Nearly there

The end is in sight. I am currently on my last liberty at Navy Officer Development School.

Week three was good, I was not able to complete the entire PRT because of a medical CHIT is received due to my hip flexor and shin splints,  so I only did the push ups and curl ups with no run… I did improve both of those though. The RLP (Room, Locker, Person) inspection went really well, I only had three deductions, (you are allowed 9 to pass) and my inspector was a former enlisted marine who is now an LT in the Navy. I still don’t know what he looked like because I was locked on during the inspection, and only took a quick glimpse at his rank insignia so I never focused on his face. Last weekend consisted of off base liberty in our dress blues, but we couldn’t leave the island so I just rode around with Ens Syster and LTJG Halwany. We had a few drinks at the liberty center/bowling alley, and the weekend went by pretty quick. The course work was important but dull during week three, but I managed to stay awake through it all.

Week four was composed of DOLC (pronounced Doal-see) or Division Officer Leadership Course. These classes were a little more interactive than the previous three weeks, so it made it easier to stay awake, but was still a struggle with our lack of sleep. The week actually went by pretty quick, we had access to our phones after hours, and I was able to regularly text and occasionally call Jas.  My new phone was a God send and made communication so much easier.

This weekend we had 100 mile leave and could go out in our civis, many of my classmates went to Boston. I had planned on going to Boston, but the timing just didn’t work out, so I stuck around Newport, and had lobster for the first time (I still like crab more) and a few drinks downtown with a few of the guys. It was a good and relaxing time. I have had plenty of time to crack open my Bible, and that has made things much less stressful lately too. Unfortunately I just received an email from my seminary saying that they accidentally gave me tuition loans last semester when I was on my internship, so they will be taking $3400 out of my loans for this semester which means I will not have enough money to get through the year and will probably have to take out an additional bank loan.

Next week consists of a lot of interactive training and days that end early. We will do the wet trainer called the USS Buttercup, which is a damage control simulator where we will be in a mocked up section of a ship and we will have to seal leaks and such, firefighting training, another pool exercise where the entire class jumps off the platform wearing dark goggles, and has to make sure everyone is accounted for and climb into a boat in the middle of the pool, a chance to get our 2^nd class swim qualification for a few of us, graduation practice, graduation reception, and graduation itself. Then I get to hop on a plane in Providence, fly to DC, then on to San Francisco where I will head to the USO, take a nap for a couple of hours, hop on another plane, and wrap my arms around Jas in Denver.

I’m going to miss my classmates from Class 12020 Charlie company, but I am also very excited to finish up my training here, see my mom at the reception and graduation, graduate, and feel the woman I love in my arms. It is a fine Navy day.

-ENS SCHLIMGEN

(Ryan)