So Very Proud!

[Gloryhound]

Yea, Army food sucks. I was on an Army base and had to eat their chow for a week or two. On the other hand Air Force chow was pretty good. On some occasions we even got lobster.

[grunt_11b]

Man I thougth the food during basic was good.. LOL I went to basic at Ft Benning. I might have been just hella hungry... OSUT was hard on me.. plus I was the old man lol.. I went in at 26...

Alan

[Warocker's Wife]

YOU SHOULD BE PROUD!

I wish her well!

[FIREball]

We've found it makes for a better marriage if I don't ask any questions about him and the army days.

Dont ask, dont tell....RIGHT?

[frankykeno]

Thank you all so very much for your interest and support for our oldest whose still away of course at her National Guard training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

New things Kate has learned recently....

- they do not provide comfy pillows
- the blankets aren't much better
- they could care less about your opinion of the above two LOL
- you can die of boredom watching a straight week of power point presentations about sexual harrassment and something she referred to as "EO"????

All in all though her letters home sound like she's having a very challenging but amazing experience!

Oh and apparently WILD DAWGS ARE #1 (I have no idea why she puts this on her envelopes home but apparently it's important to her LOL)

[frankykeno]

Just an update on my oldest daughter Kate who went away last fall for Basic/AIT with the Texas National Guard.

Kate really enjoyed the experience even though at first it was hard to adjust. About 3 weeks into it though she suddenly did a complete 360 and began to love the army way of life. Funny as a mom I could even hear the change in her voice during her phone calls back home. My little princess became a soldier with a real sense of purpose and committment in her voice and a new level of maturity and confidence.

Kate was given the honor of being a Platoon Guide, earned the Army Achievement Medal and was a Commanding General's Honoree at graduation. She's 88Mike and loved getting to drive the trucks even the really huge ones. For a young woman that didn't grow up around guns scoring 38 out of 40 with the M16 was a surprise for me (but a huge point of pride for her step-father Mike who is ex-Army himself). Mike says she's not a girl to tick off any longer - she'll either shoot you or run you over with her big truck if she happens to miss you! LMAO

Kate graduated and returned to her home in Texas in January. I've missed her so very much. The day before yesterday there was a knock on the door and there stood my Katie girl! All decked out in her uniform! She surprised me completely with a visit back home here in Toledo, Ohio. She's got a lot of friends and family to visit while she's here but oh how wonderful it's been to have this precious time with my oldest.

[Samuel]

glad to hear that she is doing well. I had a cousin that grew up fast in the army. He left a cocky high school jock, and came back a soldier. It's kinde of cool to see the change, and the level of appreciation and pride being in the military gives them.

[Bruce Whitehead]

What a great surprise for Mom!

So happy for you Jo, you must have been just missing her terribly.

So? Is she this grown up soldier in person as well? I can imagine you must see some changes, but hopefully that wee baby on the blanket (as per your picture of her) is still in there.

Bruce

[Slim]

Congrats to you and your new Soldier!!! My thanks to her for stepping up to the plate and carrying on a proud tradition, and my thanks to you for supporting her decision.

[rabernet]

Jo - what a wonderful Valentine's Day surprise! I know you're so happy to be able to hold her! Enjoy her while she's there!