Our Marine Has Started School!

Sean in front of a Marine MRAP

When I last posted an update on our Marine (a month ago!), he was preparing to start his technical school in Pensacola, FL. I’m happy to report that he’s doing well, making good grades (nearly at the top of his class!), and getting into the swing of things. And we just saw him for the first time in two and a half months!

When he found out that his truck was allowed on base, we offered to drive it out to him from Denton. We got a head-start on a long-ass drive by stopping in Shreveport on Thursday evening…..which shortened the next day’s drive to a mere eight hours. We visited five states altogether, including a long, diagonal slog through the middle of Mississippi. Other than one hideous stretch on the outskirts of Mobile (akin to ten drives through the middle of Marble Falls all stacked on top of each other), the drive wasn’t bad.

photo courtesy Geico Sky Typers

We spent just a couple of hours with Sean on Friday, since we were pretty beat from the drive. The next day,we visited the nearby Pensacola Naval Air Station (one of the prettiest military bases I’ve seen, with its lush palms and large tracts of green), hosting its annual Blue Angels Homecoming show. Many static displays and the aromas of funnel cake and sizzling meat and vied for our attention (Sean saw the B-52 as it flew in; those monsters are hard to miss). Among the various aerial shows, the Geico Sky Typers stood out. This isn’t your typical “one plane makes letters with smoke” outfit. A squadron of six planes flies in perfect formation, “typing” in the sky. We got criks in our necks watching them type and trying to guess the words. Mesmerizing.  And they fly a mean airshow, too.

The day culminated with the final show of the year by the Blue Angels, the Navy’s elite performance flying team. Although I couldn’t watch the “converge together fast and close” stunts (I watched the Ramstein Air Show accident in 1988 from 600 yards away), the show entertained and wowed me…..and the crowd.

Sunday brought a visit to the unexpectedly impressive National Naval Aviation Museum. With its myriad aircraft and instructive murals, we learned a lot. (Did you know that there are WWII airplanes at the bottom of Lake Michigan? The Navy trained there with worn-out aircraft.) Sean took photos of several displays about the Battle of the Coral Sea; his grandfather served as a sonarman on a destroyer escort during that (and other) battles. BTW, Sean is fourth-generation military. Sean, his dad (Air Force), his paternal grandfather and that grandfather’s dad (both Navy). Sean is very proud to uphold that tradition.

We visited a wine festival after lunch, then drove out to the gorgeous Pensacola Beach. Soft, white sand and blue Gulf are not what this grew-up-near-Galveston gal is used to. But alas, chilly weather precluded a longer visit.

As far as Sean’s daily logistics go, they’re up at 4:30am for physical training. After breakfast and clean-up, they head to class at 6:30am. The station hosts numerous classes in several buildings; most students are Navy. Class lasts until 12:30pm. Needless to say, vast quantities of coffee are consumed.

He participates in an optional workout program in the afternoon, so he’s getting two solid hours of physical training every weekday.

He finally moved into a barracks (semi-private rooms/baths), rather than an open squad bay. He shares a teeny-weeny room with another young Marine. But it’s at least more private than one big open room (and one big open shower) with 25 guys. The chow hall serves meals, so he doesn’t have to cook (they have a microwave and fridge in the room).

We can’t wait to see him again at Christmas! With not a lot of leave built up yet, we’ll once again make the long trek to Pensacola….but it will be worth it!

Marine Corps Times News, 24 October Edition

A few stories from the 24 October 2011 issue of Marine Corps Times:

Photo by Nathan Hanks Jr.

**The Corps has opened a survey to find out how Marines like to spend their leisure time. Visit www.usmc-mccs.org/survey by November 6.

• **Next year, the Pentagon plans to reduce the cap on how much the military will pay for voluntary education. Currently, Marines may apply for up to $4,500/year with a $250/credit hour cap; one plan under discussion drops that to $3,500/year and $175/credit hour. “Those who select education programs that exceed the new limits could tap into their GI Bill benefits to make up the shortfall.”

