1. Your name (as you would like it to appear on the

website):

Melanie

2. Where did your soldier attend basic training?

Fort Sill

3. When did he attend basic training?

End of November to End of February

4. How often did you hear from him? (Phone and

letters)

Phone call was every week/every two weeks (usually

Sunday)

I got at least two or three letters starting the second week that he was gone

5. How long was it before you heard from him the first time?

He got to call 2/3 days after he left and then it was like 2 weeks before I heard from him again

6. How long did it take to receive a mailing address for him?

The second week he was gone I got a mailing address

7. Were there any restrictions on what you could send him?

Only letters and pictures

8. Were you sent information about family day and graduation?

Yes about a month in advance

9. Did he have a family day? If so, please describe.

Yes. We were allowed to take him off post but it took them forever to let them leave, we left around 3 and he had to be back for 9, and we had to stay in the directly surrounding towns.

10. Please describe the graduation ceremony.

Doors opened to the theater a half hour before the ceremony. We, my kids and I, sat in the second row.

The ceremony was relatively quick (like an hour). They called all the graduates up, there was over 200 of them, the graduates sang the army song, were sworn in again, and recited the I am an American soldier. The audience could go anywhere in the auditorium at any time, so people would come up to the front when their soldier was coming up and could get some good pics. It was a really nice ceremony.

11. Is there a website for his basic training unit? Is there a place to see pictures of his training online?

I didn't find one but I guess there probably could have been. My DH bought a video, around graduation time, of all the training and some pics/videos of his BCT unit were in it.