Tracking Kali through her Army career (Moderately non-Valk)

[RNFWP]

Well done Kali. Happy Birthday!

[mbramley]

 Awesome, congratulations Kali, and Happy Birthday.

[Beardo]

Congrats and Happy Birthday Kali!!!

[henry 008]

ABSOLUTELY!   Congratulations and a very Happy Birthday Kali !!

+1 

[Jess from VA]

Graduation to full (one stripe and Basic Tr ribbon) soldierhood is a pretty good birthday present. 

Pass on my congratulations to herself.  (and some for dad and mom too)   

I hope they get a little sleep now. 

[scooperhsd]

Time for the next phase in her training ...

[Serk]

Had one last Sunday phone call from her last night. The Forge was kinda boring, for some reason her platoon kept messing up so that the DS claimed they just gave up on 'em and let 'em wander around and didn't push 'em hard.

She was disappointed, during the night infiltration course her platoon was the first to go, and they were already done before they started with the live tracer fire over their heads.

But regardless, she passed, so...

She cut her hair, again...



She got her official Army portraits, I'll post 'em again when I can get a proper scan of 'em, but this was the best we could do with her using her cell phone to take pics of pics in poor lighting:



She asked me to bring a box of Crayons, evidently her favorite DS is a former Marine (I still say there is no such thing) and she wants to give him a light snack.

Also, for anyone interested but who can't make it to her graduation, it should be livestreamed on her regiment's Facebook page, on Thursday, September 30th at 10AM CDT:

https://www.facebook.com/BlackfootBCT

(I THINK you can view the stream without having a Facebook account, but I'm not 100% positive on that.)

We're headed to Fort Leonard Wood tomorrow morning, so this will likely be my last update until we're there or it's over with (Not planning on bringing a laptop, just my phone).



Edit - Changed time for graduation as updated by the regiment.

[f6gal]

Had one last Sunday phone call from her last night. The Forge was kinda boring, for some reason her platoon kept messing up so that the DS claimed they just gave up on 'em and let 'em wander around and didn't push 'em hard.

That seems kind of ass backwards... if they're messing up, they should be pushing them harder. 

[f6gal]

Edit - Changed time for graduation as updated by the regiment.

Whatcho talkin' 'bout Willis?

[Serk]

Had one last Sunday phone call from her last night. The Forge was kinda boring, for some reason her platoon kept messing up so that the DS claimed they just gave up on 'em and let 'em wander around and didn't push 'em hard.

That seems kind of ass backwards... if they're messing up, they should be pushing them harder. 

From what I've read getting TO The Forge is the challenge, once you're there as long as you don't do a REALLY big stupid, you pass...

Edit - Changed time for graduation as updated by the regiment.

Whatcho talkin' 'bout Willis?

Graduation was originally scheduled for 9AM Thursday, it has been changed to 10AM Thursday.

[bassman]

It's hard to believe she's graduating already....time really does fly.....probably not for her but perhaps the rest of us......

[Serk]

Just taking a brief break to get some coffee and post a few pics. We've got her, for a few hours at least.

[Willow]

Good to "hear" and see.  I'm proud of our girl.

[Rams]

Good to "hear" and see.  I'm proud of our girl.

Ditto!!!   

Rams

[bassman]

Good to "hear" and see.  I'm proud of our girl.

Ditto +1 !!!

[old2soon]

         Brian and I had supper together last night. Met Everyone but his parents and Kali's beau. And I am as Proud of Our Gal as Anyone here! And I Jusy KNOW eventually Kali and I Will meet! Just from here on our electronic community I feel as if I Alrady Know her!  I M H O well Worth the short trip to Sr. Robert to make the meet up! Brian's plate is full now and am sure he will post last nights pics as he is able! Our waitress last night informed Serk her day job was at the chow hall on base. She may well have served Kali. And Serk-appreciate meeting the Family last night.  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

 

[scooperhsd]

Did anyone have any DOUBT that she would make it ? Congrats to the Ecton family.

[Valkorado]

Did anyone have any DOUBT that she would make it ? Congrats to the Ecton family.

Nope.  A great accomplishment regardless.   Congrats to all! 

[Serk]

Live stream starts 945 central. 

https://www.facebook.com/BlackfootBCT

[Valkorado]

Live stream starts 945 central. 

https://www.facebook.com/BlackfootBCT

Must Log In.   

[Wizzard]

Super cool. Congrats to you all. 

[f6gal]

[cookiedough]

congrats as well.  Serk,  you look awfully young in that pic glad you got that gray beard to make you not look age 30 again.   

[f6gal]

Does she know what language yet? 

[Serk]

Live stream starts 945 central. 

https://www.facebook.com/BlackfootBCT

Must Log In.   

