About a week after no contact with TA and phones glued to our sides, we were anxious to know how he was doing. Had he started the training? How’s the food? Has he made friends? What is like? Was he regretting his decision? We weren’t worried. We knew he was safe. We just wanted to know some details. On Sunday afternoon, a week after we dropped him off, we finally got a call. We were relieved to hear that he was just as excited as the day he left. His spirits were high, and his anticipation of the next thing was great. He was in a waiting or holding process on the base at Fort Benning. I believe he called it 30th AG which is the reception of recruits before basic begins. Here, they get their supplies, clothing, haircuts, and some training on site. TA was told that 30th AG could last anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks. He still wasn’t sure of the time frame of when he would officially begin basic, but he assured us that he was doing well. His decision to join the Army was continuing to be confirmed.

On this particular Sunday, recruits had been given phone time and they all sat under this huge pavilion making calls to loved ones, catching up on social media and texting friends. His head was buzzed, and he was looking more like a soldier. However, he didn’t have his official uniform on yet, so he still resembled a civilian. He told us that he was eating well, sleeping well, and having a good bit of idle time as they waited to “ship out.” They weren’t actually going anywhere, but I’ve learned the term “ship out” is used when soldiers are moving onto the next thing. He smiled a lot; told us he loved us and was praying for us each day. He even said he started a Bible study with another guy on base. He did say that many of the recruits were not enjoying the experience and were wanting to quit already. After our brief chat, he face timed his sister and dad in England, and his brother, who was at the gym. Everyone was glad to hear from him. His unexpected “hello” was a bright spot in our day!

About 4 days later, we received another face time but this time, he looked like the real deal. He was dressed in his army fatigues with patches that read U.S. Army on one side and his name on the other. He wore a cap with small symbol signifying his rank of a private. He called to let us know that he would begin basic the next day. He told us that the beginning of basic starts with something called “red phase.” This is a three-week period where he would undergo intense training to basically strip him of all civilian habits and turn him into a soldier. It sounded a bit extreme and super exhausting. Other than the fact that he had a bit of a cold due to all the vaccinations the army mandated he receive, he was still pumped for the journey ahead. We talked for a few minutes as he shared with us about guys he had met. We could hear drill sergeants yelling in the background and watched him stand in respond with a “yes drill sergeant.” We continued to remind him of our love and support and that we would be praying for him daily. He responded with, “I’ll be praying for you guys too.” We smiled with pride as we watched our young son on the other side of the screen get ready to do a really grown-up thing. I couldn’t help but look at his face and be reminded of all the times he dressed up as a child. Those days were long gone. He was now this grown man with a passion to serve and lead. We said our goodbyes knowing it would be a while before we talked again.

To my surprise, the next day while I was at school, I received a call. It was from Brooks. “Hello?” I answered. He promptly replied and asked me to get a pen and paper. He told me he was going to read me something, and I should write down the information he gives me. He was very direct and read with somewhat of an urgency. I struggled to take notes as quickly as he was giving me information. When I asked him to slow down or repeat, he just kept reading. I was somewhat panicked at this point and the notes I was taking looked more like chicken scratch than actual words. By the time the phone call ended, I was shaking and wishing I had better listening skills! I was hoping my husband had gotten a similar call and had taken better notes. He had not. We spent 20 minutes deciphering my notes the next morning and came up with something that resembled an address for sending him mail.

Since that phone call, I’ve sent 3 letters. I have no idea if they’ve made it to him because come to find out, I was a little off on the address. Just last night we received a letter from his commanding officer with the correct address. We don’t know when we will hear from him next but we are staying connected through a FB page that was also included in the letter. We saw 2 photos of him training. It was pretty cool to see him in action. For now, we wait for the next hello.