Annie reports for duty.......................

October 29, 2010

Annie packed a small (? see the photo of the suitcase!) portion of her room as she prepared to report to her first assignment.

Drove her to Charleston, SC which is her ships home port to report for duty. She checked in at the base and got her travel orders as they had informed her that she was being flown to meet her ship, the Dallas, which was currently in Key West, Florida.

She enjoyed a pedicure which she desperately wanted due to wearing combat boots and marching for 13 weeks!

We were able to spend a little time with her at dinner before taking her back to the barracks so she could repack before flying out on Saturday morning.......

We will miss our Baby Girl, but hopefully we will be able to communicate a little more during her tour at sea when she's at docking ports, etc. And she now has access to her phone which is a mini computer in itself!!

We love you Annie! xoxoxo

Annie's Graduation.................

October 22, 2010

Well, she did it! After enduring 13 1/2 weeks of Boot Camp vs. the standard 7 1/2 weeks, due to her injuries, Annie proudly graduated and is now an official member of the United States Coast Guard. (Guardian)

I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of pride and joy as I did when I watched her Recruit Company (Zulu 183) march in. It was a very touching ceremony.

The crowning moment was when they officially released the Company. Imagine Annie and I running (me hobbling with a broken ankle, lol) towards each other in what seemed to me to be in slow motion, arms extended.......... We finally reach each other and I never wanted to let go! Annie looked absolutely beautiful and so grown up in her uniform and I could NEVER begin to describe the feelings of emotions that I was going through having her in my arms. I am SO proud of her.

We drove back to Atlantic City, NJ and spent the night at our beautiful suite at Wyndham Skyline Towers (compliments of our wonderful friend Carl!) where she enjoyed a LONG AWAITED bubble bath............

On Saturday, we flew back home to Orlando where she was met by her great friends, Spencer, Lyndsay, Morgan and Sebastian.

We wish Annie much success as she continues her journey in the USCG.

So excited................

October 20, 2010

We arrived in Atlantic City, NJ today to attend Annie's graduation on Friday, October 22nd. We are so ready to see this day arrive as I'm sure Annie is as well.

She received her "fit for duty" clearance earlier this week and is very excited to finally be rid of the "ugly green belt" you have to wear when you're on modified duty.

We are so proud of Annie for hanging in there and making it to graduation, even if it is 5 weeks later - I just think it shows true determination.

I know Friday will be a very emotional day for all of us as we watch her graduate. She made a comment to me on her phone call during off-base liberty about how wonderful it felt to have strangers coming up to her and saying Thank You for serving your Country....... I felt a sense of pride when she told me that as I know she did as well!

Two more days Baby Girl! We love you...........

Mommy xoxo

Coast Guard Recruit Company Zulu 183 weekly journal posted Oct. 20, 2010

10 Oct
We had divine hours today. After afternoon chow we went on a 03 mile company run off base. It was fun singing cadence and seeing all the people watch us jog together. The run was easier than the first time. After the run chief Johnson showed us some good websites that we can use to look up any information we need to know about the coast guard. We practiced a little close order drill and did uniform maintenance for the rest of the night.

11 Oct
We did CPR and first aid drills pretty much all day today. We learned how to dress open wounds, bone fractures, electrical shock victims, and victims of cardiac arrest. They even provided rubber intestines and a fake chopped off hand for us to pretend to dress. We also practiced with splints and doing CPR with manikins in the gym. A fun part was when we learned the two safety drags to use when rescuing someone. One of them is when you tie the victim's hands together and put their arms around your neck (while they are on their back) and then you sort of bear crawl as fast as you can to drag them to safety. The other one was to drag the victim by their shirt, holding the head with your forearms. It looked so funny watching everyone do these drags. We had our week seven weigh in today. Almost everyone made weight and a ton of us were surprised by how much weight in muscle we gained! We have ten days left and everyone is counting down now. Drill was ok tonight. Except one of our shipmates got their scalp scraped by the bayonet stud when we were practicing throwing the pieces to each other! She was bleeding a little but she's fine now. It was a small cut. That’s all that happened for today.

