Nate - on base leave

Nate had free time last night on base. He went to dinner on base to have chicken fingers and curly fries. He phoned to check in. It was amazing to speak to him. The amount of maturity one person can attain over a 6 week time period! He is eager to learn everything he can. He stated that the isolation from distraction made it so much easier to focus, study and learn.

He loves his company commanders - he stated that one of the recruits who was reverted (held back for behavioral reasons) was going on about how much easier the company commander is in his new company. Nate scoffed at that, asking, "Why would you want it to be easy, why wouldn't you want to push yourself to be the best you can be?" His company commanders expect their achievement will exceed the minimum at all times, pushing them constantly. Nate's response to this has been to push himself and develop a focus. He looks back on his time between graduation and basic and sees that he was drifting, and is so delighted to have a path to follow.

For his career focus, he hasn't completely picked a career focus yet, so some of the previous information I have in the blog is just his first impression. He now states that he has decided to go Seaman vs. Engineering (damage controlman). In the first place, he wants to be on deck. In the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Miami, they will be surrounded by such beauty, he doesn't want to be buried in bowels of the ship, working on operations. He will start on watch, and take physical care of the topside of the ship, and learn helmsman (driving) the ship. He was able to tour the same type of ship he will be stationed on, and is very excited.

He LOVED learning to fight fires. He has to qualify in damage control, but he no longer wishes that to be his MOS because the job is below deck. They all have to be proficient in many of the jobs on the boat... there are only about 80ish people on board.

He is particularly excited that they are a southward bound vessel, as he will see so much beauty. He said they would be able to exercise on deck, unlike the boats north of Miami, which travel to the north, where the climate is harsher, even in the warmer months.

He plans to learn everything he can.

He has 5 days leave here, prior to going to Miami. I asked if he needed or wanted anything, and he didn't have any food he desired, but he wants a full sized ironing board and iron so he can get his dress uniforms ready!

He has been ill, is still, and his voice was sometimes difficult to understand. He said if he had been in the infirmary one more day, they would have had to hold him back a week medically.

Next weekend, if they are performing where they should be, he will be able to leave base to go into Cape May for the evening, after they are done working on Saturday for the day.