An Absurdist Monologue on Physiology and Endocrinology

This post is reference-free. Due to the speculative nature of this 'stream of consciousness' piece, please refer to this site's disclaimer. What a good way to usher in the looming London Summer Olympics.

A shredded 155 pounds is my goal, which I plan to achieve by way of IF coupled with coffee and 2x/day sessions.

My single-meal IF scheme more closely reflects Ori Hofmekler's Warrior Diet than Martin's Leangains protocol, but I apply principles from both.

Former Mr. Olympia Franco
Columbu, the "Sardinian Strongman"

A small 20-minute fasted morning cardio session on the treadmill will take care of insulin's inhibitory effect on hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), leverage high morning cortisol levels as well as lower alpha-2 adrenergic receptor activity toward the goal of fat oxidation, and, while inconvenient (inasmuch as it requires waking up earlier in the morning to allow for shower time before class), improve general mood throughout the day thanks to the opponent-process theory of emotion. To reinforce execution of the cardio session a la Premack's principle, the pace of the cardio will start out at 6.5 mph and progressively decrease at regular time intervals. Furthermore, the training scheme for each week will reflect the Premack principle: the cardio will be front-loaded during the first half of the week and decrease as the week progresses. Concurrently, in order to progressively reward myself for getting through the week, intake of carbs and dirty food will gradually increase. The dual purpose of better lipolysis and oxidation (first half of the week) as well as acute leptin, dopamine, and serotonin restoration (latter half of the week) will thus be served.

For breakfast, coffee and green tea. Not just for their appetite-suppressing properties, but also for their myriad of other benefits. To wit, coffee consumption is associated with lower skin, breast, and prostate cancer risk, lower risk of developing dementia (most notably, Alzheimer's, via its effect of increasing plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, GCSF, which suppresses beta-amyloid deposition in the brain), type-2 diabetes prevention, and lower incidences of cardiac arrythmias. The caffeine in coffee is also a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE); PDE inhibition leads to less degradation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which phosphorylates HSL, the activity of which was preserved owing to the morning cardio session's insulin-lowering effect. Lastly, coffee increases non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and potentially induces borderline hyperpraxia, which is fancy for fidgeting. As for green tea, the anti-amyloidogenic properties of the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) present in the tea are enhanced by fish oil supplementation (in mice, at least). Fish oil also increases the bioavailability of EGCG in the body.

The fast continues after the dismissal of class at 3PM, at which time I perform my second session. On cardio days, it's simply an identical 20-minute session. On heavy training days, it's, well, heavy training. I generally follow Martin's rest-pause scheme. I include heavy training at least twice a week, and I execute it according to the Premack principle: the least enjoyable exercises first, the most decadent ones last. And while Martin strongly advises in favor of having a pre-workout hit of BCAAs, EAAs, or at least some whey for the purposes of halting fasting-exacerbated peri-workout proteolysis and increasing p70s6k and mammalian target of rapamyacin (mTOR) phosphorylation, for personal behavioral reasons, I prefer to wait until after I have completed my second session of training for that day. Only then do I deserve my 'reward': feeding. And while a study showed that exercise acutely suppresses regional brain reactivity to enticing meals, the goal of classical conditioning is more important here: the only time to feast is after a hard day's work.

Food choices will include clean and dirty food. I don't shirk microwaveable foods, ice cream, and the like because I feel these to be tantamount to a sustainable eating lifestyle that does not neurotically demonize any category of food and possibly contribute to an eating disorder. Just take a look at pre-contest dieters; I do wonder if they truly mean to bulk up that quickly upon exiting the stage, or if some other underlying problem exists. That's what 12 weeks of eating bland chicken and brown rice does to you.

For supplementation, a daily intake of 13 USP-verified omega-3 fish oil capsules by Nature Made, amounting to 2340mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1560mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These amounts satisfy the conditions necessary for subchronic omega-3 supplementation to ameliorate leucine resistance and improve muscle protein synthesis (MPS) following aminoacidemia. They also more than replicate the methodological conditions of a study that found that administration of at least 8mg of fish oil per kg of body weight (again, in mice) allowed EGCG to do a better job of suppressing cerebral beta-amyloid deposition. Furthermore, fish oil boasts a host of other perks that Martin discusses: suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), which lowers atherosclerosis risk, lower incidence of depression (epidemiological link, mind you), and lower cancer risk.

Calcium consumption has been shown to influence regional adiposity (the trunk region, namely), though I would say the phenomenon is still contested. It will be be taken in the form of a calcium-magnesium-zinc pill.

