Sorry for being MIA!!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for being MIA since last week. As you can imagine, I've been a bit distracted! :) It is SO NICE having Johnny home again. He is adjusting well and has been very busy at work this week.


While we are still celebrating his HUGE accomplishment, we are also gearing up for deployment. Today has been a tough day because we pretty much got final word that he will be deploying in two and a half weeks with his unit. They are headed to Iraq for a year. I truly can not comprehend those words....Iraq for a YEAR. I know this is part of the job and it was only a matter of time before he got deployed, and I should be happy it's not 18 months, it's just that...he JUST got home. So I'm a little out of it today, but didn't want another day to pass without posting something!

Click HERE to view the pictures from Johnny's Ranger Graduation. There was an hour-long demonstration before the actual ceremony where they showed all sorts of things the soldiers did throughout the 3 phases. It was full of explosives and weapons and combatives and jumping out of black hawk's....it was very entertaining! And I got to pin his Ranger Tab on which meant so much to me because that is what they worked so hard for! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Life is Good!!

Amazing. Yesterday was that is...when I got to see JOHNNY!!! I am one happy girl :) We got spend a good portion of the day together yesterday and I just stared at him all day long because I couldn't believe it was really him!! And...I don't have a single picture to share with you. Bad blogger Amanda, very bad. Will take some today...promise...and will definitely be taking some at Graduation tomorrow.

But here is my question. We want to go an a little trip sometime soon. Like a long-weekend getaway. But not being from Savannah, I don't know a ton of places within driving distance that would be a good get-away spot. Any ideas?? We don't want to spend a lot of money and don't want to drive more than 7ish hours to get to our destination. So tell me all of your ideas...please and thank you!

HE'S COMING HOME!!

HE DID IT!!! I just heard from Johnny and he passed the Swamp Phase and will be graduating Ranger School this Friday!! I can't even begin to tell you the excitement and relief I'm feeling right now. It's OVER!! It's like the biggest weight has been lifted off my shoulders! And my husband is officially an Army RANGER!!

I am SO PROUD OF HIM; for his perseverance and commitment to following a HUGE goal of his and not giving up....even when he thought he saw zebras in Georgia! I am driving up to Ft. Benning on Wednesday to see him and I can hardly stand it!! It feels like forever since I've seen him. It's finally OVER!!

GO or NO-GO???

Ok, so here is what Johnny's schedule is looking like as of right now.

Today is the last day of the 9-day FTX (stands for field training exercise where they were given missions to lead) and whenever it is officially over (it could be at midnight tonight...who the heck knows!), they will get their final evaluations and receive either a GO or a NO-GO. This will determine whether he graduates next Friday the 26th or has to re-do the Swamp Phase again. Technically the Swamp Phase is the shortest Phase in regards to actual training and field time because the last week of the Phase is for "Recovery and Out-Processing" before graduation.

So, I am expecting a phone call from him either today, tomorrow or Monday with the word on whether he got recycled or will be graduating Ranger School on the 26th. I'd like to say I am patiently waiting for his phone call with no anxiety whatsoever, but we all know that is IMPOSSIBLE for Amanda!! I keep replaying the different scenarios in my head, like what I will say if he says he recycled or how loud I will scream if he says he is graduating. And unfortunately I have not gotten any letters from him this week, so I can't even analyze his thoughts on how the missions are going to determine if he's doing well or not. I'm a girl...I analyze everything!

I'll update this when I find out...hopefully with good news! Thanks for your prayers everyone! I know they are being heard :)

The Little Things

This my friends, is romantic. When you are hundreds of miles apart and can only communicate through hand-written letters, it's the little things that melt my heart.

(You can click on the picture for a close-up.)

Hand-picked flowers by my one and only, laminated to the back of the envelope. Is he just not the sweetest husband ever?!! (okay, you can stop throwing up now, the mushy part is over!)

Snakes & Coffee

How about an update on Ranger Webb?

I have received several letters from him since he started the Swamp Phase, but he mostly talks about how much he misses home and everything he wants to eat when he gets back! He wants to grill hamburgers the first night he’s home and then put a huge pig shoulder on at 0300 (3:00 a.m.) until the next evening. He mentions food on average, about every other sentence. The poor boy is hungry!! He apparently has perfected the art of dumpster diving for left over food after people are finished eating. This slightly worries me because there is a huge dumpster across the street from our house for all the construction that’s going on around us, so I guess if I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t find Johnny, he’ll either be in the dumpster looking for food, or sleeping on the ground in the backyard. The “adjustment & recovery period” should be interesting! His mood and motivation took an 180˚ turn once he got his GO from the Mountain Phase. He says he can kind of see the end in sight, just barely though because it still seems so far off.

