Jarred and Brittany

Update on Jarred and I

2009-01-07T18:32:00.004-05:00

I haven't written much on here in awhile. Jarred and I have been so busy with things lately. To bring you up to date. Jarred (obviously) returned from Basic training in April. I left for my internship in May for the summer and returned back to school in August. We are finally together after both of us being gone for months at a time! Jarred proposed in October up in New York over my Fall Break (his vacation time). We are getting married on June 6, 2009 and are both very excited about it! I've been home this past month for Christmas break and have been doing lots of wedding things. I'm so excited because my dress arrived yesterday (one large thing to cross off my ever increasing list of things to do for the wedding). I'll be heading back to South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday, stopping to see Jarred's parents for the night. Overall, things are going well. Jarred is still working at Wachovia and I'll be graduating in May. We plan on staying in South Carolina for the time being. Keep us in your prayers as we both seek God's plan for all the before and after wedding planning.

Missouri Trip

2008-04-24T10:54:00.009-04:00

Outside Jarred's Barracks

At the banquet

In formation after the Graduation

Jarred and Thomas---well actually it's Private Mann and Specialist Thomas

At the hotel after Graduation

The Arch!

At the top

At the bottom

April 16 & 17, 2008

2008-04-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures from Family Day and Graduation at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri! Kaitling and I had a good drive out there...just was a little long. The drive back wasn't so bad until it got dark and we realized how tired we both were. Jarred had to be up at 2 am on Graduation day with his platoon to clean their barracks and get things ready to go. So he was pretty tired, he didn't drive too much on the way back.

Family Day was really nice. We had to go to a debrieffing on where we could go on post and where we couldn't go. After that we got to meet Jarred over at the barracks where he got his stuff all loaded up and then we drove around the post and he showed us different things. It was really cool---the post was huge compared to what I thought it would be. After driving around we went to the MP museum and then to the PX---which I was so excited to see! It was pretty much like a mall food court in a big Walmart. After being on post for awhile, we went out to eat near our hotel and the just spent the afternoon in the hotel hanging out with his family. That night there was a banquet to honor the graduates, so we all went to that. It was nice...although Jarred says the food was pretty much the same thing they would eat every night in the D-Fac. After the dinner, we went to Memorial Grove which is a monument thing to the MP School at Fort Leonard Wood. It was pretty cool. Jarred also took us to the barracks and then over to see the area where they did PT every day.

Graduation day was awesome! The graduation was packed with people---1 company with 3 platoons means about 160 graduates...and then their family. I hope Jarred's dad got some good pictures because everyone kept walking in front of me when I tried to take a picture. After graduation, Jarred had to go back to the barracks and his battle buddy Thomas road with us back to the hotel. We checked out of the hotel and then we were on our way. We took Thomas to the airport in St. Louis and then we stopped at the arch and met Jarred's family day. And then after that...it was just a long drive back...

April 7, 2008

2008-04-09T01:09:00.002-04:00

I talked to Jarred tonight for a few minutes. He is back from his FTX and he is super tired. He said they only got a couple hours of sleep a night while they were there. The majority of the time it was rainy and cold, and they had a couple times where they were on weather watch for the possibility of having to come back to post. Regardless, he said it was pretty cool---except for the part about not getting to shower for 5 days. Baby wipes can only do so much...
Jarred is super excited about coming back next week. 21 weeks is a long time to be in a place like that. I'm leaving on Tuesday at a nice 6:30 am (at least that's my goal) to make a 13 hour trip to Missouri with Jarred's sister, who is flying down to ride with me on Monday. So if you think of it, pray for us. This drive is the exact amount of time it takes me to get home to NY, and I've never done that in one day before. We'll be leaving after Graduation on Thursday, we have plans of seeing the St. Louis Arch! I hope we get to do that, it was one of my favorite vacation memories from when I was younger. Jarred has never been there...so how many times are you seriously in Missouri in your life? not too many...so we have hopes of making a quick stop there and then continuing on our trip back to South Carolina.
For some reason, I can never remember how many days until Jarred is back...so just know it's April 17...NEXT THURSDAY! :)

