My Experiences during Training in the US Army - Admission/Application Essay Example

So, I applied and attended the selection tests, where the competition was stiff. At a stage when my hopes were dwindling, I received the offer letter, directing me to report for basic training at the Army Academy, Fort Benning, Georgia, by June 6, 2001. On the one hand I was thrilled at the prospect of attaining my dream career but on the other, I was apprehensive about leaving Washington DC as I have never gone out of my hometown. Another major concern for me was that I did not want to leave my six year old daughter, whose company had become an inevitable part of my life.

However, despite my personal conflicts and the hardships in the army, I stayed in the force due to my loyalty to the nation as well as my family and the grit of my will power. . Though I ate moderately, back at home, I had my choices of the food and its tastes. I liked it with lot of spices and the richness of oil and green pepper but in the army they were very conscious about spices and oil content. The next day at 0400 hrs the reveille sounded, the bugle’s piercing tone ricocheting with a disturbing resonance in my aural canal.

After about an hour of barrack maintenance and a hurried shower, I went to the formation on the ground at 0530. Then after a gruesome physical training, including pushups, pull-ups, weight training, running etc, I came for breakfast at 0810. The realization that I would have to subject myself for such a cumbersome schedule over the next 9 months made me sweat. The next few days were real hell, shuttling between hours and hours of physical torture and mental agony, excruciating pain searing through muscles, hunger gnawing at my intestines yet mouth refusing to munch on the tasteless food, tiredness drooping the eyelids yet the soul staying awake, remembering the sweet smile of my daughter.

However, the thought about her and my wife induced in me the realization that I must endure these sufferings for their sake as well as for my career. Thus, I decided to carry on with the routine calls, doing physical exercises for about 6 hours, chores like maintaining uniform and living surroundings taking nearly two hours, and the other activities consuming a good part of the day. Most intolerable was the insolent attitude of the drill instructors, whose demanding nature appeared so mean as if they were intending the trainees to give up.

However, looking back now, I feel they were right. What they really wanted was to make us endure and get tough. The patriotism for my country and the loyalty