Another platoon

Well, our break is over, this morning Jason picked up another platoon of recruits. He is a Senior Drill Instructor again (SDI), also known as the "big daddy" and "boss". Over the next three months Jason and his Drill Instructors (DI's) will basically spend every waking moment (about 120 hours a week - no, I am not joking, wish I was) with these recruits, training them to be Marines. The pictures show him giving his "pick up speech" where the recruits meet their Drill Instructors. The picture of them with their hands in the air is where they are saying the Drill Instructors Creed. Basically making a commitment to turn the recruits into United States Marines. They let the wives come to this part (we stand in the back), the only time we will be allowed on the deck until Family Day (the day before graduation). This time they actually let us stay about 10 minutes past the speech and watch them with the recruits. The mom in me couldn't help but feel sorry for all these young guys who looked scared out of their mind. But, the Marine wife in me knows that this will prepare them for what lies ahead. Since Jason is the SDI, he has to stay with them for the first 4 nights, then they will take turns, so he will stay with them every third night. We took dinner over for him and his DI's and got to see him for about 3 minutes. We will go each night so that at least we can see him for a minute. So, if anyone wants to get away to the warm south, the kids and I would love company!! :) Jason and I joke that since we have had Ryleigh we pretty much lost all our friends down here. :) I guess 3 kids 4 and under are too much for people to handle being around. We feel that way too sometimes...... :)