A School Graduation

        Bravo Zulu! Or congratulations in civilian terms. Anthony made it through round one of his schooling and did so with distinction! He ranked number three out of his class of twenty-seven. I'm so proud of him. He's really impressed me so far. We're in a constant battle to out-do each other in life and so far I think he's winning, even though I have a higher GPA. What he's doing requires so much more that just going to work, going to school and everyday life. He's given up being home, being with his family, and doing normal twenty-two year old men's things. So given the circumstances, he's doing better than me. I have some catching up to do.
      
       The trip to SC this time was more entertaining because Anthony's brother came with his mom and me. Since we had another driver and drove during the day/evening there was no need to stop and sleep. We drove right through all eleven hours from Jersey to South Carolina. It was definitely another fun time. We got there rather early Friday morning, around three a.m. Good thing the graduation didn't start until two p.m. that day. We all caught up on sleep before heading over to see Anthony. There was a bit of a mix up as to where to go when we got there, it's not like they had signs telling us where to go. I guess they don't ever get big enough crowds to care. 
       
       Anyway, once we found where to go we were directed to a small auditorium. We opened the door to find sailors in dress blues standing around with very few civilians. Almost immediately we heard another sailor say "Latrella!", calling Anthony's attention to his family that just came in the door. He walked over and gave us all hugs and we talked for a little before the ceremony started. We then sat down to listen to the speakers and watch all the sailors receive their certificates. Watching the sailors jump out of their seats to stand at attention was rather exciting. Anthony was never one to follow rules, so to see him taking orders even as simple as this makes me proud. First announced were the two sailors that graduated with honors, then a few rows of sailors, then those who graduated with distinction. That's my Anthony!

 

        

       After the ceremony we stuck around for a bit so we could get pictures and so Anthony could talk to his buddies. Then we headed back to the hotel to catch up and just hang out. We went out to dinner a while later at the Noisy Oyster, which I recommend to anyone in the area, it was really good! We took along one of Anthony's fellow Petty Officers, McMillan. You may have heard his name announced in the video above. After dinner we went out to a local bar for a drink or two, then went to downtown Charleston to see more of Anthony's friends. The next day, Saturday, we got up and went back to Charleston to walk around and do some shopping. We got lunch there at Jestine's, which was delicious. I also recommend this to anyone visiting the area. After more walking and shopping, we went to a local pub for some quick dinner before going back to the hotel. There we talked some more, had a couple drinks, watched a little youtube and laughed. Unfortunately we couldn't stay to hang out on Sunday because we had to drive home for work on Monday.

         It seems like no amount of time with Anthony is enough, though every little bit helps. While walking around Charleston we were arm in arm almost the entire time. We got to cuddle when he slept over in the hotel, and again, his family was generous enough to give us some time together. It's just really nice to see his face and reconnect again. I will say it has gotten easier to say good bye, at least for now because I know he will be coming home soon. Until then I'll be here trying to be just as good, if not better at life than Ant is. I'm not quite sure how I'll be able to be on the same level but I'm sure going to try. I see your 3.59 GPA and raise you 0.01! 

"They f***** me...and my friends."

Oh boy.

       Don't fret, the title sounds much worse than what I'm about to tell you. However, do take heed to the following disclaimer: This story is based on one (1) sailor's testimony. The validity of this story is not 100%, and the actual occurrences described herein may be exaggerated or misinterpreted. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author. Reader discretion is advised. 
       
       The other day I got a text from Anthony while I was at work. He starting going on about something that happened after his ME3 (Mechanical Equipment test 3). I got a text that read, "They f****** me. They f***** me and my friends." Immediately my head started going places it shouldn't. Thankfully he called shortly thereafter. It was about 4:30, thirty minutes before closing time. He doesn't often call while I'm at work so I knew something was up. He talked for 20 minutes almost without taking a breath. He went on to explain to me that his class was being treated differently than the others next door. The story began to unfold and I could not believe what I was hearing. Then again, it is the government. 
   
        Anthony told me that his class has one of the highest GPAs (Grade Point Average). So much so that they were weeks away from being in the Hall of Fame. Now that goal has fallen by the wayside. This test was described as one of the hardest they'll have to face. When they got their scores back it showed. Some of Anthony's friends failed. The sailor with the highest GPA was even in shock. The entire class was down. Some believed it to be a conspiracy. Some may be correct. His class learned that the class next door, who has had one of the lowest GPAs throughout A School, scored higher than Anthony's class. The class was in an uproar. They all knew that this had to be some mistake. Twenty-three sailors put in for a "re-grade" and all but one were denied.  

       He goes on to explain to me that the instructors actually told the class that they will be given whatever grade the instructors decide. This insinuates that the hard work of our sailors is of no consequence at the whim of the instructors. This is when I started to get angry, but at the same time, I knew this. It's the government. They will do whatever they want to get whatever they need. Just take a look at the state of our nation. They could fix things if they wanted to, but there's so much more to it than we know, and more than they will ever tell us. Anthony's class was doing "too well". They were "too far above average" and had to be marked down. Why hold back the sailors? Why take away Hall of Fame? Because thats the governement. Because the more you make the more they take. The better you do the harder it will become if under the ever watchful eye of our government.
        
       So it appears that at times there is a complete disregard for the actual academic achievements of the sailors. Of course Anthony, being Anthony, had to be one of the sailors to speak up. He said that he could do a bunch of calculations to prove that this test was graded unfairly. That, among other sailors comments, opened the door for additional higher-ups to come in and tell the class how they run things. Is this because they want to push the higher-scoring sailors to do even better? Then why simply hand the lower-scoring sailors a better grade? Should they not push the lower-scoring sailors just as hard? No, because they dont want high scores. All the system wants is individuals (in this case, our sailors) to do what they command, when they command, without question. The higher-scoring sailors will question the orders if they smell foul play. That is unacceptable. It appears that all they want to do is teach sailors how to operate all necessary equipment properly, not to make decisions. That right is reserved. 

        It is a harsh reality.