And its time for your weekly blog post. I'm surprised that I didn't get any new questions or comments from the last post, but I guess I'll take that as a compliment. It must be because I've answered everyone's questions, that you have none left at this point. Outstanding...

Well, lets get back to the Chronology. Monday morning started a little extra early so I could go down and get taped by the 1SG. Having worked out twice a day each day for the last two weeks, and not having had a single sip of alcohol for the same period, I was pretty confident in my chances in making tape. As it turned out, I "officially" dropped 6 lbs from the monday before, and 3% body fat, which now put me 2% below the mark that I had to make. That was a nice way to start the week. For PT, most of us broke off into our run groups. At this point, we very seldom do Platoon PT anymore, because much of the faculty is getting involved and taking their run groups every morning to workout, rather then waiting for the running section only. In my case, Run Group 1 breaks off and does their own thing, and this morning Ranger Powell decided it was Agility Drill/Sprint Day. It was a killer workout, and as much as I hate sprints when I'm doing them, when they're finished, life is so good, namely because you burn out so much faster that you finish earlier then everyone else.

Monday's classes were a continuation of Operational/International Law (Op/Int Law). I don't have any specifics about the classes, however, I should say that I love this stuff, it makes you feel like you're a soldier instead of a lawyer. At the same time, you begin to further appreciate just how important the role of the Judge Advocate in a deployed environment really is, and how difficult, because you have to be the voice of reason and deliberation, that counter acts the often emotional and reactionary desires of your commanders. The best part about all these classes are the "war stories" (literally) of the professors who, for the past 10 years, have been in these positions, making these calls or in many cases, keeping their commanders from making them. It is pretty impressive.

After class Monday, Ranger Powell and I played another game of squash, and I'm saddened to report that he beat me up pretty bad. We didn't get much of another workout in, because BBB wasn't there to kick our butts, she was resting for her Airborne "final exam" a 5-mile run the next morning. I should also mention at this time, that Sunday night was the "final exam" for the Air Assault" personnel who had their 12-mile (yes, I typed that correctly) ruck march, which they had to complete in under 3 hours. I watched for the first two hours of it. It started at 8pm, and it was NOT an ideal evening. The air temp was somewhere in the 80s and it was muggy. There were a couple a "casualties," but I'm proud to say that Lady Lucht was the first to finish with a time of 2 hours and 40 "something" minutes. All they had left was an obstacle course that they went to yesterday, and which only Lady Lucht and another were able to complete. I had no idea Air Assault was so demanding, and hopefully I can get more information for anyone who is interested in a later blog, after getting briefed fully.

So Tuesday morning was Squad PT, and it was again my turn to lead. I chose a circuit workout. I was successful in getting our Chief Warrant Officer supervisor to "need a break," which meant the workout was just right. As for the Airborne run, BBB came in the top ten with a run time of 36+ minutes, I was very very proud of her performance. Tuesadays classes were all about Op/Int Law again. Today's lunch was an opportunity for those of us going to Korea to pick the brains of a number of the Grad Students who had just returned from there. It was a great opportunity to get some real specifics from those who had just gone through what me and a couple of my classmates are about to do. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the move, there is just so much that we need to do before we take off, and the pressure is growing as we get closer to leaving C'Ville.

This leads me to my first "Lesson Learned"; Don't be afraid to befriend/approach your professors and grad students while you're in C'Ville. Being at TJAGLCS is a very unique experience in that you have the highest concentration of Superior Officers, peers, knowledge you will ever find while you're in the Army, and you NEED to take advantage of it. You have to get yourself out there and begin to build your network within your own Corps, after all, everyone in this building, whether it be a grad student or your professors, will most likely being YOUR boss sometime in the very near future. Not to mention, these Officers are the best of the best in their fields, and being as green as you are when you arrive, there is no group better to learn from then the best.

This brings me to my second Lesson Learned; Get rid of ANY ego you may have before you get here. This is a lesson that I am not immune from being guilty of, but it is a lesson that I think I have learned while being here. I would highly encourage everyone who shows up at Ft. Lee to leave your ego at the door. You may have been a killer athlete in college, or a stud Infantry Officer prior to joining the JAG Corps, but guess what.... No one cares, particularly your Cadre or your professors. We received two lectures on this exact subject in the last two days because it is a lesson that should be reiterated, and as one of my most respected professors said on Thursday, "you're no longer in the position for which you were a stud before, you're now a JAG, and a new one at that. Get over yourself, and be the best lawyer you can be, that is what your commander wants, and he could care less about what you've accomplished before." That is not to say that your prior accomplishments are something you shouldn't be proud of, but just remember, they don't make you ANY better then the people surrounding you. The last thing I'll say to this point, is that the most respected students in this class were those with the most prior experience in the military. Captain Powell, Captain Horne, and Major Sommers are men with stellar careers in the Army prior to entering the JAG Corps, and instead of relying on their accolades and turning their noses up on everyone else, they got right down into it all without hesitation. These three men are by far the most respected members of our class, and it showed when they were given "coins" from the CG Friday afternoon, and each received standing ovations from the class.