12 Oct
Zulu had another great day today. First we had seamanship class and learned how to moor lines. Then we took the final and we all averaged a 92% so we got the seamanship pennant! We also had a contest to see who is the best seaman. It was a mix between tying knots the fastest, mooring lines, and labeling two charts with different types of lines on them the fastest. When we got through with that, we had our tropical blue long uniform inspection and our close order drill test. We did awesome on both. We passed the uniform inspection (which is either pass or fail) and we got a ten on the close order drill test! Then we had drill practice and apparently the rest of Zulu completely trashed alpha's squad bay while they watched! I have no idea why they did but the drill team was pretty upset that they missed out on all the fun! We still have to earn our off base liberty with general knowledge tests so that’s what we're working on now.

13 Oct
Today the active duty people who were stationed at small boat stations or patrol boats got to go off base to the live range and get marksmanship qualified. It was at the police academy. Only a few of us qualified since we weren't used to shooting a real gun. But two of the females shot at sharpshooter level! Nobody got expert. We had our squad bay inspection today too and we got a 52! The highest score is 55 so we did awesome! We were so worried about it.

14 Oct
Today Zulu had a class on the work-life program and a class on sexually transmitted diseases. That one was awkward but hilarious at the same time. The rest of the day we did administrative things and made phone calls to our units to get ready for out report dates. Zulu is pretty much ready to graduate. Our final is tomorrow and we have seven days left! We can't wait!

15 Oct
Today we took the final. Everyone passed except two people but they'll retake it tomorrow and hopefully pass. We also turned our pieces in and the females got to talk with Senior Chief Martinowski and ask her a bunch of questions. We got to see another side of her which was really cool since everyone on the regiment is scared to death of her. Then we ran the confidence course again and everyone did way better than last time! Tomorrow we have our off base liberty! Everyone is so excited! Hopefully nobody does anything stupid and gets reverted all the way back to week one. We'll see what happens.

16 Oct
Wow. Today was the best day ever! It was so nice to get out on the town and just relax with our shipmates. First everyone went to Wal-Mart to get the 20 dollar prepaid phones and then we all went to Starbucks to charge them, call up our families and sip on a bunch of pumpkin spice lattes. Our group pretty much chilled for a couple hours there and then went to downtown Cape May to walk around the shops and check out the good places to eat. We ended up having pizza on the beach at Blue Moon, ice cream at Uncle Charlie's, and dinner at Carney's. We talked on our phones the whole time and the day went by way too fast!

Annie's 1st assignment - USCG Cutter Dallas, Charleston, SC

We are almost there! Annie is continuing to heal and is scheduled to graduate October 22, 2010. She received her first assignment and will be on the USCG Cutter Dallas, which is stationed out of Charleston, SC.

The USCG Cutter Dallas (WHEC 716) is one of only two Coast Guard high endurance cutters on the East Coast. The Dallas primarily patrols the Caribbean for counter-drug operations that include identification and prosecution of suspected drug traffickers. The ship's crew also keeps watch near the Cuban coast, patrolling for Cuban-American protesters' vessels and illegal migrants at sea. The Dallas often hosts Coast Guard cadets, officer candidates and foreign nationals for hands-on training. The Dallas also assists in humanitarian efforts when requested such as the Haitian Earthquake earlier this year.

Coast Guard Recruit Company Zulu 183 weekly journal posted Oct. 12, 2010

04 OCT
Today we learned about fire chemistry and how to put on a fire suit. Those suits are so heavy! We also had a cybex workout and then a class on how to wear our dress uniforms. It was a pretty normal day busy with classes. It rained the entire day. Drill team had a rough practice tonight though. We're having a tough time getting in sync with the moves, and coming up with an original routine for graduation. We named the Zulu colors Eleanor. She has her own rack and we tuck her in every night safe and sound.

05 OCT
Zulu had a busy day today. We had firefighting school again and we all got to put on the fire suits, oxygen masks and all the other gear that comes with the uniform. A couple of recruits even got to put out a fire with the different types of extinguishers. We also had our manual of arms test today and got a 9 out of 10 on it! Then we went to the gym and had a swim circuit workout. The last class we had was to finalize our travel plans for after graduation. We're still doing well as a company and are getting along better.

