[pistolero]

Class 09-10, June 2010.

First piece of advice, don't get too caught up in all the high-speed gear. Oakley boots, however comfortable as they may be, are very expensive. The drainage holes on them suck, and I trekked for long hours during team weak in water logged boots. Issued boots WILL work just fine. Hundreds of candidates each year complete SFAS with them, modified or not. Don't assume you're going to be allotted all the time in the world to change socks. The clock is always ticking.

Two most important items for me: Seal Line medium sized map case, and as stated before, canteen straws.

Something that is often over-looked: ORS packets/MREs are your lifelines. Our class completed SFAS through one of the hottest months of the year. For those of you who are about to attend in the upcoming months, you should still take heed, because your body burns just as many calories, if not more, during the chill of winter. Not only are you completing the same amount of work, but your body is burning precious calories while you shiver non-stop. Add a soaking uniform and your body's metabolism is in for a wild ride.

Oral re-hydration salts are absolutely essential as they assist in water retention as well as metabolism, or your internal temperature regulating mechanisms. You will be sweating non-stop, and once your sweat starts to taste like plain water, you know you're pushing it. I saw MANY guys go down as heat casualties as a direct result of their complacency, and this happened every day up until the very last few days. And it has nothing to do with how much of a PT stud you are, because the heat doesn't discriminate. Just choke the ORS down, you won't regret it. Eat EVERYTHING in your MRE. They are loaded with sodium and calories and you will probably be in caloric deficit for most of the time anyway. And this especially applies to those of you who are prior hot/cold weather casualties.

If you are prone to hypoglycemia, or have ever passed out due to low blood sugar, I strongly recommend that you save some of the sweets from your MREs for the really long days and movements, you'll know what I mean when you get there. I know of one candidate specifically who completed SOPC with flying colors that went hypoglycemic and passed out during the last few days of SFAS and was med-dropped. If you feel light-headed, drink water, eat a few toffee cubes. Dump some water on the back of your neck. It also helps to put an ORS packet in one of your 2 QT canteens.

I will close with this: a few weeks ago, I was driving back to the barracks at about 6PM, and I saw a few privates from the 82nd picking grass from the edges of the road by HAND, sweating their asses off with their berets on and everything. I can say that it was all I needed to get my ass moving to the next hit time in the right uniform, ready to train, or stand in formation for hours on end, if need be. Before we go on criticizing anything, or anyone, just remember that it could be WAY worse for us. Cadre don't ask for much. Act like a man. We came to work with/as professionals, we should perform accordingly. Embrace the suck, learn to work through it and remember that we have no entitlement to anything. We don't know where the Cadre came from, what they've done, or why they are here, and frankly it is none of our concern. They have been entrusted with bringing us into the Q course, so I leave it alone.

I have spent several months in hold in between phases, and I am now about to enter language school and I will tell you candidates, hold is what you make of it. Even before SFAS. Are you going to take the initiative to PT your ass off while you wait for the next phase, or will you wait for someone to take you by the hand?

Good luck guys.