Dieting in general lowers tryptophan availability to the large neutral amino acid transporter (LAT1), and low-carb dieting moreso. Not good for those having trouble sleeping as the BCAAs leucine, valine, and isoleucine can then better compete for LAT1, blocking out tryptophan and consequently lowering serotonin production. Bad implications for both mood and sleep, and it explains why both dieting and the high protein intake that it entails have led some dieters to complain about their sleep.

On that note, given that a bolus of intact casein protein will continue to yield metabolites in the blood at even the 8-hour mark, it would be prudent for me to separate my protein-heavy and carb-heavy meals in order to direct traffic at the LAT1. In fact, another individual with stellar results follows a similar protocol (his 2 meals are a giant, 100g protein shake and a normal meal). Barring supplemental L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a likely scheme for maximizing serotonin synthesis and avoiding diet-induced insomnia, then, would be to follow up 100 grams of alpha-lactalbumin (LALBA), a rapidly digestible whey protein derivative high in tryptophan, with a carb-heavy (with some fat) meal around 4 hours before bed (in accordance with a study that found that a high-glycemic-index carb meal 4 hours prior to bedtime shortened sleep onset). PeptoPro's hydrolyzed caseinate has an astonishing 8 grams of tryptophan per 100g of protein material (Lyle has stated that most protein brands contain 1-2g of tryptophan per 100g of protein material). The blend happens to be near-optimal for the purposes of providing more dietary tryptophan as well as preserving peri-exercise fat oxidation (however negligible). Plus, owing to its faster absorption kinetics, hydrolyzed protein has a better chance of bypassing splanchnic extraction. First-pass portal-drained visceral (PDV) and hepatic metabolism utilize the majority of amino acids before the remainder is passed on to the peripheral tissues (and, relevant to our purposes, muscle). That's a long-winded way of suggesting that total daily dietary protein requirements may be lowered if more of it is reaching the muscles. Anyway, better sleep equals better appetite control equals better diet adherence. And besides, the two-a-day sessions should ensure that I sleep like a rock.

On the topic of sleep and ensuring its quality, carb-centric refeeds will be incorporated, though still done on training days after sufficient whole-body metabolic work is done to stress the energetic components of the muscle (especially adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, or AMPk) and divert calories to the lean tissue compartment. Anecdotally, my sleep begins to deteriorate 3-4 days into the diet week probably for the reasons discussed above. Not surprisingly, pre-contest dieters have complained about sleep issues, at times having as low as 4 hours of sleep each night. For this reason, progressively re-introducing carbs throughout the week, supplementing with alpha-lactalbumin, and having bi-weekly refeeds will be the measures taken to fix the problem. At least then, the higher-tryptophan conditions of a eucaloric or hypercaloric diet can be simulated.

All things said, I don't want it to appear that an over-reliance on supplements is a requisite for success. Insofar as drugs cannot conceivably correct any behavioral problems associated with diet and weight control, the myriad of pharmaceutical 'solutions' being released to the public will fail as usual. People tend to believe that the drugs will chronically facilitate their weight loss goals. For some, use of the drugs may only serve to bring their behavioral problems to the surface. Some examples of drugs (both approved and withdrawn) and drug components: Belviq (lorcaserin), Qsymia (formerly Qnexa and containing extended-release phentermine and topiramate), Alli and Xenical (orlistat, also known as tetrahydrolipstatin), Hoodia gordonii and XR, bitter orange (citrus aurantium, active compound synephrine), Sensa, chitosan, Meridia (sibutramine), rimonabant, and raspberry ketones.

Let's begin, shall we?

Home for Christmas Exodus, Language Assignment

67th Platoon at the 120th Adjutant General
Battalion (Reception), Fort Jackson, SC

A Much-Needed Break

All basic training recruits at Ft. Jackson have gone home for Victory Block Leave (VBL), better known as Christmas Exodus. Recruits will be able to spend time with family for Christmas and the New Year before returning to the post to complete training. Our cycle, Delta Company (Dragons), 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, has 2 weeks left before graduation. I've been assigned to 1st Platoon; 4 platoons, each headed by 2 drill sergeants, make up our company.

Training's been a "hurry up and wait" experience during the 9 weeks we've been on post so far, and I hear the Active Army's the same. There's plenty of waiting around in line and formation, but at the same time, the training's something no civilian can normally experience. To date, we've qualified on the shooting range with our M16 rifles, done nighttime reflexive fire with M4 carbines outfitted with red dot sights and night vision goggles, stacked on doors to clear rooms, neutralize insurgents, and evacuate casualties, practiced bounding overwatch under fire (finding forward/rearward cover while a battle buddy covers you with suppressive fire aimed at the enemy) in leapfrog fashion, ridden in and dismounted HMMWVs (Humvees) during convoy operations, low and high crawled under barbed wire while live rounds were being shot several feet above our heads, thrown live grenades, shot the M249 SAW and M240 Bravo machine guns, M203 grenade launcher, and AT-4 anti-tank weapon, done tactical foot marches as far as 10 miles in full "battle rattle" (combat boots, Kevlar helmet, ballistic and ammo vests, assault pack, and M16), done land navigation with a compass and map, and practiced drill and ceremony.

