Brandon Buchanan

Relations With My Cadre... Or Should I Say Friends?

Okay, I knew I was getting into the friend zone with my cadre about a week or two before Recognition, but it was small stuff. Some laughs here, a joke there, being relaxed, look the other way on some stuff, fun sergeants's times, etc. But ever since the night of recognition we got together and you could just tell they were happy they didn't have to put up the tough cadre front anymore. It's just as tough on them being the way they were as it was on us to be rooks. Maybe thats what is going to make them such good friends in the future. We all went through it together. We might have had different roles but we had the same mission - to make it through to the end... and we did it.

On the Repair to Being "Un-Socially-Broken"

The hardest thing about being a cadet now is learning how to act as a normal person and find normal things to do on campus. That being said, it IS campus. There's only so much to do around and on the school that isn't cadet or military related. However, we find stuff to do. Heck, I think half of the training in rookdom was just learning how to not go crazy in the middle of the Vermont mountains from boredom. It's also interesting to see everyone come out of their "rookie shells" and be a normal person. Some took to it fast and you can hardly notice the difference if everyone is in civilian clothes. Others you can tell are still unused to the fact that they are recognized. I know I'm taking to it fine and I have become friends with people who I wasn't really friends with when we were rooks. I guess thats just the way it is when it comes us. We're different people now than what we were then.

Class and more Classes Still

Ever since being Recognized I would have to say that the most obvious thing that I think has improved in my day to day standards would be my academics. Now that I can take naps during the day, eat when I want, chill in my room with the door closed, music on, and doing homework, it's all just become more comfortable and easier. Before I would have to head to the library in one of the back rooms with my rook buddies to get work done. Once again, you have no idea how good it feels to live a normal life. It's almost surreal sometimes.

What Its Like Being Recognized

If I had to take any moment in my life and give it the title of "The Most Wonderful Yet Excruciating and Rewarding Time of My Life" Rookdom would be that moment. Those countless months seemed to drag on and on. I had some horrible times, as did we all, but my platoon and I bonded on a level that can never compare to anything else. But for every grain of salt there was a spoonful of sugar that made the entire process worth it. I would say going to Norwich and having my Rookdom experience was the best decision I ever made in my life and I don't regret doing it one bit. If I could do it again, I would.

Being Recognized has been one of the most odd and sensational feelings I've ever had. At first I kept thinking I was going to wake up one of these mornings and walk out of my room in civilian clothes and my cadre would be right outside. They would just look at me like "What... are you doing?" and then my life would just be miserable from there on out. Perhaps thats the thing with Rookdom here at Norwich. It's too long in my opinion. I didn't really feel all too different after being recognized than I did being a rook a few weeks before hand. I mean sure, I get all the cool "privileges" now and I get to be a normal person - but other than that I'm essentially the same. The last few weeks just seemed really drawn out. I didn't learn anything I didn't already need to know or already knew, day to day living was just... drawn out. Maybe the Corp will change it. This is only the second year we've had a fixed date for Recognition. All in all, it's good to be a normal person again. 

Culminating Event and Half-Recognition

Right before we get off for Thanksgiving break, there is a weekend that the Corp calls "Culminating Weekend" where they test on 3 different subjects before we get the right to walk around at ease, no sandwiching names, no squaring around the halls, eating at ease at the table... pretty much all the good stuff. The weekend is divided into 3 main areas - the Regimental Room Inspection, The Culminating Event, and the Rookie Knowledge Test.

Needless to say the rook class this year did excellent in all three of these areas and we were awarded said previously mentioned privlidges right before our break.

It was odd at first doing these semi-human actions that we were so accustomed to consider "taboo". It took a while just for any at the chow table to talk to each other - and even when we did there wasn't too much to talk about other than rookdom and classes. Maybe an occasional reference to outside subjects that we couldn't indulge in at the moment.

The only thing we really knew was that we had made it halfway through rookdom. It seemed to have flown by so fast and before we knew it, it was the end of the semester. 

Regimental Inspection Incoming!

Turns out that this Friday there is the gigantic, monstrous, most important of all inspections being held. It's the Regimental Room Inspection! It's pretty much where the batallion level staff come into our rooms, find (and if need be search) for any small thing they think might be unsatisfactory, and attempt to fail us. 

