Leaving My Family for Basic Training: A Soldier’s Perspective

Home on Leave :)

Waiting for my ship date to leave for Basic Training in 

Ft. Sill was very aggravating. From my enlistment until 

ship date I was ready and anxious to leave for BCT; 

however, as my ship date came closer I realized I was

going to be leaving my family behind. These were 

people I was used to seeing on a daily basis. 

It was not as hard for me as it was for my mother, especially since she, at first, did not agree with my enlistment into the Army. My mother was really scared and the fact that I am her only child did not help at all. I never thought about having brothers or sisters until that point when I realized how much easier it could have been if I had a sibling to stay with her. Not knowing exactly how to deal with it, I told my mother what the Army would do for me. I talked to her about all the good the Army would do for me, like providing educational opportunities, learning responsibility and the discipline and leadership the Army offered. Telling my mother and family I would be able to write and call through training seemed to help as well.  

Basic Training road march, awesome! Drills will pop CS gas so be ready. 

I was able to call the second day I arrived at the reception battalion to let my family know I was ok. While I was in basic training I was able to call after completion of red phase, which was about the 4^th week of training. Most of the time when I was able to call I spoke with my mother, who became my biggest support. 

Since I was not able to call often, I had to write most of the time. Being able to call and write through One Station Unit Training (OSUT/ Basic and AIT) made me feel at ease because I could keep up with what my mother and family were doing, and I was able to tell them how I was doing and how training was. I always made sure I included my OSUT graduation date on the letters to make sure they knew when I was graduating so that they could attend my graduation.  I did that not only because I wanted them to attend, but because I knew that it put a smile on my mother’s face when I told her about the Honor I felt to be graduating soon and the importance of having her present at my graduation.