A typical day consists of wake-up between 0445 and 0600, PT (except on Sundays, when recruits may attend religious service), breakfast chow, movement to that day's scheduled training, movement back to the post (the "rear"), weapons cleaning, personal time, final formation (and mail call, if there is any), and lights out at 2100. The training's carried over to home somewhat; I wake up between 5-7 AM and begin to get sleepy around 6-7 PM. While substantial, both the chow hall food and MREs (meals, ready-to-eat) were devoid of the love one would find in a home-cooked meal. It just isn't the same.

After arriving home, I learned that my language assignment at the DLI would be Pashto pending approval of my security clearance.

Adjusting to the Army lifestyle will obviously take some time. Thanks to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), more rules are imposed upon a U.S. serviceman than a civilian would ever care to know, but that's a good thing. Integrity is a big deal in the military, and in life, it's one of the few things that matter.

I report back to training in early January. In the meantime, I'm making the most of my time at home with family and friends.

Physical Fitness Assessment Test, Final Inspect at MEPS

A Letter from Fort Jackson's Battalion Commander

The battalion commander emailed all of us Future Soldiers shipping out early October with a briefing on potential units we'll be assigned to at BCT. All recruits will fall under either the 165th or 193rd Infantry Brigades. Within these, they may be assigned to the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Battalions.

He also gave us a general overview of the goings on at BCT. Confiscation of cell phones and other contrabands at Reception Battalion (RECBN), PT 6 days a week, the option to worship on Sundays, and 2 phone call privileges during the 10 weeks of training.

A family friend gave me his IET Soldier's Handbook and Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks (SMCT) to study out of. I've already begun studying for everything imaginable. Probably the hardest topic is the weapon systems. It'd be easier to memorize all the parts of an M203 if it were in front of me.

I'm going to pay a visit to my recruiting station next week to weigh in and do the 1-1-1 test. My final inspect at MEPS will be on the 11th, a day before I leave California. Less than 14 days to ship, and I can't wait!

Cyclic Hedonic PSMF Diet for Satiety, Adherence, Reward

Thai green curry

I. A diet that doesn't suck

II. Why diets eventually suck (bullet style)

III. Instant gratification and goal-setting

IV. Cyclical IF and the PSMF

V. Reasons behind the diet

VI. Other ways I've maintained adherence

VII. A case study: me

VIII. Throwing supplements into the mix (optional)

IX. Closing

A diet that doesn't suck

Over the years, I've progressively changed my dieting style. Each step is generally in the right direction as far as improving overall adherence. Here's how it's evolved:

Vietnamese beef pho

1. Beginning: 3 meals/day

2. 3 meals + 3 snacks/day

3. High school: 3 meals + 3 protein shakes/day

4. 6 meals/day, Atkins style

5. College: 6 meals/day, low carb, mostly protein shakes + nuts (Dave Palumbo style)

6. Recently: 1 meal, intermittent fasting (IF), no food restrictions

7. Current: 1 meal, cyclical IF with protein-sparing modified fasts (PSMF), no food restrictions, no protein shakes

The jump from number 5 to 6 greatly improved my adherence, but not entirely. The problem was in my head.

I'm a goal-oriented person, which I'd like to say is a good thing. However, humans are evolutionarily hardwired for instant gratification; I'm personally more likely to accomplish a goal if it's in the near-immediate future.

That said, there's already a problem with dieting, a relatively long-term commitment. Neurophysiology explains why the problem exists.

Why diets eventually suck (bullet style)

There's lots of chemicals involved, but there are 3 we'll worry about today:

Had too many carbs.

1. Leptin, a hormone that for our purposes acts as a satiety/fullness signal and increases fat burning. Levels of it drop a lot within a week of dieting.

2. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter implicated in mood (depression and anxiety), sleep, appetite, and alpha-male syndrome in animals. Dieting lowers serotonin (low-carb diets even more so), while eating a boatload of carbs increases it (people tend to get drowsy afterward).

3. Dopamine, the reward hormone crucial to pleasure-seeking behavior. You can probably guess that dieting lowers it.

Exercise, overfeeding (especially with carbs), and fish oil supplementation either increase the synthesis of the above or improve the sensitivity of the receptors that bind them. Some regular combination of the 3 should help combat some of the physiological problems associated with dieting, which in theory should make it more bearable.

In reality, it doesn't. Not without some tweaking, at least.

