1. Your Name (as you would like it to appear)
Jennifer A.

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training?
Fort Jackson, S.C.

3. When did your soldier attend basic training (please include the year)?
May-July 2010

4. How often did you hear from him (phone and letters)?
I received about 3 to 4 letters a week and a total of 4 phone calls the entire time. However, many of the other other companies received alot more phone calls, but my husband just happened to be in a very strict company who only let them call for phase changes and when they first arrived. All the families in his company never had a call longer than 5 minutes, and only received 4 calls.

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time?
About 2 days after he arrived at reception he was able to call.

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address from him?
It took about a week to get his mailing address and about 2 weeks before he recieved my first letter.

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him?
I only sent letters and he was allowed to have 5 pictures, but others sent care packages. They were not allowed to send any food, anything scented, reading material, etc.

8. When did you receive information about family day and graduation?
At about week 6 I received a graduation letter. but they had information on family day and graduation as fast as week 2 on the facebook site.

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe.
He had a family day. We were able to meet with him in the afternoon and spend the day on base with him. That was it. No special ceremonies, no show on the field, nothing like what I’ve heard other families describe. We waited in a building till the soldiers were released to families.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony.
Graduation was at Hilton field and was very moving. The only issue was that in South Carolina in July it is extremely HOT!! Everybody seemed smart and wore cool comfortable clothes, nothing dressy. It was so bad that soldier went down with heat exhaustion during the ceremony.

11. Is there a website for his unit? Did you find a place online that has pictures from his basic training?
There is a facebook site for his battalion that had updates and photos. It was nice because we were able to get updates from drill sergeants and see what they were learning while they were there.

12. Any other tips or information?
Try not to get disappointed if you don’t hear from them. Trust me they are working hard. The facebook site was a blessing and a curse for me. A blessing because I could see what he was doing and how hard he was working, but when families of other companies were understandably excited because they were getting phone calls every week for an hour, the families of our company were getting upset and resentful towards the drill sergeants. I had to keep reminding myself not to take it personal, that the drill sergeants were all different, and some felt that phone calls to home were a distraction.

1. Your Name (as you would like it to appear)

Lackey

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training?

Ft Jackson SC

3. When did your soldier attend basic training (please include the year)?

April 2010 – June 25 2010

4. How often did you hear from him (phone and letters)?

Phone calls varied if they got into trouble or not but letters were about once every other day.

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time?

I herd from him a week after leaving in reception

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address from him?

Two weeks

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him?

There were a lot, no colored or odd envelopes and DO NOT send things overnight it goes to a different post office and actually takes longer then sending it normally.

8. When did you receive information about family day and graduation?

About two or three weeks after he left

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe.

Yes, it was really hot in the month of June and not a lot to do on base ( you can not leave base with them). Bring A LOT of water and sun screen and get there EARLY. The ceremony is really short and there are a lot of places to go shopping. Just take your time and enjoy the day, it goes by quick.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony.

There ceremony is pretty quick , get there EARLY because the stands become jam packed. You Will have to walk to the other side of the field at the end to meet you solider so It does not matter where you sit.

11. Is there a website for his unit? Did you find a place online that has pictures from his basic training?

His unit had a FB page that was sooo helpful and they post picture and updates weekly.

1-61st Roadrunners

12. Any other tips or information?

Always write them , they count on your letters.

Don’t expect much , they tend to just tell you about their day

Make friends ! They are so helpful and you get to meet on graduation day ! I made many friends and two I have kept even though our other halves have gone separate ways,

Do watch what you write and post on things, you can and will get them into trouble if their DS’s read them

And always remember to keep your head up , you may feel down but it gets better !!

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear on the website): Emily

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training?

Ft Jackson, SC

3. When did he attend basic training?

Feb-April 2010

4. How often did you hear from him? (Phone and letters)

Letters: He’s not a fan of writing but he tried to write to me every few days. I averaged 2-3 letters per week

Phone: In reception he called every evening. Once they started red phase no calls until white phase and then we only got calls every few weeks. The entire BCT portion I received a total of 5 phone calls, mostly from the last few weeks.

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time?

They had him call once he got to reception

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address for him?

They had him call as he started red phase to give out their mailing address. It was a 60 second phone call and I couldn’t understand what he said so I took the information I got from him and looked at the Ft Jackson website to piece together his address. I received the first mail from him about 3 weeks after he left.

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him?

