AIT - the next step

So after our weekend together after his BCT graduation he was suppose to move on with his AIT, advanced individual training. He moved from his old barracks into his new barracks, his old unit to a new one, from one company to the next.
After all the moving and doing and preparing for AIT he got his first real taste of Army hurry up and wait - him and a bunch of other soldiers got held back from their start date because to many soldiers started training that week and not enough open spots. Which brought with it the move from the new barracks to some other new barracks, from one company to another company, plus some pt and lot's of cleaning - and more cleaning. Then there was some bored waiting around and oh did I mention, they got to do a lot of cleaning :). Today should finally be the day that school at least started. Haven't heard anything new yet but the perks of AIT are that he can call home nearly every day, sometimes even twice and we don't have to anxiously await the Sunday phone calls anymore. Missing a call doesn't feel quite as horrible since we know we can try to call him back in the evening or text him. 
I can't wait to hear about the new things he'll learn during this step. Plus in a few short weeks he should find out where his first duty station will be and of course we're all very excited to hear where he'll wind up first. Overseas or State side? In one of the places he noted on his 'wish list' or someplace totally different? Will he like it there and what new things will happen in his life then?


So many things are going to come his way yet, things he can't quite fathom yet I think, things that will surprise him even though he thinks he's prepared. Good things, bad things - some of which we might be able to help him through, most he'll have to go through by himself. Live and learn will take on a whole new meaning. 


But no matter what he hopefully knows that we will always be here to listen and help whenever and where ever we can.

Basic Training - the end!

The graduation ceremony was wonderful and my son, although still pretty bruised and banged up looking, looks great and we couldn't be prouder!
For all those that said: "you won't recognize him and it'll take you forever to find him" - you were wrong . We spotted him immediately during formation. But he did change of course, stronger in body and mind. Yet still my boy.
 
 We arrived in St. Louis Tuesday afternoon, picked up our rental car and drove the 2.5 hrs. to the Super8 in St. Robert where we checked in and put our stuff away. Then we drove to Fort Leonard Wood, about 10 minutes away depending on traffic and got a map at the gate. Drove around for a bit seeing where we needed to go next day. After that we grabbed some dinner at Ryan's Buffet (not horrible, nothing to write home about either), went swimming at the hotel and then just watched TV and went to sleep. The next morning my sister-in-law and her family arrived from Michigan (surprise for my son) and together we headed back to post.

Found a parking spot and followed the crowd to the front of his units barracks where they stood at formation already. 

After a little while we got a short briefing along with the soldiers and then they were released to the family. Big hugs for Mom & Dad and then he spotted the rest of the family and just couldn't believe they were here.
After all the big hello's Dad and him got in line to sign him out for an on post pass until 15:30 hours that day.

We went to the PX with him so he could get a few things he needed, ate some lunch on post (there was no meet & greet or eating in the chow hall or anything like that) and spent some time in the Museum before taking him back to his unit.

Next morning of course was Graduation and to be honest I still have so many feelings about that day that it's hard to put into words. The ceremony was wonderful and everyone stood proud - and was as loud as possible with the hooah's and bulldog bark (my son's platoon), it was great. Afterward he was able to go of post with us until evening and then Friday, after moving to his new unit (he's doing 7 weeks AIT at FLW too) we got to pick him up again and keep him with us until we had to leave to go back to the Airport this morning.
I am in awe of my son at this time and couldn't stop looking at him the entire time. He's undergone so many changes for the good and deep down is still my boy, still doesn't mind hugging his parents in public and showing the affection that he feels. 

PVT E2 Erich Brown

Hard to believe...

...but Basic Combat Training is essentially over! I got to talk to Erich for a few all to short moments this afternoon but I cherish each and every one of those minutes. This week had been the first week we haven't gotten any mail from him in about 5 or 6 weeks, but we knew ahead of time that we would not. Last weekend they were lucky enough to get their cellphones for the entire weekend and so we got to talk on and off most of the weekend since they also had a weekend pass. This is why I knew that their had their final 3 days of testing out in the field this week. 
All the things they have learned since May 5th and a few new ones had to be practiced and they had to prove that they 'got it'. They had shooting exercises with life rounds, putting up tents, working a fake town, cleaning their weapons, physical and mental work and marching 15k's in full gear with ruck sack and all. This march was done during a hard pouring rain that made everything so dark that the only thing you could see was the light stick of the guy walking in front of you. 
But he's made it through this too and so now things are pretty much done and passed. 