Instant gratification and goal-setting

I'm a man of extremes. While it sits well with many, moderation feels like stagnation to me. I'm someone who'd probably do only marginally well on the marshmallow test. I can hold off for a bit and distract myself, but I'd like my marshmallow pretty soon - within 24 hours. That's why I landed on Diet Incarnation No. 7.

I mentioned earlier that I'm more likely to reach a goal if it's in the short run. And in the big picture, several completed short-term goals contribute to the realization of a more long-term aim, which in this case is the attainment of low body fat. There's nothing earthshaking about this approach to dieting; most people set a weekly weight loss goal (e.g., 1 pound of weight loss/week). Breaking it down even further, many strive to achieve a daily energy deficit to ensure they meet their weekly weight loss.

So what are the short-term goals of my diet?

Cyclical IF and the PSMF

My diet breaks down into 2 alternating days:

A sign of better things to come.

1. PSMF: A single, ~1200-calorie meal eaten in the PM and consisting of ~225 grams of protein in the form of boiled chicken breasts and shrimp, the incidental fat found within the chicken, and 8 fish oil capsules. The "goal" of this day is fat loss.

2. "Mini-refeed": A term I first learned of from Martin Berkhan, this day consists of a gigantic and very satisfying ~2800-calorie meal eaten in the PM and consisting of whatever I want that day. The "goal" of this day is to restore leptin, serotonin, and dopamine and the sensitivity of their receptors.

Reasons behind the diet

1. PSMF: Studies have shown protein to have the greatest satiating effect of all macronutrients. However, similar to the relationship between carb consumption and serotonin synthesis, the hunger-curbing properties of protein are most effective when it's eaten in isolation. That has been the experience of myself and a few others, at least.

Under normal conditions, 1200 calories a day doesn't make for a very fulfilling diet. However, eating over 200 grams of protein in one sitting removes any desire I have to eat anything else for the day. Additionally, as advised by Martin, nothing is done to make the chicken or shrimp palatable. Both are boiled dry and no condiments are added. This is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of the mini-refeed.

The purpose of the PSMF is twofold. First, due to the absence of carbs and the fact that I prefer training on this day, the PSMF serves as a caloric sink that improves partitioning during the mini-refeed that follows. Second, and more importantly, it's meant to enhance the hedonic quality of the refeed. This is important; if the refeed doesn't hit that "hedonic threshold" (the level of which depends on the person), then in that person's eyes, it isn't worth subjecting himself to the PSMF day. This also explains why the target calories for the PSMF are so low; it allows for a larger feast the following day. And for me, anticipation of a rewarding refeed makes the PSMF day bearable, and overall adherence to the diet is more likely.

Examples of my refeed foods.

2. Mini-refeed: Despite the nominal goal of this day being the restoration of hormone levels to normal, the real purpose of the refeed is to make it so that the diet feels like less of a diet. Most diets are  devoid of the hedonistic aspect of eating. On these days, I'm practically eating at above-maintenance levels while still losing fat in the overall picture (that's what the PSMF days are in place for). In addition, by frequently refeeding, I'm somewhat avoiding the natural deterioration in mood, metabolism, and hormone levels that a  stringent PSMF would normally cause. That definitely beats going day to day on a measly 1800 calories.

If we examine the day-to-day goals of this diet, we see that the goals aren't always to "achieve the day's deficit to burn fat". That's not what I'm telling myself, at least. It gives me a mental break and allows me to reward myself very frequently. And that's the winning ticket if I want to guarantee adherence.

Lastly, notice that when averaging the 2 days, my daily intake would amount to 2000 calories a day. Not that extreme of a diet when you take a step back.

Other ways I've maintained adherence

1. I don't step onto the scale. It messes with my head too much, and I forget that the mirror is a better means of physique assessment. Even then, I try not to look into the mirror too often. I remain steadfast in my belief that on my PSMF days, I'm losing fat. However, the water weight caused by the mini-refeeds will mask it.

2. I use someone as a frame of reference. Pick someone you don't see too frequently, yet whom you can rely on to see around roughly the same time of year. A cousin at your annual Christmas gathering, for example, who happens to be quite receptive to the changes in others and is vocal about it. This person can act as a more objective means of feedback (more objective than your own eyes, at least) on how much progress you've made since the last time you saw each other. This is similar to Martin's technique of using checkpoints throughout the year to assess his physique progress.

3. I avoid proximity bias. In a roundtable interview JC Deen conducted with several respected names in the fitness industry, John Romaniello, one of the interviewees, explained a phenomenon called proximity bias, where we dismiss the advice of family and close friends because we've known them so intimately that we can't see them as a legitimate authority on anything but maybe parenting. The bias applies to the self as well. I can dispense advice to clients about how to lose weight, but I don't always adhere to those same guidelines when trying to lose weight myself. What I've just described is known as the coaching paradox. A creative way in which Martin has dealt with the problem is to treat himself as a client and write up a diet/training template for himself.

