Wednesday, July 15, 2009

No news is Good news? ! ?

Bryan & Erica

As most of you know I have been talking with mom's who's daughters are there with Erica at Boot Camp and most of them have not received a letter in the same amount of time that I have not, so I can't worry. A mom I met in LA at Meps .. wrote me this morning and told me in two weeks they have received one letter and her daughter is a writing fiend.. in the beginning they receive a letter every other day or more, I know Erica is NOT like that, I am happy to have gotten as many as I have. As long as she is safe thats all I want to know :)

Last night Bryan and I saw Harry Potter (midnight showing) shhh don't tell Erica.
(my review of Harry Potter "Awesome" "Half Blood Prince" to the Harry Potter series as
the "Empire Strikes Back" is to the Star Wars series :))

Anyway I ran for a drink and they had they 'coffee times' there,
so I started reading the Horoscopes and I read Miss Erica's I HAD to send it to her!



LIBRA (sept 27th)
"Increased physical courage and ability,
and a strong sense of adventure,
combine to make this a very interesting time."

I thought thats her right now!
Right now for them is study study study and
test test test.... they must pass in order to make it.
I hope you are all keeping Miss Erica in your thoughts
and prayers and writing lots of encouraging and positive letters.
Thank you to you all! *hugs

written & posted by:darlene r.

Monday, July 13, 2009

my baby girl and TRAMP
no letter yet ..... more rifle this week

posted by: darlene r.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Training Week 9 **A Line/BWT**Lead





[-]

This schedule is VERY crazy &

of course subject to change based on weather,

holidays and the needs of the company. If one of the items is underlined,

click on it for more details.

TD48 Monday

START OF PHASE III

Lead Series

Begin A Line

Classes on target engagement

(multiple, moving)

and a review of snap in

(in case they forgot )

Guardian Angel class (be aware of the surroundings)

never go anywhere alone,

security in a 360 perimeter,

be a hard target)

Follow Series

Start of BWT

Land Navigation classes

(how to use a compass,

how to pace count,

how to use their knowledge

at night,

Practical Application of

Land Navigation during

the day a Practical Application

of Land Navigation at night

They will also get to sleep out

under the stars tonight!
TD49 Tuesday

This is the week that you

see many people

mention that their recruits

said was harder than the

crucible even.

Lead Series

Continue A Line

- continue classes and

preparing for combat firing

- pre-qualification day for the

combat firing that

they learned yesterday

Follow Series

Continue BWT

- Day Movement Class

(moving about during the day

without being detected)

- Class on hand and arms

signals

- Day Movement Practical

Application

(crawl thru tunnels,

under barb wire,

crawl on their bellies,

camouflage and

concealment, crawl over walls,

thru woods,

etc without being detected)

- cass on different combat

formations

(i.e. fire team formations)

- Then the same course they

did during the day under low

light conditions They will also

get to sleep out under

the stars again tonight!
TD50 Wednesday

There are only 20 training

days left!!!!

Lead Series

Continue A Line, Start BWT

Qualification day for the

combat firing Classes on other

types of field firing They will

also get to sleep out under the

stars tonight!
Follow Series

Begin A Line

Classes on target engagement

(multiple, moving)

and a review of snap in

(in case they forgot )

Guardian Angel class (be aware of the surroundings)

never go anywhere alone,

security in a 360 perimeter,

be a hard target)

TD51 Thursday

Family Day

- is 3 weeks away!!!!!!!!!!
Lead Series

Start BWT

Land Navigation classes

-how to use a compass,

how to pace count, how to

use their knowledge at night,

Practical Application of

Land Navigation during

the day a Practical Application

of Land Navigation at night

They will also get to sleep out

under the stars again tonight!
Follow Series

Continue A Line

- continue classes and

preparing for combat firing

- pre-qualification day for the

combat firing

that they learned yesterday

TD52 Friday

Three

more

weeks

until

Graduation!!

