We got another letter from Blake yesterday. The longest one to date. He's making his plans on coming home and says at this time that he's going to take a bus home because he thinks this will be cheaper. I will check on it myself and let him know the next time I write to him. Seems like he should be able to fly military stand-by and get home without too much additional expense.
He said he's starting the White Phase this week. That's a big step for them, because they will be spending a lot more time in the field training, and hopefully, they'll get a lot more freedom. That's what the website says anyway.
He said that the worst part he's done so far was the gas attack. He said that was the hardest thing he's ever done in his life. I can only imagine. After talking with some of the guys who are getting ready to graduate, he learned from them that the gas attack was the worst part of basic training, so Blake's pretty sure now that he can make it through anything else they can throw at him.
He's still doing well and looks forward to your letters. If you need to get his address, just email me and I'll send it to you. The email address is dustinwindsor@gmail.com.
More when we learn more.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Basic Training: End of the Red Phase
Got another letter from Blake and he's doing really well still. This one was all about Thanksgiving and how they handled it there.
Blake said that they got to "sleep in" till 5:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving. WOW! After breakfast, the day off really began. They got to come back and go back to bed. He got up about 11:00 a.m. and said they had a feast spread out for them.
After their Thanksgiving dinner, they got to watch movies in the barracks. He said that he saw Transformers and Black Hawk Down. He liked the part in BHD when the soldier waves his index finger and says, "THIS is my 'safety'." I know that movie made a big hit with them.
I've had a little trouble giving Blake's commander my email address. We got a letter from him a week or so back that said he would send out emails to everyone telling what the guys were doing that week. It sounded like a great idea to me, but Blake doesn't know our email address, so I've been trying to contact him with that info. So far, very little luck. When I am able to get in touch with him and we get an email, I'll post it up here.
Well, that's pretty much all Blake had to tell us in his letter. I did see one of his friends last night and she asked about him. Everyone is so proud of him. It's hard for me to fit into my hat anymore.
Well, more when we hear more.
Blake said that they got to "sleep in" till 5:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving. WOW! After breakfast, the day off really began. They got to come back and go back to bed. He got up about 11:00 a.m. and said they had a feast spread out for them.
After their Thanksgiving dinner, they got to watch movies in the barracks. He said that he saw Transformers and Black Hawk Down. He liked the part in BHD when the soldier waves his index finger and says, "THIS is my 'safety'." I know that movie made a big hit with them.
I've had a little trouble giving Blake's commander my email address. We got a letter from him a week or so back that said he would send out emails to everyone telling what the guys were doing that week. It sounded like a great idea to me, but Blake doesn't know our email address, so I've been trying to contact him with that info. So far, very little luck. When I am able to get in touch with him and we get an email, I'll post it up here.
Well, that's pretty much all Blake had to tell us in his letter. I did see one of his friends last night and she asked about him. Everyone is so proud of him. It's hard for me to fit into my hat anymore.
Well, more when we hear more.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Basic Training - End of Week 2
We got a letter from Blake's commander, Capt. Kauffeld, saying that Blake and the others with him should graduate on February 7th. That is, if everything goes as it should. He also said that he sends out an email every week telling what they've done the previous week, so we got on the mailing list.
We also heard from Blake just before Thanksgiving. He said that that week he had done the rappelling tower and the single rope bridge. The only thing that he keeps saying over and over here is how much fun he is having and how well he's doing.
We haven't gotten a call from Blake since he went in to the Basic Training phase. In the letter it says that he has an opportunity to call home at least once a week, but like the warning on the graduation, they can lose this privilege. I think that Blake is doing well, but a full week of being good might be just a little too taxing for the boy. haha
Remember, if you want Blake's address, all you need to do is email me at dustinwindsor@gmail.com and I'll send it right to you. He's getting lots of mail, but there's no such thing as too much mail in basic training. So, keep those cards and letters going out as much as you can. I know he appreciates it.
More when we know more.
We also heard from Blake just before Thanksgiving. He said that that week he had done the rappelling tower and the single rope bridge. The only thing that he keeps saying over and over here is how much fun he is having and how well he's doing.
We haven't gotten a call from Blake since he went in to the Basic Training phase. In the letter it says that he has an opportunity to call home at least once a week, but like the warning on the graduation, they can lose this privilege. I think that Blake is doing well, but a full week of being good might be just a little too taxing for the boy. haha
Remember, if you want Blake's address, all you need to do is email me at dustinwindsor@gmail.com and I'll send it right to you. He's getting lots of mail, but there's no such thing as too much mail in basic training. So, keep those cards and letters going out as much as you can. I know he appreciates it.