**At a combat marksmanship symposium scheduled for October 24-28, the Corps will consider changes to its pistol and rifle marksmanship programs. For rifle, only changes to Table 3 and 4 are being considered. They will also consider permanently adopting optics from boot camp forward. This debate has raged for several years. Is it better to train with iron sights, only to be handed optics on active duty? Or is it better for a Marine to learn with iron sights, without relying on technology?

Photo by M.C. Nerl

**The Corps plans to deploy armed UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to battle insurgents. The UAVs will drop laser-guided munitions on specific targets. But “the primary mission of the RQ-7B Shadow will remain the same—reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.”

–Mighty Marine Mom

Our Marine is Ready to Start Tech School!

 

At his Tech School Station

A lot has transpired since my last post when our Marine was “cooling his heels” after completing infantry school. Time to bring you up to date.

After a somewhat frustrating wait at Camp Pendleton, he boarded a l-o-n-g and tiring overnight redeye flight to Florida in mid-October. Finally, after nearly six months in a big, noisy, no-privacy squad bay (with thirty other Marines and a shared bathroom), he moved into a proper barracks. He has two roommates, a great improvement over thirty. On a recent Skype call, I asked why he had his long sleeves pulled down. “Because it’s freaking COLD in here!” he beefed. This child of Texas doesn’t do “cold” well.

Shortly after he arrived, he endured his first CFT (Combat Fitness Training) session since boot camp. I asked how it went; “badly,” he said, but not too horribly, considering this was the first time in over a month. He’ll get back in shape quickly; they hold PT (physical training) every morning during the week.

His class begins in a few days, and he is very excited. He has been looking forward to this since he started boot camp in the spring. He sat in on some preliminary, introductory briefings for his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty; his job), but nothing in depth. He still pulls guard duty while he waits for his class to start, but it’s “easier” than the duty he pulled at Pendleton.

He gets four days leave each for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. We’re waiting for class to start before making Christmas plans, but we’ll probably fly out there to be with him.

His homesickness still surprises us (he even mentioned it in his own blog); he has been away from home now (well, mostly) for over seven years. For the first time, though, he really doesn’t know what’s next. It reminds me of the scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” where Indy has to step out onto seemingly-nothing over a huge chasm. We’ll continue to encourage him to get involved with local activities while off-duty so he can meet like-minded people and start making some new friends. Growing up, he didn’t learn the skills of quickly making friends (and eventually telling them “goodbye”). We only moved three times, and he only remembers the last one 13 years ago. But just like the skills he’ll learn in tech school, he’ll also need to master these social skills if he wants to have a successful career in the Marine Corps. I hope we can help…from a distance.

–Mighty Marine Mom

Marine Corps Times Mid-October News Summary

Some headlines from the 10 and 17 October issues of Marine Corps Times:

• Some items featured at the recently completed Modern Day Marine expo included plastic ammo (significantly reducing weight), “high speed” boots (the lightest tactical boots ever, 30 oz), lightweight one-man tents (weighing 3 lbs and the size of a dinner plate), and a pack that can convert into a lightweight blanket and sleeping pad.
• The Corps has issued a new “Marine Corps Social Media Handbook,” providing guidelines on how Marines can and should use social media. Operational security (OPSEC) figures prominently, of course, but so also does maintaining the reputation of the Corps. It instructs Marines to tell families (uh, hello me) to make vague posts like “My Marine will be home this summer” instead of giving a specific date when posting.
• The new Marine Corps Installations Command will streamline management of installations across the service. Plans include standardizing permanent change of station moves and continued improvements to recreation centers and gyms.
• Wichita Falls, TX (home of Sheppard AFB) has instituted a “Troops First” policy, wherein residents are encouraged to allow troops in uniform to jump to the front of the line, “the movie ticket line, the department store checkout lane, or the post office line.” Other cities (such as San Antonio!!!) have inquired about the program.

News Summary from “Marine Corps Times”

I’ve only received two issues of Marine Corps Times (www.marinecorpstimes.com , MCT for short) so far, and I am learning a lot. I summarize the most relevant stories (for us and for Sean) and email them to him on a weekly basis. I figured if we find it relevant or interesting, you might also.