4. I don't think about the marshmallow (for 24 hours, at least). In his article "How To Walk The Talk and Unlock Your True Potential", Martin discussed the addictive personality type. A person with this trait will lock onto a thing or hobby and becomes obsessed with it. The behavior has to do with dopamine and the brain's reward system. What Martin suggests is not to try and abolish it; this entails defying human physiology, and that's something that normally can't be done without drugs. Instead, people displaying addictive behavior should channel it into another hobby in order to avoid short-circuiting their efforts in the former. Martin's example of this was playing Starcraft 2.

Intermittent smoking/starcrafting, anyone?

While it isn't universal, many gamers lose weight because they forget to eat. Their hunger signal may, to some degree, be appeased by the dopamine kick they get out of the game. In a similar vein, some habitual smokers get the kick they'd normally get from eating by smoking a cigarette instead. Some dieters will do this - turn to smoking - because nicotine increases dopamine. Thus, smoking is a rewarding, reinforced behavior. On the flip side, people trying to quit smoking will eat more and gain weight. In either case, the person is replacing one activity with another to  instinctively compensate. On a related note, depressed people who turn to smoking may unknowingly be trying to get out of their rut. There are other, healthier alternatives to that, of course.

A case study: me

Currently, I'm in my 7th day on this diet. No problems with adherence yet, which is more than I can ever say about most diets I've tried. My progress is below.

Day 1 (PSMF): 1200 calories

Goal achieved: fat loss, increase lifts in the gym

Day 2 (mini-refeed): 2950 calories

Goal achieved: hormone restoration

Day 3 (PSMF): 1205 calories

Goal achieved: fat loss

Day 4 (mini-refeed): 2870 calories

Goal achieved: hormone restoration

Day 5 (PSMF): 1230 calories

Goal achieved: fat loss, increase lifts in the gym

Day 6 (mini-refeed): 2890 calories

Goal achieved: hormone restoration

Day 7 (PSMF): 1200 calories

Goal achieved: fat loss

Throwing supplements into the mix (optional)

A cup of sunshine.

There's a few pharmaceutical options we have that can help things along. For appetite control and a slight increase in fat burning during the fast, caffeine can be pulsed. Alternatives include coffee and green tea.

For those who have access to it, bromocriptine can work wonders on satiety as it acts as an exogenous substitute for leptin. Generic bromocriptine mesylate will do. If taken on the PSMF day, it should evoke a general desire to stay away from food after having the meal. If taken during the mini-refeed, it will make the refeed that much more filling, a characteristic every good refeed should have. No recommendations regarding bromocriptine dosing will be included here. For that, purchase Lyle McDonald's book by the same name. Though it was originally used in the clinical setting to treat people with Parkinson's and acromegaly, 2 years ago the FDA approved it for use in the treatment of Type-2 diabetics.

Closing

Currently, my dieting experience is more goal-oriented than it is process-oriented. Although being the latter is arguably more important, having been goal-oriented this whole time (as a result of my difficulties with adherence) has forced me to continue experimenting with new ways of dieting. Some techniques work, and some don't. I take the ones that do work and throw them into my goody bag. Later, when I finally reach my overriding goal, I can transition into a more lifestyle-friendly diet and be more process-oriented. The word itself entails a continual process of self-improvement. As one wisely put it, when one is process-oriented, the goal merely becomes an eventuality, an event bound to happen as long as the process is consistently undertaken. The upside is that when I reach this point, I won't be so fixated on body fat.

My diet is a step in the right direction toward being process-oriented. For now, it serves as a proactive measure against failure.

Life for the Next Eight Hundred Days, in Three States

I talked with a PFC who also classed as a 35P linguist and contracted for an AD term of 6 yrs. PFC Lopes is currently in her 13th week of  intensive language training at the DLI (learning Croatian) and has 9 months to go before heading to Goodfellow AFB, Texas, for AIT. She broke it down for me like this:

10 weeks of basic, Ft. Jackson, SC.

Depending on language assigned, up to 18 months at the DLIFLC in the Presidio of Monterey, a military installation in Monterey, CA.

Depending on language, up to 15 weeks of AIT at Goodfellow AFB, Texas.

With an 8-year MSO (military service obligation), of which 6 are AD, we'll both be spending almost half of our AD service going through training.

Then, depending on the units we're attached to, we may or may not deploy.

