some good news...

Got a late call from my son last night. He called to tell me that he got sworn in yesterday. Yep, he joined the Army and will be a Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic.

This was a long time coming; the process seemed to go on forever. The first time (this year) he called me to tell me that he was joining was the beginning of July. Now it’s December and finally, as of yesterday, he’s in.

He had a few hurdles to jump – weight and a criminal record seemed to be the biggest stumbling blocks. But he, his recruiter and Shelly (the parent of a friend of his) persevered and here we are.

He “ships out” to Basic Training on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

Here’s a very nice note that Shelly wrote to Justin (I was cc’d):

“The time has come for us all to rejoice and celebrate Justin moving up in life. He’s come far these past few months, with a few bumps along the way, but he’s done it.

Justin,
I am saying this to you. Big A, the girls and I are proud of your accomplishments these past several months. You have stuck it out (with a little PUSHING here and there…LOL) but you did it. This is time for you to stand proud and take this new road as a life changing experience and become a wonderful young man with much ahead of him. The road will get tough at times, I’m sure you know that, but look back over the past few years and look at yourself in a new light. You have overcome many odds that were against you. You can succeed, you just have to put your mind to it.

Congrats PVT Justin Daniel Bruce”