Word

We finally got a letter from Austin yesterday, written on Saturday.  He sounds really good, and is really enjoying it.

Yes, enjoying it.  He writes that within the first couple of days he realized that he "could handle this."

He likes the martial arts training.  And marching, or drill, is "like an art form."

He is in Company A of the 1st Battalion.  First of the first of the Marines.  Don't think they aren't going to play that up?  Think again.  Austin writes that he is part of an infamous--I'm going to have to explain what that word really means--battalion and an "Epic" company.  Well, he wanted to be a Marine because "they are the best," so he might as well go all the way with that thinking.

It does seem that they have higher expectations for this company.  Instead of the usual platoon of 80 recruits and three drill instructors, his platoon has only 37 recruits and five drill instructors.  Austin says that are constantly watched and constantly corrected.

You think?

The only thing he said that sucks is missing mom and dad and his girlfriend.

I'm OK with that too.

As of Saturday he hadn't t received any of the many letters that we've written to him.  I've heard that the mail system down there is cumbersome and takes letters longer to get to a recruit than in the regular mail system.

But I also think the Marines may be holding the letters on purpose.  Part of helping the recruits detach from all things home and attach one another.  But we'll keep writing; he'll get them eventually.

Anyway, Momma is happy now.  She finally heard from her boy.

And when Momma is happy, Papa's life is soooooooooooooo much easier.