YES! They could not receive anything really except for letters, pictures and a few personal items such as band aids, cough drops, etc. I would suggest asking your soldier what you can send since even flavored cough drops were considered candy and NOT allowed. He had to do push ups for each piece of mail received, more push ups for bigger packages.

8. Were you sent information about family day and graduation?

I may have gotten a small information pamphlet in the mail but most of the information came from Facebook. His Battalion, 3-13, used Facebook to post graduation information.

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe.

Yes. It was wonderful to spend time with him. They had a short ceremony in the morning outside. At the end of the ceremony all the soldiers had to stay in formation until their family came down and found them. My husband was able to tell me where he was so I found him quickly. Other soldiers had to stand there for up to 20 minutes before their families found them. They are arranged by company A-F left to right as you’re looking at the field. Each company is arranged by platoon 1-4 left to right. I recommend taking binoculars to find them easier during the presentation. Luckily for us only half of the Battalion was graduating that week so only 3 companies were present. We had to stay on Post for all of family day but it wasn’t as crowded as usual although we saw the line for Burger King and it looked ridiculous. Someone last year recommended taking a picnic to Twin Lakes and we decided to do that. We had come from California so the night before we went to Super Walmart (about 1/2 mile outside gate 2) and picked up a tiny bbq grill, some hot dogs and other snacks (also a dollar tree store near walmart). Twin lake was beautiful. They have many picnic tables and some of the larger pavilion areas do have bbq grills though there aren’t very many of those. There are two entrances to the lake on the right side of the road. We took the second entrance and drove around to the back of the lake. Very beautiful, quiet and not crowded. We were there most of the day relaxing and picnicking. Not a whole lot to do so if you get bored easily take some books or games. We just enjoyed talking and took a nap on the grass. In the evening we went to the company dinner at the NCO club. They had a standard buffet for $7 or an upgraded buffet for around $10. We ended up doing the upgraded but all they had was some ribs, ham, rice and potato salad. No salad or anything fresh. Some of the Drill Sergeants were there meeting families so it was a great opportunity to meet them and some of my husbands buddies.  He had to be back in formation at 9:30pm at the barracks. We watched them do push ups and then they asked the families to leave for the rest of the night.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony.

There were a lot more people there for the graduation ceremony but getting in through the gates didn’t seem to take as long. I would still go early though. The graduation took longer and instead of meeting the soldiers on the field they had them march off to the far right of the field. After we were excused to go find them my husband was able to call and find me. I would definitely recommend setting up a meeting place since I never would have found him without him calling and he really wasn’t suppose to call. We went as fast as possible to his barracks to sign him out. There was already a bit of a line to sign him out when we got there and it takes awhile to get through. Basically the spouse or parent has to sign a paper with name, contact information, etc and then show driving registration or some other similar paperwork. We had a rental car so we just showed them the rental car agreement. We were switching rental cars so we were a little worried they would see our rental car agreement expired that day but they didn’t really look at it, just wanted to make sure you had something on the vehicle you were driving.

11. Is there a website for his basic training unit? Is there a place to see pictures of his training online?

Yes. Ft Jackson’s website is http://www.army.mil/info/organization/jackson/. The BCT unit pages can be found here http://www.jackson.army.mil/sites/bct/. Use the drop down menus near the top to find the unit pages. From there I was able to find his unit page. Most companies do not keep current information on their unit pages but ours updated it about every week or two. Facebook had the best information for his Battalion. I was able to find a Facebook link at the bottom of his unit page. His Battalion also used twitter, again I found it at the bottom of his unit page.  Not really any pictures of his training, but the twitter updates were fantastic!

12. Any other tips or information?

The night before family day we went on post to get the lay out and find Hilton Field. We drove through the main gate and they gave us a pass for the car. They also said for graduation you could go through any gate although the official information will tell you to go through gate 4. We did go through gate 4 in the morning and it was already backed up by 7am. We got through in plenty of time but again only 3 out of 6 companies were graduating so it was half as crowded. Definitely get there early to make sure you won’t have any problems being delayed at the gates. Make sure you take a map of Ft Jackson with you. Here’s a link to a basic map http://www.jackson.army.mil/images/cant_grad1105.pdf . On this map twin lakes recreational area is across the road from Red # 4 Heise Pond. Also the soldiers’ cell phones were locked up most of the time and they did not permanently receive them back until the day before family day.

