2nd 58th

I've never been one for numbers, but I think I'll probably remember John's regiment number for the rest of my life - we had to know it to get so many places this weekend that it is finally one number the my brain has grasped! In case you didn't know John David (Brandy's husband) graduated from boot camp this weekend!!!! So Wednesday night we headed to Columbia, GA - well actually to Phenix City, AL the GA-AL line is right beside Ft. Benning so much so that Phenix City goes by east coast time even though they are technically across the line.

Thursday morning was the turning blue ceremony. I didn't really know what a turning blue ceremony was, but we soon found out during the 'orientation' given to families before the weekend ceremonies began. I have to commend the Army on doing a very good job of giving family details on what went on, why they do things, what the history of different things are and generally reminding them that their 'soldiers' as they referred to them are important. I'm sure to most people they are just a number, but to their family they are very important and I appreciate the Army's recognition of that. It is also never a bad thing to be reminded of the sacrifices that other people have made for your country. So, as I said, we learned during the orientation that the Infantry (of which John's boot camp was part of) was the only part of the Army that gets to wear the blue cord around their shoulder. And thus the turning blue ceremony is when you receive your blue cord.

We all crowded under the barracks where the guys were all lined up. John came running out of his line to give Brandy a hug, it was very cute! He didn't look like he got in trouble for it, but I don't think he would have cared if he did. Now knowing where he was we positioned ourselves nearby. If the Army is one thing they are punctual, so 10am on the dot the ceremony began. We were right beside a desk on which was the 'chain of command' for Ft. Benning, starting with Barack Obama. It was kinda cool to see.

There were all the state flags since the soldiers are from all over the US, and the guys were in the center in positions. John's just so happened to be right by the wall so we had a good view.

Brandy put his blue cord on, which was cool and then he posed for a few pictures with his mom and wife (John hates pictures by the way, so even one was being a good sport, and he took A LOT this weekend).
Then the families had to go back out of the lines and they did what was Brandy and my favorite thing of the weekend - the Infantry Creed. Ok. First, I didn't really know much about the infantry. Second, I didn't know they had a creed. Third, I never thought about how insanely cool it would be to hear 900 men reciting a creed under barracks. We of course realized we should have taped it at the end, so instead I'll attach this YouTube video in case you are interested. Our favorite part is at 1 minute 10 seconds on this one.


After it was all over, John got his bags, and his wife and headed out...well until 8pm anyway, he had to be back for one more night. I love this picture :)


Next morning we were up with the sun because graduation started at 8am, and as I said, the Army is nothing if not on time. We didn't realize what a show it would be! We got the band...

a demo of the mortar team...

and then the graduation ceremony. I know you can't tell but John really is in this group. Second row from the right, 6th back.

See, there he is. Second row, second in from the bottom.

And after standing in the hot sun for an hour, watching someone faint (which most people didn't even know happened because they are so trained to not react to things), and 15 weeks of boot camp behind him, he really was free to leave.

We celebrated with a trip to the Coke factory and Aquarium, but I'll leave that for another post. I think John deserves his very own.