Got Soldier Girl Home

A Stocking for Soldier Sam

What BESIDES a buttload of cough drops and pantiliners would you give our beloved Warrior Goddess for Christmas? (I already got dibs on the cough drops and pantiliners)

Xmas Stocking

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12 Dec

Talked to Sam tonight -- god, did I need that. She's still hoarse but that's her only symptom. She is in good spirits and looking forward to coming home Sunday. While she was talking she received a package from drugstore.com (thanks Siren). Mostly (is that really an acceptable word outside the south), she wanted to know about us. Rhiannon was in my lap feeling very sad about her mother being gone when Sam called. It was good timing for her to hear her mother's voice. What was most difficult was when she told me that her mother going into the Army was not her (Rhiannon's) choice. We knew that but I hoped the kids wouldn't recognize it for a while. This time next week she will be home.

Sorry Cuz, but she had only 11 minutes to talk and I didn't think about the motto thing.

"Hey there" from Sam

Here's the latest (only slightly edited) letter from Soldier Sammie. Unfortunately I can't share the floral staionery or the off-kilter yet perfectly-legible slanted handwriting. Enjoy!
---

Thanks so very much for suffering through the longhand just for lil' ole me! I feel super duper special! D'ya miss me, hunh, hunh, do ya?

We got the flu mist up the nose with all our vaccinations - guh-ross - worse than all the other shots put together. Everybody is sick with colds and URIs - cough drops are like crack here. Don sent 2 big bags, and they're almost gone. I still haven't gotten the ones Jen sent. Mail delivery here is indifferent or sporadic. They apparently aren't very diligent with outflow either, as Don and other husbands have received several letters on one day that were sent out on multiple days, but post-marked the same. Just one of the many trifling annoyances to suffer through for the privilege of serving my country.

Tomorrow we have a 5 mile march to the range for our last day of practice. We start trying to qualify on Thursday. I did not do well at all today - my reaction time is too slow for the pop-up targets. My eyes are also backwards - I'm right-handed, but my left eye is very dominant. I have to open both to scan the whole range, and then everything shifts when I close it to fire.

I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I have to, to get out of here. I'm enjoying the training, and the overall experience for the most part, but certainly not enough to hang around for an extra cycle.

I'm almost over my bronchitis. The sinus infection cleared up quickly, but my voice is still barely there and sometimes fades out completely. (I went from Wednesday to Monday AM with nothing more than whispers.) My strength & stamina are coming back. We'll find out for sure on the road march tomorrow. They made us pack extra boots & clothes in our rucks to be sure they were extra big & heavy.

I'm beat - I'm on Fireguard right now or I'd be out. 0400 will be here all-too-soon.

I love you bunches & bookoodles!

Big hugs & smooches,
Sammie

4 Dec

08:40

I got my laundry caught up and squared away, and everything unpacked from my Sick Call bag and Ruck Sack. I had my ruck packed for the FTX [camping trip] when I went to Sick Call on Thursday -- and DSB looked at me on my way out and said I was going to med qtrs. He could tell I wouldn't be back for a while.

My voice is starting to come back. When I got back, DSB said he was glad that I didn't die on them. I must've looked pretty rough. So many people are sick though. I divvied up the cough drops I had. Some of the assholes are using them like candy, but almost everybody really needs them. Even the females are spitting wads all over the ground -- you know how I love that!

My shooting was awesome on Saturday at 75m, but pathetic on 175 & 300m.... I was worried about being behind, but I accomplished in 6 shots what took some people more than 2 days -- grouping (6 shots 2/in a 4 cm circle) and zeroing the sights. I am hoping that my weakness and shakiness was the reason I was so bad at the far targets.

21:01

Well, I already told you how I did on the simulators [in a phone call]. I'm a decent shot when I settle down and don't overthink it.

I really am loving all this Hooah shit, and I'm glad we chose this life for our family. I'm very proud when I strap on all my gear and lace up my combat boots. I'm over the roof when our platoon gets it all together and clicks.

New from Army Goddess 29 Nov

0:17

Today started on a frustrating note, but quickly got better. Two of the girls on fireguard last night made a deal to split their shift and sleep for half of it, and the CQ DS's came by for a surprise inspection. DSH told our PG [Platoon Guide] that those two were to be on the FG roster for the same shift every night until he said differently, which was great. The PG then told him that we'd been having trouble with other peole falling asleep or not pulling their weight on the chores that are supposed to be split, so he said we'd pull 4 people for each shift, which means that we'll have twice as many shifts to serve and they'll hit us more often. And damn, the CQ DS's just pulled another drive-by -- we have drawers on our bunks that are supposed to be locked, and they weren't checked, so any that weren't locked had all their stuff thrown on the floor. The DS even tossed the wall lockers of the FG's, one of whom was sitting right beside her locker.

We had our Fit-to-Wiin competition first thing this morning. Our guys came out all fired up, with plans on how to (legally) help the smaller, slower, weaker membewrs through the course, and splitting themselves between leaders in the front of each course and motivators bringing up the rear. I was blown away - they were fabulous, positive and full of encouragement and enthusiasm. It would have been easier for them if the fastest just sped along and left others behind. We went nuts when they announced that we'd won in 16:10. After, maybe 2/3 of the course I was hacking and wheezing, and our guys were so awesome, cheering me on, hanging with me, helping me find that last drop of energy to get up the last hill. We absolutely kicked ass. When it really counts, we're proving ourselves on teamwork. Two girls who were at each others' throats last night were working together to win this morning.