Lead Series

Continue BWT

- Day Movement Class

(moving about during

the day without being detected) - Class on hand and arms signals

- Day Movement Practical

Application

(crawl thru tunnels,

under barb wire,

crawl on their bellies,

camouflage and concealment,

crawl over walls, thru woods,

etc without being detected)

- class on different combat

formations

(i.e. fire team formations)

- Then the same course they

did during

the day under low light

conditions

Follow Series

Continue A Line,

more BWT

Qualification day for the

combat firing
Last but not least....

they will ALL get to

spend the night under the stars!!
TD53 Saturday

On tap for today is:

Continue BWT for everyone

- Combat Endurance Course

(a 2.5 mi course which they

have to use everything they

learned in the last week,

how to negotiate thru woods

without making

a sound as a squad,

negotiate obstacles such

as tunnels and walls and

barbed wire and up

and over obstacles such

as cargo nets and

monkey bars over a

mud puddle –

- to simulate going from

tree branch to tree branch)

- practice some drill in

preparation for final drill


posted by: darlene r.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

miss erica on Pop'o's lap with Grams and Grandma Cathy at a Storm Baseball game 1995 apx


posted by:darlene r.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

photo removed


Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.”
Bethany Hamilton
greatest female surfer of our time

posted by: darlene r.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Thanks Katie & Waymon

my baby girl 'miss america'


An extra Special thanks to my friends Waymon & Katie... They are giving me my plane flights!! I worked with Katie at Michael's Arts & Crafts. I don't know what I would of done without their help! It is so awesome of them! I am sooo grateful, pleased and thankful. It's friends like that, that makes this crazy world a better place. I do miss seeing Katie everyday at work, so once in a blue moon we girls from Michael's try to get together. Just want to say thank you and God Bless them for their generosity! *HUGS & prayers to you :)

written & posted by: darlene r.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Training Week 8 ~TEAM WEEK~



This schedule is of course

subject to change

due to weather, holidays and

the needs of the company.

TD42 Monday

**Start of Team Week**
Team week is a time for the recruits to get

caught up on any

testing they need

(swim quall, upgrade

if required by their

MOS or qualify on

the range so they don't

get dropped in training).

But since not everyone

needs to do that, the rest

of them work around base

in small groups doing

odd jobs.

Cleaning up the classrooms,

working at the visitor center making things

spic and span,

working at the base laundry (where their

cammies are washed)

It is a nice break in their

routine of hustle and bustle everywhere!

The small unit field training

will occur at MCT or SOI.
Today they are supposed to

have:

~Rifle re-qualification for

those that need it
~Upgrades in swim

qualifications for those that

need it for their MOS
~Work around the base in

teams

of about 5-10 recruits doing

odd jobs for

different offices,

laundry and

even the pool
~Some will also

have to go to dental

if they are on the

"hit list" for teeth

pulling or fillings

or cleanings. ~yikes~

This week is a nice

break from the

go, go, go, of the

daily routine.

TD43 Tuesday
Today is a day of working

parties (groups of recruits

due maintenance around

the base) or rifle

re-qualification if necessary

or swim qualification upgrade

if required by MOS.

At least it is a break from the normal routine....

Lead Series will also get

to do the obstacle course

and run some sprints to

work on their speed.

TD44 Wednesday
Today is a day of working

parties (groups of recruits due maintenance

around the base)

or rifle re-qualification

if necessary or swim

qualification upgrade

if required by MOS.

At least it is a break

from the normal routine..

Tomorrow will be better. However,

Follow Series will get to

do that PT that Lead Series

got to do yesterday:

the obstacle course

and sprints!

TD45 Thursday
Ok I promised a better post today....
Lead Series
Final Travel
a visit to the exchange
a haircut
rifle quall if needed still

Follow Series
Working parties still
swim quall upgrade if needed

still rifle quall if needed still

TD46 Friday
Graduation is only 4 weeks away!!!
Today's agenda is

essentially a flip-flop of yesterday...
Lead Series
Working parties again
swim quall upgrade

if needed rifle quall if

still needed.
Follow Series
Final Travel
a visit to the exchange
a haircut
rifle quall if needed still


TD47 Saturday
Today is a 7.5mi hike

to help prepared them

for the crucible;

an academic study

session for the big test,

and last but not least the

Company Commanders Inspection!

So wishing the girls luck in

their inspection....


posted by: darlene r.