Honoring Our Son: Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day at University United Methodist Church

San Antonio has long been known as “Military City USA.” With its many bases/posts and a large retiree community, nearly everyone here either serves, has served, or knows someone who has.

For many years, University United Methodist Church has combined a recognition of Armed Services Day (third Saturday in May, when we honor those serving in the US military) and Memorial Day (last Monday in May, when we honor those who have given their lives in wartime). The congregation and members of the choir and orchestra outfit themselves in uniform or other patriotic regalia—a sea of red, white, and blue. The University Chancel Choir sings songs such as “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the Orchestra plays a medley of the service songs (“Anchors Aweigh” etc.). The pastors ask those who serve (or have served) in that branch, and their loved ones, to stand during the appropriate service song. It’s always amazing to see how many people do. The booming percussion and brass sections always get the crowd going.

Last year, less than a week had passed since the day when we dropped off Sean for boot camp. We had no idea when we would receive our first letter or talk to him; we knew we wouldn’t see him for three months. Getting through the Marine section of “Armed Forces Salute” was pretty tough. (And the piccolo is important, so I couldn’t just lay out!)

This year, with our Marine based in Okinawa, we proudly stood (and played) during the Marine song. Even though he’s 7,500 miles (and 14 hours time difference) away, now that he’s settled and one year into his Marine career, we proudly wore our Marine Parent shirts to worship. (That’s us pictured with the altar flowers we presented in honor of him and all those who serve.)

At the same time, other pieces proved difficult this year. I am blessed that I do not have to face (at least right now) a deployment in Afghanistan. But I’m not naïve. I know what military service means and could mean. I try not to think about why he’s getting anthrax and smallpox shots, or why he has to qualify on rifle every year, or why he has a gas mask in his barracks room. To dwell on these things is to invite a nervous breakdown. My mom always said, “Don’t borrow trouble.” So I live in the pride of a son in military service, not in the world of “what ifs.”

One of the most moving songs was “Mansions of the Lord,” arranged for the mini-series “Band of Brothers.” I’m glad I was playing, because the words are very difficult to sing (especially that third verse).

To fallen soldiers let us sing;

Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing;

Our broken heroes let us bring

To the mansions of the Lord.

No more bleeding, no more fight,

No more prayers pleading through the night,

Just divine embrace, eternal light

In the mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep;

We will stand and guard tho’ the angels sleep;

All through the ages safely keep

In the mansions of the Lord.

We love and miss you, Sean, and we are very proud of you!

About a Month In!

Sean started his job and is enjoying Okinawa so far (except for the continuing inoculations and medical reviews). His unit will go on several exercises, both on-base and potentially other countries (such as Korea or the Philippines). He attended a tuition assistance briefing (for seminary, which he’d have to do online). Going off-base with friends is a favorite activity, for both worship (at Hansen Christian Center and Koza Baptist Church) and pleasure (I’ve seen photos from the local shopping area; see left).

We’ve Skyped a few times, usually late in his night or early in his morning, so he usually looks bleary. He does laundry late on weekend nights, because it’s the only time he can reliably get machines. Once he is medically cleared (from the umpteen shots), he plans to get scuba-certified. With all the World War II battles and wrecks, the diving is supposedly very good.

He ordered parts to build a super-PC for gaming (see right). Some of the parts were broken and had to be returned, so he’s still waiting to start. To say that he was frustrated would be an immense understatement.

As for the recent news announcement about Marines leaving Okinawa, details are short. One report said III MEF (Third Marine Expeditionary Force) would stay, another that they would leave. And there’s no timeline. If he does leave, it will be to Guam, Hawaii or Australia. My guess is nothing at all will happen for the next year at least.

Over the next few months, he’ll settle into his permanent job duties and rotations and do as much continuing education and professional military education as he can (good for promotions).

We want to visit, but he needs to get his schedule settled first. He also needs to find out the reliability of his leave schedule. The last thing we want is to book a big trip, then he gets deployed somewhere. That would really stink. Our current plan is to meet in Hawaii and take a cruise around the islands, but we’ll see.

He wanted desperately to get stationed overseas and is now living the “be careful what you wish for” adage. His grandmother suffered a stroke (happy to report she is recovering well so far), and he’s maddened that he can’t get here. But we’re keeping him up to date with texts and emails.

Semper Fi!!

–Mighty Marine Mom

Reporting In!

After a long hiatus, I hope to renew at least semi-regular posts.

Sean finished his tech school on March 2, with good grades. He found out a few weeks prior that he got the assignment he most wanted: Okinawa, Japan! After an eighteen-day leave (during which he had to take care of a lot of details, including shutting down his cell phone and selling his truck), he left on the very long trip over the Pacific. We received a short “I’m here” email and Facebook post, then (not-so) patiently waited for more details.

He is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the headquarters battalion. The layout and amenities of Camp Hansen were a pleasant surprise, as were the barracks. He will have a suite-mate (the common area includes a small kitchenette without the stove), but a bedroom to himself, once he finally gets settled. When he reaches corporal (in about a year), he’s considered a junior non-commissioned officer (NCO) and will get a room or suite to himself. He’s in the best barracks on the island.

