Update from Fort Leonard Wood

It's been almost a month since David graduated from Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton, CA and moved to Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He is training to be a Engineering Equipment Operator (MOS 1345 for those of you who know Marine-speak.) The good news is he has rejoined the world of cell phones and Internet, so we are able to keep in touch without getting writer's cramp or licking stamps. However, Fort Leonard Wood is in the heart of the Ozarks where it is hot, buggy, and it appears that wi-fi is non-existent. Hannah and I took a trip down to see him. Just a bit of advice: Ignore Mapquest if you want to make the trip. It directs you onto roads like this.

We had better luck using a good old paper map on the way home. The other thing that put a damper on the visit was this.

You could have fried an egg on the hood of the car! It was brutal! The base (which was beautiful, by the way) looked almost abandoned as everyone stayed indoors to escape the heat. As David squared away his room on Saturday, Hannah and I kept cool in the museum, which is definitely worth visiting.

From David's perspective, Fort Leonard Wood is a bit of a let down. He has more down time now, and less to do with it than he had on the beaches of the Pacific ocean. FLW is remote. There are a few things to do on base, but the closest town, St. Robert, doesn't offer much other than a few restaurants, a bunch of hotels, and a Walmart. It's a joke among the soldiers that the most exciting things around are the strip clubs, tatoo parlors, and Walmart. Thankfully, David has only been to one of those three! No tatoos yet (that I know of!)

Training is hot, dirty, and boring. Hurry up and wait is another Marine mantra, and there is lots of waiting. Waiting for training to begin, waiting his turn to drive the machine of the week, sitting in classroom sessions. Coming out of boot camp and MCT where it was non-stop action 24/7, it's hard to make the adjustment. David was glad to have his Playstation3 to help with the downtime. It's easy to see how some of these young men could get into trouble without the structure they had in boot camp, and many get a bit depressed.

On the positive side, there are only seven guys in David's MOS class. That means lots of attention by the instructors (which can be a bad thing if one happens to be a former drill instructor!) and more practice time than usual. If it weren't so blasted hot, David says he would love driving the big rigs.

So keep this young Marine in your prayers. He will graduate on September 7. After that he will be assigned to his permanent duty station. He has requested to go back to the west coast, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Boot Camp Graduation, Leave, and Back Again

I've been procrastinating on writing this post. A blog post is not supposed to be a dissertation or lengthy exposé. I've read some of those, and they are usually only interesting to the author. So in the words of Inigo Montoya (Princess Bride - 1987),

Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

Al and I traveled to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for David's graduation from boot camp on May 11. We stayed at Depot Billeting (temporary housing that they open to families during graduation weeks.) I would highly recommend it, not because of the posh accomodations (they aren't) but because we experienced so much more than we could have otherwise. We caught our first glimpse of Bravo Company on Wednesday evening. Just knowing that David was somewhere in the midst of that 300+ strong group of men was exciting. We were almost the only civilians wandering around the base and were able to get some great photos without the throngs of people who arrived on Thursday.

Thursday was Family Day. It began with the traditional Motivational Run (a.k.a. Moto Run.) The new Marines ran 4 miles in perfect cadence while family and friends lined the parade deck and cheered them on. It was our first glimpse of David. He looked serious and strong. Later that morning the company was dismissed for 6 precious hours of on-base liberty, during which we spent some of the most enjoyable hours of my entire life with our new Marine. We heard boot camp stories, went shopping at the PX, ate lunch AND dinner (man, that boy can eat!), spent an hour or so in our room while he made phone calls to friends and siblings, and toured the base. As we watched him walk back to his barracks for the last night of boot camp, we knew that our little boy had turned into a man.

Graduation Day was non-stop pomp and circumstance. Three months of drill practice displayed itself in perfect precision as Platoon 1029 led the company onto the Parade Deck. The MCRD Marine Corps Marching Band provided the perfect patriotic atmosphere.

There are simply no words for the emotions. Pride, yes, but inching very close to Awe. Intense patriotism. Gratitude - for the Drill Instructors who performed near miracles in the lives of these young recruits, and to God for guarding their safety. Humility - in witnessing such tradition and symbolism we became somberly aware that the Marine Corps is something far bigger than the sum of the soldiers that comprise it. Camaraderie - we were welcomed over and over into the Marine Family - and we felt it.Other parents and spouses became instant friends.

There are rare days in the course of life that are so perfect they make all of the other ordinary, mundane, and even miserable days worth it. These were two such days. And then we took Pvt. David J Miedema home for 10 days of well-deserved leave.