I highly recommend a subscription; both print and online versions are available. To get the full story/details on any of the items below, you must subscribe. From the 3 October 2011 issue:

• Army (and other) researchers are working on “cloaking” technology, and it’s closer than you think. Rather than “stealth” or turning something invisible (probably impossible), the cloak bends light waves around the object in question. They’re studying substances called metamaterials, composed of metallic and semiconducting components. “To disguise an object, the materials would have to channel all colors of visible light around the object so the viewer sees whatever lies behind it.”
  

  Photo by Cpl Tommy Bellegarde

• Pres. Obama recently announced his proposed changes (i.e., cuts) to military healthcare and retirement. As you might imagine, these comments are causing quite an uproar in the military community. MCT ran an editorial making several good points. 1) By 2015, health care for troops, families and retirees will consume one out of every 10 defense dollars. 2) The primary driver of rising costs is the emergence of new/expensive drugs and the cost of care of a rising number of retirees. 3) The combination of more members staying in for 20 years and lengthening life expectancies are driving up retirement costs. The MCT editorial also points out that *any* changes (when and if passed) would apply *only* to new recruits, not existing personnel. “In the end, every dollar spent on benefits for those who don’t serve or no longer serve takes away from pay, benefits, weapons and training for those defending America’s freedom today.” An excellent point.
• Apparently promotions in some MOSs are getting tougher to come by. “Under a new policy, corporals can lat-move to one of nine MOSs and get promoted to sergeant, regardless of cutting score.” Three of the nine MOSs are intelligence related or sound that way: 0211 counterintelligence/human intelligence specialist, 0241 imagery analysis specialist, and 0689 information assurance technician.
  

  Photo by Cpl Michael Curvin

• Beginning in 2012, the Corps will field new packs that are more durable and comfortable. There’s a main pack, an assault pack, and the hydration pack. Other features include lumbar support and more adjustment straps, among other things.
• Budget cuts are forthcoming, and the Corps leadership is trying to figure out the best way to deal with them. “Authorized end-strength will fall from 202,100 now to 186,800 or fewer next year.” They are *not* anticipating having to do any RIFs (layoffs in military-speak).
• Marine Corps Commandant Gen Amos recently wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Panetta to emphasize the point that the Corps “gets the job done” using less than 8% of the Pentagon’s budget.

Skype-ing with our Marine and the Alien Webcam

After boot camp graduation, we gave Sean a camera-equipped laptop so he could easily tote it around to find connectivity. Our more antiquated computers required the purchase of an external webcam. After Bruce completed setup, we finally connected with our Marine! I had not anticipated how much comfort I would feel in just seeing him live. At first we had a few technical difficulties, including a distracting episode where sound and mouth went out of synch, like an old film projector. He had to squat on the floor at the back of the squad bay, privacy being pretty hard to come by. He later posted on Facebook about our first video call; “it was SO GOOD to see them!” Warms a mom’s heart.

The webcam, I must say, gives me the willies. Reminds me of the Martians in War of the Worlds (the classic one, not the silly Tom Cruise remake). Turns out it has a removable neck stalk (probably not the right term, but that’s what I’m calling it). I made Bruce disassemble it before going to bed. I didn’t want to have a coronary when walking into the den in the middle of the night to let out the dog. Without the neck stalk, it resembles a little black alien snowman, like something out of Monsters, Inc. Weird, but not nearly as creepy.

On a subsequent call, when Bruce got everything connected and fired up, I made the next horrifying discovery.

It moves.

The nasty little creature has face capture (shudder) technology, so it moves around to follow your face.  The motor whirrs; I half-expected the stench of burning Martian gasses to spew forth.

I promptly vetoed the den as the primary Skype location. The Martian-cam is now quarantined into Bruce’s office so I only have to look at it when chatting with Sean. Nightmares I do not need.  Sean of course finds this hilarious.

After recovering from horrifying Martians, we had several great conversations. He has known for some time that he will serve on guard duty at Camp Pendleton while he awaits the start of his technical school. He just found out that he reports to school (still not exactly sure where or for how long) on October 14. So he’ll be cooling his heels for about 2 ½ weeks….a little while, but not as bad as the potential 45 days that his sergeant warned him about. He’s just anxious to get the next bit started, but he knows he must learn to be patient.

