PHONE CALL from Ashley

June 24, 2008

Forgive my rambling...but I’m so excited. We received our 1st REAL phone call from Ashley and it was over 30 mins. I was so surprised she was able to talk so long. I was in the car on my way home from work, so I rushed to get home for everyone to talk to her. And everyone did!

She sounded very upbeat and seems to love everything about the Navy. She said the food was really wonderful, and that she will really miss it after boot camp, seriously. She did say she was tired, but it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

The recruits are just starting week 3 tomorrow. So she explained that if they are 2-5 that is 5th day into week 2. They were fitted for uniforms yesterday and they have been sent out for alterations. She said she looked really good in uniform. She also said the Navy swim suit is really nice and it better be for the $80 it cost the recruits!! Too bad she only had to wear it once, since she passed her swim test first try.

Ashley said they are easier on the girls. The guys have had to do intense physical training almost everyday and the girls have only done it once. Sounds like this is a punishment type thing when the group is doing what they a suppose to do.

Hair cut – they wet the hair and cut straight across the neck. She said surprisingly her hair looks good, it is very straight up there and they have to keep it pulled back in a barrette. So I guess everyone is having bad hair days together.....

She knew the other Texas girl named Lynch whose mother is on the Navy for Moms blog with me. Lynch and Ashley are one of three section leaders, so they work closely together and seem to have a lot in common. So that is good that they know one another.

Ashley has already had to do night watches. She told us how on the first night, around 2 a.m, there was a girl that went crazy, crying, sitting up in bed, grabbing her chest. Ashley was thankful she had experience with paramedic training and was prepared for “psychotic type behavior”. Ashley tried to calm the girl down, but the girl was seeing stuff, talking nonsense. The two on watch finally had to call the commanding officer who eventually had the police come. The girl ran from police, who final had to take her away. Ashley said they hasn’t seen her since that night.

Ashley said that as section leader she is in charge of 1/3 of the girls in her division. She said this is the week her officers are wanting the leaders to put pressure on those not abiding in rules and who are not getting it. There are 82 in the division and the officers want to weed the number down to 60 by graduation. They have the leaders keeping journals on everyone so they can see if they recruits are not following instructions or what. Ashley said she had been nice, but isn’t taking crap from anyone anymore. She didn’t take the Master at Arms position but said she wasn’t in trouble for not accepting it. She told her dad that section leader is a better leadership job.

Ashley, the smartie pants she is, has figured out on some id what ASMAT scores everyone got. Remember, Ashley scored very high with a 98. She said that most of the ones she has seen are in the 30-40 range, so not the smartest on the block in her group. Ashley had her first written test, which is scored on a 5.0 scale. She is upset that she made a 4.9 and can’t figure out what she missed. She is trying to be top in her class.
She does have a special mark on her uniform showing she is section leader. This means she will be in the front of her division during PRI (graduation) so we can see her. She will also get something special if she is the top 10….and she thinks that will happen at the rate she is going.

I was so worried she didn’t get mail the first 2 weeks because of my mess up on the address. She said she got all her letters the day after Father’s Day…a bunch had accumulated, so she had fun reading everything from everyone. Again, I can’t tell you how appreciative she is of the letters. She is finally getting her mail and she is the “joke” with everyone during mail call now. She said everyone says “Where’s Miller Mail” because she gets about 4 pieces a day. She is so happy to get everyone’s letters and she said she is getting so much she is having a hard time storing “neatly” in her compartment. But she said to keep it coming.

I asked if she needed anything, money, etc. She said she was fine. She said she did have to buy a phone card today but she didn’t need anything right now.

She writes every Sunday and will continue to do so. We won’t get another phone call from her until she is “capped” and is officially NAVY! That should be in about 2 weeks.

She sends her love to everyone and wants everyone know she misses them, but is having a blast doing what she is doing. As I told her, God has prepared her every step of the way, even her disappointments have been God's way of making her stronger. All of her experience have been for a reason. I think she see the big picture and is so thankful God watches out for His children even before they ask.

Ya'll have a wonderful week and WRITE ASHLEY A LETTER!

Georgia