Ok so no matter what Adam says this actually started with me. I told him when we were dating that after I graduated I wanted to either join the marine corps as an officer (long story, I will save it for another blog) or join the peace corps. After his graduation from Newberry College, he didn’t really have a plan what he wanted to do. He toyed around with the idea of going to medical school and of teaching and coaching, but he ended up working at a car dealership (and that job isn’t easy). Adam Had talked a lot about wanting to (and I don’t remember the name of it) be an army jump out of airplanes guy, well I told him (no offence to anyone in any other branch, they all have the same goal in mind, to fight for our freedom) go big, the marine corps is said to be the toughest branch. He thought about it and out of the blue one day he told me he was talking to a recruiter. He told me he was going to sign up and go this in the late part of summer 2006. I told him to do it! BUT he didn’t tell his family, which I told him was a big no no that they needed to know. But he insisted that he wanted to sign up, swear in and then tell them before he shipped so that they couldn’t talk him out of it because that is what he wanted to do.
SO the ultimate plan was…. since Adam already had his degree, he was going to enlist, get his feet wet, and then apply to officer candidate school. I told him he has his degree so just apply for officer school right off the bat, BUT he insisted that enlisting would give him a huge advantage (not pay wise, woooah we were hurting for awhile) that the guys would respect him more for having been on that side of the fence. So I didn’t argue to much, like always I told him “I don’t want you to regret it either way.”
Adam Graduated from Parris island in march of 2007. His MOS was NBC (nuclear biological chemical something). He had his training in Missouri at ft. lost in the woods, which Adam said was HORRIBLE (I don’t know I was in South Carolina pregnant and trying to finish my degree). From there Adam was stationed in California at Camp Pendelton. After we got married, Alexis and I moved out there. It’s funny because when adam put in where he wanted to go, he put east, west, then over seas. But we got west coast, which we thought we were going to hate, but over time it grew on us. Moving on, so adam, Alexis and I lived together in Cali from October 2007 until January 2008, where I then moved to Adams parents house in South Carolina to finish my last semester of college (which even with Adams parents help was very difficult, small child, 19 credit hours, teething, need I say more). Then after completing college (on time, im 4 years with a baby, as you can tell I am proud of my self) Alexis and I moved back to California to re-join Adam. In the late part of 2008 Adam submitted his package to go to OCS. We waited and waited and WAITED and then finally I believe it was 3 weeks before his ship date, he received word that he was selected to go (btw his CWO called me, let me know first, I made cookies and went to his shop, adam was in the bathroom, when he came out he was like “um, hi, what are those cookies for?” haha when I told him he was speechless, so excited). Well Adam worked really hard and a month shy of his two year mark, Adam had picked up Corporal in December, I believe it was two weeks before he shipped to OCS.
Yes Adam was so excited and very nervous. This again would be more time away from Alexis and me, but I kept telling him, “It will so be worth it in the end!” Adam flew out of San Diego January 2009 and was at OCS until March. Once again it was back to writing letters (which by the way is something thrilling to wake up and wait for the mail, open it up and there is a letter from the love of your life). But I believe 3 weeks into it he was able to call me every weekend, so for me the weekends couldn’t come sooner so I could hear his voice. From there he was to stay in Virginia for 6 months for TBS. So Alexis and I moved from California to Virginia (Another note worthy accomplishment, I did all the tmo prep, move and drive across counrty by myself) We knew we weren’t going to be there long so we rented a tiny apartment (so glad not to be in an apartment anymore). Once again Adam had to go to MOS school (artillery, he blows things up) but this time it was in Oklahoma and due to me having a GREAT job (which I miss a lot….), and not wanting to pay out of pocket to move everything to move again Alexis and I stayed in Virginia from January 2010 to April 2010. From there we have been stationed at Camp Lejeune (when he put in his request this time he put west coast, east coast then overseas, it seems we always get our second choice) in North Carolina which we intend to stay for 4 years now.