WILDLIFE & REPTILES

“I’m sitting in a class waiting for the Battalion Commander to come in and I see 9 wooden boxes with locks on them and signs on them that read ‘DANGER VENOMOUS SNAKES’. In the background I hear rattles. I can’t wait for these guys to pull the snakes out! Well, the snakes were cool. Some huge while other were small. And a small gator. I touched them all of course. Except one that was hissing and mad!”

In another letter he says, “Let’s talk about wildlife for just a second: Within the first hour of being close to the woods yesterday, I saw a coral snake & black racer and I probably saw about a dozen banana spiders (HUGE). Then I went to get my ruck sack after a mission and had 3 wolf spiders on it over a quarter in size. It was quite disturbing."

*Side Note - I was going to put a picture of these gross creatures on the blog, but my aunt is extremely disgusted with snakes and I didn't want her to not ever read my blog again!

TRAINING

One day they did “Close Quarters Combat” training in urban areas. This basically means fighting in houses, buildings and towns. They use rope bridges to cross large bodies of water and he said they stay wet the majority of the time either from the swamps or because it rains every day.

If it starts lightening, they go into “lightening lockdown” which means they stop all training and get in groups of 3-4 and sit in an open field until the lightening has stopped.

They are currently in the field for a 9-day FTX (field-training exercise). This is where Johnny will get at least 1 mission where he has to plan, lead and execute a group of guys in order to get his GO. They will be living out in the swamps the entire time.

PHYSICAL & MENTAL SIDE-EFFECTS

Physically he is doing alright. He says he has loss a great deal of strength and his pants are very baggy on him (not if he keeps up the dumpster diving though!). He has poison ivy AGAIN, but went to the medic right away this time. His big toes are still numb – they have been since the first phase and his hands and fingers crack open really bad so the medic gave him lanolin for that. He has already said he will need MAJOR foot care when he gets home, apparently they are in bad shape. The mosquitoes and sand gnats are really bad down there, so his neck and face (the only skin that is uncovered) looks like he has chicken pox.

He said they have a term to describe the feelings guys have while at Ranger School. The term is “hurt locker” which describes an intense sadness, deep pain or misery. He said, “This my dear, is a real hurt locker.” He has said more than once that being away from me and our home (as well as the physical and mental demands) has been the hardest thing he has ever had to do in his life.

THOUGHTS ON 9/11/08

He wrote one letter on 9/11 and says, “It doesn’t seem that long ago that the towers were attacked. But being here and sacrificing my/our time for a greater cause kind of motivates me. It reminds me what this country represents. I hope that even though we are apart today and suffering because of the separation, that we can feel good about what we are doing and going through.”

COMIC RELIEF

And here is a hilarious story (to me anyways) about his encounter with a cup of coffee the other day! These are Johnny’s words:

“A RI (Ranger Instructor) just came into the barracks for our OPORD and he had a cup of coffee. Neuert & I joked about who would be the decoy while the other took the coffee from him. Well, you know I just had to at least smell it. Anyways, I get closer for a better smell. About that time he goes to take a sip. My eyes follow the coffee to his mouth and back down. He looks at me and offers me a sip, I smile and deny it. Then before I know it Neuert is behind me asking, ‘Are you serious?’ See, RI’s often joke like that. They will offer you something they know you want and you get super excited about it and say yes, and then they laugh and/or cuss at you. So the RI answered Neuert and said, ‘Yeah, I’m not a jerk.’ Before I know it I’ve got a hot cup of coffee to my lips tasting the delicious flavors of coffee bean and International Delight (creamer)! Two more sips of joy for me for a total of 3 sips/gulps. Temperature was not an issue during this mission, quantity was. You know I have been craving coffee for well, since Day 1 of Pre-Ranger! So it was awesome!”

PRAYER REQUESTS

He is very scared/nervous about getting recycled again. He said he was burned once with a recycle and it was devastating, so he can’t help but be a little scared. Please pray that he will not recycle! And he asked specifically for prayer for his knowledge, strength and endurance both physically and mentally and that he would be able to execute missions successfully.

The Swamp Phase

Ranger School is one of the toughest training schools a soldier can volunteer for. Army Ranger NCO's are experts in leading soldiers on difficult missions-and to do this they need rigorous training. For over two months, Ranger students train to exhaustion, pushing the limits of their minds and bodies.