Someday, when you see David, ask him to tell you about:

• 3 a.m. firewatch
• Packing into the 'rain room' in their tighty whities
• Sick bay
• Getting IT'd
• The correct posture for eating
• Countdowns
• Being 'fired' from managing the 'whisky closet'
• Climbing the Reaper
• 60 second showers
• The gas chamber
• Shirt stays
• A trip to the hospital after completing the Crucible (fortunately, no body parts were lost)

I'm sure those are the mom-friendly stories, but they were enough for me to know that boot camp is a life-changing experience and that it is absolutely true that every Marine remembers the names of his Drill Instructors to his dying day.

David is back at Camp Pendleton California for Marine Combat Training. He will be there until June 19, when he will go to his assigned Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he will be trained to be an Engineer Equipment Operator.

There is much more to tell, but I will let the photos do the talking.

Platoon 1029 practicing drill

Family Day - Moto Run

Liberty Formation

Sgt. Ric Jackson

Back to the barracks for the last time.

Graduation formation.

Sea bags at the ready

Pvt. David J. Miedema, USMC

Ooh-Rah!

I just received word that David has completed the 56 hour long Crucible, and is now officially a United States Marine. Ooh-Rah!

In case you were wondering about the strange battle cry that is one of many words I have learned since becoming a Marine mom, I thing this definition sums it up well:

Ooh-rah comes from the places in our hearts that only Marines understand. It is conceived in sweat, nurtured with drill. It is raw determination and gut-wrenching courage in the face of adversity. It is a concern for fellow Marines embodied by selfless acts of heroism. It cannot be administrated. It is not planned and put into action. It cannot be manufactured. Ooh-rah must be purchased. Ooh-rah is Marine.

Where's David?

Do you remember the books titled "Where's Waldo?" It always took me half the day to find Waldo in those pictures. Well, it took me about as long to find David in this video. See if you can find him. I watched this video 4 times and couldn't find him. I was convinced that they had mislabeled the videos. Finally, I asked Al to watch it. He spotted David right away. What kind of pathetic mother am I? In an attempt to reassure myself that I had not forgotten my own flesh and blood, I asked Hannah to find him. Yep, she spotted him instantly. She said the ears were a dead giveaway.

In case you're not sure, David is at 39 seconds, or 3rd row down, 5th from the left. Don't they all look like they are about 12 years old? 

On Being the Mother of a Marine

I wear no uniform; no dress blues, no cammie greens,

but I AM in the military among the ranks rarely seen.

I have no stripes upon my shoulder and salutes I do not give.

But the military is the world in which I live;

I am the PROUD MOM of a US MARINE!

"Ain't nothin' tougher than a Marine, 'cept his Mama."

  

Even though David won't officially be a Marine until the completion of his Crucible in a little over a week, I'm starting to feel like I'm the mother of a Marine. I'm sure I don't yet understand all that means, but I do suspect it includes learning how to handle new emotions.

Hannah and I went to see a  movie last night, and before the previews we were treated to this.



I was caught off guard by an instant attack of leaking eyeballs. It didn't seem to have that effect on anyone else in the packed theater, and I could tell that Hannah desperately wanted to move somewhere far away from me. So this must be what it means to be the mother of a Marine. I couldn't quite tell if it was pride, or fear, or missing my boy, or the fact that I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before.

Guess I'd better keep a pack of kleenex in my purse at all times.

Letters from Boot Camp - Episode 4

This week we received two letters in two days, but they were written a week apart. Which just underscores the unpredictable nature of boot camp communication. I sense that David is feeling more confidence, but is also getting eager for this phase of his career to be completed. In just under 4 weeks we will be attending his graduation. I can't wait!

Here are this weeks' highlights:



April 3
I'm going to have to make this one short. I am currently sitting on the toilet, which we now have to call the "s***ter." We got our mail late tonight so our SDI said we could read our letters and write as long as we did it in the "head," which is what we call the bathroom. Just about everything has a different name here at the Depot. a pen is an ink stick; a tooth brush is a fang brush; a door is a hatch; the floor is the deck; our running shoes are go-fasters. The list goes on and on.  

It is crazy to think that in just a few weeks I will get to see you! I have come a long way, but still have a lot ahead of me. I'm not too worried about any of our final PT events or our final exams, but I'm dreading the Crucible. While we have been here at Camp Pendleton, we've seen two companies complete their Crucibles.

I think I have changed my mind about staying in San Diego for a few days after graduation. I really just want to get home ASAP. By the time I graduate I think I will have spent enough time in San Diego! Oh, and don't worry, I already ordered photos and a DVD of our graduation as well as a yearbook. I ordered about 30 wallets to give away to the ladies! If there are any left after that I might let you guys have a couple.  