March 22 & 23, 2008

2008-03-26T11:20:00.002-04:00

I got to talk to Jarred on Saturday and Sunday. Their company had a pass for a few hours each time I talked to him. He's really ready to be back. He was doing pretty good until he found out that he didn't make it on the "Best of the Best" list. He said that most of the people on there deserve to be on there, but there are a few people who just are on their because the sucked up to the Drill Sergeants. He's frustrated because he feels like he hasn't really gotten the best training, that they spend alot of time on things the Drill Sergeants tell them they won't ever use and then not alot of time on things that actually are important. He gets frustrated too because the Drill Sergeants pretty much lie to them, telling them that they will get to do certain things, but they never do. He said that if it was actually like what they said it was going to be like, it would be so much better. He's also tired of people getting in trouble for stupid things, and the people who get in trouble repeatedly never seem to actually get punished (the Drill Sergeants never follow through with what they say they are going to do). So Jarred is pretty ready to be done and be back.

He's really excited about Graduation and Family Day (April 16 &17). His sister Kaitlin will be flying down to SWU to ride with me out to Missouri and then we'll meet his Mom, Dad, and sister Devin, out there for everything. On Family Day we can tour the post and then there's a banquet that night to honor the soldiers. Graduation is the next morning at like 8am or something and then we'll be on our way back to South Carolina!

Last week they shot grenade launchers and then this week they are going to shoot them from humvees at tanks. He's pretty excited about that. On Friday, they are going to have a class on how to administer IV's and they'll have to administer an IV to their "Battle Buddy"...he's so not excited about that. After this they'll be heading out into the field for a Field Training Exercise on April 2. When they get back, they will turn in their gear and basically just have 10 days left until Graduation.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

2008-03-09T23:39:00.002-04:00

I got to talk to Jarred today. He seemed to be doing much better this time, especially since they are no longer in Red Phase anymore. They still have limited privileges (compared to other companies who get cell phones every night), but at least they are getting to call loved ones more often. They were even given a 5 hour on-post pass today. I have to say I like on-post passes because they give us an opportunity to actually catch up on how each other are doing--rather
than a 5 minute call where it's,

"Are you doing ok?"

"Yes, how about you?"

"Yea..."

On-post passes give us more time to actually connect again. Last week when Jarred called, he
called from a horrible pay phone that was so hard to understand...so it was good being able to hear everything he had to say this time. He's had a lot of opportunities to think while he's been away (and grow up!). He's learning that he loves law enforcement, but not exactly the type where it is busting down doors and apprehending people. If you know anything about Jarred, you will know that he likes to be right. He likes for people to know that he's right and he wants people to understand why he's right. :) He also is one of the most intricate people I have ever met. He notices everything all the time, so aware of what is going on. It's so easy for him to point out little details in things. So he's been thinking a lot about how to combine all these things. He also has decided that he wants to go back to school, maybe take a few online courses. With his love of law enforcement, he's thinking he'd possibly like to work towards a degree in Criminal Justice or Public Affairs. He's also been thinking about possibly some sort of law school to maybe be a lawyer or prosecutor. He's also thinking about wanting to get into some investigations work, maybe solving cases. With him being so detail-oriented, I can see him being an investigator or a lawyer somewhere. I'm so glad that he's being given the chance to try new things and learn what he likes and doesn't like. He has the opportunity to think (he has a whole lot of time to think...) and dream about what he wants to do. Now he's got some experience to back up the dreams and decisions. I think he'll be so much better off once he gets back because of the training and time he's had. He's definitely learning so much about himself while he has been away.

ps...Jarred's decided he wants to play guitar again!

