OCS: First Phone Call

I was shocked last night around 11:15 p.m. when I got a call from Quantico. Matthew earned liberty which lasted from last night until 7 p.m. Sunday. He wanted me to apologize to everyone that he didn't have time to call each individual person but he was still expected to accomplish a great deal...even during his "off" time.

The Highlights:

1. He had a cold, which turned into bronchitis, which is now a sinus infection. He sounds horrible but he says that has more to do with all the yelling and less to do with his illness. They do have medical personnel on staff if he gets much worse.

2. He was able to leave base, so he and a buddy booked a room at the Comfort Inn about 30 minutes away so they could sleep in warm beds and take long, hot showers. Next weekend, if he gets liberty, he plans to spend it at a place on base called the Harbor House. It is run by the church and it is a place for the guys to decompress, relax, talk on the phone, and get free meals.

3. During the entire phone calls (both last night and this morning) he was eating. He ate cheese sticks, a chicken flatbread sandwich, ice cream, candy bars, nuts, and Cheetos...just to name a few. He was completely insatiable.

4. He is doing very well on his tests! Approximately half of his platoon is on probation because they failed the tests. If you fail, no liberty!

5. He is getting along with every candidate except one. This particular guy speaks nicely to his face but speaks horribly about him to the upper chain of command. Matthew is very unhappy with this particular situation.

6. Four guys have already decided to opt out of further training come Wednesday when they are officially allowed to drop out. There are a few others that he speculates will be cut around the same time.

Overall, he sounds exhausted and hungry. He commented that a lot of what they have him do is "stupid" or "ridiculous" but he hasn't wavered and he is working very hard. I really think he is picking up on the culture and necessary strategies of Marine Corp officer school.

If all goes well this week he will have liberty again next weekend, starting on Saturday night and extending into Sunday. I will keep you updated!

OCS: Fire Team in the Offense

Finally more photos, but no hubby.
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoF

OCS: Letter 6

Matt had warned me that I probably wouldn't hear from him for awhile so the next day I was super surprised to find another letter from Quantico.

The Highlights:

1. Liberty starts on Saturday evening and runs through Sunday afternoon. I may get a chance to talk to him on the phone!!
2. It is cold (anyone else noticing a theme?) Since he is in 4th platoon, they are the last to do everything which means they spend more than their fair share in the cold weather.
3. He swam through a water hole which had previously been covered in 3 inches of ice wearing his cammies, a cartridge belt, 2 canteens, a load bearing vest, a Kevlar helmet and his rifle. Afterwords he ran a couple miles back to the barracks. He said it was the most physically painful experience of his life.
4. He loves chow time! (again, noticing a theme?)
5. He currently is suffering from a cold, like everyone else in his platoon. He says it sounds like Kennel Cough
6. The obstacle course is made for people much taller than he is. There is an instructor, however, who is shorter than he is which is encouraging for him
7. His first request: UA basketball scores (which I sent him this morning)

The Menu (what he ate on Saturday 1/22/11):

Breakfast: Frosted Flakes cereal, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, yogurt, banana waffles and a giant cinnamon muffin

Lunch: ham and cheese sandwich (with mayo and mustard), 2 hard boiled eggs, a bag of chips, 2 cookies, a box of raisins, and an orange

Dinner: an apple, lasagna, chocolate cake, rice, chicken noodle soup, potato salad, green beans and a dinner roll

This is just an amazing amount of food for him. In addition, he is eating things now that he previously hated but everything tastes good to him because he is so hungry ALL THE TIME.

OCS: Letters 4 & 5

I was pleasantly surprised to find another envelope from Quantico in my mailbox this afternoon. He is finally receiving mail, but it is sporadic. He got 6 of my letters on the same day.

The highlights:

1. Fire watch sucks and ruins his sleep cycle
2. He is super grumpy, getting tired of the long days and short nights
3. He completed his first written exam covering Drill and rifle training
4. PT is pretty easy because he pushed himself so hard before he left
5. He is hungry ALL THE TIME
6. He misses Taco Bell and old fashioned butter pecan ice cream
7. He is learning land navigation, tactics and weapons
8. He hates Drill
9. Frozen water obstacles are in his near future
10. It is cold, but outdoor PT makes it easier to tolerate
11. He goes to church with his rack-mate who is extremely tall (they seem to be good friends)

OCS: Letters 2 & 3

After stalking the mailman for about an hour I quickly ran to the mailbox and discovered another envelope from Quantico! Yippee!

