PFC Rede: Six weeks in

Today marks six weeks since Jordan left for basic training. It took until this past weekend for us to finally get a chance to talk to him. We missed his first three calls and had tried to be diligent about carrying our cell phones with us wherever we went.

On Saturday, we nearly missed him again. I literally had my hand on the doorknob, ready to head out to the grocery store, when I heard the phone ring in the kitchen. I rushed back to pick up and was delighted to hear it was Jordan. We had a short but reassuring conversation and I was prepared to fill Lori in when she returned from seeing her Saturday morning clients. The moment she walked in the door, the phone rang -- Jordan, again. Turns out he and his fellow trainees were given a six-hour leave and he had time to kill. Why not call twice?

Some quick highlights:

-- The first few weeks weren't as physically challenging as he expected, but his drill sergeant really stepped things up last week. He said he was sore all over, but welcomed the challenge. Others haven't fared so well, either because of illness or injury or because it's been more than they can handle. (One guy went AWOL but quickly returned when he realized all he had were the clothes on his back. Another faked being gay.)
-- They've been marching more and more -- even to target practice, which involves a two-mile uphill climb with all their gear on. The routine is getting harder because it's heating up; 90-degree days are becoming common. The most challenging and fun part of the experience so far is learning land navigation, at night as well during the day
-- The food is OK, better than expected, and they have more than the stereotypical five minutes to chow down. Still, he was thrilled to have his first bacon-cheeseburger that day at a restaurant in town.
-- They were scheduled to have a marksmanship test this week and Jordan was hopeful, even confident, that he'd score well.

All in all, he sounded good, even if it was obvious he's fighting a cold himself. He readily admitted being homesick, but we'll be seeing him in a few weeks. His company is scheduled to graduate from basic training on July 3. Our plane tickets are booked.

A final word...Last night as I watched President Obama answer questions at a press conference marking his first 100 days in office, my ears perked up when I heard him say that he was been "profoundly impressed" with the servicemen and servicewomen he's met since becoming president.

"They are very good at their jobs...and fiercely loyal to their country," he said.

I share our new president's pride.