An update on the Hooah Gang!
I finally heard from Bryan, and I talked with Mike not once, not twice, but about 5 times this weekend! Well, we didn’t actually get to finish any of our conversations yesterday. Our phone calls kept getting dropped. So, even though we had 5 different phone calls they all seemed to serve as a lesson in frustration. This morning he called back and the lines were clear and they held through the duration of the call! Yeah!
So, my first update on Bryan: How does a man who is inching toward 41 do in BCT? So far he is holding his own and doing quite well! They are now out of “total control” and he is starting to get an hour of free time in the evenings. He said that he does have a nickname, only it is not the nickname that everyone told him he would be given.
The recruiters and all of our military family and friends told him that he would be called “Pops.” He is actually being called “Father Time!” He thinks it an absolute riot! He said it also kills some of the younger guys because the one guy in their platoon who is older than dirt can do more push-ups faster than they can! It was wonderful hearing from him.
It is hard those first few weeks because it feels as if they have fallen off he face of the earth. Contact is so limited and you have no idea what is going on. When Mike was in BCT he was in Charlie Rock Company. The Company Sgt. did a wonderful job and put up a website where he published pictures each week of the training. It really helped to see pictures of Mike and what he was up to. It really alleviates some of the anxiety and the longing to see the person in BCT.
As for Mike… he is doing well too. He told me this morning when we actually got to hold a conversation that he has no real concept of time. The missions they run are at weird hours, and go on for days. When he is out working he really misses the day changes because they are so focused on what they are doing. He said he can’t believe that even with the surge and the extension that he only has one year left — implying that time is actually going by fast for him. I am glad that it is becoming a blur for him. He sounded really upbeat this morning. He has 3 days off in a row (his Company’s 2 days off and his Platoon’s 1 day off worked out to happen consecutively). His spirits sound high, his outlook positive and he was having a really good day. That, in turn, makes my morning feel all the better.
Until Mike and Bryan are home I can’t help but jump with excitement when the phone rings (sometimes a jump of anxiety when there is a lot going on in Baghdad), and look forward to seeing their handwriting on envelopes in the mail. I can’t wait to see them both again!
So glad you got to talk with Mike. The connection is frustrating but it is nice to hear their voices, huh?
I really do love hearing him on the other line… even when we get disconnected there is a comfort in knowing that he is safe for the time being!
Bryan said in his note that he tried to call me a while back, but he could only make a collect call and I only have a cell number! That is not something I thought about or even considered when I got rid of my landlines! So, now I need to problem solve around needing to be able to accept collect calls from my guys when that is their only means of calling!