Emphasis during the Swamp (Florida) Phase is to continue the development of the Ranger student's combat arms functional skills. He must be capable of operating effectively under conditions of extreme mental and physical stress. This is accomplished through practical exercises in extended platoon level operations in a jungle/swamp environment. Training further develops the students' ability to plan for and lead small units on independent and coordinated airborne, air assault, small boat, and dismounted combat operations in a mid-intensity combat environment against a well-trained, sophisticated enemy.

The Florida Phase continues the progressive, realistic OPFOR (Opposing Forces) scenario. As the scenario develops, the students receive "in-country" technique training that assists them in accomplishing the tactical missions later in the phase. Technique training includes: small boat operations, expedient stream crossing techniques, and skills needed to survive and operate in a jungle/swamp environment involving learning how to deal with reptiles, and how to determine the difference between venomous snakes and non-venomous snakes. The camp has specially trained reptile experts that teach how to not be afraid of them.

The Ranger students are updated on the scenario that eventually commits the unit to combat during techniques training. The 9-day FTX (field-training exercise) is a fast-paced, highly stressful, challenging exercise in which the students are further trained, but are also evaluated on their ability to apply small unit tactics/techniques. They apply the tactics/techniques of raids, ambushes and movement to contact to accomplish their missions. The capstone of the course is the extensively-planned raid of the ALF's island stronghold. This small boat operation involves each platoon in the class, all working together on separate missions to take down the cartel's final point of strength.

Afterwards, students who earned graduation spend several days cleaning their weapons and equipment before returning to Ft. Benning. By then they have earned PX (Post Exchange) privileges, and access to the "Gator Lounge", a place where they can use a telephone, eat civilian food and drink beers and watch television. During that time students are fed three daily meals. The graduation is at Camp Rogers in Ft. Benning. In an elaborate ceremony at Victory Pond, the black-and-gold Ranger tab is pinned to the graduating soldier's left shoulder. The Ranger tab is permanently worn above the soldier's unit patch.

Historically, the graduation rate has been around 40%, but this has fluctuated in both directions at certain points. In the last three years the graduation rate has risen from 52% in 2005 to 54% in 2006 to 56% in 2007. Only around 20% of soldiers make it through all three phases without having to repeat a phase.

(The first two pictures are green because a night-vision lens was used to take the pictures.)

Woooo Hooooo!!

HE GOT A GO!!!!!

Johnny called me late last night unexpectedly and illegally (in Ranger world) because he had just found out he was moving on to the third and final phase....the Swamp Phase! We spoke for only about 15 seconds, but hopefully we'll be able to talk today for at least a few minutes before they head down to Florida. I'll be posting some information soon about what all the Swamp Phase entails, until then, let's keep him prayed up so we can get him home in 3 weeks!! I'm ready for this to be over!!

Two More Days

I have been story-less the past week. I've logged on to the blog almost everyday this past week to write a new post, but nothing has come to me.

I did receive several letters from Johnny last week and it seems his moral is back up despite having to re-do every test, class, and mission over again which he is a bit bitter about! He was joking more in those letters than he has since he left, and seemed more like himself which made me happy! He said his new company, Alpha Company, is much better than Charlie Company he was in the first time through the mountains. He is learning a lot more this time through and he even has a guy who graduated from The Citadel in his company this time! He will hopefully get to make a call this Friday to let me know whether he got a GO and will move on to the third and final phase - The Swamp Phase. I am pretty confident he will be moving on to the Swamp phase this weekend, but there is of course a small chance that he won't get a GO and will be recycled again. However, this time, if he recycles again (which I seriously doubt will happen) he will have to start the entire Ranger School over again from DAY 1...not just the mountain phase. You are only allowed 1 recycle per phase before you'd be required to go back to the beginning of the program. PLEASE PRAY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN!!! I want him home in 3 weeks....NOT 3 more months! So, I suppose my lack of writing could be due to the fact that I have been seriously nervous about Friday's outcome. I know, I know, nothing good comes from worrying, sometimes it's just hard not to.

I'm also on "Hanna" watch. I love Savannah but I do not love Hurricane Season. I am not a fan. All the unknowns and potential devastation from such a fickle storm leaves me anxious and wanting my husband!! I've stocked up on jugs of water and wine and batteries and my pantry is full of food and if I loose power I still have the charcoal grill (which I still need to move into the garage. Thank you for reminding yourself, Amanda) to cook dinner on. What an adventure this will be!

