Entering Field Training (FTX)

I heard that the platoon our son is in will be entering their Field Training Exercise today. Since they are strict infantry, this phase will last 6 days and will test all of their months of work gaining skills and physical fitness as well as teamwork within combat situations. It is an opportunity to put everything to the test. This means we will not be getting any phone calls for the next six days however, maybe, a letter is on its way?


Here is a description I found on another website (though this group only had a 3 day FTX.


All of the knowledge you gather throughout basic training will culminate to a 3-day field training exercise (FTX), which combines all previously taught basic combat skills.  During this FTX, you will complete teamwork exercises and missions.  The last night includes the night infiltration course.  During the night infiltration course you will learn to shoot your weapon at night.  If you have never seen a tracer bullet, pop a star wars movie into your DVD player.  This exercise was my personal favorite in the entire 9-weeks of basic training.  Not only is this exercise neat to watch, but it also gives you tremendous confidence in your weapon. 

Letter from Commanding Officer

Today we received the Commander's letter stating his congratulations on our soldier's pending completion of Initial Entry Training.

Anyone may attend these events (of course, we will be there):


14 October 2010, 10:00 AM Blue Cord Ceremony with a Family Day Pass (Blue Cord is only for infantry men and is worn on their dress uniforms).

14 October 2010, 7:00 PM Recall Formation

15 October 2010, 10:00 AM Graduation Ceremony
15 October 2010, 11:30 AM Soldiers Released


Parental Note--We are planning to drive back after the ceremony. We will have an OPEN HOUSE, Sunday, October 17. 2010 from 2PM to 8PM. Snacks available. Potluck Dinner at 6PM followed by a short devotional and prayer time. We would love to see you anytime for however long you can visit with our soldier.

Saturday Evening Phone Call

We were so grateful for a phone call from Josiah this past Saturday.

He said that it was quite hard to return to the base after Family Day but the Drill Sargents made sure they were whipped back into shape :)

His squad has changed as there are men who have been in the Army, but not the infantry, who joined them for this Advanced Training. This has improved their particular squad and has resulted in Josiah no longer being the squad leader which is fine with him.

He told us not expect to hear from him for awhile now as they will be doing CQB (Which means Close Quarters Battles --think Urban Warfare) and then many field exercises (Camping with guns) as well as their harder marches.

He is doing quite well and all the soldiers are counting the days til graduation.

Trevor and Jonathan also spent time talking with him but I do not know the particulars of their conversations.

We did arrange for him to receive some "mushy" letters with scribblings on the back for the DS to read but what happened is the DS read the back of the envelope before seeing the front and when he flipped it, he was so surprised it was for "Wallis" that nothing came of it. BTW--the letter was from our dog, Mysterie, and another from a family from Tennessee--just having fun with him.

Black Phase

Understanding of the AIT (Advanced Infantry Training or Advanced Individualized Training) is increasing as I compare the Army's literature and the reports given by those who have done this training.

Josiah and his battle buddy told me what they were expecting and the Captain, at Family Day, told us what to expect but the actual events will probably prove those expectations wrong.

I think this is part of the training: We say things are going to be easier but they are actually going to be harder and you thought the DS were everywhere before, you will now see them when you sleep (or don't sleep).

As our mailbox remains empty and our phone quiet, it is good to know that our son is being watched every minute :) Less need to worry on our part, right? Or rather, more need to pray.

I do know that they will be having field days/overnights: "Camping with Guns" and extended ruck marches with heavier packs to carry (but still not up to the par of the our soldiers in Afghanistan who carry 65 lbs). More physical training and getting used to doing without and cleaning that which you thought was already clean (I think they should all be required to have a DS inspect their bedrooms).

But at the end of the Black Phase, comes the Turning Blue Ceremony and the Graduation Ceremony (Oct. 14th and 15th). We are planning an Open House on Sunday, October 17th and look forward to celebrating with all of you prayer warriors what God has done to and through Josiah.

