BCT-Finale

I haven't put up many posts lately that reflect my son's time in BCT, his thoughts and feelings, our thoughts and feelings or any news about him. There is no reason, good or bad for this, time constraints, our adjustment to the situation and a lack of substantial news about his time at Fort Sill. But an update is due-

Patrick is ready to graduate in a few days, 22NOV2006 to be specific. He's accomplished his goals, passed his tests and as we speak he's transitioning from recruit to soldier. Wednesday he received his Black Beret- a "right of passage" according to his Battery Commander.

His experience at Basic Training has been positive. According to Patrick, his Drills treated them well- "fair and decent" were his words. Maybe it was the high Drill to Recruit ratio (only 2 platoons as opposed to the usual 3), or the composition of his platoon, who knows. We heard from him every weekend except one. A couple of times we heard from him more than once a weekend. For that we are very grateful! His calls were a Godsend- Donna and I would take turns talking for a few minutes, then trade the phone off. He just wanted to hear our voices. I kept telling him his life had variety, excitement (I don't get to throw grenades), he had the DIFFERENT life...still he just wanted to listen, to chat about odds and ends...his puppy, the weather, whatever. When prodded he'd offer up his experiences Cliff Notes style. Short, succinct and to the point. Little elaboration, sparse detail, just the facts. This from a kid who has a vocabulary that most college grads would envy, who can speak and write extremely well. He wanted idle talk, to hear anything, about anything, the mundane and ordinary seemed to be just fine! In all honesty Donna & I would have to work to come up with chit-chat...still he listened. It was magnificent!

His lowest point was the first week or so...he'd call, his voice would waver and break. He'd cover with a yawn or cough and push on. He later admitted that he was far more homesick than he thought he'd be- and we missed him more than we thought we would, and we thought we'd miss him a LOT! Time passed, he moved beyond the heartbreaking sadness in his voice. He was becoming a soldier and a man. He trained hard, worked hard, got worn down and sick- the crud! He coughed and sniffled, he was hoarse and tired. His spirits never sagged, he never once uttered a negative comment. He respected his battle buddies and the Drills. His foot was swollen, he couldn't give blood because he was hacking up "green shit" as he so delicately put it. His run time was a full minute off the required time and he pushed on. Never negative, always the objective in sight.

His cross to bear was the 2 mile run. He had knocked the other parts of the Physical Fitness test down without a problem. In fact he'd done more sit-ups than anyone else in his Battery (Battery=Company, he's at Fort Sill, home of Field Artillery), but the run plagued him. He's cut from the same cloth as his old man, we're not tall, we're not even average, we're short! Patrick is MAYBE 5'8" on a "tall" day, and has not so long legs. I pestered him to run more before he left for BCT, but, well, I'm the Dad. He had a couple of opportunities to do the run and had missed by a minute or so each time. A minute, not so much time unless you are running and the total run time goal is only 16:30, then its' a minute is a long time! When we talked to him he was confident he'd get it. In his words- "Don't worry." Our job is to WORRY, so we worried! He passed his run with a minute to spare.

We talked to him last night. He was just back from the current Fort Sill version of Victory Forge and there was a different tone in his voice. Through our entire conversation I noticed it. We ended our call. His Mom said it first- "He sounded relaxed." And indeed he did. He'd done it. His first mission is done.

I'm running out of things to say. I'm overwhelmed, I'm proud beyond words, I'm confident of our nations future, because we have kids like my son- maybe its' your son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife, maybe its' a friend. We are indeed blessed to have people like them. He's not a child anymore, he's graduated. He's a soldier, a man.