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear on the website): Jessenia Diaz

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training? Fort Jackson, South Carolina

3. When did he attend basic training? November 18th 2009 – February 19th 2010

4. How often did you hear from him? (Phone and letters) I usually received a letter every two to three days. If I was lucky and the mail cooperated with me I received one every day. Phone calls were very seldom his platoon were always getting in trouble so their phone call privileges were taken away a lot or their Drill Sergeant would promise them a phone call and then wouldn’t give it to them.

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time? His first week which is in processing I heard from him everyday. Once he moved into the bays I heard from him every once in awhile. About every two to three weeks.

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address for him? He informed me of his mailing address as soon as he knew, which was his first week he was there.

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him? No food, candy, magazines, inappropriate photos, etc.

8. Were you sent information about family day and graduation? Yes is actually came about 3 weeks before his graduation, but I checked the website for the graduation date. I actually was the one who told my husband when it was.

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe. Yes he was given a family day, which was only an on post pass. We were fortunate that his uncle was able to get a room on base. We were able to just relax and spend time with him. We ordered pizza and watched movies. It was great! It was so much better then being out with the crowd everywhere you went was very CONGESTED.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony. The graduation ceremony was a very typical military graduation. They paraded and marched around the field, those who excelled in areas were recognized, and at the end the soldiers walked across the front of the field and were saluted by their commander. It lasted for about an hour and after that we were to meet with our solider at the far right of the field and he was free to go for an off post pass. We went off post for about half the day and then came back to his uncle’s room on base to relax and spend some more time with him. It was so much more efficient to already be on base when it was time for him to report to formation. I could just imagine the line at the gate trying to get in.

11. Is there a website for his basic training unit? Is there a place to see pictures of his training online? There is but for my husband’s particular unit they never updated the pictures or videos. The website is: http://www.jackson.army.mil/!2009_pages/iet_families/index.html

12. Any other tips or information?
· If you can try a book a room on base
· Do not wear heels not a good idea when you’re trying to run to your man on a grass/dirt field, you will just sink.
· Wear wedges or tennis
· Don’t worry about trying to visit all the different attractions on base your there to spend as much time with your soldier being with the crowd will only frustrate you.
· But definitely go to the PX and buy some cute Proud Army Wife stuff to wear when you go back home
· Do not stress this time will fly by and by time you know it you will be into his AIT Training, and then moving to your new duty station
· Write him everyday! Let him know how your day was how much you miss and love him. Send lots and lots of pictures they like to show them off
· Engulf yourself around God, family, friends, work, or a hobby to have help the time you are apart go by faster
· Last but not least know he isn’t doing this for himself, he is doing this for the future you will be able to have with each other, support him and always encourage him because he will go through an array of emotions while he is there, but once it’s done and over with you both will be able to communicate more often and see each other too.

You are an Army Wife because God chose you to stand next to that man and support him. He knows how strong you can be to get through those tough times of separation and at the end of the day you are your husband’s hero because you chose to walk with him through this journey.

1. Your name : Erin

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training? Fort Jackson, SC

3. When did he attend basic training? Jan 4 2010-March 19 2010

4. How often did you hear from him? (Phone and letters): I received about 2-3 letters a week and usually a 15-20 min phone call every Sunday

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time? About 3 weeks

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address for him? About 3 weeks

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him? I stuck to sending him just letters and pictures

8. Were you sent information about family day and graduation? His mother did.

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe. Yes, Family day was amazing. The ceremony seems a little long, especially because you want to see your soldier. Once you are released to find your solider it is crazy! Its amazing to see the change and an awesome experience to share with them. For Family Day we had to stay on post but you can find a lot to do between bowling alleys, museums, shopping, etc.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony. Graduation was great J It makes waiting those long weeks worth every second because you are sooo proud. Basically you go through a long ceremony again, go through all the companies and they are dismissed. You find your soldier and you sign them out. My fiance got an off post past but had to be back at certain time that night. Since he stayed at Fort Jackson for AIT also he got an overnight pass from Saturday afternoon – Sunday Afternoon.

11. Is there a website for his basic training unit? Is there a place to see pictures of his training online?
Yes they do have a website if you Google it, it is very easy to find. It gives you dates and pictures, etc but is rarely updated.

12. Any other tips or information?
Even though the wait is long it is all worth it! Be very supportive of your soldier he needs every bit of it.

Write as much as you can, they love to hear about what goes on at home and what your days are like, don’t forget pictures to, they love to see everyone they love back home. Just remember its only temporary and you’ll be with them soon again! Currently my fiancé is in AIT for 12 weeks. Let the countdown begin!

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear on the website):

Heather

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training?