36 Hour Pass and Family Day (final installment)

The most treasured times with Josiah were in watching him interact with others and the time he set aside for me to share some thoughts and reflections. Here are little snippets of watching the character and spiritual aspects of my son:

• There was an anticipation that a Drill Sargent would walk into any public place we visited. Never really at ease unless behind a locked door. It is not really a bad attitude. God tells us to be ever vigilant and watchful. Do Drill Sargents have other lives?

• "Yes, Mam." "No, thank you, Sir." "Please, Mam." "Excuse me, Sir." The courtesy was well ingrained, natural, and respectful to ALL. As often as was reasonable, doors were opened or held open for others. These soldiers were just quite mindful of other people.

• Josiah wanted me to go to the Soldier's Chapel with him on Sunday but was willing to defer to me if I wanted to go someplace else. I loved going to a spot that has blessed him so much. By his initiative, Josiah escorted me into the chapel. Sadly, his favorite chaplain wasn't around but the service was a blessing and filled beyond capacity.

• Josiah said he had only one opportunity to go to a civilian place (hospital) while in Boot Camp and then he noticed that things were different--or maybe he was different. He was unsure how to explain it until we visited a food court in a mall. "Mom, it is like people are just kind of wandering. Everything we do in Boot Camp has a purpose and every minute is filled. In Civilian life there is more wandering."

• He shared with me the opportunities he has had to share Christ with others, of how he cannot initiate the conversation but he can answer any questions people ask about God. He has found it a stretching and reinforcing of his faith experience. He also felt the importance of being ready in season and out of season.

• Though there is little time to read or study the Word, he shared ways that God allowed him to meditate on His Word and His Character. Some of what they do in Boot Camp is tedious (marching for hours, cleaning, etc . . .) and he can pray during this time or meditate on God. When he was learning the correct breathing for distance running, he discovered that he could sing, "Our God is an Awesome God" for the correct cadence.

• My observation is that I saw in Josiah a seriousness and purposefulness that was not present before he left for Boot Camp. Yes, he can still have fun, but it was obvious that he tackled, with God's strength, things that were hard and he accomplished them. He stayed the course and, by his own admission, he has drawn closer to God.

An Encouraging Letter from Josiah

9/8/10

Happy B-Day, Jonathan! Hope you had a good and fun day! I will get you something nice when I get back . . .something we can do together.

It has been ok since Family Day, hard but that is to be expected. People in my platoon are still as crazy as ever.

Today we had a PT (Physical Training) test and I did well. I ran 2 miles in 13:27 (perfect being 13 min or less) and sit ups being at 69 (78 is perfect), and 44 push ups (just passable). Editor's note: sit ups and push ups are timed.

One the 2 mile, I ran the first mile in 5:30. Only one PT test left in about 2 weeks.

I really enjoyed and got a lot done on Family Day. I can't wait to see you guys again at graduation. I also can't wait to find out what everyone has been up to.

In this next week we have CQB training (Editor--your guess is as good as mine), ten and twelve mile ruck marches (this is marching with a backpack), and Field Training (the Captain describes this as camping with guns). After that we are done!! Then two weeks of nothing til I can come home. (Editor--the "nothing" is lots of cleaning and turning items in and de-processing and hurrying and waiting).

Josiah "William" A Wallis

Mom keeps learning about Boot Camp (Part 3)

I am missing my son. Great time with him for Family Day. Here I share some more thoughts regarding time with Josiah, Wheeler, and their time at Boot Camp in Fort Benning, Georgia.

• I had the mistaken notion that all of their needs were taken care of while they were in training. They have to provide their own hygiene items and many of their medical supplies (like moleskin for all the blisters they get on their feet). Someone from their squad gets to go to the PX once every two weeks to make purchases for their group. Of course, on the 36 hour pass we made a stop to get running shoes, baby wipes (for field showers and gun cleaning), toothpaste, soap, ziploc bags and a few similar items. A good thing to remember in the for my soldier as well as other soldiers.

