[bobcowan]

Great! Congratulations. Sounds like he has a fine career ahead of him.

I helped both of my kids, and a few relatives and friends get through basic training. There are some really simple rules to follow. They all said I was exactly right, and keeping those rules in mind made boot campe pretty easy.

1. Do exactly what they tell you. Exactly. A lot of it appears to be just stupid stuff, that doesn't make any sense. Doesn't matter, do it anyway. Keep your mouth shut, don't complain, and just do it.

2. The permanent party people are not your friends. Not even the medics and psychs. If they ask how things are going, say "Outstanding Sir!". If they ask how you feel, say " Proud to be here, sir!". NEVER say things like tired, or home sick, or down. NEVER. Unless you want to come home on the next bus.

3. Relaxe, have a good time, and go with the flow. It's only a few weeks, and 1 year from now nobody will care what you did in Basic.