Completion of the first week

Thursday we were issued our TA-50. (I had no idea either.) It is all the equipment that we will need to have when we go to Camp Bliss for our field training. Everything fit into those huge packs that you see in the truck. Thankfully Cpt Hulen drove his truck over to the CIF where we received our gear so we did not have to walk it back to our lodging facility. It is not really far away but it would not have been fun to walk all the gear back in the heat and humidity.

Friday morning was our first Alpha Company run. Our First Sergent called it the OBC-500 Fun Run. We only ran about a mile and a half with cadences but it was hard for some. Thankfully I have been running a bit with friends so it was not really that bad. I have never run with the cadences before so it was kind of fun. Towards the end one girl began to fake an asthma attack which really frustrated a lot of us. She too is a direct commission and I don't think anyone told her like they told many of us that you can be medically discharged for asthma. I hope she finds out soon and does not continue to cry wolf like that.

My formal welcome to military life happened Friday before we were dismissed for the weekend. Our Company Commander Cpt Wade pulled us all together to remind us to be safe and to travel in groups at all times. He then proceded to remind all the married folks that they were married and he expeccted them to remain that way while at Ft. Sam. He then reminded all of us that are single to be "safe" and make sure that whomever we are with is not an enlisted member of the military as that is super against the rules. He shared with us that he would have no problem ruining our career if he found out we were disresepcting the uniform that we wear.

Last night there was a BBQ behind our lodging building (known as 1384). Cpt Boseski and I went for an hour to go meet some more people. It was interesting to hang out with people that were on the road to get drunk. Some already were drunk when we got there and others were gettign very close. After spending the past three years at a religious school and a religious camp in the summer this is a little different than what I am used to. I met a fellow RN from CA (Melanie I think) who took her NCLEX with Michelle Siemens up in NorCal. Such a small world.

Well today we are off to hang out in San Antonio. We are hoping ot hit the museums and the zoo during the next few weekends to get a taste of the history here. Hope you all have a great weekend!

First Salute as a 2LT

Today was a few firsts. It was my first formal morning of physical training (PT) with my company and platoon. It was a light morning with most time spent teaching us direct commissions how everything works. It was light but still a good workout.

Following the workout we all returned to our rooms to clean up and put on our Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs) for the first time for most of us as Officers. Walking to class I was saluted for the first time as a Second Lieutenant. It was an amazing feeling. Throughout the day I saluted my superiors and was saluted by the Enlisted members of the Army. It was amazing but weird at the same time. Because I have no prior service and personally have not done anything to earn the resepct I receive it will take a while to get used to. It is amazing to be a part of such an important aspect of our freedom here in the United States.

Today's breifings were the standard seminars that you would have to get anywhere you worked. We were formally welcomed by our Brigade Commander who is a Colonel. He was very business-like but also very polite. Following lunch we had a briefing regarding spying and espianage. Just remember that loose lips sink ships!

Tomorrow is a later start as we do not report until 0730 to get our gear checked out to us for field training. It is not happening for a few weeks, but since the next few weeks will be spent in the classroom this is the best time for it.

The picture is of some of the girls I hangout with. Second Lieutenants Scott and Baumann and Captain Boseski. It is fun to get to train with people from so many different career backgrounds and career ambitions. While there are aspects that are not easy, we all seem to be having a good time.

Briefing Break

A glimpse of a break in between briefings today. I sat with 2LTs Gillespe and Bodily and CPT Hulen. They are all prior service and have been teaching me a lot. Especially in regards to simple customs and traditions.

Hey Anita

So, because it was my first day in a real uniform with rank and all I thought it would be fun to give you a shout. I wore some of John's socks under my uniform ones. Yes, you came with today!

First Few Days

Today was our first formal day of training. There are over 200 officers in this course ranging in specialties from medicine, to nursing, to piloting helicopters, physical therapy...there are so many different professions here. Nursing seems to be that largest as there are over 140 of us. I have met a few that will be at Walter Reed with me in January and we have hit it off.

Yesterday I was ordered to appear on base at 1pm to sign in. And literally that is all that we did. We signed in and got our lodging rooms. Yup, that was it! Since we had time off, Heather and I invited some new friends out to dinner. We went to the Crackel Barrel. It was hilarious! That place cracked me up!!!! I think the North Carolina Burdines took my family to one of those once as it looked a little familiar, but I was still giggling at the little gift store in front.

Today we reported at 0430. If you don't speak military, that is 4:30 AM. Yup, that early in the morning. We in-processed all day (dental exams, immunization updates, HIV test updates, DNA updates, and much more). The group that I seem to be hanging out with finished at 5:30pm and headed off for dinner. Before ending the evening with a 2-mile run we all set up our internet in our rooms.

I am sure that I will get questions about the food, so I will address that now. Surprisingly the food is pretty good. There is a decent selection of healthy and not-so-healthy foods to chose from. Soups and salads are always available (which is a big hit with the nurses). And yes, there is an all-you-can-eat soft serve ice ceam machine with three or four flavors. The enlisted guys come back to their tables with huge bowls of it as they have physical training everyday and can afford the calories.