My final rifle score on Table 1 and Table 2 was 334 out of 350. I think I shot 3rd highest in my Platoon and I was probably in the top 10 for the company. So I feel pretty good about that. The guy who got Company Marksman shot a 340 so I wasn't too far off. So when you see me in my uniform looking all snazzy I will have those cross rifles (rifle expert badge) pinned on my chest.

Tomorrow we go out to the field for 4 days and we are staying in "hooches" which are little janky tents we set up. So I won't be getting any mail those days.

April 8th - Easter Sunday
So this is my very first Easter Sunday away from my family. I miss you guys a lot! I also miss all the candy! I would kill for a box of Peeps right now. I am currently sitting on top of my main pack waiting to go back to San Diego from Camp P. 

We just got back from the field on Friday and those two days totally sucked! It was super cold, we got super dirty and muddy and we didn't get to change or take showers. But we did learn a lot of useful stuff like how to read a military map and how to navigate with a compass. We did a day and night navigation test. My fire team passed with flying colors. 

Yesterday we had our initial Combat Fitness Test (CFT). I did alright, but I felt like I could have done much better. Our goal as a platoon was to get 100 ammo can lifts on that portion of the test, and a lot of guys didn't do that - me being one of them. The Senior got really mad so he wouldn't give me permission to take a poop all day (we have to ask permission to take a poop or we get in trouble.) So I had to sneak off to take a dump! 

I hope all is going well on the home front. I love you all. Keep praying for me!

David.

Letters from Bootcamp - Episode 3

On Thursday I got the Best Birthday Present.
Ever.



















The Letters from Bootcamp have been few and far between lately. And that's OK. For the past 3 weeks David has been in Phase 2 of Marine Bootcamp, and he has been at Camp Pendleton about an hour north of San Diego. Besides the Crucible, which takes place the week before graduation, Phase 2 is the most intense part of bootcamp. Letters are written a sentence at a time over several days or even weeks during the 5 minutes of "square away time" the recruits get each day.  I'll let David tell you about it. But first, during the last episode David mentioned that he was sick. He did eventually go to sick bay and was diagnosed with bronchitis. As you can imagine, when one recruit gets ill it spreads quickly through the barracks. After some antibiotics, he has been feeling much better and didn't miss a beat. Thanks for the prayers. Now here are some excerpts from a couple of recent letters:

March 15th
Right now I am writing to you from our squad bay at Camp Pendleton. We just got done moving in and now we are on our square away time. We have only been here for about 6 hours and I can already tell things are going to be a lot different around here. They say that Marines are made at Camp Pendleton in 2nd Phase. I'm excited to start shooting next week. I'm also looking forward to the hikes. We are north of the MCRD about an hour and we are surrounded by huge hills, so I'm sure the hikes won't be easy.

The Platoon is really starting to get along and become one unit. We are all starting to feel pride and a sense of belonging. We want our Platoon to be the best at everything we do.

Letters seriously make my entire week. Boot camp has been getting tougher and I could really use some mail right now.

March 25th
I got Mom's letter a few days ago. You have no idea how much I look forward to getting your letters. When our Senior Drill Instructor brings out a big bag of mail I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning. Whenever somebody gets a letter they always have the biggest smile on their faces. It was also really sweet getting a letter from Hannah. I'm super jealous that she gets to eat all the HyVee Chinese and watch all of the Big Bang Theory she wants (not true, David, but we get your point.)

We start shooting on the rifle range tomorrow, so I'm really excited for that! We practice all this week and on Friday we qualify. By the end of this week we will have shot about 700 rounds.

Yesterday we went on a 6 mile hike through the hills with our main packs which weigh about 70 lbs. We also wear our helmets and flak jackets and carry our rifles. The hikes aren't too bad until we have to go up these huge hills that literally go up for about 100 yards and have over a 45 degree grade. Those hills are brutal!

April 1
Today is Palm Sunday. Last night they threw a concert for us. It was all Christian music. It was awesome! It just shows that God is everywhere - even here in boot camp!

We qualified on Friday for our Table 1 course of fire. I shot 3rd best in my Platoon! My score was 236 out of 250, which is Rifle Expert. I was pretty pumped about that. Tomorrow we have Table 2. I'm hoping to shoot 100%.

I have really enjoyed the hikes. On our first hike, toward the very end, we came up over this huge hill and I was pretty gassed. Once we got to the top we could see for miles in every direction, and straight ahead was the Pacific Ocean. The sun was setting and the ocean seemed as if it went on forever! I was completely lost in that moment; it was soooo awesome! Just another reminder of God and how great he is.

Yesterday, we went on our 10 mile hike and half of it was on the beach. Do you know how hard it is to walk in loose sand with a huge pack, all of our other gear, and our rifle? Well, it totally sucks!!

