My Musings

Thursday, February 7, 2008

One Year In The Army

I am happy to announce that today marks one year in the Army for my wife and I. This also marks the day that I receive a promotion from Private Second Class to Private First Class.

Private First Class RankOn Feb. 7, 2007, I left my beautiful wife and headed for basic combat training at Fort Benning, GA. It was here that I was trained for the next several months. I stayed up late after lights out and tried to write my wife a letter as often as I possibly could. She even posted a few of these letter on this site. You can find them by clicking here.

I graduated from basic training on May 25, 2007 and for the first time in almost four months, I was reunited with my wife. This reunion was short-lived, however. I still had more training to do.

She had to go back home and I continued in my military training. I headed up the street at Fort Benning to Airborne School. During the summer months, the classes are full so some students have to wait for a few weeks before they are allowed into the class. I was required to wait five weeks before I would get in.

During these weeks, I took a two week Javelin Gunner's Course (You can read about it here.) where I learned how to fire and operate an image-guided, shoulder-fired, medium-range, anti-tank, missile system.

Finally after five weeks, I was trained to jump out of airplanes! My first jump was the scariest five seconds of my life. I was the second man off that plane. Before we jumped, I found myself standing right next to the door waiting for the light to turn green. I could see the ground moving past us below. I should probably note that I am scared to death of heights! Then the light turned green and I took a step over and then a step out the door. I could feel my body twisting and turning in the wind...for about four seconds. By that time the parachute was completely deployed and the rest of the trip back to earth was extremely peaceful! The rest were easy. Even the night jump wasn't bad compared to the fear of the first one.

Private Cardot and His Beautiful WifeAfter airborne school, I picked up my wife and we headed out to Washington DC to serve with the 3rd Infantry Regiment The Old Guard. This is where I have been since August 1, 2007.

I praise God for the opportunities that he has given me and the lessons that he has taught me as a result of my military experience. I hope and pray that these experiences only make me a stronger servant for His kingdom. Although I love and am very passionate about serving in the Army, I cannot wait until my enlistment is up and I can, if the Lord is willing, serve God in a full time capacity. God's call on my life is to serve Him either as a pastor or as a missionary. I take extra care to learn everything that they teach us in the army, knowing that many of the principles of discipline and leadership will help me in my journey to serve God with my life.

I am so thankful for the wonderful wife that God has allowed me to have. Diane Cardot has been the greatest blessing that a man could ask for during these times. She has faithfully stood by my side each step of the way and I just want to publicly thank her and praise her for her goodness to me over the past year. I have no idea where I would be were it not for her loving encouragement! She really is an angel!

Thank you also to all of you who have been good to support me and pray for me. Please continue to pray for me. Thank you.


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24 Comments:

  • Congratulation babe, we've made it one year. The time has flown by and yet while we were apart the time dragged by. It is an honor to stand by your side and support you. Thank you for serving and protecting our country. I thank God for you daily.

    By Blogger Diane Cardot, At 7:15 AM  

  • Wow, congratulations to you two!!! God bless your marriage AND your Army career, Bro. Nicholas. I followed your letters to Diane at your blog when you were in training and I prayed for you back then. It doesn't seem like a year ago already.

    Aaron is going to MEPS today and hoping to join the Army. Hopefully he will pass his physical :-) His practice ASVAB had a score of 76 so I think he will do fine on that part. His recruiter (a man in our church) told him he will probably go to training in SC... unless he changes his mind and picks another MOS.

    God's blessings be on you two!!! I am praying for God's direction in your life as you seek to serve Him, Brother Nicholas! Keep busy until the Lord returns for us to take us Home!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 7:52 AM  

  • Wow..One year! Congrats!

    I know that it is a great blessing to have your wife stick by you the way she does.

    Pray for my Uncle...he is on his last mission in Iraq and there have already been 3 killed and 2 wounded in his division. He is due to be home with his wife and little girl next week. Please pray for him!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 8:32 AM  

  • Diane,

    Thanks for always being so good to me!

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 11:51 AM  

  • Kate,

    Congratulations on your son going into the army. What MOS is he choosing? Thanks for stopping by and I even posted a couple of comments over at your blog. I am going to await their response and then I am going to systematically discuss it with them point by point.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 11:53 AM  

  • Kristina,

    I will definitely pray for your uncle. I hope that everything works out well for him and that he is back home with the wife and child very soon. Is your uncle a saved man? Also, how has you sister been doing?

    Thanks Kristina. Talk to you later.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 11:54 AM  

  • Congratulation, on your first year. Our son, Andrew was at Ft. Benning in 2006 for both Basic and Airborne training. Andrew is in Iraq with the Blacklions 128 out of Ft. Riley.

    Did you get to know the Ingrams at the Baptist Servicemen center? There center was just outside one of the gates.

    Keep up the good work and God Bless.

    By Blogger Bro. Jeff Hallmark, At 12:48 PM  

  • Bro. Jeff,

    Extend my thanks to your son for his service in Iraq. Of the 130 men that I went through basic training with, only about 15 of us got assigned to units that are still currently in the United States. Most of my very close friends are in Iraq right now.

