So, I've changed my plans a bit. A friend of mine told me that if I get a hotel room in Pueblo, then I will have zero chance of getting reimbursed because I "arrived" at my destination. So, I'm going to get a room in C-Springs Tuesday night.

On a similar note, I talked to another friend who went through IFS recently. He said him and a friend drove the 9 hours to get there, showed up in there civies w/ their blues in hand, expecting the IFS people to allow them the use of a restroom to change. NOPE!!! They said, "There's a gas station down the street, go there!"

Well... OK then, good to know!

He also gave me the low-down on the instruction there, and it seemed like it wouldn't be too bad. Yeah, you've got stand-up every morning, and the days are long in the beginning, but nothing impossible. He said they go through everyone at least once before calling you again for stand-up. So unless you've got a bunch of knuckle-heads in your class who keep getting sat-down, you will only get stood-up about 3 times or so. PT's a big one. If everyone doesn't get an 80, they make you redo it a few weeks later, NO waiver for the altitude! (That sucks!!)

He did say the staff pretty much wait on you hand-and-foot, and the facilities are REALLY nice. YEAH! There is a plus side!

On the down side, there are people out there who NEED someone to say, "OK, this is a wing, this is the landing gear, etc..." and from what I was told, they don't really take the time to really help people who are struggling. There's no pride in, "Hey, that guy was having problems, but I taught him right, and I'm proud that he made it through!!" from the instructors. There seems to be a, "Either you make, or you don't" attitude. This from an O-6 Spec Ops Herk driver.

So, once again, it seems the lesson is: Watch your Ps and Qs, and DON'T fvck up!!