There is no better feeling than the end of a training exercise. Today we are concluding are Media Training Exercise, lovingly known as the MTX. Even though training can sometimes be grueling, I think this is the most productive, as well as exciting training, we have done during our stay at beautiful Fort Dix. The work we have been doing for the passed four days is the reason I joined the Army, and I am pretty confident I can say the same for my fellow Soldiers. The benefits of the passed 96 hours are unmeasurable. It is not so much that we need the training for our skill set, because we know how to do our jobs. This exercise has given us the opportunity to build confidence in one another, which is the most crucial need for a group of Soldiers heading into battle. I would just like to thank 1st Lt. Greene and the Fort Dix PAO shop for the opportunity they have given us as a unit; the seeds of confidence they have planted will reap much fruit in the very near future. I would also like to thank the leadership of my unit for the example of professionalism they have set, as well as the trust they have bestowed, in us the junior Soldiers. There is no group of Soldiers I would rather follow into battle. The stories of our success will be many. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we take the next step of our journey.

Anyone who has been in the Army can tell you that the training environment can be the most difficult to endure. Just imagine living in a room, the size of the average bathroom, with four to six other Soldiers, plus enough equipment to survive a year in a war zone. Now picture that one person who just rubs you the wrong way, maybe an annoying co-worker, a needy younger sibling, or the consummate complainer, because that person will definitely be assigned to your room. Now imagine that anytime you escape your little kennel, you have to watch a variation or the same two-hour Power Point presentation for twenty plus days in a row. It might be just enough to make you lose your mind, but that is not what does it for me. My breaking point was laundry. Army training barracks have the worst laundry rooms known to man. It’s not the Army’s fault however; it’s just the nature of the beast. The hectic schedule allows for limited time to wash your clothes. Plus you have 200 Soldiers fighting over five washers, so it is not uncommon for Joe to stuff 50 pounds of laundry into a medium size washer. Soldiers clothes also carry enough dirt and sand into these unsuspecting washers to fill a child’s sandbox, not to mention the occasional pair of combat boots that find their way into these poor machines. I bet we burn up at least one washer a week. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than picking the wrong machine. You finally get a break, race to the room, grab your laundry, dump it in the machine, crank it up, and then it’s off to relax in the dayroom. An hour passes, you return to the laundry room, lift up the washer lid, and it is full of murky brown water. Your night is ruined, you might as well thrown your uniforms in the toilet to soak. It’s a frustrating feeling. The next step in the process is even tougher, drying your clothes. None of the dryers work. Some warm up a little. Some just toss the clothes around. If you are lucky, two cycles will get the job done. If you choose the wrong machine, you just signed up for a twelve hour adventure. So how have I learned to deal with this frustration? I created a little game to keep my sanity called laundry roulette, but in this game Spc. Kyle is always a winner. If I pick the right machines, my clothes get done in a normal amount of time. So what if I pick the wrong machines? I have set laundry roulette up in such a manner that this is how you actually win. If you are inconvienced by one of these temperamental, you win a prize. It maybe an extra dessert at the dinning facility, or you can double down and pick the wrong washer and dryer. The prize for this headache, you treat yourself to that special piece of equipment you have been eyeing at clothing and sales or maybe a new book from the PX. That is how I keep my sanity, I make everything a little game. Try it for yourself. It is amazing how much easier it makes life’s little headaches, but always remember not to let yourself lose at your own game.