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

While at basic, recruits undergo Phases 1-3. At the DLI,  which is run by the DoD, they are assigned to Bravo Company and proceed into Phases 4 and 5. Phase 4 is considered somewhat of a lockdown, to put it simply. Not as strict as basic, but some restrictions do exist. Drill sergeants are present here just like in basic.

During Phase 4, a typical day at the DLI starts at 0530. Reveille is at 0700, and formation at 0710. Classes run from 0800 until 1530. PT begins at 1600 until 1700. Mandatory study hours are from 1900 until 2100. Bed check formation is at 2145 and curfew at 2200. For the most part, this is how most days are. Morning formation, class for 8 hours, PT, study hours.

Phase 4 lasts 2-3 weeks. Phase 5 loosens up on the restrictions, and Soldiers may finally leave base, drink if they are of age, and bring up their vehicles.

According to PFC Lopes,  the pace at the DLI is fast the entire time as instructors are required to get all prospective linguists to become proficient in their language (and only have between 6-18 months to do it). But if you really want it, you'll get it.

-SPC Bernardino

Future Soldier Asset Inventory, FSAI

Pre-ship check-in over the phone with a recruiter. It's called the FSAI, or Future Soldier Asset (or Assessment?) Inventory. Just a checklist to see that all is squared away.

Current height and weight.

Ship date.

Recruiter.

High school/college diploma.

Driver's license.

Direct deposit set up.

Any issues with my contract.

Any issues my family has with my enlistment.

Any new medications.

Any run-ins with law enforcement, to include traffic violations.

Any issues at all.

None!

Never Forget

Show Me the Man You Honor, and I Will Know What Kind

"...of man you are, for it shows me
what your ideal of manhood is
and what kind of man you long to be."

One Month to Ship to Fort Jackson, New APRT and ACRT

Soldier Leader of the Cycle

Ship Date: 11 Oct.

So stoked and ready to leave. Current weight 165 lbs. Will be 155 pre-ship. Transferred from the recruiting station in Northern California to one close to home. PT sessions at 0600 Mon through Thurs.

Earlier this year, TRADOC (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command) began pilot testing of the new APRT  (Army Physical Readiness Test) and ACRT (Army Combat Readiness Test), which will replace the old APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test).

5 events comprise the APRT, in this order (no standards for each event have been set yet):

Shuttle run

Rower, 1 min

Long jump

Push-ups, 1 min

1.5-mile run

My goals at BCT (Basic Combat Training) graduation:

Top PT score

Soldier Leader of the Cycle

Expert Marksman

1 month to prepare.

-SPC Bernardino

A Tale of a 19D Cav Scout in the Army Reserve

A Story Like Mine

A few months ago, I learned about the plight of a man in his 20s who wished to join the Army Reserve. His story began in a manner that was, in some ways, similar to my own. Let's call him John.

The obstacle that stood in the way of John's dream was the same one I faced almost a year ago.

It really doesn't need to be said that case studies aren't much for compelling evidence - on any issue - but John's story does reassure us of the soul's indomitable will to endure.

...

Pasts That Haunt Us

I was a junior in high school, 17 years old, when I was taken to the emergency room for a shoulder dislocation that never bothered me again. I never gave it much thought either - until this past September, for the same reasons it returned to John's attention.

When he was 17 years old, John paid a visit to the ER for a gunshot injury to his leg that never bothered him again - until his decision to enlist in the Reserve.

To realize his ambition, however, would require that John receive the thumbs up from the people holding the keys: MEPS, "Freedom's Front Door". For many young men and women, the process is timely and pleasant. But for many others, including John, it becomes an emotional trying time keeping them from their dreams.

Trial by Time

In July of 2009, John stepped into a recruiting station and began the process of enlistment into the United States Army Reserve. Part of the required paperwork was a complete disclosed history of all past medical conditions with documentation. That included a copy of the medical report detailing his stay at the ER.

A review by the physicians at MEPS led to a decision to "defer" John's qualification screening - and subsequently his chance to swear into the United States military.

7 months later, in early February, MEPS deferred John a second time for legibility issues with his medical report.

After resolving that hiccup, John was booked for his MEPS trip, only to be deferred a third time pending an orthopedic consult.

...

After listening to John's story up to this point, it would be understandable for any Soldier Hopeful to grow disheartened; I certainly was.

Eventually, John stopped updating his peers about his predicament, and I was unable to gain any insight into his ultimate fate.

Did he ever go to MEPS?

Is John a Soldier now?

...

Beast of Burden

Equus africanus asinus is the scientific name for the domesticated donkey, an animal regarded by popular opinion to be stubborn and stupid. It has been a relatively devalued animal in mainstream culture until recently.