Ft. Jackson, SC

3. When did he attend basic training?

November 3, 2009 – February 5, 2010

4. How often did you hear from him? (Phone and letters)

During reception, I was very fortunate to have heard from him as frequently as I did. I heard from him nearly every day for about an hour each day.

Once reception was over, I received one call about 3 days into official BCT to provide me with his address. After that I heard from him via phone about once a week, usually on Saturday evenings. At first it was only for 5 minutes, but towards the end it was for 15.

As far as letters, this depends largely on your soldier. My husband wrote me every day, but I had girls in the same platoon that rarely received letters.

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time?

My husband left November 3rd, and I heard from him on the 4th.

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address for him?

About a week. When he called to give me his address, he was breathing so hard from just being smoked that I couldn’t understand a word he said, ha. Luckily I called the number listed on the Ft. Jackson website and with his SS#, received his address.

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him?

He was able to send unlimited pictures and letters. In fact, with every letter I included a picture. He hung them all up in his locker and loved looking at them in his free time (his very limited free time). As far as packages, I didn’t really bother with that. It differs for each platoon what they are aloud to have, but I stuck with letters and pictures.

8. Were you sent information about family day and graduation?

Yes, I received a “Welcome to the Army” pamphlet along with a letter from the commander detailing family day/graduation around week 6.

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe.

Yes, he did and it was actually a lot of fun! I met a lot of girls on-line through Facebook that were wives of my husband’s platoon mates and it was fun to be able to meet them! You are not allowed to leave post, but there is so much to do on post, it is not a big deal. At 10am, they had a short ceremony at Hilton field and then we were able to find our soldier! We first went and got some food at Burger King. It was packed, as per usual, but it was still fun. Then we all went bowling and had a blast. After that we went to the NCO dinner, which was held at the Officer’s club. The food was decent, I would recommend going. After that we went to the PX and just hung out. The great thing about Ft. Jackson is it is typically for soldiers in BCT and AIT, so everyone that was there graduation weekend, was generally visiting a graduating soldier. The whole day we were running into his buddies as well as my friends I had been talking to on-line.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony.

Due to rainy weather, it was held inside at the Soloman Center. Since it was only big enough for 2 company’s at a time, they had to break it up. A co and B co were at 10am, C co and D co were at 11am and E co and F co were at 12pm. The ceremony itself lasted about 15 minutes. They handed out awards. Four for each company (highest PT score, highest marksmanship score, and two soldier of the cycle). Then they recited the soldier’s creed, sang the Army song, and that was it! We then had to find our soldiers, sign them out, and we immediately left for Ft. Benning!

11. Is there a website for his basic training unit? Is there a place to see pictures of his training online?

Yes. I would highly recommend you get on Facebook and do several searches for “Ft. Jackson, his battalion, etc.” My husband was fortunate enough to be in 3-13. Their Battalion Commander was incredible. His wife led a Facebook  page called, “3-13 BCT”. Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/3-13-BCT/185234698977?ref=ts It was an amazing support group for me. Any question I had, I would always find the answer, either from another girl, or from the Commander’s wife herself.

Also, the Battalion Commander led a twitter page, http://twitter.com/313Infantry. He frequently made updates on what each company was doing and I constantly knew what was going on.

Also, their Chaplain took pictures of all the company’s and posted them on-line for us! http://www.chaplainmorrison.com/ I have at least 20 pictures of my husband from while he was in BCT.

12. Any other tips or information?

For family day/graduation, I would dress for the weather, but dress comfortable. Our graduation was in February, and we all wore jeans, a cute shirt, and boots. Also, on Friday, don’t forget to wear a red shirt! http://www.redshirtfridays.org/.

In my opinion, BCT is for the wives too! I have become so much stronger after BCT and have become more prepared for when he is deployed. The best advice I can give is learn to be flexible, never expect anything, and always remain positive! Never blame your soldier for not writing or calling, they are going through so much and each soldier handles the stress differently.

Also, realize that you are constantly from this moment on representing your soldier. Do not post things on-line that would get your soldier in trouble or make this time harder for them. There was a girl in my husband’s battalion that posted something negative that her husband had said in a letter than went against the Army core values that got him dishonorably discharged from the Army! So keep in mind that the cadre do have Facebook, too.

If you are permitted, I would also recommend that you drive your soldier to their next training. My husband went to OCS and I didn’t have to turn him in until the next day at midnight! Check his/her orders and see when they need to report. Good luck and stay busy!