A day in the life as a U.S. soldier
Tyler Bjelland, US National Guard soilder, smiling after completing basic training.
Tyler Bjelland, age 18 enlisted in the US Army National Guard forces and started his basic training on August 20, 2018 because his goal has been to give back and fight for the country that gave him his freedom. Enlisting in the military is an honorable profession that any student should be proud to choose as a path to walk on.
Life as a United States soldier consists of a very scheduled daily routine. Being in the National Guard, soldiers are enlisted for six years part time service and two years inactive ready reserves. Every soldier, no matter what branch, starts out at basic training. Tyler Bjelland had basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. A typical day in basic training consisted of spending the first three days awake and standing in a line just to get a glimpse of how it is going to be to stay aware of your surroundings every minute of every day. Every morning, the soldiers were to wake up at 3:00 AM, go on an eight mile jog, and then eat breakfast once they are finished. After breakfast, they practice marching in their lines, and then do certain war drills based on the day and the weather. After their drills they end in a workout, and then they eat dinner, shower and then go to bed to prepare for the next day. Every Sunday the soldiers get time to write letters home, and if their drill sergeants feel they deserve it, they get two minutes on their phone to call anyone they choose to.
According to Tyler Bjelland, boot camp was way easier than he imagined it to be: “There’s definitely a reason why they call it ‘Relaxin’ Jackson.'”
There’s definitely a reason why they call it ‘Relaxin’ Jackson.’
— Tyler Bjelland
Once out of boot camp, soldiers go to their advanced individual training (AIT) at a fort based on what job they picked. To acquire the skills they will need for the duration of their military career. During their time in AIT, they are required to at least an hour a day of exercising, which involves running, push-ups, and aesthetics.
“We eat three meals a day with breakfast starting at noon, lunch at four in the afternoon, and dinner at 10:30,” states Tyler.
Tyler’s daily classes start at 6:00 pm and they end at 2:30 am, and they end their day by going to bed at 3:00 am, and are able to sleep until 9:00 AM.
“Absolutely everything you do is on scheduled time,” states Tyler, when describing his daily routines.
Absolutely everything you do is on scheduled time
— Tyler Bjelland
Tyler spends the first three hours of his day making his bed, showering, and getting dressed for the day: “It takes this long because we have to measure every inch of the blanket and the way we make our bed every morning, and if it is not right, we get our phones taken away and we cannot leave the fort on the weekends.”
As said by Tyler, “on the weekends, we get to go anywhere off post as long as we are back by 8:00 PM every Sunday night.”
After AIT training is complete, which varies depending on what career you chose, soldiers are allowed to go home or go to college, which is paid for. When they get home, they are allowed to have a job and a normal life, but they are required to go to what is called drill one weekend a month, and two weeks a year, where they continue to work on the career they chose to have in the military. They get paid for every weekend that they do go to drill.
After their AIT training is done, national guard soldiers are allowed to go back to their home state being an expert in their field on work. They are required to stay current and up to date on the skills needed for their military career of choice because they go one weekend a month and two weeks a year making $200-$300 per weekend that they serve to a military base for drill.
My advice to anyone interested in enlisting in the military is that you can do more than you think you can, so when you think you’re doing your best, try harder
— Tyler Sparks
Tyler Sparks is a National Guard recruiter. It’s his job to properly educate anyone who is interested in the National Guard. He will even set the dates for their swear in and when they start their basic training. If you have any questions, or are interested in the National Guard, you can contact Tyler at 320-333-7637, or at his email [email protected].
According to Tyler Sparks “The National Guard is a perfect option for people who want to go to college. It is a part time job with real world experience while getting financially ahead with no student debt to worry about.” College is paid for up to the cost of the University of Minnesota -Twin Cities.
If you want to learn more about the National Guard, click here
This is Hannah Bjelland. She is a seventeen year old senior at Sartell High School. Hannah's plans after high school are to attend college at North Dakota...