Tell Papa, Brent, Darrin and everyone from JEFC that I got their letters and I am very thankful. I wish I could answer them all, but I just don't see how with the little time we get. Keep updating my Facebook, and keep praying for me!
Love,
David.

Letters from Boot Camp - Episode 2

Here is the latest installment of excerpts from David's letters - just received yesterday, but written March 13.

This week has been pretty crazy! Yesterday we were at the pool half of the day doing our swim qualifications. I passed everything, no problem. I actually had fun in the pool, it was a good change of pace from our normal activities. So swimming is done for me, but some of our guys failed and have two more days to qualify or else they get dropped back to Echo Company. Today was pretty nuts. We did all of the high obstacles. Two of the harder ones we did were The Slide for Life and the Stairway to Heaven. You should look them up on YouTube. Mom, I'm sure you would love to do these obstacles, LOL! (Note: I'm terrified of heights. Here is a YouTube link to Recruit Training - Week 4.) 

We had initial drill on Sunday, which is a really big deal. We got 4th place but our Senior Drill Instructor thought we did really well and thought we should have gotten 1st or 2nd place. The Day before that, to motivate us for initial drill, they had the Commandants Own Drum and Bugel Corps along with the Silent Drill Platoon put on a show for us on the Parade Deck. It was awesome!

Being here is still kind of sureal for me, but it is starting to kick in that I am going to become a United States Marine, and it's a great feeling. Sometimes at night I have dreams that I am back at home hanging out with all of my friends and then I wake up in my rack and it takes me a few minutes to realize where I am. The first time it happened I was soooo confused for like 5 minutes until I realized it was all a dream and then I got pissed for a few minutes, LOL! But I'm all good - you don't need to worry about me :)

By the time you get this letter I will most likely be up at Camp Pendleton. We leave on Saturday (March 17). Now that we are officially Phase 2 recruits we get to unbutton our top button and blouse our boots. One step closer to the final product! It is crazy to think that in less than two weeks we will be half way done!

I've decided that the first meal I am going to have [when I am on leave] is HyVee Chinese, and the second meal is going to be El Rodeo.

So here are some things you guys can pray about for me:

1. The last prayer leader meeting we had on Tuesday night the chaplain encouraged us to start sharing the Gospel in our platoon. I have just been praying every night that God would give me that opportunity.
2. I have been sick for the last two weeks and it hasn't been too bad, but the last two days it has gotten significantly worse. I don't want to go to medical because then I will miss at least one training day.
3. Please pray for my Drill Instructors - they need it the most!

I have about a million more things I want to tell you, but it is time for me to wrap this up. Keep updating my Facebook please.

Love,

David

Company B recruits learn bayonet techniques

Some news about Bravo Company at MCRD San Diego. There are photos and they quote a recruit from Platoon 1029 - David's platoon!

Company B recruits learn bayonet techniques

Letters from Boot Camp

We have received two letters from David. In his last letter, he asked me to "keep blowing up my Facebook with updates." So here are some excerpts....

"I went to church on Sunday and it was awesome! The chaplain is a great preacher. I was chosen as a prayer leader for my platoon, which means every night we are given 5 minutes of evening devotion and I lead it. Also, every Tuesday all of the Christian prayer leaders get together for an hour and have a meeting with the chaplain. During that time we pray and read bible verses and talk about how God is working in our lives here at boot camp..."

"There are a lot of things that suck...The DIs (drill instructors) yell and spit all over your face and your tray. Every single thing that you do every single day is counted down by a DI. For example, we get 300 seconds to shower and shave, 60 seconds to go to the bathroom, 30 seconds to change our clothes, 100 seconds to make our racks. If you don't get it done on time you go to the quarterdeck at the front of the squadbay and get IT'd where you do jumping jacks and push ups for at least 5 minutes straight."

"Physical training isn't so bad. I actually enjoy doing the daily workouts. I also don't mind drill - I actually kind of like it."

"Did I mention I was given 7 shots in one day? That was by far the worst night."

"The two things I look forward to every day are chow and bed time. The chow is not all that great, but I'm always so hungry that I eat  my entire tray."

"I'm not homesick, but I do really miss junk food, my bed, girls:), and HyVee Chinese!"

"I could really use a news update - It's as if we are completely cut off from the outside world."

"Don't worry about me - things aren't so bad here. I'm actually starting to get used to it."

"Let everyone know that I would really appreciate letters from them. They have no idea how much a simple letter can lift my spirits. Also, please be praying for me and my platoon and my Drill Instructors."

 - Love, David

Note: The Marines ask us not to post the recruits addresses on Facebook or other public websites, but I am glad to email David's address to anyone who would like to send him a letter.