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The Importance of Staying Awake Sleeping during L ETC Khan’s class, the mistake I made. Not only was I told by Mr.. Macaulay, Staff Sergeant Ovals, Master Sergeant and EGGS Campbell to wake up and take pictures but I failed to help Kook ; Park stay awake. It is important to stay awake for many reasons. One being the fact that the person giving the class deserves your undivided attention. Despite the fact that it was ALT; regardless of rank they should be given the proper respect and courtesies as an instructor that’s giving a class.
That is trying to help me professionally to do my Job as a paralegal for an attorney in the future. It boils down to doing the right thing and treat others how you would like to be treated. If I was to be giving a class I wouldn’t feel too good about people nodding off in the middle of my lecture. I should know better since in Basic Training at Ft. Jackson it was strongly enforced to stay awake during briefs, classes, whatever the case may be. We were taught to stand up and go to the back if that was the only meaner of us staying awake.
If not, it resulted in long smoking sessions for the whole group even if it was one person. They made it our Job to be responsible for our battle buddies and ensure that we worked as a team to stay awake it was either that or suffer the consequences. I think it was more than fair for EGGS Ovals to counsel us together and give us this assignment. So Eve come up with other methods to stay awake besides standing up. Drinking lots of water, poking myself with a pen, getting a good night sleep the night before.
Good nutrition throughout the day, so that my body does not crash. Keeping a 5 hour energy or some type of caffeine nearby to sip on to give me a boost, monster, coffee etc. Etc. I think of many other instances were falling asleep is Just not an option and you have to fight through it. ICQ, guard shifts, being down range and having to go out on constant exhausting missions. Having the will power to do what you have to do when you need to is part of being an American soldier.
I knew when I was signing up there was going to be times where I wouldn’t want to listen, times where I’d be exhausted. Another important reason why I shouldn’t fall asleep during a class is because during those consolidated Paralegal training sessions. We are setting an example for everyone in our JAG office showing the individuals that are disciplined and those that lack it. Being the personnel that work in the Division Headquarters we have an obligation to set the standard since we work with the Command Paralegal NCO – GSM Martinez and the SAA Colonel Hamilton.
It is also a reflection of our first line supervisor EGGS Ovals because our actions reflect upon him and his leadership skills. I was directing in my duties due to the fact that I fell asleep while it was my duty to stay awake and pay attention. I was in violation of article 92 failures to obey and order ND I know that is punishable by UCM. I have failed myself in being a solider making myself look bad and causing a bad impression to my supervisors. I know that my promotion is now at stake and that is something I was working hard towards.
I know I need to step it up and I also know that if this happens again I will be working every day till 2359 for the next two weeks. That is enough of a deterrent for it not to happen gall. I wall ensure Tanat I get up, rolls water, get good sleep, chewing gum Ana bring five hour energy whatever it takes to not get to that point because I that enmeshment would severely suck. I know for sure that I would hate life to be in the office everyday till that time.
I cherish the personal time I have and having to come in on weekends because I failed to stay awake during a two hour brief would Just be idiotic of me when I know it could have been prevented. I think the corrective training will not only help me now but also later on. While I’m in the Army I’m going to have to deal with briefs, training, lectures and some of them will be extremely drawn out and boring. In the civilian world I will have to do the same as well as in college so earning to stay awake and concentrated is a lesson well learned.
What better way than to lesson early on in my career be aware of my deficiency and correct myself. When I become a NCO and one of my privates commits the same mistake I will think back to my experience and teach them about why it is important to stay awake and have them learn Just as I am right now. So in essence this will help me become a better leader and have the ability to understand my soldiers and take the appropriate actions when they do wrong. Being a member of JAG I know that we are led to higher standard than most other Moss’s and other Joes.
JAG wants the best out their soldiers in all aspects and all times. From the little things to the big ones. I am truly sorry for what I did and by writing this essay I have learned new techniques to stay awake. It has also made me take a look inside for intestinal fortitude about doing the right thing when nobody watching or when a whole class could be watching. It has made think about occasions where falling asleep could result in much more sever consequences that I wouldn’t want to end up in.