CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jacob
As the plane lands in Atlanta, we are immediately guided through the airport by a group of drill sergeants. We gather together in one designated area where they stand waiting for us. They instruct us to grab our bags and line up in rows, reminding us to have our orders ready to show at the desk. Once we do, they calmly lead us to an empty hallway, away from the curious eyes of civilians at the airport. Once there, they direct us to stand up against the wall. I braced myself for yelling and cursing upon arrival, but it was surprisingly calm. Finally, when everyone is in place, Drill Sergeant Brown addresses us. "Listen up, Trainees," he begins, "I am Drill Sergeant Brown. From here on out, your only response to an instruction from a drill sergeant should be 'yes, drill sergeant,' or 'no drill sergeant, Is that clear?" His tone is firm yet authoritative.
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” our group echoes in unison. He continues, “There will be no more crossing your arms, putting your hands in your pockets, or on your hips. Do you all understand?”
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” we repeat in perfect unison. He then directs us to tuck in our shirts and explains the importance of presenting ourselves with discipline and professionalism. After he finishes his lecture, he gives us two minutes to contact our loved ones and let them know we have arrived safely. I know it's not much time, but I try to call both my mom and Anya. I dial my mom's number first.
“Jacob?” My mom answers right away.
“Hi Mom, I don't have much time to talk, but I wanted to let you know that I made it safe here in Atlanta. As soon as I can, I'll call you with more details. I also want to call Anya and check in with her.”
“I'm so relieved to hear that you're safe, dear. Take care of yourself, and I love you,” she says.
“I love you too, Mom. Talk to you soon.” I quickly hang up and immediately dial Anya's number.
“Jacob? How are you calling me? Are you okay? What's going on? I miss you!” Anya sounds panicked as soon as she picks up.
“Anya, I only have a minute to talk, but yes, I'm safe. I love you so much, and I wish we had more time to catch up. Your letter meant everything to me. I promise to call again as soon as possible.”
“Okay, stay safe Jacob. I love you!” And with that, Drill Sergeant Brown announces that our time is up and we need to head towards the bus.
Silence falls over all of us as we board the bus, starting from the back and moving towards the front. Damien and I end up sitting next to each other, while Jax takes the seat across from us. "That went better than expected," Jax whispers.
"Shut up!" Damien whispers firmly in response, glancing around to see if the Drill Sergeant heard them.
"I'm just saying, they don't seem so bad. They haven't even yelled at us once," Jax whispers again.
"Do you have something to share, new dick !?" the drill sergeant suddenly yells as he catches Jax talking, causing all of us to freeze and sit up straight in our seats. Well that escalated quickly I think to myself as I do everything I can to not draw attention to myself. Around me, the other recruits quickly do the same, all content to leave Jaxon the grim fate of being the sacrificial lamb to the drill sergeant's anger.
"No, sir!" Jax replies quickly and I cringe at his choice of words.
"Do I look like a goddamn officer to you?" the drill sergeant bellows, and Jax's expression becomes serious and still, all color drained from his face.
"No, Drill Sergeant," he answers firmly.
"Goddamn right! I actually work for a living," the drill sergeant says, and I struggle not to laugh knowing it's a test. However, the recruit in front of Jax lets out a small chuckle.
"Did I say something funny, recruit ?" the drill sergeant loudly asks, causing the recruit to look like he's about to lose control of his bowels.
"N-no, Drill Sergeant!" he stammers out.
“So you weren’t just laughing at me openly disrespecting an officer?” he says with a stern tone.
“No Drill Sergeant,” the recruit repeats firmly.
The Drill Sergeant clenches his jaw and then proceeds to tell us what to expect when we reach the base. The atmosphere has changed from being just nervous and calm to full-on terror, with everyone on edge trying not to make a sound on the bus. Throughout the entire ride, the drill sergeant walks up and down the bus aisle like a menacing predator, waiting for the next recruit to make themselves the target of his wrath.
As the bus falls into silence, my thoughts drift back to Anya. She sounded okay over the phone, but I can't help but worry if she's really doing alright. It's frustrating not knowing what's happening with her stalker, and even more frustrating that I can't be there for her. I know she's strong and capable of taking care of herself, but the thought of something bad happening to her while I'm away makes me anxious. I want to be able to write a response to her letter, but I am too nervous to move, in fear of getting yelled at. So instead, I decide to rest my eyes until we reach our destination. After a long nap, Damien wakes me up with a nudge and I realize we're about to enter the base. We breeze through the checkpoint and once we're parked, the drill sergeant yells that we have two minutes to grab our bags and get off the bus.