Monday, March 3, 2008

2008-03-06T22:22:00.002-05:00

I got a couple letters from Jarred today and a phone call from him! I hadn't talked to him in about two weeks. His letters were so depressing sounding. He said that after their day pass on Monday (Feb. 18) the drill sergeants did a check of everyone's wall lockers and they found candy, food, 10 cans of chewing tobacco, and steroids. So they went back to "red phase" (which was were they started at the beginning of bootcamp). A couple of the drill sergeants have quit and given up on their company. They don't get to have their banners when they march, they can't sing cadence, they can only have water at meals, no more passes, no phone calls, and they have to walk in silence by other companies (all of these things are super humiliating). They are supposed to be in "black phase" right now. So it's hard for him to be one of the ones who didn't do anything, and yet be punished. Especially since other companies are getting to have passes and to use their cell phones every night.
He was able to get a phone call on Monday night because they are now out of red phase. I couldn't really understand him because he was calling on a pay phone, but he seemed like he was doing better. I'm so glad I got to talk to him because I was getting worried something bad had happened there. Now at least, I know what had happened. He'll be ok though, he'll be back in 41 days! He's pretty anxious to get back here! :)

February 18, 2008

2008-02-24T19:32:00.003-05:00

I talked to Jarred today. He had a post pass both today and yesterday. He's doing well. He's certified to drive humvees now. He's been in class everyday learning about different levels of law and when to apply/what type of force to use. He says that he sits in class for 9 hours a day. This next week he'll be doing mock traffic stops and learning what to do in a domestic disturbance. He's liking AIT a lot better than Basic. In a couple weeks, he'll have to sit for a big exam over everything that he's been learning. I think he's doing good so far. He's ready to be back though.

February 9 &10, 2008

2008-02-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

Jarred was on a pass this weekend off post. The whole platoon got one and they got to stay in a hotel and watch tv and eat normal food. He was so excited to be off post and be able to call people and just do NORMAL things for a day. He doesn't think that they will get to have another pass because some people in his company were doing things they weren't supposed to. He heard a rumor that on Family day (April 16) that the over night pass off post they were supposed to get, they won't get it since they messed up this time. I (and Jarred) hope this is a rumor. He really wants to be able to stay with friends and family that night.

February 5, 2008

2008-02-13T22:58:00.002-05:00

Jarred took his Phase 3 PT test. He did 49 pushups and 64 situps. He ran his two mile in 13:55! Which means he gets his "high speed" warmup outfit now! He's so excited about this (I personally think they look kinda dorky...) He was supposed to have the Night Infiltration Course tonight, but it was cancelled because of bad weather. Yesterday they went and did this night shooting thing, where 20 people shoot at a time. Jarred said that they played rock music over loudspeakers at the range and with the red tracer round flying everywhere and the smell of gun powder in the air...it was pretty awesome!

January 31, 2008

2008-02-13T22:51:00.002-05:00

Jarred's grandpa's funeral was today. It was a great celebration of his life and ultimately the fact that he's now with Jesus. I had a really great time with Jarred's family....despite the circumstances. I don't often get too many opportunities to be with them (without Jarred being there) and it was good for us all to get to know each other better. Devin and I were able to take a very SCARY trip up the highway :) and get a copy of a picture of his grandpa when he was young and in the Army. Overall, I learned alot about joy in times of sadness. Continue to pray for the Mann family...especially his grandma. 58 years of marriage is a lot of time with someone! Jarred seems to be doing alright as much as I can tell. He was close to his Grandpa. His grandpa told his dad in the hospital that he was very proud of Jarred for doing what he was doing. Knowing that, I think will help him.

January 27, 2008

2008-02-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

Jarred's mom called today updating me on his Grandpa. He was placed on a ventilator on Saturday and he was only breathing about 5 breaths a minute on the ventilator. The doctors said that there was nothing more that they could do for him. The cancer that they found a week and a half ago, had spread to his pancreas, the arteries in his neck and heart, and other parts of his body. After talking with the doctors, they made the decision to take him off the ventilator. The next morning, Monday, he went to be with Jesus. We had to call the Red Cross to get a hold of Jarred (which took FOREVER because they had to verify all this stuff with the hospital) and then they were able to get a hold of Jarred. He can't come back for the funeral because he has a mandatory FTX (field training exercise) the day of the funeral. If he were to come back for the funeral, he would have to recycle through Basic again and no one wants him to do that. I think it'll be better that he's not there, he had such a hard time coming back and going back during Christmas break. He'll be able to stay there and focus on his training better than if he came back and then went straight back.