So, I'm counting down until Friday. To hear from Johnny and to see what Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna decides to do. I'll keep you posted. I promise I won't go another 8 days without a post this time :)

Oh! And here is a picture of me and my grandparents from this past weekend. I went down to my parent's house in FL for the long weekend and we met up with my Grandma and Papa in Orlando for a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater! We had so much fun together. I love how active and full of life they are and we're usually always laughing when we're together...you never know what will come out of my grandmother's mouth! :) I love y'all!

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Today, Johnny turns 25! I have been celebrating his birthday all day today for him and we even had a birthday party for him this weekend! Silly it may be, but I loved every second of it and I know he will be excited to see the pictures because he LOVES birthdays - especially HIS! Maybe the Ranger Instructors gave him a special MRE or something...instead of M&M's for the "dessert portion" maybe they have one with a cupcake in it! Somehow I seriously doubt it, but that would be a nice gesture and if they did that, I would try to forgive them for not giving him his mail for weeks at a time. Oh, how that ticks me off! Maybe I'll write a letter and address it to the Ranger Instructors and tell them what I think of that....anyways...back to Johnny's Birthday...

I am particularly glad Johnny was born today because he is the most incredible man I have ever met and my life would be so empty and boring without him! I mean, how lucky am I...I get to have two titles because I married him.... Army wife & Regular Wife!! (Click on that link if you don't know what I am talking about!)

If you want to send him a letter of encouragement - all you have to do is email me (which you can access by clicking on the "View my complete profile" under the "About Me" section on the blog) or call me and I'd be happy to give you the address! Also - you can "bookmark" this website (or mark it as one of your "favorites") so you can have easy access to it every day to see if it's been updated!

Enjoy these pictures from his birthday party!

Rewind

Hmmm....where to begin?

Well, I did get to hear my sweet husband's voice on Friday. My cell phone literally did not leave my sight from about 6 a.m. that morning until he called at about 8:30 p.m. At that point I had slightly given up hope of hearing from him and just figured they weren't going to let them make any calls...so I could barely breathe when I picked up and it was his voice on the other end!

Friday marked the last day of Phase 2 where they received their final evaluations of their missions they planned and led and other tests they were given over the course of the Mountain Phase. This is where they were either given a "GO" or a "NO-GO." A "GO" would send them to Florida for the Swamp Phase (Phase 3) and a "NO-GO" would be a "recycle" which means they would have to start Phase 2 over from the beginning.

Johnny ended up getting "recycled" and started the Mountain Phase again this past Saturday. We knew going into this, that it was VERY, VERY common to recycle. I think they say 2 out of 3 guys recycle, and they also say to count on 2-3 recycles over the course of Ranger School. AND - to add to these statistics, 50% of the guys in Johnny's company recycled the mountain phase - which is a HUGE number compared to the other companies. Charlie Company (the company he was in) was the toughest to be in at the Mountain Phase. He said A LOT of the guys who got recycled just dropped out of the program and went home because they didn't want to give it a second chance....which means that they gave up their opportunity to get a Ranger tab because they chose to leave.

He was pretty down about it when he called Friday night and was dreading telling me, but had already decided to stay and give it a second shot unless I told him to come home....which I would NEVER do because this is such a HUGE goal of his.

I could tell by talking to him that the effects of Ranger School are definitely starting to wear him down. He talked about how he doesn't have to be sitting down to fall asleep. He hallucinates often. One time he saw a zebra (I can assure you - there are NO zebra's in the mountains of Georgia) and he said he remembers saying, "Wow, look at how pretty that zebra is." Another time he said he saw me leaning up against a tree out in the woods smiling and waving to him and he stopped to watch me but was quickly jilted because the guy behind him pushed him and yelled at him to keep moving. When they do missions, they walk for almost 24 solid hours straight up and down mountains with 80-120 pounds of gear on, while carrying a machine gun. Then they sleep for 40 min or less and do it all over again. He said he is constantly on edge and his mind is constantly working, even when he is sleeping. He said it is completely impossible for him to imagine coming home tomorrow and just hanging out and relaxing because that seems so far away and so different than the life he's been living the past two months that he can not comprehend it.

I tell you this harsh reality of his current situation so that you'll pray for him. Yes, we knew going into this, it would be tough (on both of us!) and that the purpose of Ranger School is to break you down on every level and then test you and see how you perform. Please pray for his endurance and strength - both mentally and physically. Also, for his motivation and drive to continue on, no matter what it takes, for him to get his Ranger tab.