More when we know more.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Basic Training: End of Week 1
It's November 14th now, and after a week, we finally heard from Blake. We got his new address now, so we can start writing him. If you would like to write him, email me at dustinwindsor@gmail.com and I'll send you the address. He had letters in our envelope for Dusty, Jesser, and Eric that Carol is putting into envelopes and sending out today.
He sounds like he's doing a great job and enjoying it as much as anyone can really enjoy basic training. They've given him a weapon (it's not a "gun", it's a weapon) that he's supposed to have with him at all times unless he's in the mess hall or in the restroom. I wonder if our Army really knows what it's doing in giving Blake a weapon. I can only hope that they don't give him bullets.
He has said that this first week of basic training has been easy. The drill sergeant has told them that it's going to get a lot harder once they get out of the "red" phase, which Blake was kind enough to explain is the first three weeks of the training. I don't know, I looked at the second week at the Victory Tower, and that looks anything but easy to me. Blake will love it. My heart would stop if I had to stand on the edge of that thing.
It was good hearing that he's still excited about being in the Army. It's been a little over 3 weeks now and he sounds like he's doing just great! Keeping below the radar; which is what we've told him to do and seems to be serving him just fine.
Remember, if you want Blake's address to drop him a note, email me and I'll send it to you. Mail is really important in Basic Training.
Till there's more to report...
He sounds like he's doing a great job and enjoying it as much as anyone can really enjoy basic training. They've given him a weapon (it's not a "gun", it's a weapon) that he's supposed to have with him at all times unless he's in the mess hall or in the restroom. I wonder if our Army really knows what it's doing in giving Blake a weapon. I can only hope that they don't give him bullets.
He has said that this first week of basic training has been easy. The drill sergeant has told them that it's going to get a lot harder once they get out of the "red" phase, which Blake was kind enough to explain is the first three weeks of the training. I don't know, I looked at the second week at the Victory Tower, and that looks anything but easy to me. Blake will love it. My heart would stop if I had to stand on the edge of that thing.
It was good hearing that he's still excited about being in the Army. It's been a little over 3 weeks now and he sounds like he's doing just great! Keeping below the radar; which is what we've told him to do and seems to be serving him just fine.
Remember, if you want Blake's address to drop him a note, email me and I'll send it to you. Mail is really important in Basic Training.
Till there's more to report...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Reception: Last Day?
Not too much new to report today, but if everything goes according to plan, today should be Blake's last day in the reception phase. He should be going into the basic training phase tomorrow.
Got another letter from Blake yesterday. He said he was sick of the food. D'uh! He said they always served the same thing. Boy, you can tell it's getting old when all I can think to put here is what he said about the food.
He's made several friends there. I hope he gets to keep them through basic training. He's found a lot of guys there that he shares common interests with. The other thing he had to say about the guys in his group is a bunch of them left their footlockers unlocked the other day. He said he had to do 200 pushups before breakfast because so many people in the group had left their footlockers unlocked.
Since he said that so many of the guys there liked his Bible, Carol bought another one and wanted to get one of his friend's name engraved on it. We're going to ask out Sunday School class if they would be interested in buying Bibles for some of the guys in Blake's group. The Bibles run $20 each, plus the cost of the engraving, which I think Carol said was around $8 if anyone wants to give one in their name. If that sounds like a good idea to you, let me know and I'll make the arrangements.
Well, we should have an address for Blake very soon. As soon as I have it, I'll post it here for you guys to send him a letter. He can't have cookies and things like that, but mail is really important in basic training. Those of you who have been through it know I'm telling the truth.
Till next time.
Got another letter from Blake yesterday. He said he was sick of the food. D'uh! He said they always served the same thing. Boy, you can tell it's getting old when all I can think to put here is what he said about the food.
He's made several friends there. I hope he gets to keep them through basic training. He's found a lot of guys there that he shares common interests with. The other thing he had to say about the guys in his group is a bunch of them left their footlockers unlocked the other day. He said he had to do 200 pushups before breakfast because so many people in the group had left their footlockers unlocked.
Since he said that so many of the guys there liked his Bible, Carol bought another one and wanted to get one of his friend's name engraved on it. We're going to ask out Sunday School class if they would be interested in buying Bibles for some of the guys in Blake's group. The Bibles run $20 each, plus the cost of the engraving, which I think Carol said was around $8 if anyone wants to give one in their name. If that sounds like a good idea to you, let me know and I'll make the arrangements.
Well, we should have an address for Blake very soon. As soon as I have it, I'll post it here for you guys to send him a letter. He can't have cookies and things like that, but mail is really important in basic training. Those of you who have been through it know I'm telling the truth.
