Hi, hope this letter finds you all alive and well. Things have gotten really boring really quick here since the cessation of the weapons range trips. Now we spend each day studying for the EOCT- End of Cycle Test- which we will take on Monday (July 13th). The test just covers basic skills associated with soldiering i.e. first aid, mines, gasmask work, etc... Directly after the EOCT on Monday we will go on Bivouac, from Tuesday through Friday when the sun rises. When the sun rises, we will march the 12 kilometers back to the barracks, at which point we are basically through with training. That will happen one week from this morning. So, my two last "hurtles" to graduation are 1)Final PT Test (tommorrow morning) and 2) EOCT. I'll make it though, no question.

I feel God has really carried me through all of this- I didn't realize at the beginning that there were so many chances in Basic Training to screw up and be kept beyond the 8 weeks. See, this cycle of training is the first time the Army has implemented a "zero waiver" policy, which means you cannot miss or fail any part of required training and still graduate. As of now, I am 100% up to speed on all aspects of training. That's a good, strong "Yea God!" if anything ever was.

I'll try to call on Sunday 7/12, though this letter will probably not arrive until Monday. This will likely be the last letter I send from Basic Training as well. Whoo hoo!

See you all in 12 days from now, 10 or less by the time you get this.

Dan