Week Four

I got a phone call from Texas this evening!

He is doing well. He said they've been working on first aid, weapons assembly and doing a lot of folding clothes. He's got a cold, and said everybody is sick but he is trying to go as long as possible before he has to get any medical attention.

This last week, there was an incident where "somebody talked or moved too much" which made the TI mad. The punishment was for all 56 of the guys to cram into seven bathroom stalls (stall doors shut) with the lights off. There was also an incident where a TI (who is not allowed to touch any of the trainees) randomly "chucked" Jonathan against a wall and grabbed him. An abuse report was filed and all the TIs in his flight were fired! Jonathan even had to file a police report and talk to some higher-ups. He said that his new TIs are much more reasonable and he's glad that the old ones are gone.

I believe he said that tomorrow they have to go through the gas chamber. They get dressed in their protective gear and gas masks, go into a little building full of tear gas and stand there for awhile. Then, one by one, each trainee has to take off their mask and give their reporting statement ("Sir, Trainee Griffith reports as ordered") while breathing in the gas. I saw a video of this and it's a little disturbing but it's just one of those things they have to do. He's also looking forward to an obstacle course.