Company... Halt!

Alex is almost at the end of his training - one week from tomorrow is his Turning Blue Ceremony and the next day is Graduation!  It's been an emotional time for me, so I thought I'd take some time to take a breath and reflect on the past few months.

First off, I want to thank my family and friends for their support during this time.  I hesitated doing this blog, because I thought maybe you would not want to hear me talk about every single aspect of Alex's training or every thought and emotion that popped into my head.  But I'm a firm believer in talking about your feelings, so if nothing else, it was cathartic for me.  Yet you've all been so supportive - many of you even told me you looked forward to my next blog post, so I thank you for allowing me to indulge my Mommy neuroses.

At the beginning I worried about Alex's health and his ability to withstand such rigorous training.  I also worried about his emotional well-being; could he handle the daily mental beatings handed out by the Drill Sergeants?  But I have to say, the boy surprised me.  He not only handled it, he thrived on it!!  Each letter home was more and more positive; with each phone call, he sounded more and more confident.  I shipped a scared, worried boy off to Georgia;  I've got a confident, positive, happy young man coming home.  

Facebook has also been important to me during this time - it's been a lifeline to Fort Benning.  Three pages in particular have kept me informed and feeling close to my son: the main Fort Benning page, his platoon's page, and the page of a Bible Study group Alex attended most Monday evenings (where pictures of his smiling face were often posted!!)

His platoon's page has kept us up-to-date with what the guys have been experiencing and achieving.  I'm FB friends with some other Army moms and wives, and we've all been clinging to each and every tidbit of information.  The latest info has made me particularly proud:

11/28:  "FTX...12 miler on Saturday into the Honor Hill ceremony where the guys receive their crossed-rifles. The end is in sight."

12/3: "FTX has been pretty intense. Had to pull the company out of the field Tues morning because of a major storm. Struggled to find some open land. Got the guys out yesterday afternoon. Finished up Squad tactics and now we're moving to a urban ops sight for the end...tomorrow night is the 12 miler and Honor Hill. The finish line is close."

12/6:  "The Soldiers did an amazing job Saturday night. Everyone that started the ruck march finished. The Brigade Commander commented to the guys that it was the best ruck he had seen on Sand Hill since his command began over a year ago. The newest Infantryman in the country are now cleaning gear, resting and getting ready for the Eagle Run on Friday and Graduation next week."

So that's it - he's almost done!  What an amazing four months it's been!  It's been a growth experience for Alex, certainly.  But I feel I've grown, too.  I've found out that I can let go and be proud of the young man I've raised.

I'll probably just have one more blog post after this; I'll post my thoughts on Graduation and of course, some pictures.  Thanks again for reading!!!