My son reported this week

[troy2000]

My younger son Dwaine headed off to Army boot camp in South Carolina this week. And it was a genuine cluster-!@#$.

Ever since he signed up, he had been scheduled to report at his recruiter's office on Wednesday, at noon. So I turned down an overtime shift to drive home and spend Tuesday morning with him; his friends planned a party for him Tuesday evening; etc.

So Monday afternoon, his recruiter called and said there had been a change of plans. He told him to report at noon Tuesday, instead. That's bad enough. Then he called at 11:00 AM Tuesday, and told him he needed to be there to meet the bus at 11:30 instead of noon.

Dwaine told him, "hello? I live forty five minutes away, and was just going out the door. Not going to make it by 11:30." The recruiter told him to be there as soon as he could, because he'd be holding everyone else up. I don't know how many traffic laws the kid broke, but somehow he made it there by 11:30, with his mom and older brother in the car.

Then everyone proceeded to stand around in the wind and rain for two hours, until the bus finally showed up. My wife got chilled to the bone and is down sick; she's susceptible to pneumonia and respiratory ailments to begin with.

So far, I'm not impressed with the modern Army.

[wardd]

ahhh, basic, I remember it well

i wish him all the best
that's called "hurry up and wait"

[TeddyDiver]

That's a one you count on. Nothing to do with time or place. Or maybe it's even worse now than in the army of Ghengis Khan

[Petros]

All the best wishes to your son.

This is "situation noramal" for most large organizations, the larger they are the bigger the F'ck-ups. You have to learn accept the fact that what the military dose well, it does because of its size. And what it does not do well, it because of its size. If your son can not accept that, than he may not be well suited to a military life. Some people seem to thrive in that environment, some people can not stand it and get out.

I have all the respect for the military, but also know I am NOT well suited to that kind of lifestyle. Good thing we have people who are.

[rasorinc]

wardd is right - hurry up and wait is international military language. Hope all goes well for your son. He is a brave man to enlist in these times.

[dskira]

Originally Posted by rasorinc

wardd is right - hurry up and wait is international military language. Hope all goes well for your son. He is a brave man to enlist in these times.

I will say like Rasorinc.
Yes Troy, your son is a brave man, like father like son!
I wish him the best, and to be safe.
Keep us posted.
Daniel

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by dskira

I will say like Rasorinc.
Yes Troy, your son is a brave man, like father like son!
I wish him the best, and to be safe.
Keep us posted.
Daniel

Nah...he's brave. I was just a damn fool who never learned to stay out of a fight.

[troy2000]

Self portrait from the kid: "last moments in reception before they take the phone away permane...."

Guess they didn't wait for him to finish his text message.

[hoytedow]

He will probably spend some time in Little Pee Dee River State Park area. It's nice there but hot, humid, ticks, fleas, snakes and etc. Send him some DEET.

[masalai]

One can only wish him well and a safe return...

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by masalai

One can only wish him well and a safe return...

Thank you.

[Ike]

Congratulations to your son. I wish him much success. As a 20 year vet of the USCG, I too know all about "hurry up and wait"

Also, remind him that boot camp is mostly "fun and games with the recruit battalion" and bears little resemblance to reality other than the uniforms and all the running around. The best thing to do is just take it all with a grin, and keep remembering it will shortly be over and he can get on with learning how to be a real soldier.

I did it twice, enlisted boot camp, and Officer Candidate School. Mostly it was the same BS. learning to say yes sir and how to salute and wear your uniform etc....

He'll be back home before you know it, and chaffing at the bit to get on with it.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by Ike

Congratulations to your son. I wish him much success. As a 20 year vet of the USCG, I too know all about "hurry up and wait"

Also, remind him that boot camp is mostly "fun and games with the recruit battalion" and bears little resemblance to reality other than the uniforms and all the running around. The best thing to do is just take it all with a grin, and keep remembering it will shortly be over and he can get on with learning how to be a real soldier.

I did it twice, enlisted boot camp, and Officer Candidate School. Mostly it was the same BS. learning to say yes sir and how to salute and wear your uniform etc....

He'll be back home before you know it, and chaffing at the bit to get on with it.

I explained to him before he left that the purpose of boot camp is to instill the habit of obedience - and to put him under a little pressure, push a few buttons, and see if he snaps. They'd rather he do it there than at his first duty station....

When he comes home for a visit, I'm going to be interested in comparing his training in weapons handling and shooting to what I went through over forty years ago. I expect some noticeable differences, since I trained with an M-14 and an M1911A1 (Colt .45).

[Ike]

I went to boot camp in 1965. We trained on the M-1 and 1911A1. But after that I worked in the base armory and was trained in damn near everything, 30 MG, 50 cal MG, riot shotguns, M16, 81 MM mortar, 3 inch 50 cal, 5 inch gun and so on. Then they sent me off to Fire Control techbician school and made me an electronics tech.

Anyway, right now I am sitting in the RV park next to Fort Lewis and the stuff they train on now is unbelievable, The M4, SAW, and stuff I don't recognize. But they still use the venerable old 50 calliber MG. Hard to beat the effectiveness of that.

About two years ago I was taking my daily run (can't do that anymore, medical reasons) around the fort and ran smack dab into a mock POW camp. Geez, I thought for a minute they were going to toss me in with the prisoners.

Any way he should have some good stories to tell.

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by Ike

I went to boot camp in 1965. We trained on the M-1 and 1911A1. But after that I worked in the base armory and was trained in damn near everything, 30 MG, 50 cal MG, riot shotguns, M16, 81 MM mortar, 3 inch 50 cal, 5 inch gun and so on. Then they sent me off to Fire Control techbician school and made me an electronics tech.

Anyway, right now I am sitting in the RV park next to Fort Lewis and the stuff they train on now is unbelievable, The M4, SAW, and stuff I don't recognize. But they still use the venerable old 50 calliber MG. Hard to beat the effectiveness of that.

About two years ago I was taking my daily run (can't do that anymore, medical reasons) around the fort and ran smack dab into a mock POW camp. Geez, I thought for a minute they were going to toss me in with the prisoners.

Any way he should have some good stories to tell.

Heck, he had good stories to tell before he went in. Always thought he was gifted with a touch of blarney from an Irish ancestor, because he can make an entertaining story out of anything that happens to him or around him, good or bad.