But what the uninformed may not know, besides its role as a proficient pack animal capable of carrying heavy loads, is that the donkey has historically served as a reliable alternative to the dog as a guard animal, protecting droves of sheep from predators at home.

The American Robert Green, a miniature donkey importer, once said of donkeys:
"Miniature donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a mule, the courage of a tiger, and the intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's."

...

Finding a Way

After 5 days with no word, John broke the news.

On 18 Feb. 2010, John swore into the Army Reserve as a 19 Delta, Cavalry Scout. He would ship to Ft. Benning for one-station unit training (OSUT) on 04 Nov. 2010.

John only lingered around another day before leaving once again without a trace.

Anyone who has made it to this point in the enlistment process knows that there still lies the possibility of being prematurely discharged. In fact, my roommate with whom I was assigned during my brief MEPS visit had been discharged from the Navy before he even had a chance to ship to Illinois for recruit training.

Knowing this, I wanted to know for certain that John had indeed shipped and long ago become a Soldier serving his country. Keep in mind that John had documented his struggle a year ago. There was no update of his status following the date of his expected completion of infantry training.

...

Coincidence

This past Memorial Day, I was doing some breadcrumb navigation on an Internet forum to brush up on my nutrition.

By chance, I found an old thread I had posted in where I happened upon a user with an alias identical to the one John had used years ago.

Of note was a glaring gap in this user's activity, beginning in late February of last year and lasting until the middle of March - a time period in which this individual could conceivably have spent time preparing himself during his DEP period, shipped to and graduated OSUT, and been assigned to his first duty station.

The user had enlisted a year ago as a Cav Scout in the Army Reserve.

...

In the 1997 film Gattaca, 2 brothers, Vincent and Anton, decide to play a game of chicken: the goal is to swim out as far into the sea as possible and hope that the other turns back to shore first, thus admitting defeat.

Anton, the younger of the brothers, has been deemed genetically superior to his older sibling. Vincent, on the other hand, has a low life expectancy and a heart defect. Playing the game as children always yielded the same outcome: Anton would predictably win.

But strangely, Anton begins to find that he can no longer beat his brother at chicken. One of the final snapshots of their childhood reveals that it is Vincent who swims a drowning Anton back to shore.

Toward the end of the movie, when the brothers have grown older - and Vincent has clearly lived beyond his calculated life expectancy and defied the constraints of his heart deformity - they decide to play chicken one last time.

During a brief pause in the race, Anton calls out to Vincent, who is ahead.

"Vincent- how are you doing this, Vincent? How've you done any of this? We have to go back."

"No, it's too late for that. We're closer to the other side."

"What other side? You wanna drown us both?"

"You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back."

The Defense Language Aptitude Battery, or DLAB

My Test Results
After another long night at the hotel and an early drive to MEPS, I took the DLAB, a 1.5-hour long test of gibberish and pictures, at 0730. The DLAB assesses a prospective linguist's potential to learn a foreign language.

The best score on the DLAB is a 176. There are 4 language categories one may qualify for (required scores in parentheses):

Cat. I (95): French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Cat. II (100): German
Cat. III (105): Dari, Hebrew, Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek
Cat. IV (110): Arabic, Pashto, Chinese, Japanese, Korean

I scored a 146, qualifying me for a Cat. IV language. Although I would love to learn Korean or Japanese, ultimately it is the Army that will decide which language I am assigned to learn for one year during my advanced individual training (AIT) at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, CA.

Today was my second-to-last visit to MEPS. The final trip will be before I head to the airport to report to basic training.

Becoming a Future Soldier in the United States Army

1. ASVAB

2. MEPS approval of prescreen

3. Physical examination at MEPS Medical

4. Job selection

5. Pre-enlistment interview

6. Swear-in

7. Begin DEP

8. DLAB

9. End DEP, ship to boot camp

***

Hurry Up and Wait

The doctors at the Military Entrance Processing Station use a serial profiling system known as the PULHES factor to evaluate an applicant's readiness for the military. Respectively, the criteria are physical stamina, the upper extremities, the lower extremities, hearing, eyesight, and psychiatric. The scores range from a 1 to a 5, with 1 being the best possible outcome. Last week, on 15 Jun., I had my first experience with the doctors at MEPS Medical.

For us applicants, the day began with a wake-up call at 0330. Breakfast was served at 0400, and the bus left for MEPS at 0445. Females checked in first. After checking in at the liaison office, we were sent to Medical  down the hall and waited outside until the door opened at 0530. There, we underwent the first of a series of interesting tests. And lucky for us, we were only 37 in total, so the day would go by relatively quicker than most.

Hearing

We entered a booth and sat on stools facing the wall. The man running the test had us put on headphones and instructed us to press a button clicker each time we heard a sound. The sounds were faint and of varying frequencies.