January 25, 2008

2008-02-13T22:37:00.003-05:00

Monday they had off for MLK Day. Tuesday they threw grenades. Wednesday they practiced "Buddy Cover Fire" (what ever that is...). Thursday they got to use laser scopes on their M-4's. Friday they shot three machine guns--249 Saw (little), 240 B (bigger), 50 Caliber (biggest).
Tomorrow they will be shooting grenade launchers, blowing up claymore mines, and shooting rocket launchers. The whole platoon got in trouble because this guy, Shore, had a smuggling ring of "fatty cakes" (basically donuts) going on in the barracks and selling them to people. They went back to Red Phase for a day and it was horrible. Shore got an Article 15 for that, which means that he got half his pay taken away for 3 months and that he won't get passes off-post.

January 21, 2008

2008-02-13T22:30:00.002-05:00

Jarred had the day off today because it was Martin Luther King Day. He went to church yesterday and they were handing out books by John Piper. I think it was Chasing Daylight and he's been reading it alot. It talks about finding joy in Christ no matter what the circumstances--so he can be happy outside when it's 3 degrees and he's doing PT...at least the stars are bright. :) He's working on focusing on motivation and passion because that's what the book talks about and using them to glorify God.

Tomorrow they will be throwing grenades. He's pretty excited about that!

January 18, 2007

2008-02-13T22:20:00.003-05:00

Jarred has his rifle qualification today. He was a no-go the first time he shot and then when they made him do it again, he shot enough to get the expert medal--but since he didn't get it the first time, he couldn't get the Expert Medal. So no "Best of the Best" for him. He was pretty upset about this.
Jarred and his friend Cole have been reading the Bible every night together, and there's another 3 or 4 guys that have been asking him alot of questions about the Bible. I'm so glad that he's growing in so many different areas during his training. I think it'll be really good for him!
Jarred also has decided to stay in the Chattanooga unit while he lives in South Carolina. It's a garrison unit, which means there is a much smaller chance that he'll go to Iraq (very good!!!). Their unit goes to fill in on a post when other units deploy and they take over their jobs on the post.

News...

2008-01-17T17:03:00.000-05:00

Jarred's mom called yesterday to let me know that his Grandpa was taken to the hospital over the weekend because he was not feeling well. The doctors ran some tests and found out that he has a bleeding ulcer in his stomach and that it is cancerous. Kaitlin and Devin (Jarred's sisters) went down to be with Grandma and help her out. Please keep his Grandpa in your prayers and they haven't found out if it is contained to just that area. Jarred doesn't know yet, his mom didn't want to write him with the news, so we're just waiting on a phone call from him. Pray for Jarred too---I know he'll be upset when he hears the news.

January 8, 2008

2008-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I heard from Jarred today. He said that he's doing well. The weather has been interesting lately, apparently it was really hot there today and then it dropped to 20 degrees. He said it was really cold! Last night they had some really bad storms go through and there were tornados in the area. He said that they had to sit down in this room until around 4 am because of the tornados...then they could sleep back up in the barracks until 6:30 am and then they had to get up and do stuff. Jarred said that today they did rifle simulators and tomorrow they will actually start firing live ammo. He's really excited, but yet nervous because he didn't do well on the rifle simulators. Otherwise, it sounds like things are going really well.

January 6, 2008

2008-01-11T16:55:00.000-05:00

I got a letter from Jarred today. He said that he's doing well. He has three more weeks of Basic Training and then he'll go on to AIT. Here's a little schedule of what he'll be doing:

Week 1-Jan 7-13-will be Basic Rifle Marksmanship
Week 2-Jan 14-20-will be Rifle Qualifications and the Phase Three PT test (he's nervous about this)
Week 3-Jan 21-27-will be throwing grenades, shooting big guns (he's excited about this!), and the FTX-Field Training Exercise for 3 or 4 days

After these things, he'll "graduate" Basic and go on to Advanced Individualized Training.

