Why at USAF Boot Camp in 1988

This month, 30 years ago, I enlisted in the USAF Boot Camp at Lackland AFB in Texas. I was there for 8 weeks training. Leaving from my home town to the Airport for this training session was exciting as I never discovered Texas before. I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I'm not sure what I did previously before this Military event for me. I can't imagine how I managed before the Military training. To bed at 9pm and up at 5am was a ritual that I had to learn. This was all new to me--the new routine.

The dorm room was wall to wall beds divided by locker spaces for the other side. At first when woken up by trumpet at 5am it was shower time. That would wake anyone up. Then there was the dash to the cafeteria for breakfast. Then after breakfast and back to the dorm for morning lecture in the Day room.

Then in rotation there would be outside lectures with test takings after or running in packs or cleaning entire dorm and laundry done. There would be dorm inspections followed by quiz questions for everyone. There was no entitlements with wrong answers and would be locked inside dorm instead.

They let us out for Mass a couple of Sundays for singing and worship service. And then, there was the obstacle course one had to pass or you have to do it again the right way. I passed my obstacle course and tests except for the one to be let out of the dorm for some activity for the day. I'm no perfect either but did quite well to then.