The state of the Army

Well, the recruiter finally made it up here to meet with me this morning. Polite fellow but obviously pretty fed up with life in the military. Struck me as kind of an odd choice for the Army as a recruiter. Maybe they let him have the position because he's going through a nasty divorce since his wife was sleeping with another man (yes, we got to hear all this from him)...

Anyway, finally completed the paperwork so he can get John's medical records. If the Army doctors say he is good to go after they review his files, then he goes down for a physical and a day of placement testing. Three weeks or so after that, he's off to boot camp. I have a hard time believing right now that he might actually be out on his own this soon.

Part of me is relieved. Most of me is scared to death for him. He has no goals. He has never completed anything. I will be delighted if he makes it through his contract, I won't be surprised if he doesn't. But once out of the house, we have made it very clear he will not come back here and must survive out in the real world somehow.

I'm sure I will help him get started with some furniture, perhaps a month's rent... but if he flunks out of the Army, he's screwed. And I think the hardest lesson will be for me to learn to close my eyes and let him go. If I rescue him, I will destroy him forever. He must learn to make the effort. Starvation is a good motivator.