Commissioning

And so, one day after my commissioning as a Naval Officer, I am trying to process what happened in the past 12 weeks.

Today was the first day I put on a regular pair of pants with a shirt, slept under my sheets, walked around with nobody watching me, and not really stressing about anything.

So the inevitable question awaits me...what was it like?

To be curt, it was hard.  

That first week was probably the most difficult week in my life.  The combination of mental, physical, and spiritual stimuli led me to question my motivations, pursuits, and perceptions of the world around me.  

The following weeks ushered forth new medleys of stresses; including academic classes (engineering, navigation, naval seamanship, naval history, etc), drill, billets, physical training, inspections, and more.  

Spending every moment for 8 weeks with the same 27 people brought it's own set of incredibly joyful moments as well as moments of frustration.  

First impressions matter, but in our case...ending impressions mattered the most.  People I disliked in the beginning I grew to like....I was reminded of the need to reserve assumptions for inconsequential situations.  

Started with 45, ended with 27 (after some roll-ins).  What an amazing journey.  Now we are off to different parts of the globe.  Japan, Bahrain, Florida, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia, San Diego, and New York are only a few of the places we are all headed to.

The moments of desperation always ended with laughter, and for that I am thankful.  Let us never forget the sweat and tears we shared on Prichard Field, the track, in the pway before RLP, rose garden, suya, and cookie jar.  The smiles at Hi-Moms and our firm handshakes and mutual respect as we swore in together as Naval Officers.  

Class 02-13 Golf Company will always hold a special place in my heart.  Despite all the suck, it was well worth it.  Would I do it all over again?  First, I would cry.  But there is no doubt I would do it again if I had to in order to be commissioned as an officer.

All praise and glory goes to God for comforting me in dire moments and surrounding me with the right people.  But most importantly, saving me from my sin so that I may join him in heaven.