Till next time.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Reception: Day 15
Wow! What a week-end it was. We heard from Blake twice over the weekend.
First of all, everything is on target for him to start the basic training phase of this ordeal this Wednesday. For the past two weeks, he's been locked in the reception phase, and since he's done with his processing and all of that, he's been policing around the fort every day. He's more than ready to get the training portion started.
He called and gave us a lot of news about the fort and his barracks. Seems there are 181 others in the same phase as he is in. They share the barracks upkeep and the fire guard duty nightly. The shifts are an hour. That's one of the things he was worried about. He didn't want to get the 1:00 a.m. till 2:00 a.m. shift on Sunday morning. That one took a little thinking till I realized that that was when the time rolled back an hour. That poor guy would have two hours.
The best news from Blake came when he called Carol on Saturday. He said that a lot of the others were impressed with his Bible that Carol had bought him before he left. It's a Soldier's Bible and she had his name engraved on it. He said that he had been reading it regularly! In fact, in the church service last Sunday that he went to, he opened it up and read through most of the service. He told his mom that that's where he gets his strength. What a great thing to hear from him!
Blake also said that his day was spent memorizing things like the soldier's creed and a couple of other things they wanted him to learn. He's got it all memorized now and is ready if someone asks him to recite it.
The other big news from Blake came in his call on Saturday. He said that the Army had changed basic training to 10 weeks rather than the 9 we had expected. He's not getting out of basic now until the end of January, thanks to this delay in processing, the Christmas time off, and the additional week added on to his training. That pretty much throws that link I posted earlier right out the door, but I'm still going to use it to get a general idea of what he's doing every day. So if you're using it too, this Wednesday is Day 1 of his basic training. He's out of reception and starting the real basic.
That was a lot, but he sounds just great! He's still excited, motivated, and is keeping a positive mental attitude.
First of all, everything is on target for him to start the basic training phase of this ordeal this Wednesday. For the past two weeks, he's been locked in the reception phase, and since he's done with his processing and all of that, he's been policing around the fort every day. He's more than ready to get the training portion started.
He called and gave us a lot of news about the fort and his barracks. Seems there are 181 others in the same phase as he is in. They share the barracks upkeep and the fire guard duty nightly. The shifts are an hour. That's one of the things he was worried about. He didn't want to get the 1:00 a.m. till 2:00 a.m. shift on Sunday morning. That one took a little thinking till I realized that that was when the time rolled back an hour. That poor guy would have two hours.
The best news from Blake came when he called Carol on Saturday. He said that a lot of the others were impressed with his Bible that Carol had bought him before he left. It's a Soldier's Bible and she had his name engraved on it. He said that he had been reading it regularly! In fact, in the church service last Sunday that he went to, he opened it up and read through most of the service. He told his mom that that's where he gets his strength. What a great thing to hear from him!
Blake also said that his day was spent memorizing things like the soldier's creed and a couple of other things they wanted him to learn. He's got it all memorized now and is ready if someone asks him to recite it.
The other big news from Blake came in his call on Saturday. He said that the Army had changed basic training to 10 weeks rather than the 9 we had expected. He's not getting out of basic now until the end of January, thanks to this delay in processing, the Christmas time off, and the additional week added on to his training. That pretty much throws that link I posted earlier right out the door, but I'm still going to use it to get a general idea of what he's doing every day. So if you're using it too, this Wednesday is Day 1 of his basic training. He's out of reception and starting the real basic.
That was a lot, but he sounds just great! He's still excited, motivated, and is keeping a positive mental attitude.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Reception: Day 11
We received another letter from Blake yesterday. This one was an update on his financial things. He's got a bank account for direct deposit and is concerned about saving as much money as he can from this experience.
Nothing really new to report on the date he will start basic training. It's still the 7th as far as we know. That's still another week away, but Blake is getting into the swing of things there now, so I'm sure he feels like it's taking forever.
One thing in the letter, Blake sounded a little homesick. He misses his friends and family here, but he's not dwelling on it. At least he says he's not. He still sounds upbeat and eager to move on from here. He also can't wait till the 18th of December to get to come home for Christmas.
Well, more as we learn more.
Nothing really new to report on the date he will start basic training. It's still the 7th as far as we know. That's still another week away, but Blake is getting into the swing of things there now, so I'm sure he feels like it's taking forever.
One thing in the letter, Blake sounded a little homesick. He misses his friends and family here, but he's not dwelling on it. At least he says he's not. He still sounds upbeat and eager to move on from here. He also can't wait till the 18th of December to get to come home for Christmas.
Well, more as we learn more.
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