June 19, 2010
Got another good phone call today, here are some of the highlights... This was another action packed week in BCT as Josh entered the blue phase...they did more physical training (PT) and did some assessments, he is only four pushups short of meeting his graduation requirements...his whole platoon is progressing well in this area...
They got to fire grenade launchers and rocket launchers last week, no live ammo though, but when they got the demo, the DS used live rounds on a tank...he said that was very cool...
They get to train on hand grenades on Monday...looking forward to that too...
He's about a week away from the 4 day field exercise where they sleep in tents away from the fort...
Not a whole lot of book learning at this phase, they had more classroom time during the red phase when they drilled them on core values, ethics and other Army rules...he does have some major classroom time coming up in AIT when they learn military law...
He's doing OK with the heat, they stay good and hydrated with a "camel bag" that they wear on their backs filled with water. He says he sweats allot...soldiers are responsible for cleaning their own uniforms, they have six washer/dryers in the barracks, so during the one hour of personal time per day, they have to fit laundry time in for 55 guys...
He also has Fire Guard duty for one hour about every-other day. This is a duty that rotates among the platoon members, their goal is to watch for guys that may go AWOL, suicide watch and general platoon safety.
He is currently a squad leader in his platoon, he has 13 guys in his squad, he is responsible for giving the morning report and making sure everybody keeps in formation as they march through the fort...this is a rotating duty so I mention it here pretty much to brag...:)
There is also a possibility he may be graduating a week early. The Army has changed BCT from 10 weeks to 9, so in this transition, it could shave a week off for his platoon, that would put graduation at about September 9th...Until the next update...
June 13, 2010
A good call from Josh today, we talked for almost an hour and covered many topics.
He qualified on his M4 rifle last week as a sharpshooter, he was happy about his rating...many of his platoon members just squeaked by with minimum qualifications. He also got to fire three different type of machine guns too...he said that was really fun...pistol training will happen when he gets to AIT because MP's carry side arms.
He was on a four hour pass this afternoon and just walking through the Fort and hanging out under a shady tree making some calls. He was telling me a little about the Fort, they have a Burger King, Pizza Hut and a few other fast food places like we do, he doesn't really frequent them, he's staying away from junk food...
The time is going by quickly for him as he looks back from his days in reception. He said he can identify the new troops as they arrive and march through the Fort, he feels that he has really made progress.
Most of what we talked about today was his growth and his leadership skills starting to emerge. Many of his platoon mates are 18 and just out of high school, this is such a contrast from Josh as he will be turning 25 next month. He has had some life and leadership in his job at Harkins, he is at point now where he speaks up when he sees something that is wrong and isn't afraid to do so. Last week four of his platoon mates broke the rules and the whole platoon was punished in such a way that it was obvious to other platoons that they had done something wrong. He was genuinely embarrassed to be part of the punishment.
He has the maturity of introspection and is learning to see the value in each and every exercise that they have him perform.
Today's phone call fro Josh marked to me a real turning point in his maturity, he is strong and confident and not afraid to do the right thing. He is really getting the most out of everything they are exposing him to...I have been proud of him since he enlisted but, today, if it was even possible my pride has soared to a new level.
Josh isn't just going to be OK...Josh is going to be great!
What a great Sunday, a 25 minute phone call and a couple of photos…great medicine for the heart…
Josh sounded really good this afternoon, he’s battling a bug of some sort, and it’s going around the platoon. A couple of the guys even came down with mono, they get a 30 day trip home and will pickup where they left off with a new platoon. Even though it would be great to have Josh home, I’m really glad he escaped this particular bug.He has made some friends in his platoon. For MP training they do one station unit training (OSUT), this means that he will be with these guys through basic an AIT (Advanced Individual Training) this is different from other military occupations. This also means there will be only one graduation, Josh and his platoon will graduate in mid September. There are currently 20 platoons of MP’s in training…He is particularly excited that he has been spending time on the firing range, he will do some qualifying and expects to be placed at an expert level. He did the warrior wall, that’s the tower that they repel down 40 feet or so…he really liked that. He has a total of 8 drill sergeants; they are easing up on them a bit. The whole platoon does not get the punishment but in order to instill the team value, they have pointed out that it’s a matter of integrity to support your comrades by doing pushups as well. I asked about locker inspections (you know the kind of stuff that you see in movies) and they have had a couple of them and of course they find a little something amiss with each soldier. His last comment though was a good one, they have come to learn that with the DI’s; no news is good news.
The weather has been manageable he says. Fort Leonard Wood is located in the heart of the Ozark’s and the humidity is quite something…Last week they did have a tornado warning, nothing touched down and every thing was OK…He also had a good chat with his sister too…
We all miss Josh something terrible, but at the same time we are all very, very proud of our soldier!
Until the next update!Lori