The positive side of this recycle is that he gets a second chance to perfect mountaineering tasks and combat operations (things he has never been exposed to before this) so that he will be proficient on every level when the true test comes either in combat when he's deployed in a few months and/or when he moves to a Ranger Battalion. Everything happens for a reason. I just have to hold on to that truth because selfishly I just want him home - now. Another plus is that he changed companies and the RI leadership changed. He knows what to expect this time around and will be able to perform even better because of what he learned the first time through.

His new graduation date is September 26th. I know he will soar through these next 6 weeks and realize that it really was worth all this misery once that Ranger tab finally gets pinned on him.

Also - his birthday is a week from tomorrow. August 26th - he'll be the big 2-5! If you think about it, drop a birthday card in the mail to him...remember he won't get any packages until the end of the phase (which will be about Sept. 5/6)...but I know a card would brighten his day....he LOVES birthdays! He gave me a new address for him, but said it could change again later that day, so I'm hoping to get a postcard with the confirmed address on it in a few days. I'll let you know when I have it.

Anxious Thursday

Tomorrow will be the end of Phase 2 and hopefully Johnny will get a three hour break before they make the move South for Phase 3 - the Swamp Phase. I am SO anxious to hear from him to find out if he passed all his missions and will be moving on to Phase 3 or if he got recycled and will have to do Phase 2 all over again. I have only gotten mail from him twice during this phase and in both letters he expressed major concern and nervousness for his upcoming missions...hence my anxiety! He said they only have 6 pay phones for over 60 guys during a 3 hr. time frame....so I'm sure if we get to talk it will be short and sweet. I'll update the blog as soon as I can once I hear from him....

Mt. Yonah and Regular Wife Life Happenings

I have partly been waiting on another letter from Johnny before I updated you on his happenings, but that hasn't happened yet, so I'll tell you what I know! His letters have definitely been few and far between during this phase, so it is really teaching me a thing or two about patience and not letting my vivid imagination get the best of me. Two things I'm not very good at :)

The last letter I received from him he was on the top of this.....




Doing this....

And some of this too....



Here is a prettier shot of Mt. Yonah where Ranger Webb has spent the majority of his time thus far during Phase 2.
He got a GO! on the 1.8 mile ruck march where they ascended from about 900 ft. to over 1300 ft. He said it was very tough at some parts but when he reached the top, the view was amazing. He said it was comforting to see civilization down below. He said the terrain with 80+ lbs. of additional weight on his back is at times scary; he used trees to pull himself up, then get in front of it so he wouldn't fall down the mountain. Surprisingly, it is cold up there! I find that so odd but it could be because I don't really remember what cold feels like considering the 110 degree weather we've been having in Savannah lately! I'm not sure if it's cold just when the sun isn't up (I'd assume so), but he said he's very cold and it's super windy there. In his letters he talks a lot about eating....anything and everything! He is already starting his "lists" of things he wants to eat and do when he gets home!

After they learned climbing and mountaineering techniques, they had military training classes on other techniques. I'm assuming it was on planning and running missions, being ambushed, etc. while on a mountain because they have had 4 days this past week of student led patrols/ ambushes/raids and then 5 days of the same thing next week. I wonder if they get attacked in the middle of the night while they are in mid-climb up the mountain face and then they have to fight back....see, again with the vivid imagination. He really should just be more specific, then I wouldn't have to make up my own stories!

I really hope to get something in the mail from him soon. I hate going this long in-between letters. He still seems to be staying very positive and focusing on God throughout this testing...which I couldn't ask for anything more! And he said that I was the best Army wife/regular wife ever. haha! I love the "slash regular wife" part. haha.

Let's see, what else has been happening in my "regular wife" life?

I finished painting my downstairs half-bath....what do you think?! Isn't it FUN?! (Please excuse the toilet plunger that I've never noticed until this picture, yet am very embarrassed it's there. gross. why is it there?)


Oh yes....and THIS happened! It was Elena's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Christy and Andy threw a great party to help celebrate her big #1 complete with her own two-tier chocolate cake!

It was also me and Johnny's 6 month wedding anniversary last Saturday. I can't believe it's already been1/2 a year since that incredible day took place. I watched all 2 hours of our wedding video last night and it was pure medicine to my soul! I had been kind of down the past few days (ok, two weeks...whatever!) and it livened me right back up! I'm not sure why I didn't pop that baby in the DVD player two months ago when he first left, but I'm pretty sure I'll be watching it every night for the next 27 days until Johnny's Graduation!! If he continues to get GO's! on his missions and tests and doesn't recycle, I'll be looking at my husband's face on September 5. Oh man, I'm excited!!!

