Week 6, Day 3
Class streamer
Last week was a rough one. We were all a little beat up with all the academics, the inspections, the PT sessions and let’s not forget…we got our Guidon taken away. We have managed to pull ourselves from the “Funk” and get back on track. We got our Guidon back and…we now have our own streamer attached to it. It’s gold and it is the only one of its kind.
We had our 2nd written exam, last Wednesday morning and I can honestly say I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. The test had 100 questions on it and it seemed, while I was taking the test I really knew the answers. But when I got the graded test back that was not the case. I soon found out, a lot of my classmates didn’t do “Great” either. We as a class went over the questions that we missed and came to a consensus that we needed the academy staff to hear our concerns. SGT. Wygant came in and sat with us and went over all the questions we had problems with and actually threw out some questions. Overall, it was a really productive afternoon and for one of the first times in 6 weeks, we all came together and worked together to achieve a common goal. It was something to see.
The rest of the week was spent doing more classes and of course, PT!!! One of the classes was about liquor codes and how to spot a fake ID. That was really cool. We spent some time doing a hands-on exercise to see if we could determine what was real, what was a fraud and which ID’s had been tampered with. It was a very informative class. We rounded out the week with a class on verbal communications, or otherwise known as “Verbal Judo.” In this line of work we really need to be great communicators and even more important, great listeners. The class touched on the different generations out there and the age gaps that we need to consider when we are dealing with the public. This was also when of the first classes we have had, that really touched on and talked at length about “Officer Safety” and what all that means to us. The instructor made a point to say that, most of the time we as Law Enforcement Officers (LEO), only have approximately 1/8 of a second to make a decision about what we are going to do in a critical situation. That is a pretty scary reality.
Week 6, started off a little slow for me personally. I had my Army National Guard drill weekend, where I worked all of Saturday and Sunday. So I didn’t have the weekend to get caught up on notes and things from last week, so I went into Monday morning feeling really tired. But that soon changed with the first class of the day, which covered Controlled Substances. The first part of the class was about the laws concerning controlled substances and finished with a detective from Westminster P.D. The detective came in and talked to us about the illegal drugs we will see on the street and in the jail, for that matter. What to look for when someone is under the influence of drugs and how to handle the situation. The best part of the lecture was the fact the detective use to work undercover and had some great stories. I really enjoyed this class.
At 0700 hours, on Tuesday we had our first official uniform inspection in Class A’s. Class A’s, consist of a long sleeved shirt and tie. We all looked really good and got an A+ from LT. Wolgamott, for a job well done. Now that Daylight Savings has come and gone, we get to change from Class A uniform to Class B, which is short sleeves and no ties. Can I just say…I love Daylight Savings. We not only get to wear short sleeves, but it stays darker longer, which translate to more afternoon PT sessions. We have had PT 3 times this week and as of tonight, I am feeling the burn. We did sprints today, which was a lot of fun. I am beginning to think Deputy Johnson is part Jack Rabbit…and no it has nothing to do with his ears. He is so fast and most of the time, we as a class spend our time trying to keep up. Our PT sessions are a lot of fun and a great way for us all to blow off some steam. I want to give a big HOOHAH (that’s Army for good job), to everyone for pulling everyone through these sessions. Some people are just not sprinters, but they never quit, they are always pushing forward and the rest of the formation always peels back to get them. We never leave anyone behind, EVER! So HOOHAH to all of you for the awesome PT sessions.
On Thursday we get to move into Firearms training. Next week, we get to do some hands-on with our weapons and in week 8, we will actually go “Live” on the range. What an awesome feeling that is. I still can’t believe we are almost done with week 6. We are moving right along and for the record…I still love every minute of it. This was a great career decision.
LT. Wolgamott inspects 2nd Squad
1st Squad gets the once over
Looking good 3rd Squad
