Yep it’s me.  I finally got going on my own blog.  Unfortunately I picked not only my last day, but my last few hours to write a post.  Yep, its 11:10 pm and I’m shippin out to Ft. Sam Huston at 6 am tomorrow.  

Anyways, I was actually shocked at the amount of people who have been keeping up with this blog.  Seriously shocked.  Who knew I was actually interesting? You guys have all been great. 

As for a final comedic story I’m coming up a little bit short at the moment.  I haven’t lost any equipment, or been yelled at, or had to live with 60 interesting (who am I kidding-PSYCHOTIC) females for 2 weeks, so honestly life has been a bit quiet.  Many people have been wondering if I am ready to go back, well, the answer is a big “NO SIR!” I like being with my family, and eating, and seeing my nephews and nieces, and eating, and shopping, and eating and SLEEPING!!!! But all good things must (and will) come to an end.  I keep comparing going back to AIT to going back to school.  No one really wants to go, we all like being at home, but we know we will learn new things and have a good time along the way once we get started. 

Another question I’ve been asked a lot is “Do you regret joining?”  As for that one, I can say with absolute surety “no regrets.”  (I’m not sure if “hell no” is permitted to be written on this clean language blog.  But I guess I kinda just wrote it, didn’t I!?)  I am, and will always be proud to be an American soldier.  Hooah!

As for the future, I’m not sure what’s in store for me.  I’m sure following blindly will be involved.  Many people have been asking me questions about my training, but truth is, I’m just as clueless as you.  I don’t even know if I’ll have a phone.  Or an iPod! (I was for a while considering sneaking my new iPod baby in).  But pretty much I now have developed the confidence I need to bloom anywhere.  I’m going to try and remember that the biggest blooming flower is the first to try and be taken down by the weed whacker.  But this bloom is just a little bit tougher than that…..I hope!

The only thing left to say is thank you.  Your letters SAVED me on many occasions.  Many times I had to stifle screams I was so trilled for mail.  Thanks for your support, and da love.  See you when I see you.   I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!

All I’ve got left to say is :

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

P.S. After packing for 2 days I just realized I forgot my toothbrush.  Typical PFC

Here are a couple of pictures.  More later.

I’ve found something really funny around here.  I compare our company to Hogwarts.  There are 4 platoons of 60 ppl.  Mad Dawgs, Pit Bulls, War Dawgs and Bull Dawgs.  Wer are all enrolled inthe the School of Delta.

Just like Hogwarts, ther is a platoon no one wants to be.  The Bulll Dawgs are Hufflepuff.  Lameo’s.  They really aren’t good at anything.

Pit Bulls are Ravenclaw.  The’re pretty decent.  But the Drill Sergenatt is so crazy.  No one wants to be there either.  He’s like Snape got transferred to Ravenclaw, or perhaps Voldemort is the House Head.

And of coourse the Big Rivals Gryffindor & Slytherin.  Can you guess who is a Gryffindor!  If you guessed we Mad Dawgs, you are WAY wrong.  Those War Dawgs are bad, we hate them.  War Dawgs are Griffindors cause they’re PANSIES!

We Mad Dawgs are just crazy jerks!

There are many other ways we are similar to Hogwarts, but I can’t remember.

♥ Lindsie

Dear Momzilla,

Today is Sunday.  If you look at a calendar you will realize the 22nd is actually a Saturday, but we’re going to be in the field tomorrow so the Army has pronounced today to be Sunday.  Hooray!  We sit around, clean our lockers, pack our bags, sleep and write letters.  But unfortunately no church.  I was supposed to give the Thanksgiving talk too!  I was actually looking forward to it.

We got to sleep in till 6 this morning too.  Oh, it was so amazing.  We’ve all been able to turn on and off like a light swithch.  If I know I have 10 mins, I can lay back and sleep adn when a pal wakes me up I’m completely awake.  I didn’t sleep any today though.  I ws busy doing laundry (madness)and cleaning my locker.  We got Saturday chow today too!  Sturday night chow is party chow, usually the choices are chees burgers, chicken wings, curly fries, NASTY pizza, hot dogs, corn dogs, chilli, onion rings and corn on the cob.  I hd ad burger today and put jalepenos, curly fries, potato chips and ketchup and mustard on it.  YUM!!  I’ve starte to feel a lot beter about the food here, its almost good.  I’ve learned tricks to make it better gthough, I’ll take jello and put it in the yogurt and serve!!

Lindsie had been in the field for 3 days before Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving morning, I carefully turned my phone up, and kept it near me,  so hopefully when she called I would hear it.   Guess what, I missed it.  I opened the phone 3 minutes after she called.  She was so sad.  She was crying.

She told me in the message she had had a great dinner, served by the 1st Sergeant.  There were candles and tableclothes, but it was still the D-fac’s orange trays.  She said she would call back, and she did.

Britt and I were driving and we pulled over and spoke to her.  She told us about the day, that she had turkey and the trimmings.  She told us that the First Sergeant had served the meal dressed in a Class A uniform.  We were able to hear the music as the flag was lowered the night.  It was a great phone call.

We talked about my traveling to South Carolina, and how she’ll be home in 3 weeks.  We told her about Jack, Luke and Sydney.  It was a great call.

She was called away and we went on to dinner.

Hi! I’m your Aunt.  Some people call me Chop or Chopy.  (Lindsie’s spelling, I spell it Choppie) But right now people mostly call me Bailey or other…”nice” names.