October 13ish is my physical training (PT) test. It consists of a 2-mile run, 2 minutes of push-ups, and 2-minutes of sit-ups. The only aspect that I am not looking forward to is the 2-mile run as I will have to complete it in a specific time.

As requested by some here is my mailing address while here (I will be here until Dec 14)

Elizabeth Hultgren, 2LT
2250 Stanley Rd. Unit 93
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6401

Here in San Antonio

Well, I made it safely to San Antonio. My dad, who drove over with me, flew back to CA last evening. The drive was long and thankfully uneventful. We spent Friday night in Kerrville which is about an hour outside of San Antonio. We went to a charming ampitheatre that night and saw A Streetcar Named Desire on stage. It was great. I had never seen and did not really know the story line but I really liked it. The actors were great. If you get a chance to see it you should.

I spent last night at my friend Heather's house. She graduated from BIOLA with a BSN. She will be stationed here at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) following OBC so she was required to get here a week of so ago to set up housing. She has a great apartment really close to the base. And she has a yet-to-be-named cat. Any suggestions? Heather and I will be in OBC together which I am leaving for OBC in about an hour. Wow, only an hour left of freedom. Well, it was fun while it lasted!

Leaving California

Well, the time has come to leave my beloved California in search of my future. I am about to spend my last night in CA as a resident. Tomorrow I will jump on Interstate 10 and head east. It is no longer "Go West Young Man" but rather "Go East Young Soldier". I have had a great time in the LA area hanging out with friends. (Holly you are fabulous!) It was a great way to spend my last few days of freedom before facing my new reality.

I cannot wait to get to TX and begin this new chapter in my life. After talking with a few different Army Officers I am still a little clueless as to what truly lies ahead of me but excited to go. The only thing that I am sure of is that there will be a lot of running, push-ups, and sit-ups involved. I am excited to keep you updated on what I am about to do. Don't be a stranger. Email me and let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear it.

Second Lieutenant

This evening, in front of friends and family I took the Oath of Office to offically become an Officer in the United States Army. Friends and family came over to my parent's house in the San Francisco Bay Area to witness the start of a new chapter in my life. We celebrated with a BBQ dinner and amazing conversation.

The Oath: "I, (Beth), having been appointed a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army under the conditions indicated in this document, do accept such appointment and do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."

Tomorrow, I leave for the Los Angeles area to hang out with some friends before leaving for San Antonio on Thursday. I have been waiting for this to happen, and it is finally here!

I put up a few more pictures on the myspace page. Take a look! www.myspace.com/bhultgren

Camping with my doggie!

Before leaving for the Army, I went camping with a friend from home. Adrienne and I have known each other since were little kids. We had talked about taking our dogs canoe camping for the last year. We finally found a few days in which we were both free and could go.

We drove up to Utica Resevior by Bear Valley Ski Resort on Labor Day arriving as everyone else was leaving to back to the "real world". We loaded up our gear and our dogs and then paddled out to a little island. The island was surrounded by trees with a large open patch in the middle. We let the dogs run around while we set up camp.

The second day was spent talking, reading, paddling, and swimming under the gorgeous sunny sky. Other paddlers came by to eat on the island throughout the day.

My dog Blake, the Cocker Spaniel, loves camping! He thinks it is the greatest thing since he gets to run around off leash all day and then snuggle next to me in the tent at night. Lucy, Adrienne's dog, was a little new at the camping thing. She did eventually learn that it is better to be in the canoe than swimming next to it. Lucy was not really into sleeping in the tent and ended up sleeping just outside of the tent.

All in all, it was a great chance to get out of the city and enjoy time with Adrienne before we both head out in the real world.

An Officer and a Nurse

Hello friends and family! Yes, the rumors are true. I am an Officer in the United States Army and a Registered Nurse in the wonderful State of California!

Allow me to elaborate on my answer to the famous "what are you doing after college" question. I am preparing to leave the San Francisco Bay Area and move to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX for 10 weeks of Officer Basic Course (OBC). Upon arrival at Ft. Sam I will formally be known as Second Lieutenant (2LT) Beth. Strange, I know! While at OBC I will be taking courses introducing me to the Army and its customs, spending four weeks getting "infantry trained", and taking leadership courses. Prior to graduating from OBC in mid-December I will also be required to take a course known as Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC). Every nurse in the Army is required to complete this course as we are all eligible for deployment at all times.

Once I graduate from OBC I will be moving to Maryland as I will be stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. I am to report for duty on January 2, 2007. While at Walter Reed, I will be living with former Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing classmate (and soon to also be a Second Lieutenant) Rebecca Spencer. Yes, I am aware that December/January is not the best time for a California girl to be moving to the East Coast, but it is what Uncle Sam has "requested" me to do, so I will do it. My orders have me at Walter Reed until September of 2009 at which point I will either leave the Army or remain on the active duty roster and work my way towards getting my Master's Degree.

The photo is from my informal commissioning as a 2LT at Azusa Pacific University following being "pinned" as a graduate nurse on May 5, 2006. Captian Warren Stewart a fellow Army Nurse is leading me through the Oath of Office in which I promise to "defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States".

You can also find me on MySpace if you so choose. It is a little less formal but there are and will be more pictures available on that site. Give me until October before you start looking for current pictures. http://www.myspace.com/bhultgren