“Are you eyeballin’ me soldier?” These words rang in my ear as I fell into formation at almost 10:00 p.m. March 14, 2008. It was at that moment I realized I had bitten off far more than I could chew.

The National Guard Recruiter for Tate High School, SFC Lopez asked if I would be interested in attending a Recruit Sustainment Program as a guest for a weekend at Camp Blanding in Jacksonville, FL. Being a reporter on the school newspaper staff, I became very interested in writing an investigative story on how people, many fresh out of high school, prepare for enlistment into the military. Most who know me, know that I am not one to refuse a challenge. So I gave him my final yes, turned in my papers, and prepared to take on my military adventure.

I failed to realize that not being in the Guard meant I didn’t have the necessities such as the fashionable, camouflage Army Combat Uniform (ACUs), 5 lb. steel toe boots, and the infamous dog tags. All of which I went to the Pensacola Armory to retrieve. While getting fitted for my ACUs, the local sergeants gave me my “briefing” on what to do and what not to do. “Follow orders, DO NOT complain, and NEVER call a drill sergeant ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’. Remember these rules, and you will be good to go,” they said. They also explained that RSP is a once a month drill weekend that prepares soldiers for basic training. The reality of what I agreed to do finally hit me. The intimidation continued growing as the sergeants all began to bet on my survival through the weekend. Although they didn’t hesitate to let their underestimation be known, I told them I was up for the challenge.

The day came sooner than anticipated and before I knew it, I found myself on the way to Camp Blanding. To avoid any mishaps such as getting “smoked” (term often used to describe being ordered to do physically demanding activities until your drill sergeant’s tired, in efforts to correct a mistake), I reviewed material throughout the bus ride the sergeants said I would need to know. This included the Soldier’s Creed, the Phonetic Alphabet, ranks, and other information on which I could possibly get tested. It felt as if I were taking Military Prep for Dummies. I let other soldiers know that it was my first time attending an RSP weekend and began to realize the strength of how one soldier helps another. They willingly helped me with things that the sergeants at the armory failed to mention, such as who was nice, who to watch out for, and what MREs I should hope to get. Following arrival and settling into the barracks, it was lights out at 2300 hours. Once you are in the military, time is of the essence and everything is double timed. It felt as if my sleep was double timed as well when I had to wake up at 0400 hours. Our physical training test began at 4:15 a.m., and consisted of one-minute push-ups, one-minute sit-ups, and a one mile run. I blew them away with my 75 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 5:00 minute mile… Yeah right. Try 15 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, and a pathetic 9:45 mile run.

I will be the first to tell you I was already beyond exhaustion. Until that day, I never understood the saying, “The military does more before 5:00 a.m. than the average civilian does in their entire day.” By 5:00 a.m. I had already showered, dressed, worked out, and was in line for breakfast.

After chow, the females were ordered to fall into formation due to “complications” with our barracks. Unfortunately, complications was keyword for “yo’ barracks are to’ up from the flo’ up.” Mattresses were thrown, sheets and pillows were on the floor, and last but certainly not least, there were two mattresses towering in the middle of the room with pizza boxes perched on top. This was otherwise known by Sergeant Furry as the “5-star roach hotel”. We were given a mere five minutes to clean, and believe it or not, our mission was accomplished.

The day ahead had a schedule full of military fun for us! First was rifle training, and might I add that I was told I was “dangerous”. I couldn’t decide whether that was good or not, but you could say it boosted my ego a bit. After rifle training, we headed to the obstacle course consisting of forty-foot towers, rope obstacles, and climbing walls. We had to overcome many of these challenges not only as an individual, but also as a team. I was very impressed with those who finished the course barely breaking a sweat… Unfortunately, I was not one of them.

We were then led to the repel tower where we had two options: the free-fall repel or the repelling wall, both of which were about 70 feet high. Being the dare devil that I am, I chose both, and let me tell you, if you have a list of ‘things to do before you die’ please do yourself a favor and put repel tower right up there. Adrenaline rush doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling of speeding down the tower. Needless to say, I repelled three times with a bigger grin each time, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

The final day gave my fellow soldiers and me a slightly better taste of what the military had to offer. The twin-rotored U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter roared, waiting for us to board. Our safety briefing was first and the earplugs came second. I learned that the Guard always explains, in detail, their expectations prior to any challenge. This helped me feel much more at ease, rather than apprehensive about the ride. The pilots flew us over part of Camp Blanding giving us an eagle’s eye view of what they get to see on a daily basis. The ride was much like a super roller-coaster. Turning, rising, falling, and banking over the surrounding area made my heart drop. The open tail-gate formed a window letting the soldiers see a sight not many will be able to see in their life time.

Unfortunately, my role as G.I. Jane eventually came to a close for the weekend. I walked out of Camp Blanding holding my head high and gaining an entirely new respect for the military.

Although my experience only consisted of one weekend at an RSP camp, it made me consider how much harder our soldiers have it. I appreciate not only the courage, strength and patriotism each must have to even join the military, but the circumstances with which they must endure on a daily basis. I thank all of our service members for their unwavering commitment and dedication to duty as they protect and defend our country on a daily basis. I can understand how the Army National Guard can turn children into adults.

The military is definitely a positive option for anyone’s future, should it be an alternative to college or a way to pay for it. The military offers competitive wages and excellent benefits. In the National Guard, a person can join and receive a monthly paycheck with benefits while only working part-time so he or she can continue with their college plans.

However, all of this sounds great, but what I learned most that weekend was that the making of an American Soldier begins early with learning the true meaning of commitment and how quickly your team makes you feel apart of something much larger than yourself. I learned and was shown the pathway leading to the creation of American Patriotism and found that the Soldier’s Creed is more than just a quote you memorize on the bus, it’s the string that hold America together, it’s the kind of person you want on your side – Hooah!