I haven’t got to meet you yet, or see your little face (mail hasn’t been delivered in 5 days).  But I know you’re amazing already.  I expect some good “getting to know each other” time at XMAS.

Grammy (Lindsie’s spelling.  I spell it Grammie) says you look like Luke, so I already know you’re adorable.  When I found out my new nephew was a “Jack” not a “Rack” anymore I shrieked.  Literally.  Thank heavens for expedited mail.  I was happy to hear the news, but sad I couldn’t be there.

I’ll be home at Xmas, don’t worry.  I’ll bring you a cool present.  I guess she’ll need to go shopping.  But I want you to know when my shoulder hurts, or I’m doing sit-ups, or on a LONG march I try and think each step, each sit-up, each pain is one more closer until I’m out  of here & I can meet you!

♥ ya!

Lindsie

or Chopy,

or Choppie,

or Pikachop,

or Pooh Bear

or Private

or Bailey

She forgot Aunt Lindsie and Lindschop which started the whole chop thing when she was 3 or 4.

I  found Mjr Frank Burns. She was a PG (Platoon Guide) in Reception. She was over 13th platoon. Everyone called her “PG-13.”  I like to call her “Army Robot.”  She does a lot of crazy stuff.

♥Lindsie

I wanted to do well on BRM, but I s***ed for a while. On one range I was shooting 28/40 every time. (Sharp -shooter) But our quailfing range was different. It was raining, muddy and visability was 150 meters.

How the Army expects soldiers to hit a 300 meter target @ 150 meters viability baffles me. We had to wait 2 days until the weather cleared.

I fired and got 16/40. Severe blow to my confidence. I didn’t even qualify. I felt so depressed.

But I knew I couldn’t give up, so I picked myself up, dusted myself off and shot 24/40, qualifying being 22. I’ve never been so happy and grateful to God. HooAh!!

I’m too tired to write any more.

♥ Lindsie

I’m in church right now, already I’m really tired. There was a girl in my bay that came up to me last night & she just wanted to come to the LDS Church. So PVT Hinson is with me today. It give me a reason to stay awake. Dang, I really wanted a NAP. LOL

This is the Anderson Chapel that the Fort Jackson website shows is the building where the Fort Jackson Military Branch meets.

Mom, yesterday we took our BRM (Basic Rifle Marksman) Test. Well I was doing really well early this week and out of 40, I got 28. We we got rained out of our range. (serious rain, flooding rain, up to my ankles rain. My winter boots ROCK, they kept it all out.) We had to go to a new range and I struggled there. 16 out of 40. I kept trying and failing. So I just said a prayer, talked to my Drill Sergeant and then I went out and had fun. Final score 24/40 while raining and fogging. Thank goodness. She really wanted to qualify. I know how sometimes she wants something so bad she gets uptight for the results and forgets to enjoy the process.

Afterwards we had locker inspection and I was clear. But a lot of females in the bay had bad stuff == M & M’s, Skittles, Fraternization notes, cookies, A CAN OF TUNA! They all got this stuff out of MRE’s. Anyway, after BRM & locker inspection we REALLY learned what getting smoked is: an hour of push-ups, sit-ups, jogging, fire-drills, alligator crawls, bear walks, crab crawls, & froggers. I’ve never sweat that much, EVER!

Drill Sergeant Harris was so disappointed in the platoon. he had ordered a pizza party for us & when everyone had stuff in lockers he just felt let down. Well, the pizza was paid for so we got our party anyway. I felt bad, but not bad enough. I didn’t REALLY enjoy the pizza. They also gave us soda & 2 candy bars. I had Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. HOOAH! I enjoyed every second of it.

But then Drill Sergeant DeShaw had us take a run to work off the pizza. I usually puke when running, but I ran through the feeling. I kept my pizza down! It made everyones’ spirits lifted. Everyone ate a whole medium pizza on their own. he he he!

This week went by very fast. hopefully the rest will fly by just as fast. It’s a bummer that Baby Rack will be born when I not there. Lindsie’s brother Ron and his wife Brenda were expecting a baby who was scheduled for labor induction on Dec. 3rd. Rack is the combination of the boy and girl names. (Rachel and/or Jack) Jack surprised the family last Monday November 24th by arriving early.

Oh, well, I expect no competition on holding him/her when I get home for Christmas-BRITT-JK. Since Jack will be 3 weeks old when Lindsie is home, we all agree that she will have all the holding and rocking time she wants. Maybe she’ll have to change the diapers, too.

On, man, I had the worst dream the other day. I was at home in the kitchen & it was so realistic. The 3 of us were just shooting the breeze, snacking, hanging out and then I woke up. It was such a disappointment to wake up and see the ugly ceiling and ugly kill zone.

I’m trying to figure out what I’m gonna say in my talk next week. I’ll probably be “Thanksgiving, according to PVT Bailey.” LOL

Oh, Man I’m exhausted w/ these females. I had a problem w/ some in the bay a minute ago. People kept putting stuff on my bed so I finally told them to move their stuff. They did, but they got some serious attitude. Oh, well.

Well Mom, I started writing this at 9am and its now 6:31 pm, so I’ve got nothing much else to say. I miss cake and candy.

Everyday I imagine the XMAS tree and being home for my holiday break.

♥ Lindsie