And before you know it

His leave is up and he heads back out. And I realize full well that that's the way it's going to be from now on - that he will only come home on vacation and no longer lives here. Each time he'll come and take something else back with him until there won't be any of his things left in "his" room. But you know what? It's ok! I miss him and wish he was closer, but he's a grown man now and although he doesn't have any problems acting like a 13 year old when together with friends, he's proving again and again that he's not a teenager anymore. He's also learning to be an adult at the same time. 
Suddenly being a Soldier and living on post without being told each step he has to make is a bit confusing at first. To realize that this is now your job, you get up in the morning, do your pt, go train and work your job and then go home, change into civilian clothes and do whatever it is one does - it's a new experience. 
So hubby and I have had to learn to let go, and Erich has had to learn to go and I think we're all starting to get used to this situation. None of this means that we're any less close. Erich will always be our 'boy' and I hope we'll always continue to have the tight relationship we have now, eventually perhaps with more members added to the family. We continue to talk just about every day and I like that, that's where cell phones and the internet come in handy. I'm sure that too will stop one day and phone calls will happen less frequently but that too is fine as long as I know he's happy an healthy.

He seems to be doing well in his new place, has a nice room with everything he needs, is in a pretty area and is meeting new people. There is much left to learn, about the job and about life and I'm sure he'll master all of it.

You just never know....

The date was the 11th of September 2010 - and this time it was a great date! Erich was to finally come home to visit after finishing AIT and starting his first duty station in VA. It was also a Saturday and his Dad and I were getting all geared up to pick him up from the Airport that late evening.
The day started slow for I didn't have to work and sat at home with a cup of coffee thinking about how great it will be to see my Soldier. Erich had called and we talked on the phone for a while. Shortly after said phone call my doorbell rang. To be honest I have to say that I didn't feel like opening the door because let's face it, I was being lazy and wasn't even dressed yet and the last thing I felt like doing was talking to someone trying to sell me something at the door. And so I tried to ignore the bell but it rang again and the dogs barked loudly again. I peeked through the blinds and didn't see a car nor a person and I figured the mailman must've dropped something off. Just turned away from the window when the bell rang again!! Ok ok, I decided to throw some clothes on and see who insists on buggin me on a Saturday morning.
And I'm sure you guessed it.............................I opened my door and had a full fledged Soldier standing there with a big old grin on his face! My first reaction was a friendly tap on the back of his head together with the words: "you're not supposed to be here yet"! Followed by a big old bear hug and utter joy to have him home. I was not the only one happy:

                  

He had been in town since the night before, hidden by his friends, knowing all along that he wanted to surprise his parents. Guess that was the payback for his surprise going-away party back in April ;-)
Before showing up at home he had gone and scared his Dad half to death at his work, even managing to bring a few happy tears to Dad's eyes in front of everyone.

Since coming home he's been out a lot with friends. Trying to see everyone, spending the night here and there and everywhere, sometimes even at home. He's making sure to spend quality time with Mom & Dad as well and bring friends to the house to hang out and chit chat, we enjoy having them around. 

I'm at awe watching the man he has become while still being my friendly and sweet son. 
It'll be hard to let him go again come Saturday the 25th but then it will be time for him to start the next step in his journey and if all goes as planned he'll be back home for Christmas.

The moral of this story? You just never know who's gonna show up and ring your doorbell!

What's next?

As I sit here with nothing much to do for the day I keep thinking how much all of our lives have changed during the past few years and I wonder what will happen next. Look at Erich. How excited were we when the time came close for him to finish High School (something we thought we might never see there for a while - LOL) and what a milestone that was. On the heels of it followed a few years of uncertainty as to which direction to take his life. He tried moving away, tried coming back, tried college, tried finding a job and eventually realized that none of these tries were working out for him, although I'm sure he needed each one to get him where he is today. 
At the beginning of this year he decided to become a Soldier, and regardless of my fears and feelings about the subject there really wasn't any other choice but to be proud and supportive. I hoped daily that he wouldn't regret the choice he made and that he would find the confidence and strength to pull through those first few difficult months of training - everything else would come with time.
And boy did he ever. He went from a kid almost 21 years old that could barely do a handful of push-ups to a full grown man of 21 years old doing many, many push-ups within 2 minutes. He went from not knowing what to do with himself the next day to knowing what he wants and knowing that it's in his power to get if he only applies himself. 
He's made tremendous changes during the last 5 months, physically as well as mentally and I can only assume that the next year or so many more changes will be happening.
Erich has completed basic training and is as good as done with advanced individual training, only 4 more days to go and another graduation will be happening for him. At this very moment we are not sure yet where the next step in his journey will be, if he will remain stateside for a bit or head on overseas - but it doesn't matter all that much. He will go where ever he's needed and where ever he's asked to go and he will make the best of it.

But first he'll be home for 2 weeks and we can't wait to have him here with us and to spend some time with him. 
And then, with much curiosity will we ask and see: what's next?

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.