We are organized into formation and another drill sergeant briefs us on the different types of personnel we will encounter: drill sergeants, easily identifiable by their distinctive headwear; cadre members, military personnel not serving as drill sergeants; and civilian staff members who assist with processing procedures. Then, he goes over the various positions we need to know, such as attention, parade rest, and at ease. These are skills I already learned before enlisting, but for many of the younger trainees, this is likely their first time learning them.
The group is then divided into two, separating females and males. A tall drill sergeant enters between the two groups and starts barking orders. "I am Drill Sergeant Dawson!" he shouts. "Raise your left arm in front of you without touching the person to your front! If you're touching them, take a step back while keeping your arm up! Is that clear?"
"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" the group responds in unison.
"Men turn and face your left, women turn and face your right! Stand at attention! Time fucking now!" Drill Sergeant Dawson's voice booms.
I face my left and hold myself still at attention, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement as the drill sergeant continues to shout commands.
"Already failing to follow orders, and you just got here!" Drill Sgt Dawson yells.
Nervously, I try to think about what we did wrong. I followed every command given, but maybe someone else didn't. My stomach churns as I wait for punishment to be handed out.
"You were ordered to get off the bus within two minutes! It took you all two minutes and 12 seconds! When given an order, you are expected to follow it TO..THE..LETTER! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!" he roars.
"Yes, Drill Sergeant!" we reply in unison.
"Get down in a push-up position! This is what we call 'Front leaning rest position' and this is where you should be when we say 'front leaning rest position, move! You do not move until told to move! YOU DO NOT STOP UNTIL TOLD TO STOP! Understood?!" Drill Sgt Dawson demands.
"Yes, Drill Sergeant!"
"Now move!" he orders sharply and I immediately start doing push-ups. My time working on the farm gives me an advantage with my upper body strength, so I complete each push-up with ease. But as Drill Sergeant Dawson continues to bark instructions, my arms start to tire but I push through.
"On your feet!" Drill Sgt instructs and we all stand up, dusting ourselves off.
"Did I tell you to dust yourselves off?! Front leaning rest position, move!" he commands and we quickly get back into position. We hold this position for what feels like an eternity and my arms begin to shake from exhaustion.
"MOVE!" Drill Sergeant finally says and we start doing more push-ups. My arms quiver with each repetition, but I will myself to keep going. For a brief moment, I think about Anya and the fear she must be experiencing as well as my desire to seek revenge on whoever is scaring her. This gives me a surge of adrenaline that helps me push through the pain. Eventually, we are told to stand back up and this time, no one tries to dust themselves off.
"Now you understand that you only move WHEN WE TELL YOU TO MOVE and ONLY when we tell you to move!" Drill Sergeant Dawson bellows. We respond with a "Yes, Drill Sergeant!" before he continues explaining what comes next.
We are then directed to the in-processing center where we receive information about our necessary gear and uniforms. After a presentation, we are guided through obtaining everything we need.
The process was straightforward, but with the high volume of recruits going through in-processing, it was moving at a snail's pace. Our instructions were to move quickly through each area, but it felt like we were just rushing to wait. It was a perfect example of the "hurry up and wait" mentality that I had often heard described about the military.
After receiving our equipment, we are herded off to a barracks, our home for the next few days until we are assigned to a training battalion. Drill Sergeant Dawson directs us into a large room. Along the edge of the room sits dozens of bunk beds forming a U shape. Between the bunk beds and the center of the room are lockers for us to store our gear and luggage.
“You will NOT leave ANY of your gear unsecured in my bay, do you get me?!”
“Yes drill sergeant!” We call out, our roar in unison filling the room to an almost deafening level.
“Stow your gear and get some shut eye. It’s 0200 and lights on is at 0500. Don’t let me catch a single one of you on your phones unless you want to see it thrown out the god damn window, huah?”
No phones at all? Well, I was told to expect that but it is clear the memo was not received by everyone, and those who had spent most of their formative years with a phone in their hands had the look of outright mutiny. Thankfully, after the last few hours, it was clear to all that right now discretion was the better part of valor. After Drill Sergeant Dawson left, we all started to find their own spots and most immediately started to collapse on their bunks. Some of the most important tips I had been told was 1. Sleep when you can, and 2. Eat as much as you can to replace the calories you are definitely going to be burning.
As I lay my head upon the pillow and slowly feel sleep come over me, my thoughts linger to Anya, how she is feeling, and I begin to feel my heart ache as I long for her. I don’t know how I will be able to spend the next few months without her touch, without her scent, but I do know that it will all be worth it when I see her again.