Highlights from the two letters dated 1/15 and 1/17:

1. People are starting to get sick and he fears the bronchitis
2. He now considers warm to be 40 degrees
3. Pick Up was cake
4. The Instructors like to play games
5. He was issued his M16A4 service rifle
6. He averages about 3 hours of sleep now
7. He already got in trouble once for laughing
8. He has a new rack-mate, a guy from Phoenix
9. His platoon started out with 72 candidates, now there are 65
10. He loves chow, despite the 4 minute time limit
11. He hasn't received any mail yet (this is slightly concerning, I write everyday!!)

OCS: Individual Movement Course

New pictures posted but no Candidate Phillips...
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoE

Haven't gotten a letter in a week, I have no idea if he has been getting mine but I write one everyday.

OCS: Pick Up

I feel like such a failure as a wife. I cannot decipher my husband's bald head from all the others.
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoC

OCS: Fire and Movement

The OCS website updated again with more pictures. (http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoD)
I don't see him in this round of photos.

Sleepover

My sis came over last night to watch the Golden Globes and rather than drive an hour back to her house, she just stayed over night. Both the dogs slept with her on the air mattress in the spare bedroom. Traitors. :)

OCS: Haircuts and Uniform Issue

Finally a picture! (http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoB)

OCS: First Letter

I received my first letter from Quantico and I am so relieved! I was starting to wonder if I would ever hear from him, but alas I got a 2 page letter.

He seems to be doing well but perhaps a little homesick. He wrote the letter during "lights out" so much of it is hard to decipher but he has finally been assigned a platoon which means I finally have an address to give all of you (see below). He isn't sleeping much, about a 1/2 to two hours per night. He also comments a number of times about how cold it is. He waited in 16 degree weather the other morning for chow. They also don't heat the building the guys stay in, so I anticipate this cold weather is a difficult adjustment for an Arizona boy. He knows about the Tucson shooting. He has made some friends and he really gets along with his rack-mate.

Before I give you the address, please read over the do's and don'ts of letters!! It is very important that you follow these guidelines if you want your letters to arrive to him and also to keep him out of trouble. If you are forwarding this information to others, please make sure they understand the rules!

His address is:

Candidate Phillips, Matthew, E
C Company, 4th Platoon
Officer Candidates School
2189 Elrod Avenue
Quantico, VA 22134-5033

OCS: Phase 1

The OCS website posted some photos from the Initial Physical Fitness Test, but I don't see hubby in any of them.

Here is the site: http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoA

Please double check this for me!

Day One

Well, today was the first full day without my hubby.
I won't say it has been easy but so far I have found that as long as I stay busy, it is easier to cope. So, I met my sister for lunch, ran a few errands, took down the Christmas decorations, vacuumed, and rearranged a few items of furniture. I have also been watching the television coverage regarding the shooting here in town of 18 people and that has also made me realize that things could be much worse.

Last night was hard, the dogs woke me at 11 when they heard the dryer rumble because they thought it was him returning home. Lily is much more aware of his absence than Trudy. She sits by the door and waits patiently but it is usually easy to distract her with a toy or treats.

I bought Trudy a new collar and sweater today. They match and are pink and gray. If you can't dress your dog up when you're sad, what can you do?

Quantico, VA

Hubby texted me a few minutes ago to say that he has arrived in Virginia safely.
I don't know when I will hear from him again, but I should get a letter sometime next week which has his address. I will post it here, as soon as I get it.

Safe Travels, My Love

Today I think I may have done the hardest thing in my entire life. I put my husband on a plane to pursue a dream which doesn't include me. I am so proud of my marine candidate, yet so sad. Our home feels empty without him. It will only get harder later today when the dogs sit by the back door waiting for him to come home and he doesn't.

Happy New Year!!!