It is SO good to hear from Will every Sunday! He does not get to pick the time or the duration of the phone call. His Drill Sergeants seem to like 2:30-3:00 Oklahoma time for phone calls. That means right during Sunday School for me. But, I don't mind! I have had to step out of my class for the past two Sundays to take his call, but that is just the way it is. Will's phone call trumps everything else!
Every week he updates me on what is going on. A few weeks ago he told me about qualifying on the Rifle range. His practice scores were in the sharpshooter range, one away from expert, actually. But on the day of the test he did not score as well and "only got marksman". I told him I was proud of him! He will have to pass rifle qualifications every year and I'm sure he'll get that expert level next time around!
Last week he told me all about hand grenade training. He enjoyed it very much! He wrote to us about how amazing it was to feel the shock wave of the explosion through the cement wall of the bunker and to hear the shrapnel hit the front of it and fly over his head. Oi! Of a grenade that HE had thrown! I did get to see a picture of him in the basic training photos for rifles and hand grenades. I'd love to post the pictures, but they are copyrighted, so I don't have the right to post them. I plan to buy them, once he is done with basic so I can get all the photos I find of him in one order.
It is funny. I've been so happy for him. He sounds happy! What he is doing is crazy hard! Marching 10K with full battle gear. Training in 100+ degree heat. He says they are downwind from the sewage treatment plant and it often stinks. But he is enjoying it and I can hear the confidence in his voice. It has eased my worry, to some extent to hear that confidence.
This week they did field exercises where they had to infiltrate a machine gun position while under fire during the dark of night. It sounded terrifying! He admitted it got his adrenaline pumping and was intense, but he said he enjoyed it. They managed to take a prisoner, and deliver him (her?) back to "base". War games. He says he got scraped up a bit, but it was awesome.
Today, he told me something that made me burst with both pride and worry!
He has been made a squad leader.
!!
Oh, I am proud of him! Oh, I am worried for him! He has told me that not all of the guys like him. :( My momma's heart hurts to hear that, but of course, we can't expect everyone we meet to like us. I certainly don't like everyone I meet. Yet he has to step up and be a leader. I hope and pray he will make a good leader. I hope and pray the soldiers in his squad will respond well to him. So I am asking for your prayers, as well. Pray for our soldiers everywhere... and pray for my son!
So, the worry is back with a vengeance.
2 weeks
3 days
17 hours
37 minutes
42 seconds
Until I see my son! Not that I'm keeping track... ;)
1 comments:
Awwww, loved this! And so funny about the hand grenades! Boys are nuts! Haha. I love that they take pics for you, that's cool, even if you do have pay for them. (you'd think they'd do it for free for the service men though, hello!!)
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