Sunday, December 9, 2007

Fulfilling goals and getting jerked around by the Army

For those of you who don't know... I am trying to finish my last semester of Army ROTC and commission. After a two year hiatus from school and the Army, I've started the ball rolling to get back in.

I just finished two online courses for this semester, and next semester I have only 3 classes and I'll graduate. I'm reminded of a dialogue from one of my favorite movies ever, Tommy Boy:

"Hey, did you I hear I graduated?"
"Yeah, and just a shade under a decade too. All right!"
"A lot of people go to college for 7 years."
"Yeah, they're called doctors."

I'm looking forward to getting my diploma and sticking it in a box and never looking at it again.

In the meantime, I'm wondering what the Army is going to do with me. I have waited patiently to hear if I will be able to commission after being diagnosed with cancer in December of 2005. The Army has changed its tune several times on this particular point. My buddy Kal, who was in my same situation (diagnose and operated on 3 weeks before me) finally gave up on the idea of commissioning, and is serving in "the box" with his guard unit as probably the best NCO they have.

Me? Well - I'm just here, watching my friends finish OBC, learn to fly helicopters, go to Ranger school, deploy and replace their "butter bars" with 1LT rank.

I am so happy for all of them - I just wish that I were with them.

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