Just Me's blog: "Observations"

Well as some of you know, I have left my comfortable life in Harker Heights, TX for a couple of months of schooling in Fort Gordon, GA.  I am attending Phases 1 and 2 of Advanced Leadership Course (formerly known as Basic NonCommissioned Officers Course).  Phase 1 is 2 weeks and is called Common Core because all NCOs get the same instruction over these 2 weeks.  Phase 2 is job specific, so only people with my same job will be in the class. 

I am doing my best to not fall into the party path, but it is kind of hard.  There really is not that much to help keep us busy going on.  So we get out of class, do some details, go to formation, and then meet up in the break area and plot and plan. 

Friday night, a group of us went to the post club, and after 6 pitchers of beer decided we were going to get away from all of the AIT students (we can't really interact with them due to some rules), and went to find a good bar.  We split up, and I and another guy when to the Country Club.  The rest went to a strip club.  We closed the bar down, and then got a cab home. 

Last night, we were going bar hopping, 3 other guys and myself.  The others went to the movies.  The four of us went to downtown Augusta, got some dinner, and then headed over to Broad Street.  Well, holy cow.  In like 3 blocks, there is probably 20 bars.   So the plan was to start at one, "Stillwater" and then move down.  Complete and total failure.  Complete failure.  Stillwater was not busy, so we got in there and Amanda and Christina were the bartenders.  Started out with my staple, Bud Light.  There was two young ladies sitting next to me, and they struck up a conversation.

One of them worked for the Sweetwater Brewery and was trying to get me to drink something different.  Well, I broke down, and she ordered me a local pilsner, and it was good, not real bite to it.  Then had a few others, and well, was feeling no pain.  At this point, the bar was PACKED!  It took a few minutes to make it through the crowd to the bathroom.  IT took forever to get a beer.  But, my buddies didn't want to leave, and I was enjoying the conversation. 

About 1:00, my buddies decided they wanted to go to a strip club, and I like my perfect streak thus far in life, and let them head on.  I got a cab about 2:30, and had to help one Soldier out of the cab into his hotel room, but the cabdriver came back and picked me up because she felt sorry for him.  I made sure he was ok, and then got outside and waited on the cab.  She got me back to base, and changed out cabs.  While waiting, another cab from off base pulled up, and it was 4 marines.  One passed out as soon as we got into the cab, and the other 3 were about to come to blows.  I had to intervene, and I finally did something I haven't done yet.....I pulled rank.  Amazing how Marines won't respect anything, but they'll respect rank.  They all got out at their barracks, and I got to mine. 

I got to my room, and one of my buddies sent me a text and said they were going to breakfast, so I hiked the mile to the Huddle House and had breakfast and we all hiked back. 

Basically, this place is living up to the nickname it has had for years.  BeerNOC!

Not much else to do.