Their final official activities included a 15-km hike (with fully loaded pack) and a three-day battlefield exercise (BSRE, he called it). Right at the beginning of the hike, he rolled his ankle. Didn’t sprain it, but it was still sore days afterwards. He enjoyed some parts of the BSRE (storming the mock town, for example; “that gets your blood pumping!”), but other parts were wet, cold, and miserable. He showed off a finger swelled up like a sausage, courtesy of an angry hornet. They also posed for a new set of pictures, for which they chose their own captions. Sean’s suits him to perfection.

At graduation, they presented him (and two others) with an award of merit. Their platoon voted on those with the best leadership qualities and those “they’d most like to go into battle with.” Of course we’re very proud of him. He has a great post on his blog about the possibility of becoming a chaplain.

As I write this, he has completed graduation and is moving to yet another squad bay, where he’ll live while completing his guard duty assignment. Now that he is out of infantry school, he will have more time to email, text, and call. We’re trying to decide if we want to go visit him in California or wait until he gets to tech school. He would vote for the former.

This entire experience is teaching both he and I (sorry, but “him and me” sounds wrong) how to deal with uncertainty on a daily basis. The military provides answers on its timelines, not ours; I had forgotten that, and he is learning it. I do not venture into the “what-ifs” for his future and focus only on what’s happening now and how best to support him—whether that’s driving his truck to him or putting up with creepy Martian-cams. That’s my job.

–Mighty Marine Mom

US Marine Corps Acronym-ese

After my husband left the Air Force in 1991, it took years to quit speaking in acronyms.  Our post-military friends looked at us with bewilderment in their eyes when we spat out terms like AFSC, MWR and PCS.  Now that our son has started his career with the US Marine Corps, we’ve fallen right back into the habit.

Acronym-speak can seem a little intimidating for those getting their first taste of military life, so I’ve prepared a list of acronyms and slang. If I need to add anything, post a comment!

These are the terms a new recruit will use most often. There are hundreds, if not thousands, more. I have not included the, uh, more colorful terms.

Visit Wikipedia for a good illustration of Marine Corps ranks and abbreviations. I’m still trying to work out all the chevrons and rockers of the enlisted ranks.

• BCGs:  Birth Control Glasses, issued to recruits needing vision correction; so named because the recruit has zero chance of getting a date while wearing the abysmally ugly frames
• Billet: a specific job
• CFT: Combat Fitness Training   
• Chevron: a sign of enlisted rank above private
• Chow hall: the cafeteria (also called mess hall)
• CI: Combat Instructor  
• Cover: anything on his head     
• DI: Drill Instructor, at boot camp; “Drill Sergeant” is incorrect
• Firewatch: sentry duty
• Go-fasters: sneakers
• Grunt: an infantryman
• Head: bathroom
• High ‘n tight: a typical Marine-style haircut
• Hump: a difficult hike while carrying heavy gear
• IT: incentive or individual training; physical training meted out as punishment
• Leatherneck: a nickname for Marines, based on the dress blue uniform stiff collar (originally made of leather)
• MCMAP: Marine Corps Martial Arts Program   
• MCRD: Marine Corps Recruit Depot; one in San Diego (for recruits living west of the Mississippi) and one at Parris Island, SC (for those living east of the river and all female recruits)       
• MCT: Military Combat Training; a foreshortened infantry school for Marines not entering the infanty   
• MEF: Marine Expeditionary Force          
• MEPS: Military Entrance Processing Station; located throughout the country
• Mess hall: cafeteria (also called chow hall)         
• MOS: Military Occupational Specialty; the Marine’s job after attending tech school       
• MRE: Meals Ready to Eat; field rations
• NCO: non-commissioned officer; a corporal or sergeant
• O-course: obstacle course        
• OCS: Officer Candidate School
• Oo-rah: the Marines’ spirit cry
• PCS: Permanent Change of Station; a “permanent” (as much as possible in the military) move to a new base    
• PFT: Physical Fitness Test          
• Pickle suit: service A uniform, so called due to its color
• Pizza box: Marksman weapons qualification badge; so named because it’s square
• POG: Person Other than Grunt; a Marine not going into the infantry; rhymes with “rogue” not “frog”
• PT: physical training     
• PX: Post Exchange; the department store on base        
• Rack: bunk or bed         
• SDI: Senior Drill Instructor         
• Seabag: the green duffel issued to Marines to carry their gear 
• Semper Fi: short for the Marines’ motto of Semper Fidelis, “always faithful”
• Shirt stays: elastic bands worn under the uniform to keep the shirt tight and tucked in
• SOI: School of Infantry
• Squad bay: enlisted quarters, mostly during boot camp and infantry school; a large open room with multiple bunks and a shared head (unlike barracks, which have individual rooms)
• TDY: Temporary Duty; the military version of a business trip     
• UCMJ: Uniform Code of Military Justice; civil and criminal law for armed services personnel
• USO: United Services Organization; provides morale and recreation services for those on active duty; also operates lounges in major airports
• Utilities: field uniforms (the Army and Air Force call them BDUs)