Okay, sorry for that, but that lesson learned, it by far the most important and it applies to everyone. So, Tuesday ended with a short workout and then to bed.

Wednesday morning was our final ruck march. We had to be at formation at 0445 with a ruck weighing 20% or our body weight. The march was 6-miles and had to be completed at a pace faster then 18-minutes per mile (this is the minimum standard for DCC). The entire class (at least those who "chose" to participate, or were not excused for rucking; the injured and air assault personnel) made the time. It doesn't sound like a particularly difficult feat, but for those shorter individuals, or those who are prone to blisters on their feet, it was difficult.

The third "Lesson Learned," actually comes from Ranger Powell and applies to the ruck marches to some extent. I know I've said in the past that you shouldn't worry about uniforms until you get to Ft. Lee, with the exception of your PT outfits. That rule remains intact, but it has been suggested by Ranger Powell that I add another exception, and I think he's right. He would suggest that everyone purchase their boots prior to arriving at Ft. Lee, and begin to work them in. What boots should you buy? Anything that says "Standard Issue" and you need to get both winter boots and summer boots (two sets all together). Try on several sizes, and you want the snugest fit you can find, that isn't cramping your toes up at the front of the boot. After you purchases your boots, it has been suggested, that you actually wear them into the shower, get them nice and wet, and then go and walk roughly a mile. This will allow the boots to form to your feet and will greatly decrease the chances of blisters. Where can you get boots? Basically, get on the internet and google "AAFES" (Army & Air Force Exchange Service) and look for the closest location (likely an Air Force or Army Installation). When you go, bring your orders and you shouldn't have a problem getting on the installation and getting to the MCSS (Military Clothing Sales Store). Get those boots early and get walking in them.

Wednesday classes were much the same. After class, BBB, Ranger Powell and I went for a quick workout, before a dinner at Mellow Mushroom to celebrate Lady Lucht's Air Assault Dominance, BBB's completion and likely selection to Airborne, and my "Meeting of Course Standards" for making tape (ironic we would choose pizza).

Thursday morning PT was a huge mystery, as we were informed in advance that we would not be doing the standard Squad PT, and that Cadre was taking over for the morning. I was nervous it was going to be a last "smoke sessions" with 1SG and Chief as this was really our last PT with them. We formed up at the normal time, and 1SG started separating out groups that would lead us to believe that we were definitely going to get worked over. However, once that was completed, he released us to go and play games down at the park. What a relief, as the entire class went down to the fields to play some ultimate frisbee, or football and just have a good time.

After PT, our first course of action for the morning was our Op/Int Law final exam. 40 multiple choice questions, with an "extra credit" essay question, that would only be graded if you got 100% on your test up to that point, and would be used to determine the best student for that subject. After the test was over, we had a quick lesson on "Staff Structure" and Decision Making Processes before being released for the rest of the day. BBB and I went for a workout before heading to watch the Staff/Faculty play the 182nd in Football. It was an excellent game, with the 182nd coming out with a vengeance, and then the Staff slowly making their way back (with the help of some questionable calls) and ultimately winning. I wont elaborate further, but I think we should have won. Regardless, it was a good time for all spectators.

Friday was an all day Field Training Exercise (FTX) meant to simulate various Op/Int Law scenarios that we might see when deployed. However, we first started with "The Guantlet" which was a relay race around "O-Hill." The race is broken into five sections, and the class was broken into 8 teams. At the end of each section, each team had to answer a particular question before moving onto the next section of the run. My team finished 4th, and I was proud of us, we started off last coming into the O-Hill portion and my run group charged that circuit and made up quite a bit of time.

