First Contact (by snail mail)

21-6-2010 First letter from Jackson is a basic form letter with 4 personal lines at end stating he is alive and surviving though not getting much sleep. He has not had any PT yet but is looking forward to that.
Important feature is the address:
   
    SR Dehn, Jackson, E.
    Ship 12 Div 267
    Recruit Training Command
    3515 Sailor Drive
    Great Lakes, IL 60088-3515

The letter also gives the graduation date of 06 Aug 10.
KCDehn

17-6-2010 The box with Jackson's civilian clothes arrived today which indicates he is now dressed as a Navy recruit. I guess they don't have the means or the time for pictures. KCDehn

15.6.2010 It is always something. Jackson called me yesterday at 0821 from Ft. Meade to say the Navy needed his HS transcripts by 0900 or there would be a delay shipping out. So I called the school the person in charge of transcripts was in a meeting until 0915 but they would call me back. Then I searched through our home records and came up with the official transcript from the end of his jr yr and the final report card from sr yr drove into town to 7-11 to fax what I had to the Navy. Jackson had said he would call me back around 0900 but he never did so I assumed what I faxed was acceptable. I was on high alert though expecting some other problem to come up. He called me again using a phone card from BWI about 1630 saying his flight out was delayed and there was no definite time of departure. There was bad weather out west that may have been the problem with departure. I told him I didn't care what time he got in to Great Lakes Recruit Training Command I want to get the next call. I honestly wasn't going to sleep until he called anyway. He called at 2330 so I slept like a baby. Next contact should be in 1 - 2 weeks when they ship his civilian clothing home and send a letter with his address. Can't wait. Will post address or any other info ASAP. KCDehn

Ship Out

So, after a fun but long year of waiting, the time has finally come. This Sunday, around 4pm, I'll be meeting up with my recruiter in DC to travel to Fort Meade, MD, staying the night, and then proceeding to BWI Airport on Monday, June 14, arriving in Great Lakes, IL later that day. I've got some great festivities planned for Friday and Saturday to enjoy these last moments with my friends, but I'm still ready and willing to get started on the journey. Not much else to say really. I've enjoy the past year with friends and family, but after some final partying I'm ready to get to work!

If you'd like to write me while I'm in Basic (which I hope you will!), I'll be providing that information here on the blog. Or rather, I'll write home to my parents, and they'll be in charge of uploading that info. Hopefully they can also post some of my letters here so everybody knows whats going on even if you're too shy to write a lonely sailor!