Ranger Creed

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster, and fight harder than any other soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.

Pitiful Rock Games

Today Ranger Johnny actually begins climbing up mountains and rappelling back down them. They've spent the past 3 days learning how to tie the proper knots and hopefully everything anyone would ever want to know about belaying and rappelling. Kinda nerve wracking for me, but I'm sure he is having a blast! So, if you think of him today and tomorrow, say a little prayer for his safety.

I got a postcard over the weekend that he had written a week or 2 ago while he was still in Phase 1. He said they have a game to help them stay awake. They pass a rock around. That's all...that's the actual game. He said it sounds silly, but it does work! Want to hear something even more pitiful? He said when he gets so tired that he starts to see double when he's writing me a letter, he closes his right eye. He said, "That's how every letter goes, one eye opened, one eye closed." PITIFUL.

Hope everyone is having a GREAT Wednesday!

The Mountain Phase!

We're on to Phase 2 everyone!

Mike had a wonderful visit with Johnny this past Friday and said he was very positive and seemed to be mentally handling everything as well as one could! I think Johnny's time at The Citadel has really given him an edge over some of the other guys there because he is able to ignore a lot of the mental games and harassment they get from the RI's. Apparently Ranger School is nothing compared to Knob Year at The Citadel! Johnny has definitely dropped some weight, mostly muscle mass and the little bit of fat he did have. Enjoy the pictures. Thank you for taking these Mike!

Phase 2 brings a whole new set of obstacles and tests for him. Please continue to keep him in your prayers for his safety, health, mental strength and focus, and emotional state (he really misses home). I also have his new address - so drop me an email (amandaryantaylor @ yahoo.com) and I'll forward it right along to you!

Below I've included a description of what can be expected during the Mountain Phase. It's kinda long...sorry!

During the Mountain Phase, students receive instruction on military mountaineering tasks as well as techniques for employing a squad and platoon for continuous combat patrol operations in a mountainous environment. They further develop their ability to command and control a platoon size patrol through planning, preparing, and executing a variety of combat patrol missions. The Ranger student continues to learn how to sustain himself and his subordinates in the adverse conditions of the mountains. The rugged terrain, severe weather, hunger, mental and physical fatigue, and the emotional stress that the student encounters afford him the opportunity to gauge his own capabilities and limitations as well as that of his "Ranger Buddies." In addition to combat patrol operations, the Ranger student receives five days of training on military mountaineering. During the first three days of mountaineering (Lower) he learns about knots, belays, anchor points, rope management and the basic fundamentals of climbing and rappelling. His mountaineering training culminates with a two day exercise (Upper) at Yonah Mountain applying the skills learned during Lower Mountaineering. During the two FTXs (field training exercises), Ranger students also perform patrol missions requiring the use of their mountaineering skills.

Combat patrol missions are directed against a conventionally equipped threat force in a low intensity conflict scenario. These patrol missions are conducted both day and night over a four day squad field training exercise (FTX) and a platoon five day FTX that includes moving cross country over mountains, conducting vehicle ambushes, raiding communications/mortar sites, and conducting a river crossing or scaling a steep sloped mountain. The Ranger student reaches his objective in several ways: Cross-country movement, air assaults into small landing zones on the sides of mountains or an 8 10 mile foot march over the Tennessee Valley Divide (TVD). The stamina and commitment of the Ranger student is stressed to the maximum. At any time, he may be selected to lead tired, hungry, physically expended students to accomplish yet another combat patrol mission.

At the conclusion of the Mountain Phase, the students move by bus or parachute assault into the Third and final (Florida) Phase of Ranger training, conducted at Camp Rudder, near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Peanut-Butter Shots in the Butt

Today, I’m frustrated and sad. And that’s how I felt yesterday too. I hadn’t heard from Johnny in about a week and was dying to hear from him and to just know that he was doing alright. I finally got 2 postcards from him yesterday! YAY! Thank goodness! He wrote both around July 15^th and I’m sure hasn’t had the time or energy to write since because they have been out in the field doing missions, raids and ambushes. Each mission usually takes around 12-24 hours to plan and execute. He is still averaging about 1-2 hours of sleep a night and is getting about 1 MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) every 24 hrs. The daunting task of completing the infamous “Darby Queen” obstacle course consisting of 26 different obstacles didn’t even faze Johnny. He said he “smoked the Darby Queen and killed (metaphorically, not literally) all 26 different obstacles!” Even his Special Forces friend got 3 “No Go’s” on it, so I think that really helped give Johnny a boost of confidence considering he made it straight through, all Go’s!