06 OCT
Zulu got their military identification cards today. We also enrolled in the Montgomery G.I. Bill. We had a class on carrying on the coast guard legacy, and we got refitted for our dress uniforms. It was another busy day, but normal as far as not getting in trouble too much.

07 OCT
We had an awesome firefighting class today. We got to put on the fire suits, masks, and helmets and use the fires hoses! It was cool to feel how powerful the hoses are and experience how you actually fight a fire. You have to stay low and keep your hand on the hose the whole time, and do the same when you back away from the fire. We had more pugil stick fights today but I wasn't there so I don't know how it went. We practiced for the graduation ceremony tomorrow and that’s pretty much it.

09 OCT
Zulu had a pretty awesome day today. We met the Master Chief Petty Officer Of the Coast Guard! Everyone was so nervous to be in his presence but we did good. He gave us his best advice for when we get out to the fleet. Have fun, love what you do, and work hard. He also said we should remember his motto "Live for today, save 10% for tomorrow." His speech was very inspiring and Zulu was so grateful to have the honor of meeting him! After that we took a tour of one of the 210' cutters on base. That was a lot of fun. It was the first time being on a ship for some of us. Petty Officer Bedford gave us the tour and answered a bunch of questions for us. After the tour, we finally got to have our on-base liberty! The first thing we all did was go to the exchange to buy candy, chips, and soda. Boy was that a dumb idea! We all had major stomach aches and hour later and felt like crap for the rest of the night! It was so nice to just relax though. And eat without being paranoid and stiff until we walk out of the building. We all got to call our family and friends too! That was the biggest reward of all. Talking to them made us feel like we weren't in boot camp anymore. It was a great escape and once again reminded us why we're here. Last stop was the Harbor View club. We were surprised to find two pool tables, a juke box, and a bunch of other games to play! We just thought it would be a normal restaurant so we were on cloud 9 having a blast, telling stories, and eating real food. But we kept our "A" game and stayed respectful. As far as we know nobody got in trouble. And we actually got excellent reviews from a lady at the exchange who said we were one of the quietest groups she's seen in a long time, and a lady at Harbor View who said we were awesome! We had to give ourselves a pat on the back for that. Everyone came back on time and no man was left behind. Great day. Mission complete!

Lyndsay's letter to Annie............... 7/25/10

A letter to Annie, written by Lyndsay Spencer, a wonderful friend since pre-school. I found this letter on Annie's bulletin board and wanted to share it..........

Click on the letter to enlarge it....

My thoughts........................

October 6, 2010

Well, Baby Girl, only 16 days to go! I can't believe you're so close now. I know that it has been an incredibly challenging journey so far and the fact that you are still hanging in shows the determination and drive that you have. YOU WILL MAKE IT! Not only will you make it, but you will continue to learn and grow as you continue your journey.

I look forward to seeing you and the changes I know have occurred....... both mentally and physically.

I love you with all my heart and remember................ "I'll love you forever I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living My baby you'll be."

Mommy xoxo

Coast Guard Recruit Company Zulu 183 weekly journal posted Oct. 5, 2010

27Sep

Today was weird. I can't tell if it was good or bad. We got 100% on our uniform inspection (According to Petty Officer Bailey). And we made all of our time objectives this morning...But our general knowledge and responding correctly was horrible! We got up in a weird funk this morning. Zulu is starting to feel that week five nose dive coming on. WE had the pugil stick fights today and it was awesome! We celebrated the anniversary of the death of Douglas Munro today (the only coast guard medal of honor winner). The regiment took the time to appreciate one of the greatest heroes in coast guard history. Anyways, I've come up with a few things you realize when you're in boot camp. You know you're in boot camp when: Sleeping in is waking up at 6:00am on Sundays; Your hair is so stiff it could deflect bullets (females); the most exciting part of your day is when you get to eat your granola bars (we call them our yum yums); the females get mad when you leave the toilet seat DOWN; You start having nightmares about people with smokey bear covers; shaving your legs is a privilege; you're capable of falling asleep while standing up; and you definitely know you're in boot camp when you forget your first name. That's basic training for you!