• The soldiers typically carry their Camelback water pouches. Water is greatly enforced during training. When without their Camelbacks, they have 12 ounce canteens and are taught to guzzle the water when they have opportunity to hydrate.  Ft. Benning has at least two deaths a year due to dehydration. Josiah and Wheeler said they are much more aware of when they are thirsty than they have been in the past.

•  I found out that hand sanitizer (another item they are required to carry) serves another purpose. If you squirt some on your hands and breath in the fumes it helps you wake up during some tedious training/lecturing. Some college students may want to implement this.

• A few soldiers can't make the cuts and are dismissed from the training; some injured soldiers are rotated back into a week of training with a new group after healing; most of the ones who leave do because they don't want to continue.

• The Captain was brave enough to inform the families of the Gas Chambers and actually show a picture of a soldier leaving the chambers. I will leave the image up to your imagination. They are forced to do certain tasks in this chamber while inhaling the gas. I am going to research and see if I can find out what this gas is, but do I really want to know? Anyway, I suppose it makes sense to train for this sort of thing, but it is not something a mom likes to hear someone is doing to her child.

• Josiah's Battle Buddy, Wheeler, told me that I had better just call him Wheeler (after I asked his first name) because that is all he has answered to for the past nine weeks and was not sure he would respond to his first name.

•  Wheeler informed his girlfriend, Nicole, in a phone conversation that there were NO girls at Ft. Benning unless you count the old lunch ladies!

Things learned on a 36 hour military pass (Part 2)

Bet you caught the (Part 2) so you know that this is the second installment of things I learned while spending time with Josiah and his battle buddy while I visited them in Georgia.

• The first time I asked a question that required a decision, "What do you want to do off base?" resulted in the deer-in-the-headlights look. "Decision, you want us to make a decision?" We laughed at the fact that for the past nine weeks all of their decisions were made for them. We ended up taking turns making decisions.

• First decision was almost whispered from the backseat, "Mam, do you think we could stop to get some coffee?". Coffee was not allowed for these new recruits. I thought the Army ran on coffee. Yes, we stopped for coffee. Starbucks-- because they did not want to be tempted by Krispy Kremes or Dunkin Donuts.

•  The most important luxury was being able to eat at a leisurely pace. In the Army food is more inhaled than eaten.

• Josiah casually mentions a trip to the civilian's hospital. After I heard why he brought this up in the conversation, my motherly instincts took over to discover why he was in a hospital at all! His boots were causing foot issues and he had to get some special insoles. Phew!

•  They did want a few special treats but they were also cautious about the impact of of those sweets. They were very selective.

• Josiah developed so many blisters on his feet that the other members of his platoon always knew he would have some moleskin available. They went through rolls of moleskin and Josiah's blisters became infected. I learned this valuable fact because I noticed Josiah taking some medicine.

• The closest I heard to a complaint was the difficulty they had in resolving some financial affairs because they did not have the information they needed and the sargents did not help them.

• Showing before and after pictures to them was a shock. They honestly had not realized their bodies had changed so much. Here are some pictures of Josiah. What do you think?

the Things I learned on a 36 Hour Pass (Part One)

Between the completion of Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training, most of Foxtrot Company enjoyed a time off base with family. Here are a few motherly musings related to the time. The memory mistakes are all my fault if Josiah checks it for accuracy.

On General Military Topics

• 36 hours military time equals 30 hours civilian time; Time warp whenever a soldier is off base.
• An eight mile march carrying 35 lbs is equivalent to twelve mile march carrying 42 lbs.
• Past soldiers carried quarters for pay phones; now they use cell phones and check facebook.
• When military buses are driven by civilians, everyone has to have a seat. This is a good thing.
• Military driving buses can pack soldiers tightly; But they also can deliver to barrack's front door
• Store everything in ziploc bags when dealing with sweaty soldiers and Georgia humidity to avoid the growth of alien species.
• Baby wipes and q-tips are used for gun cleaning; Baby wipes are also "showers" on the field.
• Past military misconduct resulted in 2 year absence of overnight passes for Foxtrot.
• Past indiscretion resulted in a non-allowance of any Public Displays of Affection on the base--even when greeting your son.