the PRT
Topic: Military

My LAST PRT

 

The NAVY Physical Readiness Test is upon me. It is the system in which the Navy will gauge my abilities to perform the physical duties that follow joining the military. During this test I must run 1.5 miles, perform as many pushups as I can in two minutes, and as many sit ups as I can in two minutes. How many pushups or sit ups I must perform depends on my age.

 

I’ve always been pretty good at my pushups and sit ups. Upon entering the Navy, I was always able to achieve the maximum scores in those to areas. I think my records are 125 pushups and 120 sit ups in the given two minute periods. The numbers have decreased in the last six years but so has the requirements as I get older.

 

The run, however, I dread. Before joining, I could run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes and 9 seconds. That is my record. Some reading this must think that that was pretty fast. Most in the Navy will admit, that’s actually quite slow. I was with the recruiters and I felt I had something to prove, and that was the best I had. Since boot camp, my run time decrease dramatically every cycle until I came very close to complete failure.

 

The PRT is given twice a year in 6 month cycles. Those who only run during these two PRTs are known to be part of the “Three Mile A Year” Club. I am in that club.

 

This is my very last PRT that I will be required to do, unless of course I get accepted into the reserves, in which I will still have to participate twice a year. So, upon returning from deployment in July, I decided I would work on it.

 

I began running twice a week, 2-3 miles each session, with my friend Shawn. He has never been a runner either, but he’s been training to be a State Trooper somewhere and he’s actually very fast for someone who “hates” running. I gradually increased to running 3 times a week with Shawn, sometimes even going so far as 7 miles. I impressed myself.

 

And then his knee started hurting. We stopped running. He got out of the Navy (his contract was up) and I haven’t run in the past three and a half weeks. The PRT is tomorrow. I hope I pass. I just hope that my NIKE FLEX SHOW TR TRAINING SHOES will carry me through. I should be okay.

 

That's an affiliate link to the shoes I have on my feet right now. I mean, not the actual shoes. But ones just like them. They're great. So comfy and supportive, yet light. Buy them. Support a future jobless veteran.

Off the Job Training
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Military

I’m horrible at updating. I know.

 

Between a deployment, nigh shifts, raising a family, the super commuting between Richmond, VA and Washington, D.C. and maintenance on four cars, I’ve got my hands full. Perhaps all the resume writing has gotten me into a bit of a narcissistic streak and I’ve decided to pick up the blog attempt. This is two entries now. I’m gaining momentum.

 

Up until now

 

I am currently beginning my transition period from Sea Warrior to Civilian. I’ve got about four and a half months left on watch with the United States Navy. I know that was probably something I could have been blogging about this entire time. Even my recent deployment could have made a good read. But there’s this thing called OPSEC (Operational Security) and the military doesn’t like its members giving the world current updates unless its through a Public Relations Officer. I mean, what if I started writing down my ship’s location and providing general information about what we were doing, or God forbid, actual secrets? Not that my job is that interesting, but I’m sure the media would make me sound like a spy or something.

 

But yes, I was deployed for six months. I caught a Captains Mast for a haircut while onboard. I’m still reeling from getting reamed out for not going to the mall without a liberty buddy. That’s right ladies and gentlemen. Whenever you hear about “the sacrifices the military makes,” more often than not those sacrifices include the freedom to go to the mall by yourself. The mall. By yourself. For this grievous act of going to get a haircut without someone holding my hand I was restricted to the ship for 60 days, I received half a paycheck for two months, almost demoted, and my license to kill was revoked (read CLEARANCE) temporarily. What a pain.

 

So I decided to opt out of reenlistment. I probably couldn’t if I wanted to considering my record, which was spotless up until this point.

 

Job Hunting

 

I have total respect for you civilians who hustle resumes and hope for call backs. For those of you going through all of this with me, I used this book to make my resume look pretty: Resume Magic, 4th Ed: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer (Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer). Susan goes way in depth aiding we readers in how to make our resumes on point. Up until I purchased this book, my resume was the exact same format that I had written it in 11^th grade English.

 

Now, as an elite Intelligence Analyst for the US Navy, and a college dropout, I must find a job that is competitively compensated yet willing to accept me. A lot of employers go out of their way to hire veterans, and that’s all good. But when you have an army (literally) of high school educated technicians, analysts, and boatswain’s mates all rushing into the job market due to federal budget cuts, how does one make themselves stand out? I mean, I’ve got a great job in the Navy. But as I said before, the Navy isn’t really knocking down my door for me to reenlist. I’ve got seniors telling me I should make a career out of it but really, I want to be on my own again. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder, not for bad guys/terrorists/Cobra Commander, but for shore patrol because it’s almost curfew. I can’t live the lifestyle anymore.

 

Now, if you’re curious, I am an FMV Analyst. What does that mean? Well, when you watch the news and you hear the word drones. I’m the guy that is unmanning that aerial vehicle. I’m not a pilot. For a view in the life of a pilot check out Predator: The Remote-Control Air War over Iraq and Afghanistan: A Pilot's Story. If that pilot was named Maverick, I would aptly be called Goose.

 

I know, the media portrays the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) community as these silent, killing, loophole riding, infinite machines of death, and it sort of is. But it’s not all fun and games. A lot of analytical work comes with the hellfire missiles and the explosions. I would say about 99% of the time, I’m looking at large swaths of land or water, taking pictures of it, and updating databases. It’s a lot of observation. Imagine standing on top of an apartment building and looking at the streets below for people that haven’t paid the parking meter. That’s me. I’m a badass.

 

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to. My struggles. I’ve got a little more in me, but I’ll save it for later. This has been a lengthy update.

Until then, stay classy!

Yes, those are affiliate links. They are awesome products. You should buy. And yes, I will make a small pittance if you do buy. But that shouldn't sway you to not buy. You definitely should. It will enhance your reading experience to say the least.

Domingin' It
Topic: General

Hello people of the internet! My name is Jon and this is my site! While this may look new, I've actually had this address since 1999, so says tripod. Available for all to see was the perspective of my 13 year old self which, to tell you the truth, is quite embarassing. So I've finally, after 13 years of no updates to my site aptly named "Cartoons n Stuff" complete with glowing text and animated .gifs of flames and video game characters and a slurry of broken images and links, I have taken it down. However, there is, on this page, a link to said site. I'm quite a sentimental guy.

 

Over the past 13 years, my interests have changed quite a bit and so I won't be covering Cartoons and Stuff (anime, comic books and video games). Instead, I'll be posting about ... anything else. Enjoy.

 

In the past 13 years, I have graduated middle school in Gurnee, Il, moved to Virginia, graduated high school, went to Virginia Commonwealth University, decided I was finished, worked a little, joined the Navy, lived in Miami, got married, moved back to Virginia, had a kid. I have four cars, three cats, and two houses. These are the things I will most likely write about. I always thought it was a little narcisistic to blog about my life. But it makes me look busy at work.

 

I live my life a certain way. The only way to describe it, Domingin' It.