Posted By m m on 01 Mar 2010 10:09 PM
I'm new on here!
Hi Everyone!!
I'm just wondering if anyone has had a significant other go to bootcamp in Ft. Benning at Georgia?
Some random questions of mine would be:
Is the only form of contact just through letters or will they be able to call you a couple times?
How long does it take to get an address from them once they arrive?
What are some dos and don'ts for sending letters?
What is graduation like?
Will they get to leave base or will you get any time with just them during graduation?
and also VERY importantly...
What do you even wear to a Boot camp graduation??
Also- How long were you dating your guy before he went to bootcamp??
Thanks!
My husband went to BCT at Fort Jackson but I can probably answer many of your questions. We were married almost six years before my husband joined and we dated for four years before that (yes, he was on the old side when he joined at the ripe old age of 28).
Most of your contact will be through US Mail. Your mailman will be your best friend. I literally hugged mine one day when he brought a fistful of letters to my door. He might get to call on Sundays but he might not, it all depends on the drill sergeants and what they have going on. Some platoons let them use their cell phones to call and some make them use a pay phone. Like I said, it all depends.
The rules for letters are pretty simple, don't send contraband (food, cigarettes, etc). If you send pictures, they must be appropriate. The DS will look at them so don't send anything you wouldn't want your grandparents to see. Do not put stickers or drawings on the outside of the envelope unless you want your SO to be made fun of. I could illustrate all of these points with examples from other soldiers in my husband's platoon but that would take a long time. Just trust me
It seems like it took a week or two to get his address but my memory on that is fuzzy. It came in one of his first letters from actual Basic, not reception battalion.
At Fort Jackson, they have to stay on post on family day but you get to spend the whole day with them. After graduation, most soldiers were given an overnight pass but had to be signed out by a PARENT or a SPOUSE. I imagine the rules are the same at Benning. He stayed overnight with us but had to be back by 5am. My husband's graduation was weird because it was inside due to rain and there was a fire drill in the middle of the ceremony. I'll let someone else tell you about graduation!
As for what to wear, wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing. Some people dressed up and some didn't. I wore nice clothes that were weather appropriate and allowed me to have my toddler in tow. I saw people wearing ripped up jeans and gross t-shirts but I also saw people dressed like they were going to the Kentucky Derby.
Hope that helps