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Tyler's Going to be a Midshipman (2014) -- Kris Celebrates 100th Night (2010)

Congratulations Tyler, USNA Class of 2014. You know this summer will be a short one, but perhaps others don't. I found the following on the USNA website:

All midshipmen begin the four-year program with Plebe Summer, a period designed to turn civilians into midshipmen. Plebe Summer is no gentle easing into the military routine. Soon after entering the gate on Induction Day, you are put into uniform and taught how to salute by the first class midshipmen and officers who lead the plebe indoctrination program. For the next seven weeks, you start your days at dawn with an hour of rigorous exercise and end them long after sunset, wondering how you will make it through the next day. Forget television, leisure time or movies. You will have barely enough hours in the day to finish your assigned plebe tasks.

The frantic, exhausting pace of Plebe Summer leads you somewhere. It gets you ready for your responsibilities when the brigade returns from summer training and the academic year begins. The summer also builds the foundation for the tangible and intangible qualities that make an outstanding naval officer. You learn self-discipline. You learn to organize your time and decide which things are most important. You reach top physical condition. You develop your ability to think clearly under stress and to react quickly when the unexpected comes your way. Any officer who has stood the watch on the bridge of a ship in a storm or landed a jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night can tell you the importance of these qualities. Plebe Summer introduces you to the basic how-to’s of the Navy as well. Aboard Naval Academy sailboats, you learn to respect the power of wind and current. In motor boats and yard patrol craft, you learn the basics of seamanship, navigation and boat handling. On the weapons range, you learn how to fire small arms safely and accurately. You also learn why we have high standards of honor, character and morality. And, you begin to develop your own ideas about leadership and the techniques that will make you an effective leader when your turn comes.

 There's a lot of information available for family/friends on the web. We can never know what it's like for Tyler to actually be there, but we can try. :-) http://www.usna.edu///homepage.php. I know the USNA parent community, like the USMA parent community is very helpful for the family.

This weekend Kris is celebrating the event at West Point called 100th night (which was really last weekend, but they let them have the 3 day president's weekend) - he actually has 91 days left before graduation. 100th Night Weekend is one of the celebration weekends for the class of 2010. Each year West Point Celebrates each class with a celebration weekend. For Plebes (freshmen) it's Plebe Parent Weekend; Yearling/Yuks (sophomores) it's Yearling Winter Weekend; Cows (juniors) it's 500th Night...and Firsties (seniors) get several...Ring Weekend, 100th Night and of course Graduation Week.

100th Night Weekend includes a 'play' filled with inside jokes and a lot of laughs, a formal dinner and a 'hop.' Joining Kris in his celebrations is another cadet named Melissa (2012). We had the pleasure of meeting her last weekend. She is a wonderful young lady and I'm sure they will have fun. Hopefully we will hear from them on how the weekend was. :-)

OOPS!

DOPPY ME. I JUST REALIZED THAT I LEFT OUT RANDY AND REGINA AND KALEB! THEY ARE FINE IN COLD OLE PA AND NEW JERSEY. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. THEY ARE OKAY. I WISH I COULD TAKE A ROAD TRIP, FIRST TO L A, THEN OKLA, THEN FLORIDA, THEN PA, AND OVER TO WA. AND OTHER PLACES TOO! LOVE "YOU ALL".
REENY

YUP! I READ THE BLOGS. :-)

DEAR KALBFLEISCH'S AND RELATIVES,
HERE I SIT AT THE COMPUTER WITH ONE EYE ON THE TV WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL. IT IS NICE HERE IN OUR LITTLE APARTMENT...OUTSIDE IT IS SUNNY AND BEAUTIFUL.
DARREL IS FINE AND (I THINK) HAPPY. HE AND MICHAEL KEEP THE SOCCER LEAGUE GOING. I AM AMAZED AT HOW MICHAEL IS GROWING AND MATURING....AND I AM GROWING OLD!
MONTE IS WELL AND OCCASIONALLY TAKES OFF TO TREK SOME NATIONAL OR STATE PARK. IT IS NICE THAT HE IS HERE FOR MICHAEL AND SUGAR IF WE WANT TO GO ANYWHERE.
WE HEAR FROM KEITH AND CRISTINA, LEON AND ESTHER AND JULIE. JULIE IS RECOVERING FROM A BATTLE WITH PNEUMONIA.
OUR TABBY CAT IS SO SWEET AND NICE TO HAVE AROUND THE HOUSE.
I AM FEELING ALMOST RECOVERED AFTER THE BOUT WITH THE FLU WHEN I FAINTED AND FELL INTO THE BATHTUB....AND THE SURGERY WHEN THE SURGEON TOOK A TUMOR FROM MY BLADDER. (SURE WAS GLAD TO GET RID OF THAT!)
BYE-BYE WITH LOVE,
REENY

Kris is Headed to a West Coast State!

 Okay, maybe not immediately. First he goes to Ft Knox for training (up to 13 months)...then he's off to Fort Irwin, California. For quick reference, Ft Irwin is about half-way between LA & Vegas.

Ft Irwin is one of the Army's training centers...in fact Fort Irwin National Training Center's tagline is "The Worlds Premier Training Center for the Worlds Finest Military." Specifically, Kris is scheduled to be assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. One of their jobs is to be the 'opposing force' for the training that goes on there. The other is to deploy and operate as a combined arms unit. I believe the regiment nickname is Blackhorse. Here's a description off the website:

 There, the Blackhorse trains the United States Army, one unit at a time in the brutally harsh climate of the Mojave Desert. Consequently, the tough and uncompromising standards of the 11th ACR have become the yardstick against which the rest of the Army measures itself. 

Kris said earlier that there are good aspects, such as being within travel distance of the west coast and Vegas. I figure that in order to be part of the team that trains other Army units, he will get great training himself...then by the time he transfers to another unit, he will have a lot of invaluable experience. I just wonder if he'll be ready for the heat after living in NY for 4 years...but after starting his life in Vegas then living in TX from 4-17, he should adjust quickly. :-)

Well, if you are curious...here's a link to Fort Irwin's website: Fort Irwin National Training Center. 

Love you all!
Gail

Who Reads the Blog???

Hello everybody!

Not much going on here...except I had a business trip to Vegas canceled at the last minute Friday...okay, maybe not the last minute but just under 24 hours before I was supposed to leave. Guess it wasn't meant to be this time. It would have been the first time I've spent more than a few hours there in 18 years.

Oh well...what's happening in your worlds? Anybody planning to travel to NY for the West Point graduation? The family is invited, but we need to know who will probably attend so we can send the appropriate invitation or announcement...not to mention making preliminary plans for meals (reservations are at a premium during the weekend).

I noticed Dad (Dale) finally created a Facebook account. Not totally convinced that he looks at it...but glad we can share pictures from time to time now. :-)

I'm not sure who reads this blog...if you read this, please post a quick comment letting us know. You can be really over the top & post an article about something going on in the family. :-)