The next few days will be spend working on Graduation ceremony since this is a big step for all the new soldiers and their families and everything has to off without a hitch. Although I strongly believe the families wouldn't care all that much if it's perfect or not, we just want to see our children/spouses/family members and friends. Want to see what has changed in them over the past couple of months, want to hear more of what they have learned and how they feel about everything.  We just want to sit across from them at a dinner table and talk, want them to show us where they've spent all those past weeks, want to take them off post if possible and maybe spend an afternoon swimming and hanging out. And I'm sure us mom's just want to watch them do the most normal, regular things that before we haven't paid much attention to in years.

Hubby and myself will hop on an airplane Tuesday, grab our rental car at the Airport and head to St. Robert from St. Louis, about a 2 hr. ride. Once there we will check into the hotel and then head to Fort Leonard Wood to see where we have to be the next morning. Wednesday morning we'll be on post going through some briefings of how the next couple of days are suppose to work and then we should get to spend the day with Erich on post. He has to be back in formation that evening and we'll head back to the hotel, full of different emotions I imagine.
Thursday morning will be the time of graduation, our son in a Class A uniform standing tall and proud. After that he might get the chance to be just be a regular person for a little while, getting of post, doing things everyone else does. 
Although he has learned a lot during BCT and has grown up tremendously I'm not sure if it has really sunk in yet that his life won't ever be like it was before.

Friday will be a day of us doing whatever he would like to do. Saturday we'll have a nice breakfast together and then we'll have to head back to the Airport and get back home while he will go back to continue is education into this new world of his - also called AIT (Advanced Individual Training).

HE PASSED...

...HE PASSED!!!!! Not that I'm excited or anything . But those of you have been following our story know how he's struggled from the first day with PT. First practice test he could barely pass any of it, always slightly shy of passing. Then he shaved 3 minutes off his run time and didn't have any more problems with it. He also managed to pass the sit-ups well during the last practice test but those push-ups..boy they were difficult. He's been saying how he's using every free minute to practice and work on it and then yesterday came the 'final' PT test.

He also told me last Sunday that they would have their warrior competition and when (notice not "if" or "should we") they win that they would get an extra day pass for today - they also got one for Sunday this week. And he told me when he was done with BCT he'd get a cellphone.

So we've been holding our breath about the pt test for 2 days now when suddenly my phone rang about an hour ago. I see the MO area code and picked up right away and here is the conversation that followed!
Erich: "Hi Mom, I'm calling you from my new cell phone just to let you know I have it and I love you."
Me: "How on earth did you get the chance to buy a cell phone and why are you getting to use it today, and yes I love you too??"
Erich: "Because we're awesome!"
Me: "What does that mean?"
Erich: "We won the warrior competition like I said and got the free pass - and I passed my pt test yesterday!!!"
Me: "OMG I'm so happy and excited for you and also so proud! Congrats to you and to the platoon for winning."
Erich: "Thank's mom but I gotta go, it's really crazy around here and I'll try to call back before I have to turn the phone back in at 16:30pm."

I'm relieved and happy for him and he sounds the same, sounds really great as a matter of fact. Most everything he needed to pass is done and now they will mostly concentrate on graduation things.

Once again time is drawing closer

And this time we couldn't be more excited! Everyone told me it would happen, everyone said that his time in basic training would go by fast and now that I'm looking back at the last couple of months I have to say everyone was not wrong. It's still 20 days away but I'm hoping these will also go by quickly and then I'm wishing for a couple of real slow days.
He's been doing well throughout most of his training, the only thing that could threaten his graduation from BCT now is if he doesn't get the number of push-ups he needs, but I have faith in him and more importantly, he has faith in himself so I'm sure he will pass this last hurdle yet. 
PT seemed to have been the most difficult time for him during training. During the first practice test he was 2 seconds slow on his run - yes, I said 2 seconds which would fail him during a real test. By next time he had shaved almost 3 minutes of his time and passed with flying colors. Sit-ups also not an easy thing for him, but those too he passed by now. The push-ups are still a little off but he'll be fine I'm sure. I believe the final test is next week on the 1st.


