Well, I haven't updated on Crockett in a while. Actually, it's been a matter of days, but it is crazy how much things change in a matter of days.
My last post was when I got 4 happy letters in the mail. What a great day that was! Since then I've had not so happy phone calls. First of all, Crockett got in trouble for something he honestly didn't know was wrong. And from what he has told me I think it's a little silly, but this is the military and there is no gray, just black & white. You learn the hard way there. So he was told he would meet with the head commander (I should know his title, but I don't.) and he was going to make the decision of what needed to be done. The options were: 1. Nothing (fat chance) 2. Reversion (Crockett would get moved from recruit company Zulu 186 to recruit company Alpha 187, moving his graduation to Aug 31 and putting him in boot camp for 10 weeks instead of 8.) 3. Ramp (3 days of
HARD punishment.) When I got the call telling me this was happening Crockett was incredibly discouraged, as would be expected. If you know my husband you know he is a pleaser. He enjoys making others happy and takes great pride in his success. When he gets correction he works so hard to fix his error. He never has the attitude of "you're wrong and I'm right so I don't care that you don't like what I'm doing." I blame Katy football, but Crockett aims to please. Especially his superiors. So for him to be told he did something wrong when he has been trying
SO hard was really difficult for him.
He also found out through talking with experienced Coast Guardsmen at the training center that we were
lied to mislead about Crockett's job in the food services. We thought the max time he could be out on a cutter (boat) was 3 months; turns out it's more like 6 months. We also thought that it was equal time home and on the boat. That's not true either. Crockett met a guy who did food services for 2 years and in that 2 years he was home for 6 months. :/
While in boot camp the CCs (company commanders) have been driving hard that if the recruits don't want to be in the coast guard now is the time to quit. Once you leave and you are stationed somewhere you are government property and must fulfill your contract. Needless to say Crockett has had his doubts. While being a Coast Guardsman is still a dream come true for him, there is a possibility of more sacrifice than we saw coming. And my sweet husband was mostly concerned with how I'd feel about all of this. He wondered would I have still been on board if I had known there is a chance he could only be home 6 months in 2 years. After we talked and I assured him that I am perfectly at peace with whatever comes and that I have faith that God will provide no matter what he seemed to feel much better. So the next step was waiting and praying that the commander would not revert him, but either do nothing or send him to ramp.
Thus began the most I've prayed in 48 hrs. I was constantly praying the same prayer. "Please don't let him be reverted." And my prayers worked! On Tuesday morning I got a very early call that made my heart feel both joy and sorrow. Crockett would not be reverted immediately, but instead would go to ramp. For 3 days he will endure the hardest incentive training he's ever endured. He will be pushed physically and mentally. And if he passes he will be put on probation for 1 week. If he fails ramp or makes a mistake while on probation he will be reverted.
So I'm back to praying. "Please give him the strength to pass ramp." I know that God is faithful and I know that his mind can be changed by prayer (shout out to pastor Jeff). I am trusting in his plan and I know that no matter what happens we are both being shown mercy and grace and that's the only truth that matters.
Crockett is feeling determined and assured that the Coast Guard is still where God is leading him even though it is and will be more difficult than either of us imagined. I am so proud of him for pushing through this and I am even more in love with him for how much he cares about my opinion. I know many men who would not have thought twice about their wife's opinion. Today, Thursday marks day 2 of ramp and while I feel incredibly guilty that I'm going to go to a baseball game while he is in ramp, I'm grateful for the distraction and excited about time with my cousins. I really do think my cousins are a blessing and a rare gift. God may have taken some of my family members home before I got the chance to really know them, but the ones who I have gotten to know... let me just tell you; God is so good.
.JPG)