28Sep

Zulu had a pretty good day today. We were issued our dress uniforms and shoes. We had a few classes. The seamanship class was fun. We got to shoot flares and different signaling devices. We also practiced our radio communication skills on walkie talkies. Chief Johnson said we're doing ok for week five and if we stay on track we won't do the nose dive!

29Sep

We just got our orders! It was so cool. We went outside to the end of the parade field and one by one our names were called by our company commanders and they told us our orders. Then we ran up to the bell, rang it three times, and repeated back our orders! There were a few people who got stationed in Alaska, a few in Hawaii, and one in Guam. They were all stoked! I think everyone is pretty much happy with their stations except a couple people. Zulu is so relieved to know where we're all going and we only have 22 days until the journey and the adventures begin! We learned how to properly dawn a life jacket today, and had a competition to see who could put one on the fastest.

30Sep

We got to do a little research today on our units. Everyone was really excited for that. We also got to make a 5 minute phone call to tell our families where we were stationed! Two new recruits were rephrased into Zulu company. Both females. And we're still doing really good for week five. Nothing too bad has happened yet. We still don't have our colors yet but we're close. Zulu can see them coming our way within the next week or so. On baser liberty should be coming up too next Saturday if we keep up the good behavior and we'll get to make as many phone calls as we want! But we have to earn it. Hopefully we will.

01Oct

Zulu had their smallpox vaccinations today. Two shots on our right arm and then we got jabbed 15 times on the left! Surprisingly, it didn't hurt too bad. We went on another company run today right after dinner, and we had a class on travel plans and how to get to our stations. We have an art crew now and they will be designing t-shirts for Zulu company! Everyone is looking forward to seeing the outcome.

02Oct

Zulu got their colors today! We were so surprised because Petty Officer Bailey usually doesn't give them away until after the manual of arms test during week six! But he said both him and Chief Johnson agreed that we deserve them, especially since we didn't do the week five nose dive. We ran the confidence course today for the first time. That's part of how they presented the colors to Zulu. The course was pretty tough and a lot of people had a tough time getting over the wall and climbing the rope at the end. So when everyone finished, Petty Officer Bailey asked who couldn't climb the rope but was close. We raised our hands and he picked someone and told the company if that person could get the colors, then we could have them. Zulu did a right face, and there they were. Hanging from the top of the rope were the Zulu colors! So we all started running across the field screaming and chanting for our shipmate to climb up there and get them! It was an awesome feeling! We were screaming the whole time. We could tell it was getting tough. But she pulled through and got all the way to the top! So we sang cadence with our colors and pennants back to the front of Healy hall. When we got there we attacked the hall, which means we ran all the way to the top floor screaming at the top of our lungs the entire way back to our squad-bays! That was pretty fun too. Today was the best day! After that we talked with our mentor for a couple hours and got to ask him a bunch of questions, and we had choir practice too. Now we just have to make it through week six to get to our on base liberty on Saturday. So that’s what we're looking forward to now.

Coast Guard Recruit Company Zulu 183 weekly journal posted Sept. 30, 2010

20SEP

We took pictures today with dress uniforms. It was kind of surreal seeing ourselves in those fancy uniforms knowing we still have to earn the right to wear them. We were at the range for the whole day before that. We actually got to shoot this time with a simulated range. It was really fun. The class averaged an 87%. We must have an 80% to receive the Marksmanship Pennant so hopefully the other half of our company does well tomorrow! The Admiral stopped by the range while we were there and shot some rounds with our two expert males in the class. They scored worse because they were so nervous when he came in.

21SEP

Today was horrible! Everyone acted so stupid for some reason. It's like we forgot everything we've learned up until now! We were in trouble the whole day and I'm not talking about just Zulu. Alpha, Yankee, and X-ray have been acted bad too. Chief Ruchser had to lecture the entire Healy Hall while we held our pieces in the sniper position. He said we were the worst recruits he has seen in a long time and that we are all out of minds! He also told us that our graduation is on hold until we start acting like a team and stop being stupid. Hopefully we'll all pull together sometime soon because too many people just aren't getting it.

