20080315

HELLO TO ALL,
FIRST LET ME SAY I AM TYPING IN ALL CAPS CUZ I THINK IT LOOKS BETTER. ALSO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND LETTERS THAT I RECIEVED DURING THE PAST 2 MONTHS. THEY REALLY HELPED ME GET THROUGH THE TUFF TIMES. I HAVE DONE THINGS IN THOSE MONTHS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T DO THEIR WHOLE LIVES AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT MYSELF ALONG THE WAY. I GREW AN INCH AND GAINED ALMOST 15 POUNDS AS WELL AS HEAPS OF KNOWLEDGE. I ONLY HAVE 6 MORE WEEKS OF TRAINING LEFT BEFORE I GET A LITTLE MORE TIME OFF AND THEN ITS OFF TO MY DUTY STATION. I SUPPOSE EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I WILL BE LIVING FOR THE NEXT LITTLE BIT. WELL FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE THE ANSWER IS ALASKA. I WILL BE PART OF A STRYKER BRIGADE WHICH MEANS I WILL BE IN A VEHICLE MOST OF THE TIME. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO WRITE SO I GUESS I WILL GIVE YOU A BREAK DOWN OF A NORMAL DAY IN THE LIVE OF A BASIC TRAINING SOLDIER. . .

WAKE UP IS AT 0430 AND THEN AT 0500 WE MOVE OUTSIDE FOR FIRST FORMATION. AFTER THAT WE DO PT UNTIL 0630 WHEN WE GO TO MORNING CHOW. THEN ITS BACK TO THE B'S TO CHANGE INTO ACU'S IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS AND GOING DOWNSTAIRS FOR ANOTHER FORMATION. WE MARCH TO WHERE EVER THE TRAINING FOR THAT DAY IS, UNLESS IT IS TOO FAR THEN WE TAKE THE BUS, AND WE START TRAINING. IF WE ARE ABLE TO GO TO THE DFAC FOR LUNCH WE DO, OTHERWISE THEY BRING IT TO US WHICH SUCKS CUZ WE DON'T GET NEAR ENOUGH TO EAT THEN. HOWEVER WE DO GET COOKIES WHEN THEY BRING THE CHOW TO US. IF WE HAVE MORE TRAINING TO DO WE DO IT AND IF NOT WE MOVE BACK TO THE B'S AND STUDY UNTIL NIGHT CHOW. THATS ALMOST THE END OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE AT 2100 WE GET MAIL AND TAKE SHOWERS AND THEN LIGHTS OUT IS AT 2200. ALL IN ALL BASIC TRAINING IS NOT AS BAD AS MOVIES AND THE MEDIA MAKE IT OUT TO BE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW ORDERS, BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN THE RIGHT UNIFORM, AND YOU ARE STRAIGHT. MY DRILL SARGENT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW MY NAME BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER HAD TO SAY IT. THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO WRITE LETTERS AND DON'T FORGET THAT I LOVE ALL OF YOU.