First time on a military base

We just got back from Fort Jackson, South Carolina! We made the 900 mile trip to visit my little brother, PV2 Lewis, Joseph. It was an amazing experience for all of us. We attended famliy day on Thursday - we were confined to the base all day, but it gave us an "un-distracted" opportunity to catch up with Joe. Our first stop was to the PX, which is the on-base shopping center. While we were there, I bought a pair of Orange Crocs (only because my feet were blistered due to a mix of bad choice of shoes and sand). We ate at the food court. Joe needed a grease and caffeine fix after not having it for 2 months! We visited the barracks and got a small taste of what life was like for Joe since his time in Fort Jackson. The fort encompasses more than 52,000 acres of land. They have 2 bowling alleys (of course we had to visit one of them, and yes, Joe still has his touch), 2 shopping centers, miniature golf, a water park, Burger King, a sports bar, and a ton of housing. For the two months that Joe was on base, he was only aware of these facilities while enroute to activities that required strength and determination. He had a total of 3 PT (physical training) tests and his best time on the two-mile run was 11:57 - AMAZING!!! He had the third fastest time in his Platoon. After visiting the barracks, we toured the fort and went to a picnic area to sit back and relax. We listened to music on Joe's new laptop and tossed the football around a bit. We had dinner again at the PX, only this time we had pizza! We then went to the playground where Isaac learned to climb the rockwall (all by himself) and finally returned Joe back to barracks around 8pm.

Friday was graduation day and time for Joe to finally leave base. After the ceremony we took him back to the hotel and enjoyed Arby's for lunch. He went to Best Buy to purchase a PSP and then we got to go to Hooters! This was the best Hooters experience any of us have ever had. We were all up dancing and singing with the girls, taking pictures - I don't think that I have ever laughed so hard in all of my life. If you could imagine Jon with the Hooters girls, you can slightly imagine the experience! After shedding a few more tears, mom and dad left on the Harley to start heading home. We took Joe back to the hotel and then back to barracks at 8pm again. We helped him pack up his clothes and toiletries and said our goodbyes. We then went back to the hotel and went to bed, got up the next morning and made the trip home. Isaac did get a birthday present from Joe before we left. Now he tells me, "I am going to the army, see you in 6 weeks!" He has no idea! Joe is now in Fort Lee, VA where he will be studying food service for the next 8 weeks. He will come home for two weeks after that - we are counting down already!