Eyesight

We were pushed into another room and tested for color vision (being able to read a colored number inside of a bubble of a different color) and visual acuity. The latter portion of testing was difficult for me.

Physical

From there, everyone was directed to a briefing room and, one by one, was tested for blood pressure, pulse, and alcohol intoxication through a breathalyzer. Urinalysis followed (for marijuana detection) before we had our blood drawn for blood-borne disease. Finally, our heights and weights were taken.

Upper and Lower

After arguably the longest wait in the whole day, the males began testing in the male ortho room. Everyone was instructed to strip down to their skivvies and enjoyed a personal, behind-closed-doors consultation with the doctor. And I won't say any more about that. Afterward, the chief medical officer (CMO) emerged from his room and had us perform several movements testing the mobility, range of motion, and integrity of our limbs and joints.

My Talk with the Doctor

I was in the room with the doctor when he was writing down comments on my overall PULHES profile. He is a very amiable man with a great sense of humor and who, like all good doctors, did not make me feel uncomfortable. Overall, I felt the testing had gone well, with a few obvious setbacks- namely, my eyes and shoulder. I was curious to know my PULHES scores for those two areas. And while I was confident that I had made it, I just had to reaffirm my feelings and asked the doctor.

"Are my U and E scores a 2?"

Doctor Oswin turned to me. "They are a 3. That is disqualifying."

I was not making eye contact with him. I was giving myself time for the reality of my situation to sink in when he asked me to look up at him.

"So you're disqualified. Tough."

I was trying to smile but could not.

And after a long pause, he spoke again: "And not so tough."

Doctor Oswin picked up a stamp with the words "Waiver Recommended" on it and asked me, "How would you like me stamping this onto your paper?"

"I would love that, Sir."

***

"Waiver Recommended"

"This candidate is a vigorous, well-muscled, personable, intelligent young man with the right 'stuff' for the military. Waiver recommended."

That was Doctor Oswin's comment on his overall assessment of my qualifications for service. I'd forgotten the great compassion that doctors are capable of. His recommendation for a waiver spurred me on with new hope.

"Thank you very much, Doctor. I hope you have a good day."

"I am, and you're part of it."

I was taken to the CMO's room, where he signed off on my papers.

"Do you know what my chances might be of my waiver getting approved?"

"I'd say 75, 80 percent."

With that, I was sent back to the medical control desk, then to the front control desk, and then back to the liaison office where the service liaison told me that he would send my waiver request electronically up to USAREC (U.S. Army Recruiting Command) at Fort Knox for approval.

***

Monday

This past Monday, 20 Jun., I received a phone call at 1317 from my recruiter.

"Guess what? Your waiver has been approved."

At the recruiting station, SGT showed me the email.

"WF Result:Approve

Comment:Waiver is approved.

The enclosed request for medical waiver has been reviewed and is approved."

My PULHES profile was changed from 131131 to 111121. I was good to go.

Yesterday (Wednesday, 22 Jun.), I made another trip to MEPS to have my waiver signed at the CMO's office. Then, another walk back to the liaison office. I handed my packet to the liaison. He went through my papers and looked up at me.

"Son, what do you want to do in the Army?"

The job that I wanted, 35 Papa, Cryptologic Linguist, was not, according to the liaison, available in the coming months, but he had me sit outside in the waiting room and told me he would see what he could do.

***

Job Selection

2 movies later (Black Hawk Down and Gladiator), I was called back into the office to sit with a different liaison. He had managed to reserve 35 Papa for me and walked me through the job selection process.

It was decided. I would contract with the rank of E-4 (Specialist, SPC) as a 35 Papa for an enlistment term of 8 years and a signing bonus of $17,000 pending an FBI background investigation and DLAB test results. My ship date is 11 Oct. 2011.

***

Swearing In

By this time, 3 of us had completed our job selections and were taken to the briefing room, which was adjacent to the ceremony room. We were taught parade rest and attention and how the oath of enlistment ceremony would go.

Captain Kirk entered and took us into the ceremony room.

"At this time, is anyone feeling any reluctance about serving in the United States Armed Forces?" he asked.

No one answered; silence means "yes". With that, he asked us to repeat after him the oath of enlistment.

"I, Martin Bernardino, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

On 22 Jun. 2011, at 1455, I swore into the U.S. Army.

***

Present

After starting this whole process 9 months ago, I have officially survived MEPS (which was a pleasant experience, for me at least) and depped into the U.S. Army. For the next few months, I will be attending PT sessions and briefings at the recruiting station to prepare me for basic at Fort Jackson.

I will continue working until the end of August. I will spend all of September at home with family and friends before leaving this October. It's been a long time coming, but I am officially a proud member of the United States Army.