Our Marine is Hanging on at Infantry School

PFC Sean in front of the Eagle, Globe and Anchor

“Duel of the Fates” (from Star Wars) blared from my phone this past Thursday night—a call from our Marine! His combat instructors allowed them some time for a call home to parents or loved ones, since they marched out into the field for six days on Friday.

The most important news: he will not fly to his tech school immediately upon graduation. Instead, he (and others) stays at Camp Pendleton on guard duty until the next class starts. He might wait days or weeks, maybe even a few months. Although restricted to base, he can call, text, or access the internet when off-duty, making it easier to keep in touch. Good thing we didn’t make definitive plans to drive his truck to the school.

Combat training hikes are more intense, more frequent, faster, steeper, and more loaded down than boot camp. Instead of “just” their packs, they also have to lug a set of bulletproof ceramic plating. (My shoulders droop just imagining how much that weighs.) “Physically, it’s just killer,” he said. But he has enjoyed things like urban combat training, and they fire the really cool weapons (like rocket launchers) next week. He worries about this weekend in the field. If a Marine falls out during a hike, he misses liberty to march a “remedial” hike. Calls home during liberty really energize Sean, and he does not want to miss it.

It surprises him (and us) how much he misses everyone. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t know when he will see his family and friends again, and it’s knocking him for a loop. We told him that we know it’s tough, but he will get through it. First you feel terrible, then you find out it won’t kill you, then you learn to deal with it. You must get through all three steps on your own time. Everyone who has ever left home deals with this. He’s reading his Bible and trying to keep busy, which are good coping strategies. He is learning what he’s capable of.

If he stays at Pendleton for longer than a few days, we’ll fly out for a visit. He greatly anticipates tech school, and a visit from family will help break up a (possibly boring) routine.

So now we wait to see if we get a phone call next week, when they return from the field on Wednesday. I’ll be OK if we don’t; I just hope he will be.

–Mighty Marine Mom

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Our US Marine Calls from Infantry School

After enjoying ten days of visiting family and friends, Sean reported to Marine Combat Training (MCT) last Tuesday. He called from the San Diego airport, but we didn’t hear from him after that. From a military parent’s standpoint, no news really is good news. We knew he arrived safely because no one called to tell us otherwise.

Finally, on Saturday, he called both of us during a few hours of liberty. He sounded very relaxed and enthusiastic. He called from the base YMCA, where he hoped to find some connectivity. The raucous background noise attested to many other Marines attempting the same thing, overwhelming the Ys poor little router.  He found the mailing address but is unsure how mail call works; certainly they won’t have mail call in the field.

The hiking at MCT is tougher than boot camp, but otherwise, the intensity has dropped considerably. PT (running, crunches, etc.) “is still PT,” he said, without all the yelling like the DIs did at boot camp.

On Thursday, after much practice with inert grenades, he threw a live one from a concrete bunker. It was “freakishly loud,” and he acutely felt the concussion wave. A combat instructor (CI) accompanied him into the bunker to show him how to chunk it and to keep him safe. (A couple of weeks ago, one unfortunate Marine

Courtesy stock photo by LCpl Michael Atchue

dropped the live grenade. The CI hustled them both out of the bunker and covered the Marine until the grenade exploded.)

