Our Son

May not matter with your son but some good advice would be to remind him that all students will 99.999% be piss tested as soon as they return from break. If he’s out with friends or whatever over the holiday doing some partying. No idea if he ever smoked weed, so please don’t take that the wrong way, but inevitably there are always students who pop hot when they return from breaks or block leave and are sent packing. Always a good reminder for them at that age.
 
I can't even imagine how hard it would have been to go home for 2 1/2 weeks with 2 weeks left of basic and have to return.

No doubt everyone will be piss tested. They have been warned I am sure. Evidently they aren't even supposed to drink, drive, get married or get tattooed while they are home.
 
the one in the middle is our son. a few weeks ago, waiting to rappel!

We got to speak with him for about an hour yesterday. [rockon]
I mailed his last package before he comes home. Evidently if mail comes during HBL they RTS it.
 

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the one in the middle is our son. a few weeks ago, waiting to rappel!
I'm sure he's an admirable yout.
But you may find you've been cheated by the pandemic.

(As you know),
parents frequently report that their young recruit has become more attentive after boot camp.

Normally they attribute it to their Drill Instructors getting them squared away.

But in these troubled times, you may be dogged by doubt.
Those frigging face mask straps may just
permanently bend their ears to stick out more,
so now they're better listeners.
[rofl]

Doesn't look that way for your son.
(Tell him to eat lots of Jell-O to keep his cartilage strong).
 
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Hat tip: Instapundit reader JK Brown
 
I was wondering what to buy him for Christmas!
Just to show you how naive I am,
I once asked my (USAF NCO) Thursday night sailboat racing captain,
"If they ding you for a dirty safety razor during inspection (<= some anecdote I'd just read),
why wouldn't you use an electric?"
His instant reaction was,
"F that noise - disposable twin-blade razors: shave and discard after one use; nothing to be dirty".

So depending on what the deal is in modern boot camp,
maybe he needs a hundred of those things.

And even if it's not an issue for one reason or another,
maybe it will inspire you to realize there's some other precious commodity...


I'm not trying to talk you out of an engraved Leatherman
or something else he'll either treasure for life [thumbsup]
(or MacGuyver into saving his life [shocked] ).
But depending on how fast life moves in camp,
durable goods may either be a Godsend or a millstone.
You know better than I do.

P. S. Maybe it's apocryphal or I'm thinking of a movie script,
but IIRC one time when his DI was screaming at him,
he teared up a little.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing; just your yelling reminds me of my Dad".
(101st Airborne: Master Sergeant, WWII/Korea).[rofl]
 
I traveled light at Basic. I wanted no packages from home. You've got no room to store anything and theft is rampant.
exactly. That's the problem. And they aren't allowed anything like a leatherman as someone else suggested. He will get a tiny bit more freedom after Jan 15th when he "turns green" but he will still be living in the same barracks and with the same men as they complete the rest of OSUT/AIT. Then he will still be there until April 1 when he "turns blue." After that he gets his first assignment and we have no idea what that will be like.
 
I traveled light at Basic. I wanted no packages from home. You've got no room to store anything and theft is rampant.

Whut ? Theft rampant in Basic ? I believe you Pict, but it's not the military I'd want to fight in. I was an MP for a time after Basic & AIT in Fort Dix, NJ. What in hell could anyone want to steal, a smuggled desert from the mess ? Sorry PP I'm out of touch...lol
 
Whut ? Theft rampant in Basic ? I believe you Pict, but it's not the military I'd want to fight in. I was an MP for a time after Basic & AIT in Fort Dix, NJ. What in hell could anyone want to steal, a smuggled desert from the mess ? Sorry PP I'm out of touch...lol

This was 1994 at Ft Sill.

I never stole anything, so I have no idea why anyone else would. But PT towels were an especially hot item, IIRC. Cash, too; I recall some kid got like $80 stolen. The drill sergeants were not exactly sympathetic. "Why the hell did you bring $80 here?"

It's a good question, too.
 
tomorrow night our son will be under our roof for 16 days of leave. :eek:

Godspeed. You guys will have a great holiday.

But? I bet that really just means that in 17 days, they'll all be getting their bags smoked just like Day One...;)
 
Godspeed. You guys will have a great holiday.

But? I bet that really just means that in 17 days, they'll all be getting their bags smoked just like Day One...;)
[rofl] usually, yes. but because of covid there are certain restrictions. they may have to wait until day 18! But seriously, the whole company (and base) will go into a modified quarantine when they return. Covid and drug testing. A questionaire for during their HBL activities. And then "observation" for any symptoms.

ETA: T minus 5 hours
 
Been there... done that!

And yes Dads too! Sounds like your son won "Life's Lottery" and got a great pair of parents!

Enjoy!
 
Been there... done that!

And yes Dads too! Sounds like your son won "Life's Lottery" and got a great pair of parents!

Enjoy!
we've done our best. made lots of mistakes. but lack of love was never one of them. we love him as our son and respect him as a young man and the man he is becoming.


ETA: oh, but since he's been away since the beginning of October I have "forgotten" that he is in his bedroom a few times. and there's a closet in there we use for storage. OOps!
 
ETA: oh, but since he's been away since the beginning of October I have "forgotten" that he is in his bedroom a few times. and there's a closet in there we use for storage. OOps!
If he complains, tell him he's getting off easy.

When my Thursday night sailboat racing captain
sent his daughter off to college,
she returned home for Thanksgiving
to discover that what had been her bedroom
was now Mom's Safe Sewing Space.
[rofl]

In the meantime, paint you son's door olive drab,
and stencil Authorized Personnel Only on it.

It'll slow you down on your closet raiding,
and it'll make him feel more at home.
 
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