Well most of Adam’s career in the marine corps has been in some sort of training, but now he is applying all he has learned in his new job. Adam and I haven’t talked about it a whole lot, but in 4 years he has the choice (well sorta there is also a selection board), to either stay in and continue a career in the marine corps (which is 20 years, and you can retire) or he can get out and do something else. Either way I have told him (even though sometimes I don’t show it) I am very proud of him. It takes a lot for a person to willingly join a branch of service in war time and make a sacrifice and be away from your wife and child for days (in the field), months (in MOS school, or someday workups, and then someday deployment). He made the choice that even though he has a family, he will miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and whatever else, that his honor and dedication to the marine corps comes first, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Not everyone can do what those men and women do, and they deserve so much respect (I could go on and on but I will save it for another blog). bottom line I loved Adam before he was a marine, I love him for defending our counrty, and if he chooses to get out I will love him and support anything he wants to do!
SO the ultimate plan was…. since Adam already had his degree, he was going to enlist, get his feet wet, and then apply to officer candidate school. I told him he has his degree so just apply for officer school right off the bat, BUT he insisted that enlisting would give him a huge advantage (not pay wise, woooah we were hurting for awhile) that the guys would respect him more for having been on that side of the fence. So I didn’t argue to much, like always I told him “I don’t want you to regret it either way.”
Adam Graduated from Parris island in march of 2007. His MOS was NBC (nuclear biological chemical something). He had his training in Missouri at ft. lost in the woods, which Adam said was HORRIBLE (I don’t know I was in South Carolina pregnant and trying to finish my degree). From there Adam was stationed in California at Camp Pendelton. After we got married, Alexis and I moved out there. It’s funny because when adam put in where he wanted to go, he put east, west, then over seas. But we got west coast, which we thought we were going to hate, but over time it grew on us. Moving on, so adam, Alexis and I lived together in Cali from October 2007 until January 2008, where I then moved to Adams parents house in South Carolina to finish my last semester of college (which even with Adams parents help was very difficult, small child, 19 credit hours, teething, need I say more). Then after completing college (on time, im 4 years with a baby, as you can tell I am proud of my self) Alexis and I moved back to California to re-join Adam. In the late part of 2008 Adam submitted his package to go to OCS. We waited and waited and WAITED and then finally I believe it was 3 weeks before his ship date, he received word that he was selected to go (btw his CWO called me, let me know first, I made cookies and went to his shop, adam was in the bathroom, when he came out he was like “um, hi, what are those cookies for?” haha when I told him he was speechless, so excited). Well Adam worked really hard and a month shy of his two year mark, Adam had picked up Corporal in December, I believe it was two weeks before he shipped to OCS.
Yes Adam was so excited and very nervous. This again would be more time away from Alexis and me, but I kept telling him, “It will so be worth it in the end!” Adam flew out of San Diego January 2009 and was at OCS until March. Once again it was back to writing letters (which by the way is something thrilling to wake up and wait for the mail, open it up and there is a letter from the love of your life). But I believe 3 weeks into it he was able to call me every weekend, so for me the weekends couldn’t come sooner so I could hear his voice. From there he was to stay in Virginia for 6 months for TBS. So Alexis and I moved from California to Virginia (Another note worthy accomplishment, I did all the tmo prep, move and drive across counrty by myself) We knew we weren’t going to be there long so we rented a tiny apartment (so glad not to be in an apartment anymore). Once again Adam had to go to MOS school (artillery, he blows things up) but this time it was in Oklahoma and due to me having a GREAT job (which I miss a lot….), and not wanting to pay out of pocket to move everything to move again Alexis and I stayed in Virginia from January 2010 to April 2010. From there we have been stationed at Camp Lejeune (when he put in his request this time he put west coast, east coast then overseas, it seems we always get our second choice) in North Carolina which we intend to stay for 4 years now.
Well most of Adam’s career in the marine corps has been in some sort of training, but now he is applying all he has learned in his new job. Adam and I haven’t talked about it a whole lot, but in 4 years he has the choice (well sorta there is also a selection board), to either stay in and continue a career in the marine corps (which is 20 years, and you can retire) or he can get out and do something else. Either way I have told him (even though sometimes I don’t show it) I am very proud of him. It takes a lot for a person to willingly join a branch of service in war time and make a sacrifice and be away from your wife and child for days (in the field), months (in MOS school, or someday workups, and then someday deployment). He made the choice that even though he has a family, he will miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and whatever else, that his honor and dedication to the marine corps comes first, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Not everyone can do what those men and women do, and they deserve so much respect (I could go on and on but I will save it for another blog). bottom line I loved Adam before he was a marine, I love him for defending our counrty, and if he chooses to get out I will love him and support anything he wants to do!
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