MollyWaite

Period6
Mr.Long

5yearplan
Wheredoyouseeyourselfin5years?,thisquestioncouldbetheeasiestormost
difficultquestiontoanswer,forme?Easy.ThisyearIhavefinallydecidedthatIwanttojointhe
UnitedStatesNavy,indoingsomyfutureisfulloftravelingandlifechangingexperiences.
Forinstance,IplantoleaveinSeptemberforbootcamp,whichisinGreatLakes,
Illinois,whereIwillbefor2months.
Thefirstweekwillbefilledwithconditioning,swimming,
marching,drilling,andmostimportantly,attendingNavyclasses.Everythingfromthispointon
isdesignedtoprepareforwhatliesahead.Inthesecondweek(confidencebuildingweek)Iwill
begoingthroughtheconfidencecourse,acoursedesignedtosimulateshipboardsituationsthatI
couldencounterinanemergency.week3iswhenhandsonexperiencecomesintoplay,
everythingwillbehandson,Iwilllearneverythingfromshipnomenclature(Names),tofirstaid
techniques,tosemaphore(signalingwithflags).Classroomstudieswillfocusoncustomsand
courtesies,lawsofarmedconflict,moneymanagement,shipboardcommunication,Navyship
andaircraftidentification,andbasicseamanship.duringthethirdweekIwillalsohavemyfirst
physicaltrainingtest.TheninweekfourIwillhavetheopportunitytotrainwiththeM16anda
12gaugeshotgun.WhenIprovethatIknowhowtoproperlyuseboth,Ithenmovetothe
livefirerange.Inthelast3weeksofbootcampIwilllearnmanyshipsafetytechniquessuchas
howtoextinguishfires,escapesmokefilledcompartments,openandclosewatertightdoors,

operateOxygenBreathingApparatus,andcarryfirehoses.Anotheracademictestisgiven,and
perhapsthemostchallengingofall,istheConfidenceChamber.InsidetheChamber,youand
about100otherrecruitswilllineupandputonagasmaskwhileateargastabletislit.Youllbe
orderedtoremoveyourmaskandthrowitinatrashcanwhilerecitingyourfullnameandsocial
securitynumber.Thelastweekofbootcamp,BattleStations,Navybootcampsultimatetest.
Thisexerciseconsistsof12differentscenariosincorporatingeverythingIhavelearnedduring
thepreviousweeks.MyteamandIwillbegradedonourabilitytoexecutetherequiredtasks.
SuccessfulcompletiontellstheworldyourenolongeraRecruit,butafullfledgedNavySailor
andAllthatwillbeleftisgraduation.
ThenshortlyafterthatIwillstartmyschooling(ASchool),inVirginiaBeach,VA,
whereIwilllearneverythingIneedtoknowtoqualifymeasanOperationsSpecialist(OS)in61
Calendardays.Throughextensiveclassesandonthejobtraining,Iwilllearnthefundamentals
ofbecominganOperationSpecialist(OS),andIcouldalsoearnanassociatesorbachelors
degree.AftercompletingmyASchoolIshouldbegettingdeployed,nowwhereandwhenI
willbedeployedisstillupintheair,andIwontreallyknowuntilIgetthere.
AfterbootcampandAschoolIwillcontinuemycareerintheNavyasanOperation
specialist,andgettoexploretheworldwhiledoingso.So,asfarasmy5yearplan,Iwillenlist
intheNavyfor5years.Myfirst4monthsIknowwhatIwillbedoing,butIguaranteethatthese
next5yearsofmylifewillbespentwell,andcreatethepersonIwillbefortherestofmylife.