He sounds like he's doing great!

January 6, 2008

2008-01-06T19:41:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've written on here, so I thought that I'd write a little update from my time with Jarred. We had a really great time with both his family and mine. As of today Jarred has 102 days left of Basic and AIT. Which means that he'll be graduating on April 17, 2008! He has about 5 weeks of Basic and then 10 weeks of AIT. He was really dreading going back to Fort Leonard Wood. He liked having freedom for the 14 days he was "home". When he is there, he says it's not as bad as he thought it would be, it's actually more mental than anything. He says he only thinks about 6 hours ahead and just focuses on the training. He said that you can't let yourself think about what is going on at home or how much you miss people because otherwise you will never be able to survive there. You have to turn that aspect of your life off for awhile. He DOES love getting letters---he says that it's the only connection he has to his "old life" and he tries to keep that the only time he lets himself think about it. He loved being able to have more than 3 minutes to eat his food at meal times. That is all they get to eat, 3 minutes...and part of that three minutes is drinking a full glass of water at the beginning and end of the meal--he says you basically smush up everything and pour gravy on it and shovel it in. Jarred also loved not having to make your bed army-style, open a locker every morning, not having to shower with 6 other guys,and best of all---NO FIRE GUARD. Getting up for an hour every night to buff the floors and clean the showers...I'm guessing a vacation from that was nice. Anyways, it's not all bad. He's doing really well, and as long as he qualifies with his rifle (he won't come home with anything less than EXPERT, that's just Jarred-like), and continues to do well on his PT tests...he will qualify for Best of the Best. That means he'll get more priviledges (like being able to buy silencers for his dogtags so that they don't
clink together, make more phone calls, and get to have his hair different than
just buzzed off each time. When he gets to AIT, he could get to have books there
and even a cell phone or passes off post.

So overall, we had a great time and I'm glad that we got to see each other.

December 20, 2007

2007-12-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

Jarred got home today! He said it was quite the trip home. They left a little after midnight on Wednesday night for the airport in St. Louis. Once they got to St. Louis, he said that there were protestors at the airport protesting the war and the soldiers. So they were debriefed on how to handle one in case them came in contact with them. Jarred said that they army brough over 4,000 soldiers to the airport for the "mass exodus" for Christmas. When I talked to him at 4 pm yesterday, he said that he was exhausted (he's been up since 4 am on Wednesday morning..36+ hours at this point). The trip home was crazy and his luggage didn't make it on his plane. So hopefully he'll be getting it soon. Keep him in your prayers as he is over strep throat---but still has somewhat of a cold. He'll be at his parent's house in West Virginia, until the 27th and then he'll be in New York visiting my family for a few days. He'll fly back to bootcamp on the 3rd of January.

December 16, 2007

2007-12-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

I talked to Jarred today on the phone twice. He said that he's been pretty sick for the past five days. He thinks he has strep throat, and he's been living on cough drops. He's been trying to tough it out and not go to the nurse. If he goes to the nurse, it would take a whole day and then he would have to be in bed for three days. So that would put him four days behind the rest of his group. He said that there are others that are sick, but not enough to stop training. So he's just toughing it out. He said that today they had to wait in line to get haircuts. He waited in line from noon until around 5pm for a haircut that lasted 1 minute. He said that everyone has to get their
hair cut before Christmas break. He's also in "White Phase now!
He'll be leaving for the airport around midnight on Wednesday night and then he'll get there
about 2:30 am. His flight will be leaving around 7:30am on Thursday and he should be to Pittsburg around noon, where he'll spend a week with his parents. He's excited to be off for a bit!

