Back From The Trenches
by Lyndon Amick-Staff Writer / Busch
Series Driver In National Guard Training
03/17/2004

Hello Everyone – I know it’s been a while since I last wrote here at Catchfence.com, but I’m glad to be back and hope to write a little more often.

As most of you know, I’ve been away in Infantry training for the National Guard in Ft. Bend, Georgia. I must say that attending the Infantry school was probably the hardest thing I’ve done so far. However, I would not take it back for anything, as it was well worth the experience.

We did a variety of tasks during the training, which included a four-mile run, to a 15-mile march. We did something different every day, it all happened outside, and was very physical. We would get to bed if we were lucky around 9:00 PM, but then be back up at 4:00 AM to start the day all over.

They treated us well though, we received three meals a day, and we were able to complete a task and were rewarded with watching the Daytona 500.

Last week was an important week for me, as I graduated Infantry school and officially have become a solider. It was a special moment for me, as my family and closest friends were there. My dad, who served in the Armed Forces many years ago, was able to place the Blue Chord on me and I will never forget that moment. It was very special.

This week, I’m attending Airborne school. This is a three-week class that will teach me how to jump from a plane while in war. This is going to be really interesting for me; I’m going into something I really don’t know anything about. The school is full of women, officers, sergeants, majors and even marines. It’s a little like Infantry school. We get up at 4AM and then we do our normal routine and we have class until about 5PM. Then we are released for the day.

For the first week, we are on the ground learning how to land and things like that. The second week we are up in a tower, and we jump from the tower to prepare ourselves for the third week which is jumping five times including one jump at night from a plane at 1,250 feet in the air.

I’m not really scared about doing this, but I’m sure I’ll have knots in my stomach when it comes time to jump, but this is part of the job, so I’m ready for it.

We have the weekends off which is nice, so I’ll head to Darlington Raceway this weekend and see some of my NASCAR friends. I still think about racing all the time, but the Armed Forces is my main concern. If the path down the road opens up and allows me to go racing, I may return to the seat, but I want to serve my country to the fullest first.

After I complete Airborne School, I’ll return to the National Guard center in South Carolina after 18 weeks of hardcore training. I’m not sure what division I’ll be in, or when I’ll be deployed, but I am now currently in “active status” stage, so I have to be ready to go at any time.

Physically, I feel great. I went into infantry school in the best shape of my life, and I feel great. The training was physically demanding, but I think I handled it pretty well. When we walked out of there, we were very fit, and very well organized.

I have to give a special thanks to my wife Melanie. She has become a very independent woman through this, and while I hate that I cannot be with her through these training sessions, I’m very honored and lucky to have her as my wife. Our son Billy, Jr is doing well, and while I am away, she’s playing the hands of both parents, and I cannot thank her enough for everything. I am very blessed man.

In closing, I wish everyone could experience the military and what it means to serve our country. I know that everyone appreciates what we do, but I don’t think people understand the depth it takes, and the respect to run a country.

Support the troops, because without them, things could be a lot worse.

I’ll be back after Airborne school. Thanks to everyone for their support and God Bless. Lyndon Amick.

You can reach Lyndon Amick at: LyndonAmick@aol.com