After the Guantlet, the run groups turned into FTX groups as we proceeded through a number of STX Lanes (scenarios) in the woods behind TJAGLCS. These were very fun, but frustrating at the same time, because most of us have never been in the field before, and we were totally unsure of our to interact with the "locals" (grad students pretending to be Afghans or Iraqis). I did get to "shoot" a couple people (yelling BANG real loud while holding my bright blue rubber M-4). These FTXs lasted until lunch (1300) and we proceeded into classroom settings where we went through various scenarios that would happen behind the scenes in a deployed environment. It all culminated with a briefing of our "commander" regarding a number of questions that we had received the day before. All in all, it was a pretty cool experience, to get a taste of what it is like to be out there in the field and it was a great, practical way to finish our education at TJAGLCS and give us a taste of what to expect at DCC.

Once classes were finished, we were briefed by the Op/Int Law department about our performances, and then we had a briefing from our CG, where he recognized a number of exceptional soldiers including Major Sommers, Captain Horne, Captain Powell, Bestie, 1LT Ramirez-Vasquez, 1LT Pristera, 1LT O'Konik, and 1LT Guetenswager (sorry if I forgot anyone). The CG then spoke about the importance of humility in your practice particularly in the context of those I mentioned above, before letting us go for the weekend.

Friday night a group of us went to the Professional Bull Riding Associations "rodeo" that was being held at UVA. It was my first experience and it was awesome. Afterwards, the class decided to meet for one last time at our "go to" bar Rapture, for a final fair well.

Saturday was a relaxing day, with a workout in the morning with BBB before heading to the UVA v. VMI football game, and finishing with a soak in the Res Inn pool. I tried to watch a little college football that evening, but not caring about any of the teams, after UCLA beat up on Texas (go Pac-10!!!!) I called it a night.

Now that I've caught up, I think I've put most of my most important lessons learned up above, but I have a few more that I think are relevant.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating... If you know you're going to be joining a class in the future, GET INTO SHAPE NOW... Please recognize that you are joining the Army, the REAL Army and start working towards that now. Take my experience as an example. I quit my job 6 weeks before leaving for Ft. Lee, and spent that entire time training, but that was not enough. There is no better way to gain the respect of your classmates then being in shape when you arrive here, there is also no greater way to lose your classmates respect, then showing up out of shape. What should you be doing? Start with the basics, Running, Push-Ups and Sit-ups (the old fashioned way). If you can run five-miles at a good clip, do 100 push-ups (not all at once, but within about 5 minutes) and 300 sit-ups comfortably, then you should be fine. However, make sure your form is correct, that you're going all the way up and down with both your Sit-ups and Push-ups, and don't lie to yourself, push yourself, get to that point of uncomfortability and then keep going.

Be excited about C'Ville, this is like an educational vacation with prescribed exercise mixed in, it is the good life. With that said, be ready to work and have the proper, positive mind set. As our CG says, a good attitude it 90% of succeeding, whatever it takes to be positive do it.

On that same thought, be excited about being a part of the military. Make sure you know this is what you want to do, because once you take that oath at Ft. Lee, you're pretty much stuck. If you're not positive and excited about this decision, you might want to rethink it. This means that you have to be willing to live by the Army values, and give into the constructs of the Army, which can be pretty restrictive. Don't be one of those people that thinks the Army is going to change for them, or that the rules don't apply to you, because the rules DO apply to you and they have some bight should you try to break them.

Be careful about your social networking, and, at least in the public realm, be positive. This school does monitor Facebook as do all of your classmates, what you post will be seen and depending on what you put, it might come back to bite you.

Get your paperwork in order. The Army calls it a "Me Folder," which is essentially a bind, with clear sleeves, where you put all of your essential documents. Some examples include your birth certificate, marriage license, medical paperwork, social security card, etc. If you think a piece of paper is important, then BRING IT with you, because it probably is. Having this folder available and organized before you show up at Ft. Lee will facilitate your in-processing, which is a pain in the butt to begin with, but can be a real terror of a time if you mess it up/don't have the paperwork you need.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, but make sure to ask them at the appropriate time and to the appropriate person. Most everyone accepts the fact that you're new to this world, and they are more then willing to answer your questions, any question. There is nothing worse then showing up without a certain piece to your uniform, or without the right paperwork, or worst of all LATE, when a simple question would have ensured you were complied.

Finally, do what your told, when you're told to do it. Our natural tendencies as lawyers is to ask "why" and debate the decision. This is not a normal lawyer environment, at least not at Ft. Lee or at TJAGLCS. This rule will likely change when you're actually out in the field, but while a student, don't be that person who is always talking back and making life difficult, no one likes that person.

Okay, there was a little overlap with everything, and I know it was a long entry, but I wanted to make sure I got this information out, because I think the 183rd is reporting to Ft. Lee pretty soon. Please keep asking questions, and as always thank you for reading...