and do better, or get recycled back into another basic training platoon that is just starting so he can begin again, either way lightening Matt's load, because both Matt and I are in agreement that we don't want Moron McGee to be Matt's battle buddy when it comes time to be administering IV's or the live fire exercises! If he can't lace his boots right or do simple things like pass the 1st test, so we REALLY want him shooting real bullets 5 feet from Matt's head??? ummmmm.....I'm gonna go with ...NO! lol. I jokingly told Matt to inform Moron boy that he should be more afraid of me than anything, because if this guy A) injures my man, B) ruins his chances at his family weekend in March or C) maims or kills my man, he shouldn't be worried about the repercussions of the Army......rather those from ME! lol.

Well I will update on Matt again as soon as I get more information, a picture of him, or when he switches into Blue phase.