I have been getting a few emails from folks going to BOLC and I realize they are asking a lot of the same questions as I had before leaving so I wanted to address some common questions before I write about weeks 5-7.  Please feel free to email me at armynursemolly@gmail.com if you have any other individual questions!

Q: When did you take your oath of office?

A:  I (along with many other classmates) took my Oath of Office and was sworn in the second day of BOLC.  Even some people who were sworn in by their recruiters had to be sworn in again- the date on the oath of office (the physical piece of paper) had to be signed for the day that we actually started BOLC.  If I remember correctly, the Reserves and National Guard did not have to do this, but I am pretty sure most everyone Active Duty was sworn in at Fort Sam Houston.

Q: Did you bring a computer? A printer?

A: Yes, and yes, I bought a cheap printer there.  There are some computers on post at Fort Sam that you will have access to use (as well as printers) but hours are limited at these labs, and you will be needing your computer for homework (YES you have homework at BOLC!) and for regular email updates.  In summary- it would be very inconvenient for you not to have a computer (unless you get a roommate that loves to share) and mildly inconvenient not to have a printer.

Q: When/how do you get reimbursed for all the traveling and expenses?

A: This was one question that I COULD NOT find an answer to prior to leaving for BOLC and it drove me crazy.  I had no clue if I needed to fill out paperwork before going to BOLC, or what in the world I was able to spend on hotels.  So hopefully this will help some people out.

(Keep in mind that I DROVE to BOLC- I do not know how it works for those who flew!) Basically, you will not get reimbursed for any of your travel until you get to your FIRST DUTY STATION.  In other words, other than keeping your receipts (which I ended up not even needing when filling out my travel vouchers) is the only kind of paperwork you need to do prior to leaving for BOLC.  When you get to your first duty station (if you are active duty- reserves and national guard I really do not know), you will have a finance brief and go through the paperwork step by step to get reimbursed.  You will have a finance brief the first week (though it was the biggest, most unorganized headache in the world) at BOLC in order to start getting paid regular pay.  You should get that first paycheck the 3rd or 4th week in BOLC.

You WILL get your clothing reimbursement ($600 for NEW active duty soldiers) your first paycheck at BOLC.  If you are struggling paying for things that first month or so, you can get a $2500 pay advancement (intrest free) your first paycheck.  You will pay it back over the course of the next year or so- about $200 will be deducted from your paycheck.  It’s a nice way to have a little extra cash when you first start out.

I can’t tell you exactly what the per diem rate is for travel to BOLC.  I kept my lodging under $100 a night and didn’t splurge on food and I was reimbursed plenty (I just got my travel voucher paid this week).  It’s confusing to figure out exactly what you got paid per day when it comes in a lump sum, but the government will pay you a certain amount a day for every 350 miles away you are to your destination.  So- if you are 700 miles away from San Antonio, they will pay you x amount for 2 days to get there.  If you take any more or any less than that, they will not pay you for those days- so don’t take too long to get there, but also take your time and don’t drive too much on one day (I could have taken a few more days from California to get to Texas).

Please feel free to email me with any more specific questions about travel reimbursement- like I said I had no clue what I would and wouldn’t get paid for before leaving for BOLC!

Q: What about getting all my stuff to my first duty station?!

A: There is a transportation office at Fort Sam that is awesome (or at lease it was to me) about helping me figure out how the heck I should move my stuff from storage in Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.  For people who still have their stuff unpacked (or have  a lot of stuff) in their house it would probably be best to do a government move.  This is where the government will pay for movers to come pack up everything and move it to your first duty station.  In my case- we don’t have a ton of stuff, and it was already packed in boxes in storage, we chose to do a ‘do-it-yourself move’, or a DITY move.  We rented a U-Haul, packed the stuff up ourselves, and moved it, and got reimbursed (or WILL get reimbursed- I should get paid next week).  The amount you get reimbursed depends on how much stuff you have (you have to get the U-Haul weighed empty AND full) and the distance you travel.  It was stressful and a lot of work- but you can make some money for moving the stuff yourself.  We probably paid $800-900 out of pocket to move our stuff, and we are going to get reimbursed about $2000.  Was the stress and physical labor of moving ourselves worth it??  If we have to move again we will probably do a government move, but it is also possible to do a ‘partial DITY’- something to ask the Transportation office.  Again, you will get all your reimbursement for your transportation (different from your travel vouchers) once you get to your first duty station.

