Recent Letter Excerpts

Hello family, friends, loved ones, and all else who may be reading....

Following are some excerpts from recent letters I thought you might enjoy.

We finished table two firing today...I got Expert... I am still waiting to hear if I got company high again.  Table two was so much fun... minus the flack jackets and helmets and full muster war gear on top of that plus the M16's... we had to shoot in all that...lol... but it was like combat shooting where we aim and fire with three second time limits and moving targets...

I really do love what I am doing.  Even my drill has improved due to the confidence I have gained.

Everyone is getting pumped up about the crucible.

I am so proud of your pride in me.  I've pushed hard...been pushed and pushed myself past the limit my mind was tricked into thinking I had... there is no limit!  It's an amazing thing to realize... QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION.

...People think that bootcamp is about FORCING respect and speed and aggressiveness and warrior traits into you but no... not AT ALL.  That is a choice YOU make for yourself.  A choice that takes Discipline and Commitment to never give up and to simply ignore the mental and physical fatigue.  Everything comes to an end at some point and you only live once...so just go DO IT and do it right.

These last days of recruit training may be the most challenging of them all...being a squad leader and/or guide... the squad leaders and guide have paid for one or more recruits actions more than once this past week...

Five more days until the Crucible! Can't wait!  There's a lot of Papa Company on crutches though... yikes!

Alright... so I think I finished my family day picnic menu...

Man I can't wait to see your sweet faces... precious people ... Today was family day for the company ahead of us so there were families everywhere and I just got more and more excited!

Lamentations 3:28-30
"When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself.  Enter the silence.  Bow in prayer.  don't ask questions:  Wait for hope to appear.  Don't run from trouble.  Take it full-face.  The worst is never the worst."