I discovered that the fourth platoon was given phone privileges following their PT test-- based on those results and the BRM results, they were given a 36 hour pass for family day (or not).
The following is snippets from the timed 15 min. phone conversation.
Josiah passed his PT test and received a 36 hour pass. This may be revoked at any time for any reason by the DS. But, Josiah wants his own room at the motel and his laptop so he can skype all of his friends and family that will not be present during family day (and still make it possible for his mom to get some sleep :)
Josiah may not be driving back with us from graduation in October because he does not want to spend nine-ten hours in the car for his ten-fourteen day break and the Army will pay for a plane flight. Details on this front will be dealt with at the Family Day.
He will not be going to California for any of his break time.
He is going to get to work with a grenade launcher soon. He said the specifics about the launcher but I did not follow all of it and it was hurried, broken up communication.
He sounds good.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Letter dated August 22, 2010
Notes from editor: This was received the afternoon of his PT test referenced below. Maybe pray extra for the next one? The comment at the end is for a friend/mentor, Terry, but you can apply it if you like :)
The back of the envelope said, "Send NO food." after I sent beef jerky. So, that is a lesson for mom--do not send electronics, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, cookies or any food. Maybe they need toilet paper?
Letter from Josiah--
8/22
Sorry I have not been able to write.
Before I tell you what I have been up to, for anyone who wants to see a picture of me weekly--Facebook and use the search to look for SFT 15. There should be a group for the 1-50 Bible studies.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Benning-GA/SFT-150/114165781969294?ref=search#!/photo.php?pid=126679&id=114165781969294&ref=fbx_album
In other news, I got a 29 on the BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). That is a good score but not amazing.
The two biggest things I need to ask prayer about is
*PT (Physical Training) test this Wednesday.
*The next request requires some background--The 1-50 battalion is made of six companies: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Echo, Delta, and Foxtrot (Me!). Each company has four platoons: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (Me!). The platoons have 45-55 people in them and each are made up of four squads: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (Me, yet again!).
This week our Drill Sargent fired our Squad Leader and he appointed me as the squad leader. It might sound fun and cool, but really, all it means is that I have to keep an eye on 11 other people and myself and make sure they stay out of trouble. It has been very stressful and I have no experience with anything like it. Please be praying for me.
Oh, and here is one of the targets I shot.
I also want Jonathan to send me a report on the IED that I told him about.
Love you all. Looking forward to graduation and family day!
Josiah A Wallis
"William"
P.S. Tell Terry that I got his letter and the Drill Sargent did not do anything. Better luck by sending a love letter with writing and lipstick on the outside.
The back of the envelope said, "Send NO food." after I sent beef jerky. So, that is a lesson for mom--do not send electronics, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, cookies or any food. Maybe they need toilet paper?
Letter from Josiah--
8/22
Sorry I have not been able to write.
Before I tell you what I have been up to, for anyone who wants to see a picture of me weekly--Facebook and use the search to look for SFT 15. There should be a group for the 1-50 Bible studies.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Benning-GA/SFT-150/114165781969294?ref=search#!/photo.php?pid=126679&id=114165781969294&ref=fbx_album
In other news, I got a 29 on the BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). That is a good score but not amazing.
The two biggest things I need to ask prayer about is
*PT (Physical Training) test this Wednesday.
*The next request requires some background--The 1-50 battalion is made of six companies: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Echo, Delta, and Foxtrot (Me!). Each company has four platoons: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (Me!). The platoons have 45-55 people in them and each are made up of four squads: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th (Me, yet again!).
This week our Drill Sargent fired our Squad Leader and he appointed me as the squad leader. It might sound fun and cool, but really, all it means is that I have to keep an eye on 11 other people and myself and make sure they stay out of trouble. It has been very stressful and I have no experience with anything like it. Please be praying for me.
Oh, and here is one of the targets I shot.
I also want Jonathan to send me a report on the IED that I told him about.
Love you all. Looking forward to graduation and family day!
Josiah A Wallis
"William"
P.S. Tell Terry that I got his letter and the Drill Sargent did not do anything. Better luck by sending a love letter with writing and lipstick on the outside.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
No news is good news?
We did not hear from Josiah at all last week--no phone call and no letters. Maybe they all got in trouble and their restrictions were increased? Or maybe no news is good news.
I am still hoping for a phone call today. I am missing those letters.
I am still hoping for a phone call today. I am missing those letters.
Friday, August 13, 2010
More free time, can you tell?
August 10th
If you can't tell, I have been getting more free time of late. But before I tell you more, I need to know, Mom, how you are planning to get down here for family day? The reason is someone else here has family, that cannot fly, in Louisville that wants to come down for family day. So he asked me to ask you if you were planning to drive.
Other than that, BRM has been great. Shooting every day has been fun. The day usually goes like this:
0415-wake up, cleaning and getting ready for the day until 0530
0530-0700 PT
0700-0715 Change clothes
0715-0800 Going and getting food
0800-0830 finish getting ready for the day
0830-0900 Getting to the buses.
If you can't tell, I have been getting more free time of late. But before I tell you more, I need to know, Mom, how you are planning to get down here for family day? The reason is someone else here has family, that cannot fly, in Louisville that wants to come down for family day. So he asked me to ask you if you were planning to drive.
Other than that, BRM has been great. Shooting every day has been fun. The day usually goes like this:
0415-wake up, cleaning and getting ready for the day until 0530
0530-0700 PT
0700-0715 Change clothes
0715-0800 Going and getting food
0800-0830 finish getting ready for the day
0830-0900 Getting to the buses.