Q: How essential is a car at BOLC?

A: It is not impossible to get around Fort Sam without a car, but from what I saw, it is a pretty big inconvenience.  You basically will need to drive everywhere on Post- I am sure especially for the July class, the on-post housing is not very close to the PX, PT field, or AMEDD building, and you won’t want to be walking outside TOO much in that summer Texas heat.  That being said, however, there are definitely enough people that have cars that it is easy to carpool.  Even people who all had cars carpooled often, since we mostly needed to be in the same place at the same time.  If you will not have a car at BOLC, I would recommend finding a good friend or roommate (probably someone in your platoon when you get broken up into them) that is your go-to car buddy.  Sometimes different platoons will have different schedules so keep that in mind.  Also, when you break up into different tracks the last two weeks of BOLC, all the nurses will be separated as well.

Well, I hope all of that helps out some of you, and again, if you have any other questions, please email me (armynursemolly@gmail.com) and I will get back to you ASAP!!

The first surprise the Army handed to me was that we were initially going to be housed off-post.  There was overlapping with the previous BOLC class that was taking up the on-post housing, so they had to house the majority of the March BOLC 350+ students at off-post hotels to start.  I got lucky enough to have a great roommate from Jackson, Mississippi who has prior service experience (she has been in the National Guard for 4 years) which was so helpful in making sure I wore my uniform properly and with any stupid questions I have that I didn’t want to ask in class!  If you’re new to the military, try getting a roommate with prior service!

Once we got our housing the only other thing we did the first day was get height-weight checked and a couple other checks to make sure that we had arrived.  We were told to meet at 0500 in our ACU’s the next morning for formation, and we were free to go home the rest of the day!

The next four days (actually- the next 3 WEEKS) mostly consisted of PT very early, class and paperwork, chow (eating) and more class and paperwork (the paperwork was pretty much done the first week, but the schedule generally remained the same the rest of the first four weeks).  If you’ve heard the phrase ‘death by powerpoint,’ you can imagine what you can expect the first four weeks of BOLC.  We had the majority of our classes the first week in a large auditorium, but at the end of week one we were broken up into our platoons (groups of approx 30-40 soldiers from the company), we had most of our classes in the AMEDD School, the place that my dad actually went to Physical Therapy school!

Over the course of the first week we had many briefs (lectures) on a variety of topics.  We mostly were told what NOT to do while at BOLC.  We were briefed numerous times on the consequences of drinking and driving (especially on post), and fraternization.  Most of the things they talked about were no-brainers, but things like the fraternization policy surprised me.  Though, it makes sense- any inappropriate interaction with people who are under your authority (as an officer) could compromise the chain of command.

It took me the first couple weeks to get used to saluting.  When outdoors, you must wear your proper headgear (generally your beret, unless you are in the field, then you wear your ACU cap), and if passing an officer with a higher rank than you, it is expected you salute them.  If they are lower rank, they are expected to salute you.  There are exceptions outdoors sometimes where saluting is not required (outdoor areas around the AMEDD building) and you will see these signs:

It’s something that has took getting used to, trying to recognize the different rank insignias on different soldiers.

Outside the AMEDD building

PT track and field.  Lots of time spent here.

Week two entailed the dreaded PT test.  The good news: I passed on the first go!  I guess I had been so concerned about the push-ups that I hadn’t concentrated as much as I needed on the sit-ups, so I didn’t quite get as many sit-ups as I had been hoping for, but it’s something I can definitely work on improving.  Keep in mind when practicing sit-ups: try to practice with someone holding your feet, rather than hooking your feet under something.  Also- you must keep your hands interlocked behind your head the entire time.  If they are not while doing a sit-up, it will not count.  If you touch the ground or your body with your hands while doing a sit-up, the event will be terminated.  So- practice those sit-ups!  I got over 80 pts on the run and the push-ups each, so I was good in those categories.  But it was nice to know I didn’t have to worry about passing for the rest of BOLC and I can work on improving my score the next time I will have to take it with my unit in October.

At the end of Week Two we participated in a brigade run (with Fiesta going on in San Antonio) which was 3000+ soldiers from Fort Sam getting together very early in the morning and going for a run around post.  There was a salsa band and flamenco dancers- something you don’t always see at 0400 in the morning.  But we had fun running and singing cadence all over Fort Sam.