22SEP

We passed our physical fitness test! Well, most of us did but 46 out of 50 isn't too bad and we all passed the mile and a half run. Petty Officer Bailey said we were his first company to pass the run the first time around and his first company to receive the Marksmanship Pennant on the first try! We were so proud of ourselves today. We also learned the proper way to climb a rope so we are ready for the confidence course on Saturday. So, Zulu has almost completed the first half of boot camp and we are thrilled that the worst part is over. We do have new challenges now such as Drill Team and Colors Team. Hopefully those will be fun! One of our RAMP shipmates had a breakdown today so we are all praying for him to pull through and come back stronger.

23SEP

We picked the districts for or dream sheet today! Now everyone is all nervous to find out where they're going to be stationed. So we have an entire week for our anxiety to build up before we find out where we are going. Tonight we also had our first Drill/Colors team practice. I've never sweat so much in my life! Throwing pieces around is a good workout! I know I'm going to be really sore from catching it the wrong way and dropping it on my knees and elbows. I'm going to have so many bruises in the morning. Another cool thing that happened today was that the four people that didn't pass the physical fitness test passed this morning! Our CC said it's the first time he has ever seen a company pass the whole PF Test in two days. He even said he was proud of us! SHOCKING! Now we are allowed to drink coffee. Thank god for that because now nobody will fall asleep in class anymore. Hopefully!

24SEP

So there was no graduation today as there usually is on Friday. We did some sniper position today. We also took our mid-term today. It was very easy considering it was open book. Almost everyone got an "A", so we got our midterm pennant! After that we practiced some marching and intensive training and then we went to the blood drive after chow. It was really nerve racking having a needle stuck in your arm but the Red Cross volunteers were super nice. They gave us cookies and skittles when we finished! We have a lot more freedom now that we passed our physical fitness test and our midterm. We actually have time to press our uniforms and shine our boots! It's hard to believe we're halfway done with boot camp.

25SEP

Today we learned the moves we're allowed to use for the pugil stick fights on Monday. It looks like a ton of recruits are getting their butts whooped soon! Every single person in this company has a ton of rage to let out with the rush of adrenaline we'll experience on Monday. I can't wait to see the results! I'll be making videos too so be on the lookout for them. We had choir practice and colors team practice again today, and our Chief warned us about the week five nose dive. Apparently every single company that comes through here acts all jacked up in week five for some reason. They lose their military bearing, their motivation, their marching skills, etc. Nobody knows why this happens but Zulu is hoping to break the record and stay strong for the entire week, keep climbing until we reach our goal...Graduation. Hopefully we get our colors soon. We're actually coming closer together as a team by working through our problems and encouraging each other to stay on track and in line with the company. We all really want to make our CC's proud this week and show them that we're not a nose dive week five company.

26SEP

Today we went on our company run. It was so cool! We got to go off base and we sang a bunch of awesome songs for cadence. We went around the block and there were people watching us from the sidewalks and holding up signs that say "thank you for serving". It felt so liberating to be a part of that. It gave us even more pride to be in the Coast Guard. But the greatest part was on the way back it started pouring rain! We looked pretty tough singing cadence together in a storm! It was so fun! Besides the run we had divine hours and drill team practice today. We had to practice new moves at drill team practice that were very complicated. Well we officially start week five tomorrow. I'll let you know if we get past the week five nose dive.

Phase 2............. Let's get going!!!

September 24, 2010

GOOD NEWS!!!! Received a brief phone call from Annie tonight. Although she is still on modified medical status, she was placed with Recruit Company Zulu 183 yesterday! She said she took the swim test (in lieu of the 1.5 run due to her injury) and passed so all of her physical fitness requirements have now been met. She said the new company took their mid-term exams and EVERYONE passed - they received some kind of pennant for doing so - I guess that is out of the norm.................

Her new Graduation date is now October 22, 2010. We are hoping for the next 4 1/2 weeks to be SMOOTH SAILING!!!!!!!! She has had a rough journey!

These are random photos I found on the USCG Family and Friends page. The parents of graduating recruits snap tons of photos and post them so that parents of active recruits can hopefully catch a small glimpse of their Coastie! Smiles, tears and laughter abound when you spot "your Baby!!" I'd been pouring over hundreds of photos in the wee hours of the morning when I hit next and up popped Annie's face!! Whoo Hoo!!

