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In the Army now

7 Weeks and Weighty Questions

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For those who don’t know, I spent the summer at Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson, SC. Basic training, for those who haven’t been, is both physically and mentally demanding but quite manageable. Basic for me was only a first step; I’m heading to Officer Candidate School…

…eventually. While training at Ft. Jackson, I fractured my wrist and tore a ligament. After graduating (yes, I was able to complete my training), I went on leave to heal. I’m on my way back to SC, hoping to get medical clearance to move on to OCS.

While at home, I’ve had a lot of time to sit around and get smart. I used my time to contemplate the responsibilities that lie in my future. To that end, I have been reading about Army leadership, military history, and the psychology of the most serious of my duties: killing.

As an officer, my primary duty will be not to kill; rather, my duty will be to order those under my command to kill. In that way, I can at least distance myself from the danger, but I know that the ultimate accountability is mine. I’m working to get as good an understanding of how to keep soldiers motivated and how to keep myself in the fight.

In the end, the best that I can do is to train my unit, train myself and trust in my men’s abilities.

Written by Nick

September 2nd, 2010 at 9:17 pm

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My week in Twitter

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August 29th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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  • Looks like I've cone in 13th: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/node/373401 #
  • What's with the weather today? It's cooler, so I shouldn't complain… #
  • Since my body is broken, I'm going to spend time exercising my mind. Today's exercise: learn Dutch. #
  • @Vinni405 The last time I had to take "the long way around", I had to march an extra two miles. C'est la vie. in reply to Vinni405 #
  • Running with a cast isn't slowing me down too much. My wrist is throbbing now, but a cold front does the same thing. #

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August 22nd, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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  • Graduating Basic Combat Training tomorrow!!! See you later, Ft. Jackson! #
  • While I'm not at OCS yet, it's nice to be back home. Hopefully my wrist fixes itself soon so I can get to Benning. #
  • It's nice to have coffee when waking up. Also, it's even nicer not having drill sergeants yelling at me to get out of bed "time now". #

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August 15th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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  • On my way to Baltimore for Army in-processing. #

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June 6th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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Written by Nick

May 30th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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  • Only 14 days until active duty! #

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May 23rd, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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My week in Twitter

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  • Three more weeks until active duty. #

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May 16th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

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