A quick blurry pic of my platoon before the Fiesta Run.  It was chilly enough the first few weeks that we needed our PT jackets in the morning!

We actually didn’t get the entire weekend of week two off.  We had class all of Saturday morning, and then toured the AMEDD museum on post in the afternoon.  It was neat to see and learn about the history of medicine in the Army.  We also had to move out of our off-post hotels and into the on-post housing.  It was kind of rough going from a hotel room with a pool to a dorm-style room in a building that is in desperate need of renovation but things could have been much worse- we could have been in barrack style housing!  I tried not to complain when I had a private shower and bathroom and and an actual bed, not a cot (that would come later in the field)!!

Week three!  LOTS of BRIEFS.  There really isn’t much more to say about week three other than that.  Coffee or other non-water drinks aren’t allowed in any of the classrooms so it’s very hard to stay awake in some of theses classes.  The information is important and informative, but the early morning PT followed by hours of sitting and Powerpoints makes it tough to stay awake.  I (along with many of my other classmates) often stood in the back of the class so I wouldn’t fall asleep.  We also had our midterm this week, along with our CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive) certification exam.  This week we also did our SRP (Soldier Rediness Processing) which includes all the fun medical stuff you need to be deployable- blood draw, immunizations, dental, etc.  I had five shots and seven tubes of blood taken.  Ouch.

Week four! I’m not going to lie- I did not write down what we did this week and I am struggling to remember… I know we had our final exam for the course, which was tougher than the midterm, but do not stress yourselves out.  We also started familiarization with the M16 rifle (quick FYI- never call any weapon in the military a ‘gun’- you will be corrected!  In our case, you have a rifle and a pistol!).  I had never fired any kind of weapon before, so I really wanted to figure out how it worked prior to actually trying to qualify on it (we didn’t actually fire the M16 prior to going to the field).

It was neat to at least get an idea of what it felt like to hold the M16 before actually using it.  Many of my classmates were familiar with it (or some type of rifle in general), but the instructors really went out of their way to help those of us who had no clue what it’s like to use a weapon!

Well folks- that is week 1 thru 4 of BOLC in a nutshell.  I am FINALLY catching up on my emails so feel free to drop a line if you have any specific questions.  Some tips to remember for the beginning few weeks of training:

• When you FIRST show up to Fort Sam for check in, as soon as you get your housing you will be getting your height/weight done.  You need to be in your PT uniform (specifically, shorts and t-shirt).  Feel free to show up to check in wearing these!  It will save you time having to go to the hotel to change!
• DON’T WORRY if you don’t have all the necessary uniform pieces when you first arrive.  There is a clothing sales store on post that the instructors will either direct you to or take you to!  Sometimes the store is lacking on sizes, but the instructors won’t be too strict about stuff the first week if the store is out of your size.
• If you’re completely new to the military like me, it is sometimes going to sound like people around you are speaking a different language (the Army LOVES to abbreviate EVERYTHING).  It is intimidating asking what certain things mean in front of the entire class, so try to make friends with someone that is prior service, sitting next to them in the briefs, and asking them!
• All I can say in preparing for the PT test is to practice what is tested!  Go through a mock PT test prior to coming to BOLC a couple times- 2 minutes of push-ups, then 2 minutes of sit-ups and a 2 mile run, with about a ten minute break between each event.  If you don’t pass the first time you will be given at least two more chances to pass- but really aim for passing that first time!  It relieves a lot of stress and anticipation!

hooah!

Next post coming soon- the field!! Weeks 5, 6 and 7!!

]]> http://www.armynursemolly.com/?feed=rss2&p=336 4 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=332 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=332#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:51:43 +0000 Molly http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=332 I’m sorry I haven’t been able to update!  They have most of our BOLC class living at the Holiday Inn (until the current class graduates and gets out of the on post housing, then they will move us) and the internet access is awful- with 200+ soldiers trying to send emails when we get back from class all day the bandwidth just can’t handle it.

I’m going to try to go somewhere with free wifi this weekend to give a nice long update- weekends might be the only time until I move on post that I can really update but I will try as often as possible.

Thanks to everyone that has been writing emails- keep them up! I will get back to you soon!  Hooah!

I made a pit stop in Tuscon today to go to a military surplus store along the way called Miller’s.  It rocked!  They had (almost) everything I was missing and the staff was really nice and helpful (it may have been because I was there when it opened at 0830 and was the only customer- but they were still great!).  If you ever are in Tuscon I would definitely reccomend a stop here!

