She's Off to Boot Camp...

[Davids Girl]

My bestfriend just left this morning at 10am and caught a bus to San Antonio. Her flight leaves tomorrow for South Carolina. Parris Island.

I'm not a Marine. She will be. Though I have never been more proud, I am so scared, worried and fear for her. Any advice?

I've already started writing letters. I know this sounds ridiculous, but she's so little... 19 years old, 5'4'' and 111 pounds soaking wet if she's lucky. But she's stubborn as hell and determined to be a United States Marine. I know she'll do it and I'm sure this is harder on me... Well I say that now, but the more I read on Boot Camp and the "tactics" of the Drill Instructors... I think it's she, who is going through 13 weeks of a living Hell.

God be with you girl and all my Angels too!!

[Sgt Leprechaun]

DG, my wife went through Recruit training in 1986, at 5'0, 100 pounds. She loved every minute of it, and would go back in a heartbeat, she did 6 years active duty.

Keep those letters coming, they'll help motivate her. Recruit training is tough, but it has to be. It'll be done before she, and you, know it.

Heart is 90 percent of the battle down there....if she has it, she'll be going across the grinder a proud United States Marine!

v/r

[Davids Girl]

Thank you.
I keep hearing that it's the letters that will keep her morale out of the toilet and keep her chin up.

I'm just worried about my handwriting on the address, giving the DI's something to pick on her about lol. I hear they'll pick anything, especially sticks of gum or candy bars or anything like that, stickers, or hearts and such on envelopes, so I'm trying not to sneeze crooked while I write the letters or I'm afraid I'll find a DI up my behind. lol

I'm printing out wallet size pics to send and writing a letter every day. Thanks so much for the encouragment.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Keep it up...and FYI, it doesn't matter how you write the letter, just the mere fact she is getting letters will be enough for them to give her 'remedial' training if they want too...LOL...it's what they do!

Her morale will NOT be in the toliet; she won't have time to think of things like that; and, if she's motivated and a hard charger, she'll love every minute of it.

Keep writing, and don't get discouraged if you don't get return mail right away; she'll be too busy to write much the first week or two.

v/r

[Davids Girl]

Thanks... lol. JUST great... I don't think I'm a fan of this "remedial" training. And I'm pretty sure I'll keep my opinion of the DI's to myself right now lol. I keep saying I have to protect my girl...but friends tell me that she'll be protecting me when she comes back.

I just sometimes have a hard time with the methods... BUT I do know that Terrorists don't work 9-5, so we can't train 9-5... ugh.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

LOL..nobody is a fan of remedial training..but that's what it takes. And, yes, she'll be protecting you..and all of us, when she comes back. She'll be a different person, in a good way, I assure you.

Nope, we can't train on 'bankers hours' that's for sure.

I did 10 years, total. Trying to get back into the reserves.

[iamcloudlander]

sgt leprechaun
check your birthdate and graduation date from boot camp.
damn you were only 7 days old when you went to boot camp.

[thedrifter]

sgt leprechaun
check your birthdate and graduation date from boot camp.
damn you were only 7 days old when you went to boot camp.

Ellie

[Davids Girl]

I guess I worry too much. That's one of my traits lol...
I know that she will very much be changed, and part of me is over paranoid and scared she won't even know who I am. However of course I know that's ludicris and it's just my brain going on overdrive and making up wild fears and bizarre stories LOL.

I can't wait until we get to see her on Family day and watch her Graduate. It's MAY 9!! But... um, not that I'm counting down or anything lol

I thought for a TINY minute about joining some service, but I'm a nurse, and have been for 6 years now and I love it. I did think about going in to the 'Chair Force' though as a Registered Nurse and I understand you can go in as an officer.... and yes... between my girl friend and the "David" that my name is based after... I know about the "love/hate" rivalry between the different branches... or maybe it's just a "kind/hate" rivalry lol But I know for sure I'm not cut out for the Corps. Oh well I think I'm too old anyway lol. They don't want old people.

I can't wait to get the phone call from her saying she's arrived safely... but we still haven't gotten that call yet. Still waiting. Thanks for the help and answers and talking to me, I do appreciate it lots!

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Ellie

Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot LOL

It should read 1964. I'm salty, but not THAT salty LOL

And, I can't change it, probably a moderator can do it? HELP! lol

[drumcorpssnare]

Sgt.Leprechaun- Damn...you should have played it out! "Yeah, I went through boot camp as an infant....but I'm a BAD MO%H#R F@*K#R!!! Sure kept the Sr. Drill Instructor busy though. Ya know...diapers, bottles, strained carrots..." LOL

drumcorpssnare

[Sgt Leprechaun]

HAHAHAHAHA...yeah, I could have done it that way...that would have been pretty funny LOL

[Camper51]

I just spit my coffee all over the keyboard and had to clean it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Osotogary]

I'm printing out wallet size pics to send and writing a letter every day.
Davids Girl-
Is it possible for you to create a word document and insert a picture or two in that document and then print that document out and sent it to your daughter? This way, your daughter will have only one document/picture to handle.
I don't know if this has been mentioned to you but, if you can, try to be as brief as possible in your letters. Just let her know that you love her and support her in large, easy to read, print.
Here's a tip: Download/printout the training schedule matrix that should be available at each MCRD website. (You may have to "search for it".) This will show you the different stages of your daughter's training environment. When you write your daughter you will have a good general idea what phase of training she has gone through and you the can ask her, how was Grass Week, etc. She will then know that you have been tracking her progress, which I think is good.
Well, adios for now.
Gary

[Davids Girl]

That is a good idea to put the picture into a letter and print it out, however I'm making it my goal to hand write the letters and she said she'd prefer them in my handwriting.

As for them being short... lol I'm a bit long winded and I tend to tell her about episodes of Grey's Anatomy which is her favorite show and I figured it would be something to take her mind off Boot for a bit. I don't know if shorter is better, or if longer is. There's a lot of things I don't know, but I'm doing the best I can.

Does anyone know... I figure the Drill Instructors know every move and breath they take, even to the point of reading their letters... but I don't know if they're given any privacy at all. I can hope... but what's reality is a different thing... I guess I don't want to think about shower time...