All We Want for Christmas is to See Our Emily!

We leave tomorrow to go to see Emily. Logan is so excited to see his momma! It has been a long road for my sweet sister, but SHE DID IT!!! On December 7, 2007 Private Johnson is graduating from Boot Camp!
I am so proud of her and can't wait to tell her that face to face! Over the past few weeks I was able to talk to Emily more than I ever imagined would have been possible while she was in boot camp. It is so exciting EVERY time my phone rings and it says (803).....I even woke up at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday to talk to her because I am thrilled when she calls. Last week Emily did the Final stage of Boot Camp called Victory Forge. Here is some information from the Fort Jackson site about what that is:

Victory Forge is a 7-day field training exercise combining all previously taught basic combat training skills. It is the culmination of basic training. Soldiers are continuously challenged on all the skills learned throughout the nine-week training cycle.

Day 1 - Pre-Combat Inspections (PCI), prepare and produce an operations order (OPORD)

Day 2 - 10-Kilometer foot march, quartering party procedures, occupy a position and establish a defensive perimeter, conduct tactical feeding, introduction to night operations and rest plans

Day 3 - Conduct "Stand-To", undergo Nuclear, Biological and Chemical training, issue a squad-level OPORD, defensive operations, conduct troop-leading-procedures, go through the Teamwork Reaction Course, conduct squad-sized tactical exercises and a night tactical exercise

Day 4 - Same as Day 3

Day 5 - Same as Day 4

Day 6 - Recover from the defense, conduct PCI/stretch, issue squad and platoon-level OPORD, move to and conduct the Night Infiltration Course, execute the Live Fire Night Infiltration

Day 7 - Conduct PCI and ensure personnel and equipment accountability, 15-Kilometer foot march, participate in an After Action Review, and after-operations maintenance which culminates with the Rites of Passage Ceremony symbolizing the transition from Soldier-in-Training to Soldier in the United States Army.

Now for a little math...how many miles is a kilometer? Emily has been talking kilometers for a week, and I should have looked this up a long time ago.....1.6 Kilometers=1 mile.

SO....if you read the information about it said on day 7 they made a 15 kilometer march which is about 10 miles!!! Can you imagine how in shape Emily is?! I will post lots of pics FOR SURE!

I may have said this in a previous blog, but I am not good at posting on this often, because when it comes down to it I would rather write Emily than write on the blog....but I am making it a personal goal to update this thing once a week from now on....I am not making promises, but am sharing my personal writing goal with you.

I am so thankful for everyone who is praying for my sister and her future and safety. Please be praying that she is stationed somewhere safe and a place that will be a wonderful experience for her. Hawaii and California sound nice! She is so brave and has told me more than once that if she is sent to Iraq that she will be ok....and I expect her to say that because she is so strong, BUT I, on the other hand am NOT as strong as her and would be so worried and miss her so badly, as I am sure any of you reading this would as well. Please be praying with Logan and I. More to come.....