They have been giving the guys Penicillin shots in their butts about every 2 weeks. For those of you who don’t know Johnny very well, he does NOT like shots. Actually, he tries to avoid them at all cost and he has a very long list of shots (like 15 different shots) he’ll have to get when he gets back home before he deploys because he has successfully beat the medical system and not gotten them in the 2 years he’s been stationed at Hunter…haha! I guess he’s learning to deal with them in Ranger School – hopefully he’ll be a pro with them by the time he gets home! Here’s what he said, “What did I do to deserve this?! Here, I am, JW, trying to be the best Ranger I can be and they want to put what they compare to peanut butter in my butt. My level of comfort right now is amazingly low.” HAHA. I can’t help but to laugh. My man still has his sense of humor and I love it! These two postcards seemed to be the most upbeat and light-hearted of them all. He said he is doing awesome and even with not getting hardly any sleep for the past month he doesn’t feel too bad yet.

Oh, but back to why I’m frustrated and sad. I’m super frustrated because Johnny informed me that the RI’s (Ranger Instructors) ARE NOT GIVING THEM ANY MAIL. You have GOT to be kidding me. We had heard rumors that they sometimes do this, but didn’t really think it was true. Well, it is. That means he hasn’t heard from me or anyone else for that matter this entire time and our letters are just piling up somewhere. He even says in one of the postcards, “They are about to do our first mail call. I’m so pumped.” Then the next day he started writing again and said, “The only people who got mail were the guys who joined our class late (ones who recycled). So I was a little down and just want to hear from you.” OMG. MY HEART BROKE WHEN I READ THAT. You know what, how rude of those RI’s. Seriously. I’m SO thankful that despite the circumstances, he can still be positive. He said he knows I’ve sent mail and knows that I’m doing well, he just needs to get it from them. So he understands that they are keeping it from them and it probably upsets me (well, clearly) than it does him. Hopefully they won’t do this during the next two phases – so don’t be discouraged and not write him letters! I really think they are doing this to continually try to wean the weak out of the program, especially in the first phase.

And I’m sad because I just miss him. Plain and simple, I miss my best friend.

But anyways, enough of the depressing stuff. Want to hear a funny story?! In one of the postcards from July 15^th, he says, “Today I really wanted to watch Ratatouille. Don’t know why though.” I WATCHED THE MOVIE RATATOUILLE ON THE NIGHT OF THE 15^TH!!! Isn’t that CRAZY?! I know that’s the night I watched it because it was still in the dvd player when Christy and Elena came over the next night. I love love love that! And despite the fact that we’ve had no contact over the past month, our brains still work together! You really know you’re destined to be with someone when you both want to watch a cartoon movie about a rat who cooks while you’re two worlds away. That makes me smile :)

Mike (Johnny’s Dad) is actually traveling as I type this to Columbus, GA. Johnny gets an 8-hour break tomorrow before he begins the Mountain Phase to eat, catch up on sleep, do laundry and purchase more supplies, equipment and toiletries before Phase 2. After our last good-bye we decided that it probably wouldn’t be the best idea for me to go back up for that 8-hour break because it was just so difficult on us. We also didn’t want it to un-focus him before the next phase. So, while I know that it’s the best thing for both of us, it kills me to know that I could see him tomorrow but am not going to. I’m so thankful Mike is going to be there and I know he is SO excited to see his son, it is just tough – you know? But the good news is that I get to talk to him! No, seriously – like really talk to him – on the phone and everything!! I’m so excited to at least be able to hear his voice again. He has already informed me like 2 weeks ago that he wants to eat ribs, ice cream and pancakes and eggs and bacon from IHOP. Oh man. What a combination.

So that’s what’s happening here on the Webb-end of things. You know, I actually feel much better after writing everything out. So even if no one reads this thing, it helps me sort out the feelings and thoughts piling up inside of me.

Oh, and I just finished painting my half-bath green. Bright green. With zebra rugs. It is F-U-N! I’ll have to post pics soon!

RAP Week is OVER!

Well, he's made it past the hardest part of Ranger School - the first week! Rap Week is officially over and he got "GO's" on everything and the first time through on each task as well. Apparently they will give you a second chance on some tasks if you don't pass it the first time before they recycle you and he never needed any second chances!