Good luck Annie! We love you!

Annie was bored................................

Drawn............ August 24, 2010

Annie was bored while she was in the hospital recovering................. lol

Update on Annie's progress............

September 7, 2010

Annie just called and said she had been moved from the hospital into the Regimental Hold Element (RHE). She will have approximately 9 days to continue physical therapy, have study privileges and gym time to help strengthen her upper body since she hasn't been able to exercise for a month. If all goes as planned, she will then be placed with her new Recruit Company (Yankee 183) next Thursday with a new graduation date of October 15th.

She is very nervous - afraid her body isn't ready yet, which I know is natural. I tried to cheer her up. She does have SR Hall with her as they have been in the hospital together, so hopefully that will help her. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

We love you Annie!

Love, Mommy, Daddy, Harrison, Grandma, Gabby, Baxter and the chickens! lmao

Update on Annie's progress.................

September 4, 2010

We heard from Annie last night and she is expected to be moved from the hospital on Tuesday, 9-7-10 to the Regimental Hold Element where she will wait for the next Recruit class to reach the same point she was taken out of active training - Week 4.

During this time, she will go through physical therapy and have time for academic studies..........

Annie is pretty upbeat - she realizes why she is in the hospital and even though she is itching to re-enter a Recruit Company, she knows that her body needs time to heal from the stress fracture and does not want to cause further damage by pushing herself too soon.

During her stay in the hospital she has had phone privileges on the weekends which has helped her stay focused on why she is there and to speak with family and friends that are supporting her.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Annie as she continues her journey.....................

Love, Mommy, Daddy, Harrison, Grandma, Gabby, Baxter, and the chickens! (lol)

Slight set back.............................

August 19, 2010

Annie was injured at boot camp and is in the "ward" - (hospital of sorts) on bed rest along with physical therapy for 1 1/2 weeks. The Dr says she will be okay with rest/time. She will be re-phased to graduate with the class right behind her (10/1/10). She seems to be in good spirits and is using the down time to study. She is focused on getting well and joining the new Recruit Company.

We LOVE you, MISS you and BELIEVE in you!

2nd blog for Recruit Company Victor 183

August 18, 2010

Training Center Cape May, N.J.

U.S. Coast Guard

Recruit Journal

Date: August 18, 2010 9

Coast Guard Recruit Company Victor 183 weekly journal posted Aug. 17, 2010

	TRACEN Cape May, N.J. U.S. Coast Guard
Victor 183 weekly journal Graduation 9/17/2010
Hello again to all! We've just begun week 04 here at Training Center, Cape May. Things are definitely a little more on the difficult side right now...we're progressing as a company but day after day more is expected of us and we're having a bit of an issue making ends meet. We've been doing a lot of practical training lately, which will help prepare us for what we're going to face when we leave here and make it out into the fleet. We also have our physical fitness tests coming up this Wednesday so for all you support systems we have back home, wish us luck! The last major task we have coming up this week is our Duty Station Dream Sheet which we fill out listing where we prefer to go after we finish our time here at boot camp...this is a HUGE deal for us, as the location we pick will potentially be the start of our Coast Guard careers. We knew when we each entered out recruiters doors that our journey to becoming a guardian was going to be a rough one, and we're all fighting hard to make it through. We're going to have our bad days just as we're going to have our good days. My only hope is that we find the strength together to dig down deep and put forth the effort needed to make it.

Annie's 2nd letter............

August 12, 2010

We received Annie's 2nd letter today. She is still pretty down - not liking it - but hanging in there! She said her knees are still bothering her but hopefully she will be able to endure the discomfort and get through the 7 1/2 weeks.

We love and miss our baby girl!

