Member-only story
The First Call Home
My son left for Basic Training on April 29th.
It was hard to let him go, and even harder to sit at home with him gone. The days slowly ticked by. I tried everything I could to keep myself busy and keep my spirits strong. With neither of my sons at home, the house was way too quiet.
I imagined what he might be going through; the physical, mental, and emotional struggles that were bound to bog him down. I pictured him being yelled at by the drill sergeants and all the drills his poor body was being put through.
Then, on May 9th, his girlfriend got a call from him.
After 10 days of worrying and waiting, she called and told me that he was still in Reception.
Reception?
What the hell was that?
All of these things that I was completely unaware of, as was my son.
Reception is the time when SIT (Soldiers in Training) get their hair cut, fill out paperwork, and receive their uniforms.
Every branch in the military, from what I understand doing research, Reception takes anywhere from 8–10 hours.
Except the Army.
Because a vast majority of the time soldiers in the Army are stuck in deployment, waiting and waiting for orders or actions, Reception in the Army takes…