That was a touching story by our own Nikki Wentling in Wednesday's paper about the new recruits going off to Basic Training, or what the old timers called boot camp. Some are going to San Antonio, some to the Great Lakes Naval Base, some to Camp Pendleton in California--and the Army spreads out its training all over. Who was more nervous, the recruits mentioned in the story or the parents who attended the swearing-in ceremony for their babies, who aren't quite babies any more?
The country appreciates your service, young folks, but you've already been told that. (So the story said.) Here's something you might not have heard yet, but it helped us a long time ago when we boarded that bus for Army training, sir: One old sergeant who saw a bunch of us off took us aside and said, "Don't worry, boys. The drill sergeants will holler. But they can't eat you."
Here's another thing to keep in mind: Millions of people have gone through this training. Never fired a gun? Never marched in formation? Never had to get up at oh-four-hundred hours for Kitchen Police duty? Don't worry. You won't be the first to learn something new in the military. And the drill sergeants can't eat you.
Here's an unsolicited piece of advice for the parents: Write, write, write. The most envied person in the barracks each day is the recruit who gets a letter from home. Two letters are better. And a box of cookies makes a lot of friends in Basic Training.
Editorial on 05/22/2015