My lonely little GTI in front of their sweet mural.

The rest of the trip was uneventful… which is good!  ’Events’ on roadtrips can be a bad thing….

It is actually really pretty… the road is just getting a bit lonely…

But I made it to Texas!

Yup, that’s Mexico I can see from my hotel window!!

San Antonio tomorrow!!!! (extra Starbucks required)

]]> http://www.armynursemolly.com/?feed=rss2&p=311 1 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=296 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=296#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:02:18 +0000 Molly http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=296 Day one of driving- done!

I made it safe and sound to Phoenix where I am staying at a great hotel with free wireless (always important in choosing your accommodations) and about to hit the sack- it’s been a long day!

I left around 0450 this morning from Santa Barbara and managed to beat the LA traffic.  Once I hit the desert it was a straight shot with no problems at all (plus the speed limit is 75!- can’t beat that).  I love driving through the Palm Spring area and the wind turbine generators along the road:

These pictures don’t really do it justice…

but they are BIG, and awesome.

I made it to Phoenix in really good time- I was able to find a couple of the pieces of gear I need at a local military surplus store, but it looks like I’ll still have to get a couple items in El Paso or San Antonio before Tuesday (we are allowed to report on Monday in civilian clothes).  I had a nice workout in the hotel gym (another important requirement) and relaxed the rest of the day- I’ve got another long drive tomorrow!

]]> http://www.armynursemolly.com/?feed=rss2&p=296 0 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=284 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=284#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:03:24 +0000 Molly http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=284 Roadtrip!

It’s a long 3 day drive from Santa Barbara to San Antonio…

I’ll be stopping in Phoenix and El Paso before arriving in San Antonio- if anyone has any recommended rest stops along the way, let me know!!

I ordered all of my ACU(Army Combat Uniform) except the boots and PT gear (minus running shoes) from US Cavalry.  Their website was really easy to navigate, prices seemed comparable to other sites.  Plus, they seemed to have everything that I needed.  I found the boots I wanted through Belleville- I ordered the F390 DES.

I normally wear an 8-8.5 in other shoes, so I ordered an 8 and they were WAY too big.  I re-ordered them in a 7 and am awaiting their arrival.

The other sizing I got wrong was the hats.  For some reason I had in my head that my hat size was 6 3/4 so I ordered the ACU Cap and the Beret in that size. WAY too small.  I am going to return those and try to find a store along the way or when I get to San Antonio so I can actually try them on.  Luckily the ACU uniform I ordered in a small fit well- the shirt is a tad bulky in the arms (but I know it’s not supposed to be form fitting… ha!) but the pants fit perfectly (I’ve decided not to post any pictures of me wearing my uniform until I’m in San Antonio- that way I can ask around and make sure I’m wearing everything correctly!).  I also ordered my name tapes and grade insignias, all which arrived safe and sound and spelled correctly!

I decided to splurge on socks.  I figure it’s better to spend a little more on them now and have them for a while than get socks that will fall apart in a couple months.  After a little research, I found the most highly recommended socks were the Thorlos Combat Boot Socks, which US Cavalry also sells.  When they arrived, I knew I had made a good decision.  They are extremely good quality, comfortable and padded.

I am in love with these socks already…

Things were pretty simple with the PT gear.  The pants and shorts were on backorder at US Cavalry so I actually did a little searching and found some great prices on Ebay!  I got 3 pairs of PT shorts for what I would have paid for 1 or 2 on other sites I was checking out (I don’t think they are new, but you can’t tell the difference they are in such good shape!).  Still looking for some pants, but with weather looking to be around 80-90 degrees, hopefully I won’t even need them right away.

If you run or workout regularly, you probably have a particular brand of running shoe you generally buy.  I used to be an Asics girl, but a few years back I was looking for running shoes and the store clerk suggested a pair of Mizunos that were similar to the Asics I was looking for.  I’ve been hooked on Mizunos ever since- specifically the Mizuno Wave Riders.  Recently I’ve been buying my shoes and other running gear (including the yellow reflective belt we need for PT!) at Road Runner Sports- they have a great selection, good customer service and fast (and usually free) shipping!

I love these shoes.  I’ve gone through Wave Rider 10, 11, 12, and now I’m at 13, which I think is my favorite so far (although the style doesn’t change too much over the years).  I actually still have a pair of 12s which I wear for my muddy runs (I try to keep my newer ones to paved roads and the gym).

