Gas Gas Gas!!!

Day 38 13 July 02 Saturday

Rain. P.T. was canceled because of the rain. We changed into our BDUs and put on our wet weather gear but my BDU still got soaked. Today was the day most people dread, the gas chamber. It was a test of all our pro-masks (protective/gas mask) sealed properly. We were ushered into a small room, walked in a circile around a propain tank which had a burner on top. After circling, the sergeant in charge dumped a capsule of CS or tear gas in civilian terms. We were then told to remove our masks and keep our eyes open and break in for 9 seconds. The gas gave an overal tingle to the skin while it burned the eyes and lungs. Everyone immediately began coughing and weezing. It hurt bad. When those 9 seconds were up, we were lead outside where we were relieved of our pain by the air. How I will never take air for granted! Thinking: How aweful it must have been to have died from any type of gas. Painful and disfiguring. WWI, WWII etc, I can not even grasp what some of those men sufffered through. I do grasp, however, how greatful every person in these United States of America should be for those men who died for us to live free. Well, today was a relaxing day. We had an inspection of the barracks. For it being the first inspection it went well. Apparently in week 8 the Colonel inspects. Oh, you know what happens next week? I get my class "A" uniform! I can't wait! But I got to go now, have to finish other things. Later.