After Fit-to-Win, we marched to the gas chamber, spent the morning in class going over the procedures, then hit it. Someone said the gas was made of the same ingredient that makes jalepenos hot, and I got quite calm. The actual experience wasn't much worse than the time I used that insanely hot sauce on Sandy's chili ...
We were told that we'd have 9 seconds to get our masks out of their carrier and secured on our heads ... We lined up along the wall inside the chamber, and took turns lifting our masks, reciting our rank, full name, SSN, and "Drill Sergeant." Some people panicked and forgot to take a deep breath before they lifted their masks, or didn't clear the masks properly when they put them back on.

08:48

The worst part of the gas was my eyes. ... I got some nice prescription eye inserts that I couldn't use, because they didn't work with our masks. I wonder how much the Army paid for them. I pulled them out of my pocket and held them up in front of my mask to see inside the chamber. ... The girls on either side of me grabbed my hands, and one of them told me she couldn't have done it without me, because I was so calm.

We ended the night with PT - lots of sprinting. It was hard, but felt good. We started this morning with PT, lots of upper body and Ab work. We did the official phase change ceremony this morning, so we're in white phase. We're at the range right now - half the platoon is inside a building with simulators, practicing their grouping (getting multiple shots w/in one cm). I'm looking forward to this, but nervous about it. I did well more than 20 years ago in JROTC, but his is way different: bigger weapons, heavier, bulkier gear. We marched to this range in formation, which is much more demanding than the road march formation, carrying our rucksack, flak jackets, LCE (load carrying equip) belts, and holding our rifles up at Port Arms. I'm pretty sore.

We did get to buy 1 small bag of cough drops at the PX yesterday, and some people are out of money and couldn't get any. Those 30 are not going to be enough to last until the next PX trip, unless I get better soon, and I just don't see that happening. My sinuses are infected and my throat hurts like hell. My cough is pathetic - but everybody is in this kind of shape. Would you post an appeal on the Mail Call blog for everybody to send cough drops for the whole platoon? It's ridiculous that we can't have tylenol without going to sick call, and we can't go to sick call without losing a whole damn day of training. We were told the gas chamber would clear up all our congestion, but my nose barely ran. It's stupid and iefficient that they don't have sick call on Sundays, when we're not doing much.

12:27
Well, I grouped my shots in my first two rounds, so they made me get up and stop shooting. I'm pleased that I did well enough to qualify, but I'd have liked to have them tighter.

30 Nov. 04:07

Going to sick call today -- can't swallow and lymph glands swollen. Not happy about not being able to tough this out.

Sam

My latest from Sam

I'll skip the personal stuff...I know you just want the Sam stuff!

24 Nov 2006

Can you find out what percentage of Active Duty soldiers have been deployed? We hear all the time that, regardless of MOS, 95% of us will spend some time in the sandbox. That may just be a scare tactic to make us focus on training. Regardless, I know Don and I are mentally prepared for most eventualities. Some of these kids are all gung ho to get over there and start kicking ass. Others are quite convinced that they won't ever see any more action that an electronic stapler. Our Platoon Guide is a full-time police officer, and she's astonished at the difference in the attitudes and cameraderie between here and the Police Academy. One big difference is how hard it is to get accepted in the police academy. Another is that anybody who screws around or is disrespectful during training is thrown out on their ear. Their are several here with major issues, who would not have passed the most rudimentary psych screening to get in.

I'm delighted that Rob is behind you on your career change. I'm astonished when people ask what Don thinks about my joining the Army, like there was any way I could handle all this without his full support and cooperation. We do have some getting Dear Jane letters.

Yes, anyone can come to graduation and Family Day. You can read more about those on the Fort Jackson website. Graduation should be outside, in the cold, however, unless it's raining, so you'll have to pack your warmest panties. I'll be home for Exodus on the evening of 17th Dec. and have to be back here on 3 Jan. It would rock for us both if you could visit HSV over the holidays.

Sometimes I'm astonished that I've already been in BCT for 2 whole weeks. Other times, I'm blown away by how much there is left to learn. I'm afraid this ole' bod would not cut Airborne training - I'm really pushing myself to keep up. During PT, or when we're getting smoked, they don't sort us by age groups and cut the old people any slack, even if our PT test requirements are lower than the youngsters.

Would you do me a huge favor? I would love you forever if you would send me a shoe box full of cough drops (Walmart brand, plain or cherry, nothing fancy). I don't know what incentive to offer that you couldn't already have the the asking. We're supposed to be able to buy those at the PX, but they're always out. I don't know why they don't stock enough of the stuff we are told to buy plenty of, like bungee cords, pantiliners and I can't remember what else. We're not allowed loose in the big PX, just some little mini troop stores. They did take back my defective flashlight, even though one DS tried to tell me that I couldn't exchange it after I'd written my name on it.

How's Boss Os doing? Anything else interesting happening in the world of Chickenshack or GHS Alumni?

My Fireguard shift is almost over. My insomnia patterns have really helped me cope with Fireguard every 3rd night.

If you have time, could you send me some pix of your brood and the Goddesses?

Letter from Goddess Sam

Nov. 23, 2006

I got this letter a couple of days ago.

There are so many people here who only care about what they want or need, and to hell with the rest of the platoon. It's very slowly getting better though. We pull together ok when there are big challeneges to face, and there will be more and more of those.

I hear so many of these young females complain about having to spend time with other females. They brag that all their friends are guys, and they don't like or trust their own kind.

Oh, if only they knew huh?

I tried to tell them how much they would come to rely on girlfriends for companionship and support, and how valuable women shuld be to them, but they are all caught up in being cool and male-oriented. They are simply too.... simple, I guess. They lack wisdom. I guess they'll have to suffer more before they learn. The idea of a Gathering of Goddesses is way beyond their ken! BTW, could you ask the goddesses to send me some group pictures of us all together, if they have time? I hope we get a chance to do a girlie lunch over Christmas Exodus- I know everybody's schedules are insane during the holidays.

You heard her ladies she wants some pics.