Well I didn’t lose my job. Only 9 months out of the Corps and late the first day I thought for sure I’d either lose my job or have to do physical training till the instructors got tired. 

As it worked out, I was told to just go back and find my seat. They hadn’t even started yet. 

After a few days they asked if I would be the class leader. This is both good and bad.  Good because of the responsibility, but bad also because of the responsibility. They have a tendency to hold the class leader responsible for the short comings of the class. 

As it was, I was going to need to be a few minutes late just about every day, as I had to drop my son off at daycare that was 10 minutes down the road. The issue was they didn’t open till the same time I needed to report. I said no as I didn’t feel it right the class leader would be late about every day. They agreed and made me the assistant class leader instead. 

The academy was 6 months long and went right through winter. Me and my ’90 5.0 Mustang made it, but it sure wasn’t easy. In the snow I put as many cinder blocks in the trunk I could fit. Cinder blocks because they were free and I was on a tight budget!  

My drive to and from Elliott City was about 50 minutes one way. These were long days. 

School days came to an end, I graduated, and hit the streets in Pasadena Maryland!