Day 12

Today was the 185^thJAOBC class’s last full day at Ft. Lee.  Our morning PT was cancelled by a kind and generous cadre.  That allowed a number of class members to go out on the town the night before.  Everyone made it home safely and without incident.

The day was filled with administrative briefings and final details to prepare for the move to Charlottesville tomorrow morning.  We covered topics related to Cultural Awareness (we will deploy to areas where the values are different than our own) a talk with the Ft. Lee Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), the ramifications of social media on an Officer’s reputation, Suicide Awareness and Prevention and a transition brief.

The Suicide Awareness and Prevention brief was especially good.  A Chaplain’s assistant came up from Charlottesville and presented material and videos.  Regardless of your individual opinion of toughness, self-sufficiency or the act of suicide itself; there will be times when a fellow service member encounters difficulty and needs help.  Recognizing that someone is struggling and considering taking his/her own life can allow you to help them get appropriate help.  That can mean the difference between life and death.  We are all on the same team in the Army.  Learn to identify the signs and commit yourself to helping when and where possible.

We finished the day with an After Action Review (AAR).  The purpose of the AAR is to allow the class members to give feedback on issues encountered and to offer solutions so that the training and the process can be improved.  It isn’t a forum for complaints.  Rather, it is a chance to identify an issue that could be handled differently and to offer a solution.  Be aware, not all issues are problems – sometimes things are done a certain way for a reason whether you know why or not.  However, the Cadre does use the input to change things after every class.

Tomorrow we check out of lodging and head to Charlottesville.  Almost everyone is excited to get the next Phase underway.  We have gotten our primer on being an Army Officer, now it is time to learn how to be an Army Lawyer.

I wanted to leave readers with some parting thoughts on Ft. Lee. Not for the current class, but for those reading about JAOBC and considering joining our ranks in the future.

1.  Learn about Army patience.  Things will get messed up.  But things will also get worked out.  Have faith in that and work the process.  It won’t always go easily (getting satisfactory resolution) but the process exists to make it happen.
2. Give 100% effort.  All you can do is your best.  No one expects anything else.  If you have gotten to this point, you have what it takes to make a positive contribution to the Corps.  Showing up just isn’t enough.
3. Be where you are told to be, when you are told to be there, wearing the correct uniform.  Too easy.
4. Have a positive attitude.  It’s amazing how well things go when you have a positive attitude.  On the other hand, when you start with a negative attitude you tend to have negative experiences.
5. Be a team player.  The contacts and friends you make here will last throughout your time in the Corps, for better or worse.  The first time you fall into formation – look to your left and right – those are your battle buddies.  Get together with them and start bonding.

The Cadre will have a list of things NOT to do.  They aren’t tough to follow.  By the time you report to Ft. Lee you are an educated professional – all you have to do is use your brain and act appropriately.  There is going to plenty of time for fun and plenty of class members to have fun with – the Cadre just wants to give you the benefit of their experiences.