December 9, 2007

2007-12-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

December 9, 2007

I got to talk to Jarred tonight! He got a phone call...I'm so glad I took my phone when I went to the coffee shop tonight (I'm trying to use up my declining balance so that it doesn't go to waste, since it doesn't roll over with the semester...) Anyways, he sounded really good--despite being tired. He tried to call his parents but couldn't get a hold of them, so he called me. He said that he went through the gas chamber on Thursday. He was really nervous about that part before he left--so he's glad it's over and he's excited to start the marksmanship training (Jarred told me before he left he wasn't coming home with anything but EXPERT in Marksmanship--I think he's going to get it). But anyways---back to the gas chamber...he said the guy in front of him threw up and the guy behind him threw up, everyone was retching and coughing after it. He said they went in the gas chamber first with their masks on and then they had to take their mask off, hold their breath and let the mask fill up with gas, and then put it back on-so they could learn to seal it. Then they could go out. The next time they went in and took their masks off and did jumping jacks to get them to breathe in the gas and then they had to put the mask on again and seal it. He said it was horrible and one of the guys in his group passed out or something because he couldn't get his mask sealed and the drill sergeants had to drag him out.
He's about to start the "White Phase" of training. (There are three phases---Red, White, Blue---each is three weeks).
He'll be coming home to see his parents on the 20th of December for Christmas. I think he'll be ready for a break. :)

December 2, 2007

2007-12-10T17:10:00.000-05:00

Jarred's been getting letters from me now and from a few other people, he said that he loves getting mail. Mail call is the best part of the day. He says the Drill Sergeants make fun of him because he gets so many letters from me. They also made fun of him for the stickers and my handwriting on my envelopes...I'm glad he didn't get into too much trouble for my stickers. I was pretty worried for awhile! :)
He said that his platoon hasn't been doing as well compared to the other platoons lately, so they haven't been getting as much personal time. He said that they had their heads shaved again and then they'll get them shaved for Christmas on the 18th---he's not very happy about that...he says he looks dumb with no hair. He said that it's been snowing a little there and that it's pretty cold. I don't have the heart to write him that it was 80 today here in SC. He said that today they completed Day 3 of Week 2, but that they'll be doing the gas chamber on Thursday---he's worried about that.

All in all, he sounds like he's doing good. He seems pretty tired, but I guess that's understandable. He loves getting letters too---so if you want to mail him something...

PV2, Mann, Jarred
Co. E 795th Military Police Battalion
Unit #55, Platoon 1st
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

November 25, 2007

2007-12-02T23:44:00.000-05:00

Jarred said the day started off pretty bad. He did over 200 push-ups today since 4:30 am because some of the people in his platoon forgot part of their uniform. It's Sunday, but with being "smoked" like that this morning, he didn't go to church because he was hurting pretty bad. He said he just took it easy and did some personal devotions instead. He went to the PX again today and again is feeling how different it is being in the army---but that it's better than he expected. He's really glad he has the DS' he has---they push them really hard during the day, but at the end of the day they make them circle up and ask questions about the day and encourage them. He said the days are going by quickly and that he can't wait for Christmas!

November 24, 2007

2007-12-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

Jarred didn't write much the day before because he was pretty tired and he had a bunch of things he had to do before he went to bed. He said that it's like a different world here on the post and it's hard to get used to. He got to go to the PX today, it's like Walmart--but that it was hard going there because he got a taste of what real life was like again. He said it seems a little like prison--that they get up and clean, get dressed, go eat, march to class, get "smoked" (when the DS get mad and make them do push-ups and sit-ups). They get up at 4:30 am and go to bed at 8:30 pm. He learned how to march today and all the different commands---they spent hours today in the gym learning them all. He had to go to class and learn about modern warfare today and how to deal with the press, in case they ever are faced with interviews. His platoon did really good today, better than any other platoon. They got an extra 20 minutes of personal time because of good performance today. He took his first PT assessment today---he ran the mile in 7:58, did 27 full push-ups, and 39 sit-ups.
(I'm glad, he was pretty worried about the PT stuff because he didn't get to take this PT test
before he left.)
He said that he's been reading the Bible like crazy--that it's a really good distraction from what is going on and that it's been really helping him get through everything so far. :)

Christmas for Jarred will start December 19th and last for 2 weeks! I'm so excited!

