Day two began with an announcement over the battery intercom, a system I’d get used to eventually. Wake up was 0600 for chow in civilian attire. Day two was about getting troops the equipment they need for the course. We went to the uniform store, where I picked up a second beanie and gloves (I quickly learned that Oklahoma’s windy weather can blow in cold air on a dime). We then walked over the the PX to get haircuts and other items we may need, such as cleaning supplies.
We marched over for lunch chow, which was brought back memories from AIT as I observed privates meandering through the chow hall. A gratifying reminder of the journey I had navigated. After chow we had classes in the form of powerpoint (which made up the majority of weeks one and two). The topics presented were all too familiar, as they had been briefed multiple times during my enlistment. It was during this time where I’d began to realize that DCC, for prior enlisted folks, will be one MASSIVE repeat of training they’ve received, especially for folks that carried leadership positions.
We wrapped up the first day with dinner chow then personal time.
Day three was the first day in OCP, which meant we were to act in a manner consistent with military professionalism. Some struggled with this, as it was new to them, but the cadre and fellow prior service members were quick to teach. We received further classes and were visited by higher ranking AMEDD officers, who shared their personal experience in the field. We also spent a moment to in process to the Army (in process was spread out over the four weeks).
Day four was an introductory course on PT (Physical Training), which comes at the wake up time of 0430. We did PRT (Physical Readiness Training), which is a movement of warmups and stretches. After completion, we had time to perform personal hygiene. The rest of the day consisted of (you guessed it) classes.
Day five was Thanksgiving, which was a day off from training. We were required to hit certain accountability times, but aside from that we were authorized to meander around post in uniform.
Day six was another free day for the Thanksgiving Holiday (this holiday typically is a four day weekend).
Days seven and eight were free days as well with the same accountability requirements as the previous days. Sunday is unique as it offers the opportunity for Soldiers to practice their respective religions. In hindsight, I would’ve preferred to have trained during this time as the days dragged by, however it was also nice to spend some time getting to know the group, go to the gym, or go to a local coffee shop to relax.