So I pretty much have everything I need for BOLC.  I’ll have to get a few things when I’m there or on my way, but overall I think I did well.  Buying all my gear has given me a big reality check that all this is really happening soon.  I leave for San Antonio in 5 DAYS!!!!

As a sidenote: I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies I mentioned, nor was I paid or otherwise rewarded for blogging about them.  I simply wanted to let my readers, whoever you may be, know how I went about getting my Army supplies and what other gear I already use.  That being said, if Mizuno or any of the other companies I mentioned want to send me free stuff, please feel free to get in touch.  :-D

]]> http://www.armynursemolly.com/?feed=rss2&p=211 1 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=178 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=178#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:47:40 +0000 Molly http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=178 Sorry for the lack of posts- my husband and I snuck in a vacation to the Florida Keys as our belated ‘honeymoon’ (I started nursing school two days after our wedding so we never got to take a real honeymoon and we figured taking one before BOLC would be good timing) and I ignored my blog until we got back.  THANKS to all the people who wrote me emails and left comments- I didn’t know anyone was actually reading it yet because I haven’t really ‘advertised’ it anywhere.  But thanks again and keep the comments coming!

Alright, now that I’m back from this….

(Bahia Honda Key State Beach, Florida)

I need to work on these!

(image here)

The physical fitness test is standard for all soldiers in the Army.  We are required to take the test at least once every six months, and are required to score a minimum of 60 points on each event: pushups, situps, and a timed two-mile run.

Here are the 60 point minimums and 100 point maximums (according to Wikipedia):

I just turned 27 last week which puts me in a new age group requirement- it gives me an easier time for the run and less situps as a maximum, but I will have to do more pushups than a 26-year old.  I don’t get it.

I have been working on my push ups the past few months since it was the event that I was the most worried about going into the Army.  Not that I am looking forward to the situps, either.  I am a fairly avid runner (I’ve done one half-marathon and two full marathons the past couple years- I’m not very fast but with training I can go a long way!) but have slacked on the sit-ups and push-ups since I was a rower in college.  My goal is to get at least 75-80% points in each event, but of course when the day comes I will just be happy to pass.

I know that I am blessed to be living in a place like Santa Barbara, not only because of it’s natural beauty, but for it’s weather which has allowed me to run and exercise outside while the rest of the country has been slammed with snow all winter.  Joe and I recently found a place near our house that’s a nice 5-mile loop and just a beautiful place to run.  Yesterday I took my camera to document:

After running through a neighborhood, behind a fence, up a steep hidden trail, we get to this:

The area is called More Mesa, I think it’s privately owned but undeveloped and open to the public to explore!

Following Joe through the trees….

Until we reach the cliff- and the ocean.  Does it get more beautiful than this?

Oh wait.  Gotta ruin the moment and do some pushups.

Then we run some more, and enjoy the sunset.

A big thanks to my (workout) partner in crime- he keeps me going!

Something tells me there won’t be many views like this in Texas or DC- so I’ll enjoy them while I’m still here.

Two more weeks!!!

]]> http://www.armynursemolly.com/?feed=rss2&p=178 1 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=151 http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=151#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:20:27 +0000 Molly http://www.armynursemolly.com/?p=151 My recruiter had been hoarding my orders all along!!!! (Actually she claims she thought she had forwarded them to me already, but she had not, they were issued 2 weeks ago!)  Who cares, I have my orders!!

So it’s OFFICIAL official.  See you 29 March in San Antonio!

I decided to look at the information provided on the internet for Army, Navy and Air Force nursing- JUST in case it was something that I would be interested in.  It turns out, it was very interesting indeed.  The Army seemed to offer the best benefits out of all the military branches- it offered the most student loan repayment for the shortest commitment time (since I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a long term career out of the military or not), as well as the opportunity to continue my education (aka they would pay for grad school) with a longer committment term.  Plus, to have the opportunity to work in places like Germany, Hawaii, or DC- it all looked pretty good.