November 23, 2007

2007-12-02T23:32:00.001-05:00

Jarred said that today the whole platoon has to write the Soldier's Creed 10 times before 4 pm tomorrow. It was the first day of Basic and it was pretty rough.

November 22, 2007

2007-12-02T23:20:00.000-05:00

Jarred got to call me today! It's Thanksgiving. He said that he hasn't been yelled at too much yet and that he's doing good. He won't have a graduation in January like we thought at first. He's going to do this thing where they roll Basic training and his AIT all together and he'll graduate after AIT in April.

He gave me his address:

PV2, Mann, Jarred
Co. E 795th Military Police Battalion
Unit #55, Platoon 1st
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

He said that the envelopes have to be plain, with just the address and the stamp on them---no stickers! (I like to put stickers on all of my letters to Jarred...bummer!)

Anyways, he said that today since it's Thanksgiving, there isn't really anything to do---so he's been making his bed over and over again and folding and refolding clothes. Sounds like fun! :)
There are 40 guys in his bay, so they are taking turns cleaning. He's now in the 1st Platoon of Echo Company. They have really good Drill Sergeants(DS)---DS Gray and DS Peralta. DS Gray is more like a friend than a DS and is really good about coming and talking to the guys as much as he can being a DS. DS Peralta, Jarred said is pretty good too and he makes fun of the other platoons because they haven't been doing as good as Jarred's. He said that he has to get up at 4:30 am tomorrow morning because it is the first day of Basic Training.

November 20, 2007

2007-12-02T23:12:00.000-05:00

Apparently it's crazy in his barracks tonight. 200 guys are trying to shower, shave, and pack before they have to ship to Basic. He said he's feeling pretty good since he did all of that yesterday. :) Way to be on top of things!!! He got his dog tags today and the rest of his shots. He said that he stood in line and had one doctor on one side give him 3 shots and another on the other side giving him 2 shots. Then he had to go to the next station and he was given this frozen gel that he had to warm up in his hands and then got a shot in the butt. (I'm sure he loved that...) He said it's still hurting. He's shipping to Basic tomorrow and is a little worried.

November 19, 2007

2007-12-02T23:06:00.001-05:00

Jarred said that today was super long. He said that they were up around 4:50 am and got their uniforms and ID cards today. He says he looks like an "idiot" because he has no hair, but that he's feeling good. He was excited because he just got his laundry back and he had gotten everything in his rucksack so that he can ship down range to Basic. He's pretty nervous, but he thinks it will go by pretty fast.

November 18, 2007

2007-12-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

Jarred decided to write a second letter... :)

He said that he gets personal time at about 8pm for 30 minutes until lights out at 8:30pm. He said that the first few days were very tough mentally. He's in Bravo 1--but Bravo 3 is about to ship down range to Basic (just across the post). He went to church today and he really liked it. The Chaplin said that they will sometimes use AMEN, but usually in the army they use HOOAH---he said there's no way to describe 300 warriors yelling HOOAH. If you know Jarred at all---the HOOAH thing would have given him goosebumps! I'm so glad he sounds excited about everything!

November 18, 2007

2007-12-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

Jarred's in processing right now. He says that the wake up call is around 5 am and that they have to be outside by 5:15 am with their teeth brushed and face shaved. There are 125 guys in his barracks, so that makes it kind of hard for them to get ready in the mornings. After getting ready in the morning, they stand in formation for about 30 minutes and then go to eat breakfast for a whopping 3.5 minutes! After eating they go about the rest of their day. He says that he's only taken 2 showers in the last 5 days and that everyone smells. They only get 1 hour for 125 guys to shower every night. He is in Bravo 1 company and is still processing. He got to call his parents for a couple minutes to let them know that he was ok and was there. He won't be "shipping down range" to Basic until the 23rd. They are going to get their ACU's, dog tags, and ID cards tomorrow. He was on fire watch last night for an hour and then got woken up again for
suicide watch. He said that two guys tried to kill themselves, so they were put in a room
without their shoelaces---so he sat up for an hour watching them and then got to go
back to bed.

He sounds like he's in good spirits, despite what a dramatic change this is for him.