Letters Home From Boot Camp: ‘The hardest part is facing your fears’

“Dear Mom,

I’m so bored. I’m sitting here waiting for a class on how to wear the uniform I’m half wearing now. (I’m wearing the shirt, collar, cap, black oxfords with panty hose and gray boxers. I think we may be just about ready to start the class. I hope so. We’ve been waiting for our alterations.

I can’t believe I’m wearing this uniform. I thought I’d never make it. All I have to do is three more push-ups and take a couple minutes off my run by next week and I graduate.

I’m going to try. I want you to see me in this uniform.

I’ve really, really gotta pee but there are too many in line.

Well now all I’m waiting on is one skirt and my jacket until I’m done. We have to go on a little stage and get looked at by the drill sergeants to make sure clothes fit right.

They make us hike up our pants just for the fun of it. That’s a drill sergeant for ya.

My period just started and I’m nowhere near the barracks. This is bad when fitting uniforms. But I’ll be ok.

There are people pranking the ones that are asleep.

Everyone wearing shoes, caps, hose and undies look like strippers. It would be worse if we had our heels.

Finally, I’m all done. Now I’m watching for a civilian to give me something to do. Oh boy. It’s like free is time is illegal in the Army. Once I get to AIT I’ll have evenings myself. I probably won’t know what to do with myself. I mean look, I have nothing better to do than draw strippers on tiny stages.

That’s how easy basic training is. The hardest part is facing your fears.

Now I’m on fireguard whoo hoo.

The PA keeps beeping and the drill sergeant’s at the hospital. The thing stopped as I was writing that. He may have come back. I dunno.

I ripped the corner off of the paper because I thought it was a scrap piece. Oops.

They way it looks, since my AIT is so far away, I may get to go home. I’d ship out for Monterey on Friday. But I’m not exactly sure. SSG McCartney might able to tell you though.

I’m really not sure how it works but hope I get to go home. Then I can get some of my clothes for AIT.

I can’t even have my car until after 6 months and I fill out some paperwork and someone picks it up. I can’t think about buying a new car. I think I’d probably get in over my head. I’d like to have a newer car. But so would everyone. You know how bad I am with money. I need to marry an accountant. I’d probably only be able afford a used car anyway.

As far as my car, dad could there wasn’t anything wrong with it. I may just repaint it and buy a set of matching hubcaps, save my money so that I could buy a really nice car (By nice I mean convertible with CD player. BLAH BLAH.)

We got in trouble for sleeping on top of our blankets because we never turn in blankets to be washed but we always turn in sheets. I think it’s funny that they get on to us this late in the cycle. They’re always lecturing about how hygiene is so important but then they don’t provide enough toilet paper to keep us clean.

Which reminds me, I haven't been to see the gynocologist yet. We’ve been doing so much mandatory training that can’t be made up that I haven't had a chance. Drill Sergeant Rogers said the day before Victory Forge is a good day to go. Now I've just got to tell him why I need to go. That should be interesting.

Everyone keeps saying that when we go out for weekends and things we’ll stand at parade rest looking in store windows and say HOOAH all the time or “forty rounds, mom” but I don’t do that on the phone like some people do.

Instead I dream that DS Tavera is yelling at me and I jump out of bed in the middle of the night.

One of the females that talks in her sleep just said something, got half way out of bed, stood there then got back in bed.

Everyone here’s going insane."

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