Reception

Basic training the first step after MEPS for any soldier to go through.  Before you officially are in Basic though, you start in reception. This is where you go through the initial stripping of anything civilian you have on you - from your cell phone to the pair of jeans that you wore on the flight in.  You first real interaction with a drill sergeant also takes place there. 

During reception I was issued my marshmallow suit (the grey sweatsuit with the word 'ARMY' across the chest and down the leg), my first uniforms, class A's, more shots than I can count and BCGs.  I've always been one that is hesitant of needles, well better yet, I just plain don't like them and then tend to not like me.  The initial shots are given as you stand in a line and just follow it from one station to another until you meet the standard quota.  This was going to be enough of a challenge until I was about three people from being up for my first set of shots and a female that had the first two shots already had a seizure (something interacted with her wrong, she was okay later).  My current fear level rose about three notches, but I survived - at least this round of shots.

I left for basic two days before Thanksgiving and since that wasn't enough time to inprocess, I was stuck in reception for the long weekend.  It was weird, the first time I had been away from home for any holiday and I was in a place where I didn't really know what to expect and I didn't really know anyone.  At this point in time, I was starting to wonder if this was the right choice or if I was even going to make it through whatever they were going to throw at me during the next nine weeks...