    I did not know anything about the serviceman's center when I was at Fort Benning. As soon as I got out of Basic, I began attending Lighthouse Baptist Church in Columbus, GA which is about four or five miles north of post. I never really got involved in the religious activities that took place on the post. Most of the time that I was not at work, I was hanging out with the people that I met there at Lighthouse Baptist.

    Where are you folks from? Also, how long has Andrew been in Iraq and how long does he have left? Is he planning to make the Army a career or is he just serving a few years like me?

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 1:54 PM  

  • WOW, It has been a year?? I enjoy the game, Breakdown.

    Dave

    By Blogger Dave, At 3:03 PM  

  • That was a fast year!
    I will be waiting to hear what you do after your military service.

    By Blogger Rita Loca, At 4:11 PM  

  • Dave,

    I am glad that you like the game breakdown. When I get some time, I am going to be adding some more games to the site. I know that right now I don't have very many. I would love to get about ten or twenty games on here for people to be able to enjoy family friendly Christian games in their spare time. Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any ideas of other games for me to add.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 5:47 PM  

  • Jungle Mom,

    Thanks. I love what I do right now but I can't wait until I am able to move into the next phase of my service for God. I am so thrilled and excited about it. Please continue to pray for me. Thanks for all the support and encouragement so far and thank you for the great work that you are doing for our Lord down in the Amazon. I appreciate you more than I can say!

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 5:49 PM  

  • No, he is not saved...and he has admitted that to us. We have witnessed to him and tried to be the best example of a Christian that we can be. Just please pray for both his salvation and his safety!

    With my sister, it has been really hard. You must have read my mom's post about what was going on. She still talks about leaving the day she turns 18, we are all praying really hard that God would do something to change her heart.

    Thanks for asking and we thank you for your prayers.

    By Blogger Kristina, At 6:39 PM  

  • I'm so sorry to hear about your sister and now about your uncle. I hope that God will touch their hearts and turn them both back to Him. I will definitely pray for the salvation of your uncle and for his safety. Absolutely. I am definitely praying for your sister.

    When I was a teenager, I turned my back on God for a short period of time yet God still worked it out to draw me back to Himself very quickly. I hope and pray that God would do the same for your sister. I'm so very sorry to hear that things are the way that they are in these situations.

    Keep staying faithful! God bless you!

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 6:55 PM  

  • AWESOME!! My husband has been in almost 7 1/2 years. I can't believe how the time has flown. Where do y'all go to church? We lived in the DC area for a year. We were at Fort Belvoir.

    By Blogger Nikki, At 11:59 AM  

  • Ok, Is there a reason why Hyles-Anderson College is not under Fundamental Baptist Colleges?

    Dave

    By Blogger Dave, At 3:18 PM  

  • Nikki,

    We go to church at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Alexandria. We live at Fort Belvoir also. Where did you folks go to church when you lived in this area?

    By Blogger Diane Cardot, At 5:21 PM  

  • Dave,

    My wife and my pastor both attended Hyles-Anderson College. Many of my very good friends went to Hyles-Anderson College.

    However, I cannot condone some of the doctrine and philosophies that have been promoted by this institution.

    My pastor recently received a letter from this school telling him that if any of his young people who were attending college there ever asked him for advice that he should not counsel them at all. In fact they encouraged him to break off all ties with his young people after they left for college. What kind of cult-like philosophy is this?

    This is only one example of many that I could cite that causes me to not be able to recommend this school to my friends and family with a clear conscience.

    If you are planning to attend Hyles-Anderson, I wish you all the best. I am not against anyone who goes there or anyone who went there. And I have probably alienated some of my readership just by my candid honesty on this matter but here I stand.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 6:45 PM  

  • Wow!! Has it really been a year already? It does not seem like it. I'm so proud of you and Sis. Diane for the testimony you have even though I know that it hasn't always been easy and you have been (no doubt) exposed to much being around other soldiers who like to party and do things that are dishonoring to God and evil. I praise the Lord you have kept yourself clean and that your testimony from you posts shows forth a love for the Lord and your wife in a deeper way.

    You are a blessing and I thank God for the troops we have serving our country...but those that are saved and living for the Lord that continue to take stands for Him deserve so much more praise and honor. Thank you Bro. Nick!!

    By Blogger Sis. Julie, At 12:45 PM  

  • The church we went to has since went off, kinda. We went to Engleside Baptist

    By Blogger Nikki, At 3:26 PM  

  • Sis. Julie,

    Thank you so much for your support and your prayers. It means so much to me and my wife. Thank you so much.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 7:35 PM  

  • Nikki,

    I live about two blocks from Engleside Baptist. I attended their the first Sunday that I was there and thought that it was a great place until they started preaching from the New King James Version.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 7:36 PM  

  • I understand, Yes, I am planning on going to Hyles-Anderson College when I am done with high school in few years. I has look at lots of college butI beileve that the Lord is leding me to Hyles-Anderson College. Thank for letting me know about that so I can on look out. If you know any more let me know. Do not worry I will not leave. You ain't going to lost this reader!

    Dave

    By Blogger Dave, At 3:40 PM  

  • Dave,

    That means a lot to me. I definitely want you to do what you believe that God is directing you to do. I appreciate your support, also and you have my support.

    Thanks.

    By Blogger Nicholas Z. Cardot, At 6:43 PM  

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