1st blog for Recruit Company Victor 183

Recruit Journal

Date: August 11, 2010

Coast Guard Recruit Company Victor 183 weekly journal posted August 11, 2010

	TRACEN Cape May, N.J. U.S. Coast Guard
Victor 183 weekly journal Graduation 09/17/2010
Welcome friends and family of Victor 183! We are currently in week 03 of training, and we're all starting to learn what the meaning of teamwork really is. Take the word team. A team is a group of people coming together for a certain cause. Work is performing duties to meet a certain objective. In order to meet this objective, it requires a team of people; strong people, Coast Guard people. We're finding ourselves changing day by day for the better throughout this boot camp experience. Our physical strength is progressing, as is our confidence. Don't get it wrong though; things have been tough. We are just taking it day by day and giving it our best. Ultimately, that is all we can do. We are all learning to come together and are becoming more like a family, rather than the acquaintances we used to be on the bus ride into Cape May. We're figuring out how to use each of our unique skills for the team and that is what this is all really about. We, the recruits of Victor-183, are a group of diverse people from all over the world with very different backgrounds. There is one thing we do have in common, and that is our dream of a future in the United States Coast Guard.

Annie's first letter......................

August 9, 2010 (Monday)

We received Annie's first letter home today. She wrote it on August 1st, (her 5th day there) however, they did not allow the recruits to mail them until August 6th.

As expected, she was depressed, saying it was much harder than she anticipated - especially being away from home all alone. Annie has never liked yelling, so I'm sure that's tough on her.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her every moment and hope that she will realize that everything is done for a purpose - to make her a stronger individual. I pray that her time at Cape May will become a little easier for her. 5 1/2 weeks to go!

We love and miss our baby girl................. xoxo

Missing my baby girl.......................

August 8, 2010 (Sunday)

I have been lucky. I have heard from Annie as other parents have not been able to. Unfortunately, she was able to call me as she was placed on light duty status for 3 days due to injury to her knees. (But I'm thankful for the call nonetheless!)

The running and fire drills up the stairs have caused her knees to swell and she also suffered a cut on her leg which required medical attention. She has chosen to continue marching with the unit - just not participating in the running exercises. They have placed inserts in her shoes that hopefully will help with the impact on her knees and she goes to see the athletic trainer on Monday to get his advice.

Like all recruits at boot camp, she is depressed not only about the possible ramifications of light duty (if it goes past 3 days) but thinking she is being singled out as they all do. I tried my best to boost her moral and make sure she understands it's nothing personal - it's all a mind game.

I know she will be okay but I worry about her each and every day as any mother would. We have never been apart for this long and I know that is probably making it harder for her. She is no doubt on an emotional roller coaster as I am as well!

My thoughts and prayers are with my baby girl. I KNOW YOU WILL BE OKAY!

Love,

Mommy xoxo

Words of Encouragement....................

August 1. 2010

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.

.......... William James

Missing my baby girl.................

Annie's address at boot camp........... HOME for "Just 8 weeks!!", USCG TRACEN, Cape May, NJ

July 29, 2010

Victor 183
Posted by WWW.USCGBOOTCAMP.COM
Good Morning -Recruits that arrived on 7/27/2010 formed as Victor 183.Please send letters of support to:

SR (FIRST AND LAST NAME)
RECRUIT COMPANY V183/JAMES HALL
USCG TRACEN CAPE MAY
ONE MUNRO AVENUE
CAPE MAY NJ 08204-5083

Graduation for Victor 183 is scheduled for September 17, 2010.The company commanders for Victor 183 are SKC Peralta, MST1 Fisher and SK1 Douglas.

On the bus................

7/27/10 (evening)

Have been able to text and talk via phone several times today as Annie waited at the airport to leave and again while waiting in Philly. She said there were 5 Coasties that flew up with her but once they reached Philly and gathered to wait for the bus there are about 30 of them. She said she was surprised at the number of girls.

They are on the bus ride to Cape May, NJ as I type this.......... I will miss her terribly but KNOW that she will do great! XOXOXO to my baby girl! I love you!

Annie Ships Out.......................

7/27/10

Spent most of yesterday waiting at the recruiters office for the shuttle to take Annie to Tampa. Her recruiter, Mark Kingsley, kept us entertained with countless CG videos and stories from his days at Cape May, NJ where Annie will be attending boot camp.

We spoke with Annie last night as she was at the hotel waiting to start processing today and fly out to Philadelphia, then on to Cape May, NJ. She also called this morning before she left for MEPS. She seems very upbeat and anxious to get the ball rolling!

Annie is very determined, so I have no doubt that she will do great in boot camp! Good luck baby girl! We will miss you! Love, Mommy xoxo