No Calls Means...

Sgt. Brian Armstrong, Austin's recruiter, said that if anything went wrong during the Crucible that would keep Austin from graduating next week--injury, failure, quitting--he'd get a call, and so would we.

And it would happen pretty quickly.

The schedule for today was Reveille at 3 a.m., nine-mile march from 4-7 a.m., Emblem Ceremony at 7:30, and Warrior's Breakfast at 8.

So at 7 a.m. I thought, "He's done."
At 7:30, "He's receiving his Emblem. He's a Marine."
At 8, "He's eating."

But it was all expectation based on the schedule. No confirmation that it had really happened.

Pam saw Sgt. Armstrong this afternoon.

He hadn't received a phone call.

We hadn't received a phone call.

It's over. He made it.

Can't begin to tell you what it feels like.

But everyone should feel this way at least once in their lives.