0900-1600 Getting to the range, start shooting, eat MREs for lunch (good!), keep shooting and weapon drills, get back
1600-1900 Settle down for the day, get ready for the next day, have time to ourselves (if we are lucky and have been good)
2100-Lights out
REPEAT
Looking forward to this Saturday. Going to the Infantry Museum! Supposed to be cool.
Josiah A. Wallis
Josiah "William" A. Wallis
P.S. thanks for the pictures of muttly, hope she gets better (editor's note--our dog, Mysterie, aka "muttly", injured her leg)
1600-1900 Settle down for the day, get ready for the next day, have time to ourselves (if we are lucky and have been good)
2100-Lights out
REPEAT
Looking forward to this Saturday. Going to the Infantry Museum! Supposed to be cool.
Josiah A. Wallis
Josiah "William" A. Wallis
P.S. thanks for the pictures of muttly, hope she gets better (editor's note--our dog, Mysterie, aka "muttly", injured her leg)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dated August 8th: Letter from Josiah
(Clarifications are added by Mom, the editor, to clarify things for other readers)
Just got off the phone with you guys. Glad I was able to call. Oh, and one thing I forgot to tell you, please tell Terry (Josiah's friend) that I really, REALLY want him to come to my graduation, if he can.
This week we started BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). We worked in grouping shots and zeroing our weapons. The 5.5 Ground has more power and kick then the .223 that we shot with John (another friend who would take our family shooting).
Other than that: PT (Physical Training) every day, three meals a day--one at the DEFAC (someone else will need to help the editor with that one), one MRE (meals ready to eat) which are better than I thought they would be, and the last one we either go to the DEFAC or bring food from the DEFAC to us.
Where I am living, Sand Hill, is like everything in the Army. It is named for a reason. It is a hill made of sand. And to top it off, no pun intended, we live at the very top of the hill. So, wherever we go is downhill, and when we come back it is all uphill.
We have also had some amazing rain in the area. Kentucky has nothing on Georgia rain.
Hoping to get a ton of letters. Can't wait to see you all again.
Josiah A. Wallis
P.S. Please send me return address labels. That would be a lifesaver. (This was probably intended for his immediate family but if you are writing and include your own address label, you might get a letter from him--never know!).
Just got off the phone with you guys. Glad I was able to call. Oh, and one thing I forgot to tell you, please tell Terry (Josiah's friend) that I really, REALLY want him to come to my graduation, if he can.
This week we started BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). We worked in grouping shots and zeroing our weapons. The 5.5 Ground has more power and kick then the .223 that we shot with John (another friend who would take our family shooting).
Other than that: PT (Physical Training) every day, three meals a day--one at the DEFAC (someone else will need to help the editor with that one), one MRE (meals ready to eat) which are better than I thought they would be, and the last one we either go to the DEFAC or bring food from the DEFAC to us.
Where I am living, Sand Hill, is like everything in the Army. It is named for a reason. It is a hill made of sand. And to top it off, no pun intended, we live at the very top of the hill. So, wherever we go is downhill, and when we come back it is all uphill.
We have also had some amazing rain in the area. Kentucky has nothing on Georgia rain.
Hoping to get a ton of letters. Can't wait to see you all again.
Josiah A. Wallis
P.S. Please send me return address labels. That would be a lifesaver. (This was probably intended for his immediate family but if you are writing and include your own address label, you might get a letter from him--never know!).
Monday, August 9, 2010
15 min Phone Call!
Yes! After an absence of letters this week, our family received a 15 min. call from Josiah. They are given a few more privileges. Phew! Here are some notes from the call:
- PLEAD for photographs of family and friends. He said these were the things that seemed to speak most to his heart when he needed to keep going. Send to this address:
#451 PFC Wallis, Josiah
F Co., 1-50th IN
9877 Second Armored Division Road Bldg. 3585
Fort Benning, GA 31905-5919
F Co., 1-50th IN
9877 Second Armored Division Road Bldg. 3585
Fort Benning, GA 31905-5919
- Asked his dad for a list of verses relating to specific topics (trinity, sexual purity, Jesus is God) as other soldiers are searching and inquiring.
- Cleared up some difficulties we were having with postage and his access to his bank account.
- This entire month's focus is Basic Rifle Marksmanship. Kind of important, I guess :)
- He is loving what he is doing but it is extremely challenging mentally.
- He has the best Drill Sargent.
- He won a competition and was awarded some of the cookies I sent weeks ago.
- Verified that I was coming for the Family Pass Day (over Labor Day) and requested I bring cookies and his laptop.
- Church on the base continues to be a highlight of the week.
- His Drill Sargent says that he has never met anyone who is a committed Christian and been homeschooled his entire life, but the D.S. thinks Josiah has turned out okay.
- Unless the Army changes its mind, he will be deployed to Fort Drum on the northern border of New York (got to protect the USA from Canada :) after his graduation Oct. 15th and some leave time.
- He promises to take Timothy (his older brother) down in a wrestling match.
- His nickname is "William" due to the association with Wallis and Braveheart.
- Please, please, please send pictures.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Another letter
Jul 28
Good week so far. We did land navigation yesterday and repelling today (my hands and neck look like a lobster).
Next week we start BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship)!!! All of next month (August) will be shooting! Also this week we hopefully will be coming out of red phase. This would make life easier because the DS (Drill Sargent) would not be riding us as much.
The days are going by fast. i can't wait to see you all again.
Josiah A Wallis
Good week so far. We did land navigation yesterday and repelling today (my hands and neck look like a lobster).
Next week we start BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship)!!! All of next month (August) will be shooting! Also this week we hopefully will be coming out of red phase. This would make life easier because the DS (Drill Sargent) would not be riding us as much.
The days are going by fast. i can't wait to see you all again.
Josiah A Wallis
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