My Trial.

I've been absolutely exhausted this week.

After preparing Sunday/Monday/Tuesday to attend WLC, I arrived and 4AM and was put on stand-by. Which is no big surprise, because just like everything in the Army, you're never guaranteed to go anywhere or do anything until you're actually doing it. And even then, they may pull you away at any second for something they deem more important.

I didn't make it as you can tell. Because if I did I wouldn't be typing right now. I more or less couldn't care either way. On one hand I spent a good deal of money preparing for it and it will help my resume during my tenure with the enlisted side of the Army. On the other hand, January is an exceptionally cold month, and I don't look forward to doing field exercises in that kind of weather. I welcome the opportunity to do it when it's much warmer.

I've been entirely too exhausted this week as a result of two things. 1) Waking at 2AM that morning threw off my sleeping schedule 2) The responsibilities of my position has doubled in the last week.

What I mean to say by the second part is this: As an E-4 Specialist, I have been assigned to an E-5 slot, managing the legal actions of my battalion single handedly. Our battalion holds at least 250 personnel.

This I have been handling since November 2007. It took getting used to, but wasn't exceptionally difficult in my opinion looking back. It also kept me on just the right level of busy in my opinion. Most of the time I had something on my plate, but I could usually squeeze in a game or two of Desktop Tower Defense, the most amazing, and challenging, Flash game I've ever played. When I first discovered it I spent 8 HOURS one Saturday afternoon trying to beat it. Didn't.

Beginning this week I've taken over the brigade legal actions (an E-6 slot), as my current Sergeant Paralegal NCO is preparing for deployment. I've effectively taken over her job AND the job of another Paralegal that worked with her. I can comfortably say that I'm now handling twice the personnel actions and 2.5 times more work than I had to accomplish in the past. Not only that...I'm now in charge of managing tasks I've never done myself.

Take for instance, the court martial I have to prepare this Tuesday that's making me sweat bullets. I have to go pick up a witness from the airport tomorrow and take her to the hotel in preparation for her testimony on Tuesday. I have to set up the courtroom, prepare after-trial documents, and ensure that everything flows smoothly for shipment to the corrections facility.

All things I've never done before.

So these are the things on my plate this week and next, and the reason why after work I eat, plop down on my bed, and pass out for 10 hours before I get up and do it again.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm just...acclimating.