I got a VERY long letter from him yesterday. He said to heck with the postcards and mailed me a 12 page letter! (Don't worry - it's not on 8.5 x 11 paper...just small paper from a pocket notebook he has!) I can definitely tell by reading through the letter that the exhaustion is having an effect on him because many times he didn't make any sense and he repeated himself often. However, he seemed to have high morale and he definitely stills has his sense of humor!

He said the heat is the worst part because they just stand around in the sun all day long. But they do keep some of the water ice cold for them, so he was pretty excited about that. His company began with 114 and they are now down to 59 guys....just after the first week! He is meeting a lot of new people, several of whom are stationed in Savannah at Hunter Army Airfield with the 75th Ranger Battalion. I see new friends in our future! :) He even ran into a guy from Hilton Head who he use to hang out with when they were kids...isn't that wild?!

They had a "Demolition" class a few days ago where they actually got to make explosives and then blow them up. He said it was probably the most fun he's had yet. haha. He's still a little boy at heart!

He still isn't getting much sleep. The night before his 12 mile Ruck March he only got 45 minutes of sleep. In regards to food, he said, "The longer I'm here the more hungry I get. My intake has not changed, I'm just in need of more food! But, I'm fine - promise!" He said he can tell he is not nearly as strong as he was 3 weeks ago. He said he put some of his gross dirty clothes in a trash bag for a couple of days and when he went to wash them, he opened the bag and it smelled like pure ammonia. Apparently, when you start burning your muscles off, it smells like ammonia. Yuk!

In his letters, he reminisces a lot about our life at home and he said those thoughts keep him going. He also said, "Please tell everyone to write and send pictures! It is hard to have all this, all the time, so I think my mental escape will be letters and so forth." Geez, I can't wait to have him home again. We're almost 1/3 of the way done! YAY!

Here are some pictures from me, Christy and Elena's photo shoot last night. We wanted to take some pictures to send to Uncle Johnny!

Address for Johnny!

I finally received my first letter from Johnny since our latest goodbye last weekend. He is doing very well, getting "GO's" on each task he is presented with. He is averaging about 1-2 hours of sleep each night while the remaining 22-23 hours of the day are filled with non-stop physical activity.

They began with about 450 guys starting Ranger School on the 7th and we were told they try to get the number down to about 250. The majority of those guys will be out within these first two weeks. He said 60 guys didn't make it through on Tuesday. That is CRAZY! They really are weaning out the weak to leave the best of the best! This first week is called "RAP" week and the Ranger Instructors (RI's) make it their mission to get as many guys to quit as possible. Either by physical exertion or they are known to play mental games with them testing to see if they really want to do whatever it takes for a Ranger tab. Johnny said he was able to block most of it out! He said he has high morale as long as he sets small goals for himself. Even with the non-stop activity and lack of sleep he is still able to write a few sentences on a postcard each day to me (he mails it once the card is filled up) and he said he reads his devotional book every day.

He would love mail, so if you would like to mail him a letter, please email me or leave me a comment on the blog with your email address so I can email you the address. I don't want to put it on here for security reasons.

**Keep in mind, he will only have this address for the next 12 days. After that they begin the Mountain Phase and it is in a totally different part of Georgia with a different address. I wouldn't mail anything to him past the 22nd because he probably won't get it.

A Quick Hello from Ranger Webb

Hey yall. I finally get to spend a little time with my Bride again. I just finished the Pre-Ranger course on the 3rd. I have until the night of the 6th(D-Day, June 6th 1944), then I go back to the Warrior Training Center where they will give us a ride to the Ranger school at about 0230 where we will start the course. The past two weeks have been a great training aid for what is to come. It really helped me understand what I am getting into and will hopefully put me ahead of the power curve.

I have missed the heck out of Amanda, but I know she is strong and will be alright and that helps me not to worry. When we report on the morning of the 7th we start with our RPFT(Ranger Physical Fitness Test) followed by the Combat Water Survival Test. Throughout the rest of the week we will have a land navigation test, timed ruck marck and a couple other graded events we must pass in order to continue on with the course. I feel really confident going into this and look forward to getting started. It is a long course and will be tough, I just have to stay focused on what I am there for and I only have to do this once.

I can get mail while I am there so PLEASE feel free to send me a letter, you can get the address from Amanda. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, it definantly helps me get through the hard times. Take care and I will be keeping Amanda updated on what is going on throughout school.

-Johnny