200902292 Kwanhyung Lee/ Write something about yourself that no one else knows/ 12/03/15 Thursday 56 (13:00 – 15:00)

A cook in the Army

 

This story goes way back into 2010, when I served my military service. After I have done my basic training in the camp, I was disposed into the 35^th infantry division. The training was rather challenging, but many of the senior officers told me that the hardship starts after the training. There were ten of us that went into the 35^th. We were placed into the barracks and different recruiting officers from the 35^th division came by and interviewed us one by one. Everything was peaceful until an officer that reminded me of a giant grizzly bear stormed the door and shouted "Any of you want to be in the special ops unit?" Obviously, nobody was willing to be involved in a unit where the training and the daily task were so overwhelming. It was like sending a newly-born chick to the grave. And the officer calmly said "No one? Okay, I will be picking one of you." And then suddenly the officer chose me for the final candidate. Because of great height and body mass, the officer thought I was the right one. I was hopeless. After the officer was gone, the paperwork was done, and I was sentenced to death. Because I was shocked terribly, I tried doing anything to get myself rid of the unit. I dropped by the personnel office and told the personnel officer that I am not eligible for such unit and I want to be in the HQ. The officer told me to sell yourself in front of me, and I literally did everything I can do, including singing and dancing, doing some old comedies and making fun of myself. He was pretty much delighted by my performance, and canceled the paperwork and deployed the silly little private to become a cook in the HQ. It does not seem so bold and daring trying to get out of special ops team and instead become a cook, but I really thought that it was one of the best decisions that were made in my life.