I understood that there were risks I would be taking in joining the Army.  We could very well could easily be stationed in not-so-ideal locations, and of course there’s always the opportunity to be deployed.  In making the decision to join the Army, both Joe and I had to accept that this could happen, and that we would be ok with it.  We decided that at this point in our lives- why not?  We are young with no kids, and are lucky enough to have the flexibility to be able to move anywhere in the world with Joe able to keep his job.  I will get at least 3 years of fantastic training, and if I decide not to continue with the Army at the end of that time, I will be able to get a nursing job anywhere I want with my experience.  The fact that I would be out of student loan debt at the end of three years was very appealing as well, of course!

So I made the decision that this is what I wanted to do.  Become an Army nurse.  Here’s a timeline of how everything has gone the last year or so…..

March/April 2009- Started looking into military nursing, contacted + met with Army recruiter, started considering military nursing.

May 2009- Made the ‘official’ decision to join the Army Nurse Corps.  Started the endless paperwork that involves joining.

June 2009- Submitted all my paperwork.  Was told my paperwork would be submitted before the July board of Army Nurses (to determine whether or not I would be selected into the Army).

July 2009- WAITED to hear back from the board.  It seemed to take forever.  But I’m not the most patient person in the world.

August 2009- Graduated from nursing school and got word that I was selected!  Was overjoyed to get this letter….

September 2009- Decided to move to Santa Barbara and live with my parents until I got my orders for BOLC.  I was told by my recruiter that I would most likely be able to get into the January class for BOLC, but if I didn’t I would almost surely get into the March class.  Since Joe can just work from home, we decided this would be a good money saver until I was off to training.

October 2009- Took the NCLEX and PASSED!  Another very exciting and proud time in my life!

November 2009- Got a job working as an RN at a nearby nursing home in the skilled nursing facility.  Not the most glamorous job, but the pay was great and the local hospital wasn’t hiring new grads.  Still waiting for any word on when I would be going to BOLC.

December 2009- Waiting waiting waiting.  Figured by now I wouldn’t be getting into the January class (which actually got pushed to February) so hoping, wishing and praying to hear that I got into the March class.  If I didn’t, I would have to wait to JULY, which I wasn’t ready to do (as grateful as I was that my parents were letting us live with them temporarily, I was not wanted to overstay our welcome for another 8 months…).  On Dec 23 I got an email from Human Resources Command (HRC) to send my top 3 choices of first duty stations, and that I had the choice to be in the March or July BOLC class.  I wrote back as fast as my little hands could type that I would very much like to attend the March BOLC class and that my top three choices for duty stations were 1) Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC, 2) Tripler AMC in Hawaii and 3) Landstuhl AMC in Germany.  Then I waited some more….

January 2010- Happy New Year!  I got this email the first week of January that made me jump for joy (again…):

Woo hoo!  I got my FIRST choice for duty stations…WASHINGTON DC HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!  I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of how quickly my funds would come in once I got this email, but I decided to wait a couple weeks before harassing this very nice Major at HRC.  Near the end of January I wrote a quick email to ask if my funds had come in and she wrote back that yes, they had, and I should be receiving my orders ‘soon.’

February 2010- Well, here we are.  It’s almost the end of the month.  Still no official orders.  The BOLC March class is supposed to report to San Antonio on March 29, which is just about a month away.  My recruiter has set me up with an AKO email (official Army email) and I am told I will either get my orders by email or snail mail.  I check my AKO mail about 20x a day and run out to the mail box with hopes they have arrived.  But nothing yet.

When I found out that we would be moving to the DC area, Joe started looking around at available jobs (he had been thinking about leaving his current job for a little while, but was waiting to see where we would be stationed).  A couple weeks ago, he got a job offer at a company that is based out of DC, and has taken the job!  The great thing about it is that he will still be working from home (even when we move to DC)!  They are looking into buying some office space in Baltimore that he will have to commute to a couple times a week when they settle in, but for now he is able to work from Santa Barbara.  They are flying him to DC (he leaves tonight!) to meet with the other employees and while he’s there he’s going to be looking at apartments for us.  He’s going to try to move in sometime in April when I am at training so when I am done we will be all set up (we’re hoping to find a place in Silver Spring, MD which is on the way to Baltimore and only a mile or two from Walter Reed!).

I guess I just have to be a little more patient.  As long as I get my orders within the next couple weeks, I should be fine.  I just would like to get everything arranged with getting moved (about 95% of our stuff is in storage in Pittsburgh) with plenty of time before I have to leave.  Joe and I are taking a vacation to the Florida Keys next week, and it would be great to have everything figured out before we leave.  I guess we’ll see how the next few weeks go!