Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Heading Down!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Getting Close!
“11/4/10
OMG! Yesterday was the best day ever ever ever! I just had to say that before hi….so hi!
Ok, back to yesterday. We went to early chow b/c some of us had to go to dental which I was dreading! We still can’t get cereal and stuff but they actually give me the double rats on the hot food so it wasn’t too bad. Then 10 of us walked to dental to get our wisdom teeth out. They called everyone but me and one of the other girls from the other platoon. So we sat there for ½ hour then they told us we weren’t getting our teeth pulled! I was so relieved. Now I can have it done my way. So we walked back to the squad bay. We are still preparing for our inspection.
11/7/10
Sorry for the gap between writing…we were so busy preparing for the inspection. We cleaned everything top to bottom, had to get our uniforms all ready and make sure everything was squared away before we could do anything else. This inspection was in our service uniform; aka pickle suit. We got our red & yellow service ribbon which was cool and they already had our rank insignia on the sleeves. We didn’t find out if we passed individually but as a platoon we did.
Now that the inspection is over we get to relax until Tuesday I think. BWT is supposed to start on Monday but it’s a holiday so we have the holiday schedule – 4 extra hours of free time. There was also talk of them cancelling our final PFT and using our initial score because we don’t have time before the crucible. Time seems to be flying now.
So, its getting cold here I have no idea how. It was 80 last Friday then it dropped to like 40 on Wednesday. We still had to role our sleeves so we were all freezing! They switch over today so our sleeves went down and we can wear our sweatshirts underneath. I’m hoping it warms up again especially for next week and the crucible. Really, how does it drop 40 degrees in a matter of days!? This place is weird. I swear, I think the whole island is temperature controlled. They started serving some new food at the chow hall. For Halloween there was cornbread and now they have applesauce. I can’t wait til liberty Sunday when we can go around and get as much food as we want. Everytime I’m talking with my friends here the conversation at some point always turns to food. OK enough about food I’m getting hungry.
On Friday we got our pictures taken. We were allowed to buy makeup at the PX for the pictures. The other platoon didn’t get to wear any. We weren’t in full dress blues either. It was a white shirt that velcroed, a cropped blue jacket and cover. You’ll get to see them on family day. We also ordered our yearbooks, graduation DVD and USMC ring.
Oh! All the people that didn’t pass the rifle range had to go back last week everyday until they passed. 2 people didn’t qual so they got dropped back immediately. All their stuff was moved Fri night. The other platoon had 8 dropped for not qualing. We’re down to 58 from 61 now. Another girl hurt her ankle and is being sent home depression. I personally thing there should be at least 10 other people here that need to go home.
Also, I’m well on my way to earning a cosmetology certificate. I trimmed the ends of my hair last night and now everyone comes to me to have their hair done. I did 3 this morning plus my own and those were all new people whose hair I had never done before. I’m like the resident hair dresser. Its kind of funny but not. I have to do it all on free time.
There was something else but I can’t remember. Oh well, maybe I’ll think of it later.
How is everything going there? Is your back any better? Classes? Etc? Write back and send more pics if you can J
Love, Chelsea”
“11/8/10
Hi Logan,
I wrote you a letter yesterday but I got yours today. We can definitely go to the range sometime. Military ppl can get a membership to the ranges on base so we can go shoot the rifle or we can do skeet shooting w/ a shotgun…whatever you prefer. Its so much fun!! You’d love it too. I have one more chance to get expert during BWT. If you shoot expert you don’t get anything special except the badge. Marksman looks like a pizza box with a bullseye, sharpshooter is like a cross and the expert is cross rifles with a wreath. It does suck that they get dropped but if they get deployed and need to shoot back they’re no good to anyone. Every Marine is a rifleman so they need to learn to shoot and hit the target.
I already mentioned the inspection so I won’t repeat myself. I was hoping that girl got dropped but they decided to keep her. She just gets IT’d all the time for the rest of boot camp.