On Monday, they head out into the field for land navigation (day and night) and to learn patrol techniques. They also learn to fire machine guns, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and other weapons. “At least these only explode in one direction,” he reassured me.

He completes MCT on Tuesday, September 27 (we won’t attend this graduation) and immediately heads out to his tech school. He must report to the school that same Tuesday. For those reporting to the east coast (as Sean most probably will), this creates some logistical challenges: graduation finishes at noon, they lose three hours, and they must fly clear across the country. But I’m sure they have it all figured out.

 “I really miss home,” he said (by which he means Denton/Keller just as much as he does San Antonio), but he’s also enjoying himself. If you’d like his address, check Facebook or leave a comment with your email address (I won’t post it) and I’ll send it to you.

I’ll post later in the week with more details of what MCT entails, since we probably won’t hear from him again for a couple of weeks.

–Mighty Marine Mom

We See Our Son….Finally!

After thirteen long weeks, seventeen letters home, and 90+ letters out to California, we finally saw our son last Thursday.

We flew to San Diego on Wednesday, and sat on the starboard side of the plane so we could see the adjacent MCRD San Diego as we landed. Good thing I wore a seatbelt; otherwise I would have flown out of my seat as the rappelling tower (pictured) came into view. Then a squad of recruits ran along the fenceline. Maybe Sean was there! (He told us later that he thinks he saw our plane land.) We drove by the base, hoping to get a look at where he lived all summer. Unfortunately, they squirrel away the recruits far behind the perimeter fence.

Bruce found us a nice hotel not far from the base. We relaxed for the afternoon, enjoying the cackling seagulls, then headed into Old Town for the Wednesday night Marine Parent Meet and Greet. The aromas of griddled tortillas, sautéing onions, and roasting meat wafted down the street. We met a few other parents, none from Sean’s platoon. But we did meet and briefly chat with his Senior Drill Instructor, SSgt Nguyen.

We got an early start the next morning to allow enough time for long lines at the gate (due to a 100% car-and-ID check). With around 10 Marines checking incoming vehicles, though, everything proceeded smoothly.

After breakfast, we headed out to the Parade Deck, hoping to catch a glimpse of him practicing for graduation. As expected, all six platoons marched in time to music coming over the loudspeakers. The Parade Deck is strictly off-limits to non-Marines, so we watched from the sidelines. While we identified his platoon, his specific whereabouts remained a mystery. He was 50 yards away, and they all have the same uniform, bearing, and haircut. He told us later that he saw us and had to look down to maintain his composure.

After the posting of the colors, Starbucks beckoned. The vendors in the PX courtyard sold us several souvenir items, including two challenge coins.

My sister and her family arrived in time for the Drill Instructors Briefing, which gave us a small taste (very small) of his summer. A tough bunch, those DIs. After the briefing, the enormous horde of parents and family members headed to the roadside for the first-sighting event, the Moto Run. At 10:30 am on Family Day, the company lines up in formation on the road, with nearby signs designating where each platoon will stand. (The length of the formation is easily over 100 yards, so it would be easy to stand in the wrong place otherwise.) When they lined up, everyone in my family saw him but me, and then, off they went. They ran by on the other side of the street, but I still couldn’t see him. It wasn’t until they returned and stopped, 15 minutes later, that I finally picked him out.

Poor guy….the pace was significantly faster than he was expecting, probably due to the day’s special guest, THE (there’s only one) Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. We actually worried a bit about Sean, with all his puffing and blowing. After a left-face into the sun, he couldn’t move to wipe away the sweat, and it streamed into his sun-stressed eyes. Fortunately, by the time they ran off, he had gotten his wind back.

One by one, the DI released each platoon of family members to the bleachers (again helpfully marked with platoon numbers) to await the Liberty Formation. We bought some water and snacks and sat down to wait. The bright California sun heated up the asphalt, and the flags snapped in a welcome breeze. Others in the crowd complained of the heat (only 72 degrees that day); those from Texas just laughed. As we waited, we heard other recruit platoons sounding off in the background. The crowd shouted at a few souls unwise enough to walk across the Parade Deck.