It took him about ten days to get a new cell phone and internet service organized, so we didn’t have a chance to Skype until last night. (And thank God for Skype!! At least I can see him.) The time differential (he’s fourteen hours ahead) is proving to be particularly problematic. During our “first shift” (8am-5pm), he’s asleep. During our second shift (afternoon and evening), he’s working. Then when he’s off, we’re asleep. So we’ll have to Skype on weekends or when he has an irregular duty schedule, which will almost certainly happen.

Bruce found an app so I can send him texts (not too often, I promised) to his tablet, and Sean found a walkie-talkie type app that we can use to “call” him without incurring long distance charges on either end. But probably Skype will be our mode of choice.

He jumped in with both feet. He found a couple of church groups off-base (allowed off-base with a buddy), including a Christian Center and a Baptist church. He checked out the on-base chapel and Sunday School this morning. There’s also a Single Marine Program that he and his classmate Walton plan to join. All this, plus just getting used to Marines, Japan, and new job, will keep him plenty busy.

He’s excited that he gets to take a course on driving a Humvee this month. I wouldn’t want to drive a Humvee here. He’s going to have to learn there, where the roads (and other cars) are tiny AND they drive on the wrong side of the road. At least he’s bigger. 🙂

He can see the ocean from about anywhere on the island, and it’s a beautiful turquoise. (He plans to get scuba certified while there.) A few years ago, he travelled to Shanghai on a mission trip, and he said that “Oki” (as he calls it) reminds him a lot more of China than Japan.

He doesn’t know much about his specific job yet, so we’ll find out more about that in the days and weeks to come. But he’s there, he’s happy, and he is very excited about getting going with this next phase of his life!

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

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!

US Marine Corps Family Day

We finally got our hands on him last Thursday. MCRD San Diego hosts a Family Day the day prior to graduation, and he got to spend the afternoon with us (on base).

You might be confused that he’s wearing a Marine uniform (since he didn’t graduate until the next day). They officially become Marines (and not recruits) immediately after completing the Crucible. He has been PFC Sean since Thursday, August 11.

I’ll post more in the coming days. Right now, I’m enjoying spending time with him during his leave and creating videos for family and friends who couldn’t attend.

–Mighty Marine Mom

My Last Letter to Marine Boot Camp

This is excerpted from my last letter to boot camp, which I sent today. I cannot wait to see what the next few months bring!!

–Mighty Marine Mom

The past 13 weeks have moved more quickly than I worried they would. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed writing your letters every day, even when I didn’t have much to say (which was probably most of the time). It helped me feel connected to you, even though we couldn’t text or talk like we normally do. 

We usually check mail (at our centralized neighborhood post boxes) in the evening while walking the dog, but there was no way I could wait that long each day to know if we’d received a letter. So I’d walk down the street every afternoon, just after the postman came. More often than not, no letter. But it always made my day when I saw one of your small envelopes.

I have read through your letters a couple of times; my, how you changed over the weeks! Your first letters were hard to read (it’s not easy for a Mom to see, “God I hate this place”), but we knew they would be. We are so proud of you for persevering and getting through those first initial weeks when you hated it so.

Your calls a couple of weeks ago were a complete surprise and a true gift. Even when you couldn’t chat, we both thought you sounded good. I am still smiling about getting to hear your voice.

The videographers drove all of us crazy last Friday; they didn’t post the video until 8:30 at night! We picked you out immediately. We were thrilled to see all the trophies, and then “Honor Platoon” flashed across the screen! We both just about came off of the sofa! SO proud of you and your platoon mates. I am looking forward to meeting SDI SSgt Nguyen; he must be a very good motivator!

As I write this, we will see you in only five days. Every day, I think about seeing you during your moto-run and during your on-base liberty, then having you on the plane with us on the way home.

I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for you after MCT, and then, after tech school. We have already made kennel reservations so we can fly to wherever you are for Christmas.

We love you very, very much, and we are tremendously proud of you.

SEE YOU SOON!!

Finally..the Platoon Video and the Final Stretch

The videographers sorely tested my patience, but they finally posted his platoon video (click on 1041) at about 8:30 pm last Friday night. (Third row from the top. He enters from the left, middle of the row; the first recruit whose shoulders point to the right instead of left. Look for the Brooks ears <sigh>.)

Honor Platoon! We are so thrilled and excited for him and his platoon-mates. Many have asked me, “What does that mean?” The six platoons compete in many of the qualifications I have previously mentioned (pugil sticks, shooting, physical fitness, etc). The platoon that scores the highest receives “Honor Platoon” designation. (Notice all the trophies at the Drill Instructor’s feet.) It will look fabulous on his service record.

I savor pleasant surprises, like an unexpected Saturday letter (since in his previous letter, he said “might be the last”).

I’m enjoying the letter-writing so much that I may continue it after boot camp. Just like his Mom, he has never been “chatty,” on email, text or phone. Putting pen to paper connects me to him in a way that an email can’t.

With limited information (some letters and a video), we like his voice and how appears. His letters continue to sound upbeat, even though he faces struggles ahead. (They started Crucible today; done Thursday.) He has not “bulked up” as much as we thought he might, and he didn’t have any weight to lose, so he’s no skinnier either.

We are unbelievably proud that he has done so well and has persevered through this difficult summer. He sounds excited about his upcoming job/tech school, and that will help him get through infantry school (which I can’t imagine is very much fun).

I’m very close to being an “official” Marine Mom…I can’t wait to see what that brings!

–Mighty Marine Mom