Last week they did had to qualify in marksmenship and he was one shot shy of sharpshooter! Yes, I said 1 shot ;). He's very good with taking care of his weapon and shooting it. He's got that from his momma *LOL*.


The heat in Fort Leonard Wood equals the heat here in SW Florida at this time and I can't say I envy our soldiers having to hike 10+ k's in full army gear, including back packs and such. Putting up tents, taking them back down all within a short amount of time. I'm sweating just making it through my regular days, I can't imagine having to do most of it dressed in long pants, shirts and without much A/C. But they do it, every day and for that, among many other things I have great respect for them.


Erich has asked for very little throughout his time in training. A few letters every week, some pictures of us, friends and dogs, cough drops, stamps, insoles for his boots and a phone card - all things I gladly sent out knowing they might make his day just a touch easier. 
Because the realization that there is less and less for you to do as mom, and less and less you can do in his life isn't always an easy thing.


Every letter and every phone call you cherish. You re-read his letters and read something new between the lines in almost all of them. You re-play the phone calls in your head and try to pay close attention to how he sounds. And you learn how much more there is to know about him, how many sides of him you didn't know before, and my guess is he didn't know about himself either.


In today's mail we received the first picture they ever took of him after he started. On the back of his Dad's picture he wrote: "Thank's Dad, you are the #3 reason I'm able to pull this off every day." And on the back of my picture he wrote: " And thank's Mom, you are the #2 reason I'm able and willing to pull this off every day." And in the short note attached to the pictures he wrote: "And the #1 reason is - myself". 
THAT is exactly what I hoped for, that he finally realize what a great guy he is and how much he has to give. That he finally finds confidence in himself and his abilities, and I think he's finaly getting there. He now knows that he's not doing things for us, but for his own life. If the Army wouldn't teach him anything else I know he already took something very important out of this experience. 
But I do hope there will be much more positive learning for him!!


Look at my little soldier..........

....and look at him now :)

Halfway there!

Well we've made it to the halfway point of BCT and I can't express the way his letters make me feel. Just today I've been missing him dreadfully and coming home I found his letter in mailbox, just like if I ordered it .

And I wish I could let you all read some of his letters because he "sounds" exhausted, mentally and physically - and at the same time you can read he's enjoying the things they teaching so very much. He's talking about the entire platoon getting smoked because after pitching 70 tents in administrative formation within an hour (which is good) the DS' then decided they'd rather have them in tactical formation which they did not manage to do on time.

Here a part of his letter: " So once we got 4 hrs. of sleep we moved on to the confidence course. Big obstacles, really tall ones, human ladders, 9 ft of the ground balancing beams. It was a lot of fun but I have giant ripped off calluses/ new blisters on my hands and mole skin doesn't work real well on hands.
And today we repelled off of the warrior tower. That was nerve wrecking as hell but after you took that first step so so much fun!
Things are getting easier but I still miss you every day."

There is so much excitement there and so much positive that I can't even wait to hear what he has to tell us next!!

Memorial Day

It's a day you've always known about. A day you might spend with friends and family for a cook-out and some togetherness. A day you welcome summer back for another season and a day you might enjoy off from work, just relaxing and perhaps watching a parade. 

That's how your Memorial Days have pretty much been going for years and then suddenly you've become the mom of a Soldier and you see things differently. You think of those having served before him, the ones that didn't make it back home, the ones that were hurt during battle and the ones that are still out there fighting and doing what every soldier does day by day - you think of all those more clearly. You think more of their families that are left behind, fighting their own battles and holding down their own forts. 
You look at the old veterans handing out little flags today, the ones marching in the parade and sitting on the sidewalks watching a little more intensely as you're wondering what they have experienced during their time in the service. And although you've always had a smile, a friendly hello and a nod of the head for them before, suddenly you want to go and shake each and every one of their hand and just thank them for their service. Thank them for all they have done in their lifetime to protect their country, to take care of their families and friends, to pave the roads for future soldiers, just like they will continue to pave it for future generations of soldiers. And you want to tell them you're glad they're here, glad they made it back safe and sound.

Happy Memorial Day!