The MCRD Marine Band marched in around noon and played some tunes to warm up the crowd. We saw the platoons lining up on the far end of the field. Soon enough, the band struck up a march, and in they came.

Sean was easier to find this time, since he was in the same place as the morning run. After a 15-minute ceremony, the DIs shouted, “Dismissed!” and the bleachers emptied.

Monster hugs (and some tears) on both ends. While the summer moved by faster than I feared it would, thirteen weeks is still a long time. He also got a huge bear hug from his dad and from his aunt, uncle and cousin. After a few pictures and status updates (“Were you OK this morning?? You looked like you were about to pass out”), we left for lunch.

(You probably noticed that Sean already wore his Marine uniform, the day before graduation. They officially became Marines on the closing day of The Crucible.)

During the meal, we got more details about his platoon, his activities during the summer (especially The Crucible), and what’s next (an abbreviated infantry school, after ten days leave). He called his grandparents and my other sister. We then spent a few hours with him on-base.

We visited a display of the various weeks of recruit training. (Much to my disappointment, we couldn’t visit his off-limits squad bay, his home for the past thirteen weeks.) While the display didn’t give us a complete picture, it did help fill in some gaps, along with his descriptions.

A visit to the PX (on this day and Graduation Day only, you don’t need a military ID to shop there) yielded some Marine parent shirts, sundries, and a bite to eat later in the afternoon. He took us as far into the recruit training area as permitted. (At any given time, around ten other companies progress through various stages of training.) But mostly, we just sat and chatted and enjoyed each other’s company. We met a few of his platoon-mates, some of whom he had written us about.

I had expected him to bulk up during his time there, but he looked pretty much the same (other than the haircut of course). We found out the next day, though, that he lost about an inch around his waist, which was pretty skinny to begin with. He will need new jeans soon.

We returned him to the squad bay by 5:45 and headed off-base to have dinner with my sister and her family.

After the next day’s breakfast, we headed to the base headquarters for the morning colors ceremony, which mostly consisted of a speech from the commanding general. The chilly morning (especially after the previous day’s “heat”) caught many unprepared and shivering. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps impressed many (including me) by working the crowd, meeting parents, and congratulating them. After that, we moved to the bleachers to await the graduation formation.

My outfit for the day included a large yellow sunhat so Sean could pick us out from the thousand others in the stands. He said to himself (he told us later) as they marched up, “Yup! There’s Mom!”  Mission accomplished.

The graduation included a parade and several speeches (which no one could hear due to sound problems and the roar of departing jets from the airport just over the fence). After turning over the platoon guidons,  the DIs dismissed the ranks, and he was officially DONE.

We immediately drove to the airport. As we stepped off the rental car bus, a gentleman approached Sean and thanked him for his service. Sean responded graciously (we had told him this was likely), but afterwards, he told me, “But I haven’t DONE anything yet!!” A young boy, upon seeing Sean in the concourse, said, “Cool!!!”

Next we headed for the USO. I had forgotten what a Godsend the USO is to travelling military. He was able to change out of his uniform, relax for a bit, and get a snack before we checked in. Several other recruits….oops, sorry, Marines…were also on our flight, and the Southwest flight attendant noticed and made an announcement, generating a round of applause. After an uneventful flight home, he nearly passed out (again) when he walked into the Texas heat. Welcome home, sweetie.

We enjoyed our five days with him (I mended a uniform or two) and dropped him off at the airport to spend the rest of his leave in north Texas with family and friends. He leaves for infantry school (back at Camp Pendleton in California) on Tuesday. Around September 20, he moves to his tech school; we don’t yet know where or how long.

Has he changed? In appearance, not much. But he carries himself straighter, with more pride and confidence than when he left. After struggling for three years to figure out what to do after college graduation, he feels he has finally found his path, and he is extremely excited. He cannot wait to get started, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

Where he goes next and what he does is now completely up to the US Marine Corps, although he’ll have a bit of say in choosing his first assignment. We cannot wait to see what the future brings for our son, PFC Sean!