So since my other letter our Senior DI called me into her office and told me to eat more so now I have no restrictions. I can have French toast, yogurt, cereal as much bread, peanut butter, jelly and fruit as I want! I’m so happy! Tomorrow and Wednesday for lunch we get MREs. They took away all the sweet stuff and candy though but hopefully I’ll gain some weight from that. If I don’t gain my last 3 pounds I get put on grad hold until I reach that weight L
Less than one week of practice for you now… by the time you get this you’ll probably be done. It will give your back a rest too. At Thanksgiving tell everyone I said hi. I’m sure I’ll write to you before that though.
Everyone started writing their food lists for when they go home.
Oh! Today we practiced putting on our cami paint. It looked really funny. I’ll bring some home so you can use it.
T minus 24 days… probably 20 or 21 when you get this… See you soon!
Love, Chelsea”
Monday, November 8, 2010
New Letter!
New Letter!
Letter #9 To Me:
“10/31/10
Hey Logan,
It seems like forever since I’ve last written you. Last week at the rifle range was crazy. We were busy all day everyday. Early chow at 4:30, right to the rifle range to set up, shooting all morning and afternoon, time with our coaches, late evening chow then shower, and free time to clean our rifles. All the practice paid off for me. I shot a 215- 5 points away from expert! I still have table 2 (moving targets) next week where I can make up those 5 points. The 8K (about 7-8 mile) hike back wasn’t as bad as the one there. Everyone stayed together more so the people in the back didn’t have to run as much. When we got back we went right to climbing the ropes. I was one of less than 10 that were able to get to the top.
So, back to the rifle range… 29 of our 61 recruits didn’t qualify (190+ pts to qual) or onked as they call it here. So now they all need to go back this week to try and qual and if they don’t they get dropped to another platoon. The shooting was so much fun! I wish we did it more. We shot from sitting, kneeling, standing and laying down from 200, 300 and 500 yards at different targets. It’s a lot to write so I’ll tell you when I see you on family day.
Today didn’t start out as a good day at all. We went to the pit twice before breakfast and had our food rationed. No pancake, syrup, yogurt, cereal, jelly and only one piece of fruit. Why? Because one stupid girl decided to keep 2 live (unused) bullets from the rifle range and mail them home. One came back and we all got in trouble. All week we had shake downs where we emptied all our pockets and stripped down to bras & underwear so they could check that no one had any all while yelling “no brass, no trash, no saved rounds” yet she still didn’t say anything. I hope she gets dropped for it. She could have gone to jail if they called the MP’s. I don’t know how some people can be so stupid! I’m so sick of being here. I’m glad there’s only a month left.
October went by so fast. Hopefully November is the same way.
This week we are just getting ready for our company commander inspection on Saturday and do jobs around the base like mow the grass and things like that. We probably cleaned for 4-6 hours today because our squad bay has to be clean for the inspection!
I really hope they take us off this food restriction soon. I’m so hungry! It was the same at dinner and lunch. One peanut butter, no jelly, once piece of bread and one fruit. We did have baked ziti so that was good and cream of potato soup. They had corn bread but that counts as a piece of bread so I didn’t get any. I want food but I have to wait another 3 ½ weeks until the warriors breakfast and we’ll be Marines! There’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
Our drill instructors have noticeable changed also. They still yell when we do something wrong but we don’t get counted down for every little thing, shower without them standing in the doorway telling us to get out but who knows what will happen now. We had to dump all our stuff yesterday during free time so they could check that none of us had anymore rounds. They did it again this morning too. I keep telling myself Dec 3 and that I’ll make it there. I’m still living meal to meal.
That one girl who went home because her little sister died I saw in church today. She’s 2 weeks behind us & just started the rifle range. We’re now the senior Oscars. A platoon of “babies” picked up yesterday so its kind of cool being looked up to and helping them out.
Gotta go now…let me know how everything is going. Has anyone written anything on facebook or the blog? See you soon!
Love, Chelsea”