I gotcha fam...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kTDM4dlb2o

[Serk]

More pics and words later. I'm beat. Emotionally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and emotionally drained, but here's this at least:

(Oh, and at this very moment she just landed at PHX and will be leaving in a few hours to Monterey)

[Jess from VA]

Did they at least let you run the obstacle course one time?   


As far as official photos, her BDU one is more professional than the dress uniform one.  She looks years older and wiser in the BDU shot.

You don't have to look super serious or mean; the best look is a closed lip mona lisa confident barely-smile.

Photos won't matter for her for awhile, but they are absolutely looked at in promotion cycles, along with performance of duty.

[Serk]

As far as official photos, her BDU one is more professional than the dress uniform one.  She looks years older and wiser in the BDU shot.

Didn't let us even see the confidence course.

Funny story - Both pics were taken at once, just a few days after she got to the base, early on in Reception phase.

And the best part - She never put on a dress uniform in Reception.

...it was Photoshopped on her...

[scooperhsd]

When you say it, I can see it - they just took the BDU photo and Photoshopped the dress uniform on her. Same pose, etc.

[Serk]

Earlier today Kali sent a one word message to me that sent chills down her Daddy's spine.....

"Farsi"

[f6gal]

Earlier today Kali sent a one word message to me that sent chills down her Daddy's spine.....

"Farsi"

!تبریک میگم کالی
!!شما شگفت انگیز هستید

[Serk]

I found this touching (Not in a Michael Jackson way).....

.....a now soldier had a 7 year old sibling in Kali's regiment and wanted to do something after he heard a lot of trainees never got any mail. (Kali had the most mail in her entire regiment, thank you to all who helped make that happen!) and got her entire school to write letters to the trainees....

....So there was a PILE of letters from 2nd graders to trainees in Kali's regiment......

...and three of the trainees wrote back.....

...and the principal wrote about this in the weekly newsletter for the school:

https://sites.google.com/dcsdk12.org/nreweeklyblast21-22/home/october-1-2021

Including a scan of one of the 3 letters the trainees wrote back.... Specifically the one from Private Serk's Spawn:

[Jess from VA]

Is it Difficult to Learn Farsi? Compared with the other major language of the Middle East and some European languages, Persian is relatively easy for English-speaking people to learn, and is regarded as extremely sonorous and beautiful to listen to.  Persian is remarkably simple in terms of formal grammar.

It is distantly related to Latin, Greek, the Romance, Slavic and Teutonic languages, and English

This seems like good news to me.

Speaking.  The writing looks terrible to learn.

In Farsi, words are written from right to left while numbers are written from left to right. Farsi is a writing style based on the Arabic script. It is entirely written cursively.

Regardless of national security needs, I think I'd lose my mind if they wanted me to learn Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

[f6gal]

Wouldn't that be "from Serk's Private Spawn" ? 

Um no, that sounds... well, wrong.

[Serk]

She's not allowed to leave base, but she is allowed to wander around base, eat when she wants, etc. It's more of a strict college than a regular military place in many regards...

Pic she sent me of the sunrise this morning on her way back from the DFAC after breakfast:



Breakfast from the DFAC:



And Monterey Bay on a walk about later in the day today:

[Jess from VA]

Looks very nice.  

But holy crap that is a huge breakfast.  

Are they in uniform all the time, or in classrooms?  

Are the instructors civilian?

Is there base/campus/gate security?

[Serk]

Looks very nice.  

But holy crap that is a huge breakfast.  

Are they in uniform all the time, or in classrooms?  

Are the instructors civilian?

Is there base/campus/gate security?

Yup, huge portions, and they can go back for seconds, and evidently it's technically not allowed but they're encouraged to pocket as much as they can to take back to their dorm for later... This was her dinner last night. Luckily in the Monterey Bay area the weather allows for sleeping with the windows open!



She said basically the only strict contraband items are civilian clothes, so uniform or Army PT at all times.

The instructors are  almost all native speakers, so I'm assuming civilian. And they do a deep dive, not only the language (Spoken as well as written) but also the culture and social nuances that are very important in reading between the lines and figuring out what's actually being communicated, not just what's literally being said.

There is a fence around the base, and gates/access points, but doing some Google sleuthing, being basically in a downtown area in places it's just a regular chain link fence with some civilian's back yard butting up to it.

She sent a video this morning of a open pasture with deer grazing all over on it, kinda strange to see that in downtown but guess they have the room on the base.

[Serk]

How long before they are allowed to move freely around the countryside ?

Earliest date she can get an off base pass is October 23rd.

[Serk]

How long before they are allowed to move freely around the countryside ?

Earliest date she can get an off base pass is October 23rd.

And then she is free to come and go ? Or are they just on a pass basis ?

Unknown. I suspect it will be a phased approach, with no leaving the base until she proves she's responsible, then a little off base within certain distance limits with a pass required, then maybe full whatever just don't be late for class... But that's just an assumption on my part.