Back to Basics, Back To Battlestations
I have been having a particularly bad couple of months. That is the most specifics that I really want to delve into on that topic but I will say that a multitude of factors have made things extremely painful. Now I should note that this background is important because I think I have something of a solution.
Back in Basic they talked CONSTANTLY about mental fortitude. Here’s the thing about Basic: It’s supposed to break you. It did a pretty good job of that too, but the point was so that you knew where your limits were, and you could learn to push past anything you knew before. In essence, by destroying you, you would recover stronger. Kinda like a muscle. I can’t say it didn’t work. I have my own regrets about the process but it was successful in what it set out to do. The pinnacle of this whole program: Battlestations 21.
I have very little interest in recounting my own experience of BST21. I do however remember being so tired that I was sleep marching, Let’s talk about the basics though. BST21 consisted of 24 hours of no sleep. You would spend an entire night running general quarters drills, and tests, and simulations, and then you went on as normal throughout the rest of the day. That was, for all intents and purposes, however, your graduation from basic, and I have no shame in admitting that I cried during the caping ceremony.
So what does this have to do with me attempting to improve my mental state? I have somehow managed to design my own Battlestations. 24 Hours is pretty much standard for me these days, so we’re gonna up the anti. 72 hours of prolonged simulation. We’ll focus on simulating a High Operational Tempo Scenario. For 72 hours, participating members of CVW-20 and I, will be either on alert or on an operation. Said operations can range from DCS, to actual IRL Grass Touching in the form of a hike. Our DCS operations will be as standard, and the hikes will follow a variety of routes in the local and semi-local area. Communication will be restricted to that which is in the Ready Room, and that goes for any downtime activity too. Basically, just leaves some old 80’s TV and the landline. Some of you will have been provided the number for the Ready Room Landline. Don’t hesitate to call it. It costs me nothing and I could probably use the company. Of course, I’ll also be on the VHF too, so I don’t think loneliness will be a problem.
So, I think the bigger question here is why I’m committing to run 72 hours on alert, with minimal contact with the world and exhausting PT in the forests during December. Because It might have been too long since I really pushed myself past my limits. If I’m going to continue to go around saying that I can do something like this, I better prove it. So for 72 hours, I live in the ready room. Honestly I’m a little excited. The thought of total immersion in a 1980’s simulation like this. Just life on the Kitty Hawk during a crisis. It’ll be just like the old days, and I couldn’t be more psyched for it. And honestly I hope to answer some introspective questions along the way.
So if you’re reading this and you think “This is crazy, absolutely not. Stop it” Know that this is something that I think I have to do. Not just for myself but for some others who went through worse. I can’t stand being ok while my friends are miserable. On that depressing note, you probably can’t stop me anyways. If you’re able to read this than the operation has probably started. That’s right, we’re goin in hot. I’m also really excited to share with you all my experience, of what this little stress test was like. I’m also excited for the best sleep of my life at the end of it.
It’s gonna be a fun 72. I’ll see you all on the other side.
