Welcome to Fort Sam!

Welcome to Fort Sam!  Home of the Combat Medic and the next stop on our journey where they will be cramming what is equivalent to 2 years of nursing school into just 3 short months.  (I say 3 short months, but we all know it's going to seem a lot longer!!!)

Son was excited to finally get to Fort Sam and begin this next chapter in his life.  He called when he got there (YES!!  Cell phones are back!!)  and the first thing he says is, "We can breathe FRESH air!  And it smells like churros!"  Churros??  He couldn't possibly be hungry!  After all that eating he did on graduation day I thought he wouldn't be hungry for a month!

A second phone call yesterday (Sunday) gave us an update on what he'll be doing this week.  He's been assigned a new company and platoon.  Welcome to Alpha Company 5th.  He said the first thing they realized is they can't call any cadence that talks about killing or uses swear words, so ALL cadences they used in infantry BCT are banned.  He said they didn't know a single cadence they could use.  LOL...sorry...but they did mom's heart good!  He said about the only thing they can do is cheer for their mascot.....the gator...so they have to yell "Go go Gators!"  He said it's really lame after calling off all their infantry cadences!  He said the food is great (fresh waffles with fresh blueberries for breakfast) and he was beyond relieved to not get served MRE's!  Their rooms are nice....twin bed (yes, REAL beds), walk-in closets, study desks, 2 guys to a room and they have their own bathroom.  

He expressed concern over the intense classwork and training.  Like I said, they are cramming 2 years worth of studies into 3 months and it's not going to be easy.  They have access to internet, but it's WAY expensive. Really Uncle Sam?  No free WiFi for your nephews?  What's that all about??  But when I was talking to him on the phone we both decided that not have the internet would be less of a distraction.  They do get access to cell phones during personal hours, but he said he'll be using most of that time to study.  (Wow...I just can't get over some of the changes in this kid!!!  ;)   He said they're all worried about their PT scores going down as PT there is much easier and more infrequent.  They have to pass all their PT levels and score at least 80% in classes or else they get kicked back to day 1.  You don't want to get kicked back to day 1.  And no trip to the PX for at least 3 1/2 weeks.  It's like being slammed right back into Red Phase.  He said it is VERY quiet there and it makes them all nervous.  There is no one constantly yelling at them and calling them names.  (He told me some of the things the drill sergeants yelled at them.  Hmm.....lost a little of that respect that I'd earned for those sergeants.) And they have more time for chow.  He told a funny story about how he and another guy were eating chow (more like snarfing chow) when a girl PV came up to them and dropped a napkin down in front of them onto the table and said something like "That's attractive.  No need to hurry boys and you have a little sumpin sumpin on your face."  Son said the kid next to him just said, "Yeah, I'll get that when I'm done" and continued hurrying to eat.  LOL...He said he'll work on finding his table manners again.  

I don't know that we'll be getting those awesome letters like we did before...even though I did stress to him last night how much I LOVE my letters.  He just said, "I know Mom."  And, yes, I could tell he was giving me that funny smile that says "Mom, you're such a dork!"  He promised to call by Wednesday.  Probably more for a sports update than to check in with Mom, but I'll take what I can get!