I’m a former active duty Marine, but now I’m a soldier in the National Guard. I’ve been in the Guard for over a year and a half, but I haven’t had a MOS (military occupational specialty). While I was a military policeman (MP) in the Marines, I was awaiting training from the Army to become a Field Artillery Fire Direction Control specialist. Well, I’ve been training for over a week, and I just completed the first phase of my training to become a 13J (Fire Direction Control specialist). I will be finishing up my training in just under two weeks, but as of now, I’m a nominally trained Phase 1 complete 13J.

As a Staff Sergeant, I have to learn a lot more and become proficient so that I can ensure that my troops are properly trained and that their skills are maintained. Further, I have to ensure that when we are operating in a field artillery environment, that I am able to best lead my soldiers and watch them to ensure their jobs are performed properly and safely. This puts a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, but I’m up for the task.

It fees good now that I’ve completed the first phase of my training here. To give me the best chance to succeed, I’ve used diet and exercise to ensure my body and mind were up for the challenge, and I’ve been running every other day while eating very strict Paleo at the dining facility (DFAC) here. While I initially intended to go Keto, I settled on Paleo (which is my preferred diet, anyway). I’ve been feeling very strong, and mentally sharp. Getting a good amount of sleep has helped, too.

So, I’m doing well, achieving what I’ve set out to do, and soon, I’ll be back home and able to start training my soldiers and leading them to further success. It feels good.