Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire I'm back: Hello from JustinH at Army AIT.

That's Advanced Individual Training.
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<br>How are you all? I've missed not being in the loop with you for the past 2 1/2 months. But to all of you who sent me snail mail, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Several of you here know how much Basic Training sucks. It was very easy physically, but putting up with the mental drain of having somebody on your ass all the time, being kept in close contact with 50 or so mental midgets from 4 am to 11 pm, and not having any really good way to stay clean was a big pain in the ass. It did not qo by quickly at all; those ten weeks were the longest of my life. And getting mail in the middle of it all was like having a ray of bright, clean sunlight illuminate your cell in the bottom of clammy, dark dungeon. Thanks to all of you who wrote, very much.
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<br>Another thing that helped, A LOT, was that my mom printed out a lot of the threads from here and mailed them to me. I had a ball reading them and realizing that, even though I was in a lousy situation temporarily, all of you were out here doing good and keeping the flame of crazy-assed, good-natured, good-humored living alive.
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<br>AIT is a different animal than Basic altogether. Here the focus is more on trying to cram your brain with all of the most basic stuff you need to know to do your job when you get to your unit. I'm a Forward Observer...the guy with a rifle and radio on his back who goes way out--way out IN FRONT--and looks for soft and hard enemy targets that need to be zapped with artillery, helicopter, airplane, or naval gunfire. The focus of the training is on, on the one hand, knowing the capabilities and limitations of our equipment and and our firiing systems and, on the other hand, physical fitness so that you can hump your eighty-or-so-pound rucksack with radio as far and as fast as is necessary. I heard before I came here that we'd run a lot, and we do. Maybe all drill sergeants say this, but ours tell us regularly that we run more than any other trainees in the Army, including the infantry. I believe it. Speaking of Drill Sergeants, I can't say enough about the Drill Sergeants here at FO AIT. They are professional to the extreme, enthusiastic, absolutely tough when they need to be, in great shape, and very proud of the FO job (they're all FO's by training). Nearly all of them have combat patches on their sleeves. They make all the difference. They are what I thought a Drill Sergeant was supposed to be before I got in the Army.
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<br>Folks, today is Saturday, and I've only got two more hours of pass left and I've got some stuff to do. I'll try to get back on tomorrow and keep typing. Sorry this is brief, almost to the point of being brusque. I know it is, but I'll try to get back on and add more tomorrow.
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<br>I just want to say I've missed all of you--ESPECIALLY YOU, MOM-- and I thought a lot about you when I didn't have anything else happy to think about in those weeks. I'll be in touch again ASAP. Justin

Justin,
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<br>Good luck to you,young man. Serve your Country well.

Congratulations Justin, it does get better and better from here on out. Thanks for being willing and tough enough enough to pick up the torch.
<br>T LEE, RA all the way! S.E. Asia war games 1965-66.

Justin, you and the others were taught and learned more than you think you did at this point. It will become evident to you with rank and responsibiliy. Congratulations on your personal accomplishments and progressing to this point. You are at the beginning and have far to go, always think in the future. Good luck and much success in your chosen profession. -- no

It's good to hear from you Justin! Remember you'll be setting around with a bunch of guys one day telling Basic Training war stories like it was the best time in your life
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<br>Thanks for having the courage and commitment to make a go of it at your age, I believe that takes a little more than a young recruit like I was right out of High School...
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<br>Just think of all that free navigation/map reading training you will get for free...and actually get paid for it..
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<br>Mike

Welcome back to the world sort of so to speak. It gets better as you go.
<br>BCR

From a vet that doesn't know you
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<br>Thanks for being willing. You were well taught at home also.
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<br>eddie

From another Vet that does not know you-- Thank you for the dedication.
<br>You truely do not know now, but will some day, just how good you make some of us feel who like you entered the Army when there was a war on, and you have the guts to be proud.
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<br>God bless you.
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<br>Bojon, 1st Inf Div Vietnam, Oct 66-67
<br> 3rd Arm Div Germany Nov 67 - Dec 68

JustinH,
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<br>Congratulation on passing Basic and good luck with AIT!
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<br>As an ex-infantry guy with SEA experience, I know firsthand the value of timely and accurate artillary support, thanks to my FO. Although we ground pounders may occassionally rag on you redlegs, you're the first one we call when our world turns sour!
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<br>Remember, most of it is mind over matter and you CAN do it IF you really want to. Listen to your sargeant, maintain your gear in first class condition, work hard to become technically and tactically proficient, and avoid anyone with an attitude problem, since we are all judged by the company that we keep.
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<br>Sincerely,
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<br>Bearrr264
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<br>PS Buy yourself a good pair of ear plugs, since there is no place to hide from the "boom" of a 105/155/8" howitzer.
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<br>PSS Don't EVER sign for anything that isn't there! If you do, you're likely to buy it. I bought a jeep trailer one time. I counted them, but I didn't verify the serial numbers and one of them had been "borrowed" from another Company for the change of command inventory.