This means that for the next few days my roommates and I are going to be busy cleaning every inch, nook, corner, and cranny of the room. It only takes 3 marks in one room to fail the entire room. The only thing highly motivating about this though is that if we end up passing our cadre are going to give us this really awesome privilege that they keep talking about but won't let us know any of the specifics. Just that it beats all the  other privileges they have ever given us. Oh, and we also get to watch a movie that night.

(Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go!) 

Halloween at Norwich

Man, what can I say. Best way to start off a holiday at Norwich is to have a man in a gorilla suit that is wearing Winter Bs run onto the UP and start making monkey sounds at all the platoons. That's right - A gorilla. In uniform. I found it pretty hard to keep my military bearing when theres a monkey in uniform right in front of you. That's just me though.

Then later tonight we had Superman, a commando version of the gingerbread man, Red Riding Hood, Mario and Luigi come onto our deck and we had a shaving cream fight with them. I took pictures and was promptly chased by the crazy gingerbread man all the way back to my room, haha.

Honestly, this place just keeps getting better as time goes on. Push through and things end up being pretty good. 

Regimental Ball

Last night I just experienced the most anticipated event of the first semester - Regimental Ball! It consists of one weekend where our cadre are mostly at ease and we have a football game march down in the afternoon and the dance itself is later that night. It was a great time and the snow started to fall that night so everything was real beautiful. I got to dress up in my Norwich Dress Blues uniform and look sharp for all the ladies ;). I had a great time with all my rook brothers and sisters, we all got together for Goodnight Saigon by Billy Joel - a little tradition you'll learn about if you come here (hint hint). It was probably one of the best nights, if not the best night, I have had at Norwich since coming here. 

Did I mention the snow? I'm from Florida so this is really new to me. I've only seen snow twice before and never for more than a day or two each time I've seen it. So yeah... this is new, alright! But that's why I'm here at Norwich - to experience new things that I've never done before! 

Mid Semester Break

A couple of weeks ago I had my first ever Mid Semester Break - the first time I got to go off campus for more than a day and be a normal person. Unfortunately, since I live in Florida, I was unable to go home. Instead, my rook brother and his mother generously allowed me to stay at their home for the weekend. I had a great time, I got to bond even more with my rook brother, and most importantly. I got to wear civilian clothes! The break was a great way for me to live a little and relieve some stress of rookdom. 

Rangers, Roombas, and Roughing it Out

So far my time at Norwich has been a blast. Midterms are coming up and I find it hard to believe I have already been here for over 2 months. The days may go slow at times but the weeks seem to fly by. My indoc for Ranger Co is over and I am currently training to earn my Cat Eyes in April and finally be a part of the company. Ranger Co training is the best training at Norwich in my opinion. It teaches me things that no other MS I would ever learn. Squad Tactics, Movements, Coordinations, Weapons, things like that. You don't normally touch it until you're a MS 2 or 3. It may be tough at times but it'll be worth it at the end. I know this training is going to really help me get ready for LDAC that I will attend my Junior summer before I start my final year at Norwich.

Earlier this week my Company Commander and his roommate brought out their Roomba, an automated vacuum/cleaning unit that moves around rooms and hallways on it's own. They taped a triangular piece of cardboard to the roomba and put a C/Captain rank on it. It was then called Cpt Roomba. We had to call "Room Attention!" and "Hall Attention!" every time it would move out into those respective areas. My roommates and I decided to take our Dog River rocks and make a barricade so the roomba couldn't get in. We then collected dust from the corners of our room and put it just inside the door where a trap made from 550 cord was located. We had hoped to fool the roomba but it saw through our plan and when it went to go into our room it turned around and kept going on it's path. Our CO didn't let the fact that the roomba outsmarted us go unsaid. Somedays aren't fun here, others are riots. It's just that kind of thing you learn to love about Norwich.

I had my FTX just this weekend. I can honestly say I had a great time. While I didn't learn too many things new (other than the word "swath") due to my Ranger training, it was a great chance to brush up and apply what I've already learned and use it in a practical scenario. Rukking uphill for miles, camping in the cold, getting up in the middle of the night to guard the fire, getting dirty and grimy, all equates to everyone having a good time. I'm already looking forward to the next FTX sometime next semester!