JED HAS GRADUATED!! YES!!!

Hello friends and family

Wow!! this has been a long journey that many of you have walked with us. You entrust your son to the military and there is so much to be done. We had a good time today. We met up with him at 9am and started meeting his 'battle buddies' as he calls them. They were very nice. Then we started meetings the families. You know it's going to be a good one when one father walks in the class room and says 'it's been a long 4 weeks' referring to the past 4 weeks past - past graduation. Then the 2-STAR General walks in. Almost at once everyone of rank comes up to him and starts shaking his hand. They wanted to meet this man. After all the families were in attendance, the company commander greets us and gives us his reasons why he made the decision to set them back to week 3. Then he gives us a chance to voice concerns. Several parents did, then the 2-STAR general rose and came his scathing review of it all and demanded which 'rank' told these recruits they were still unworthy as of Thursday. HE WAS NOT HAPPY. Though he outranked everyone in the room, he really didn't have any authority over the over all situation. Mostly his voice of his son in law and how it affected him. My husband and I have accepted the fact, JED messed up. I think the parents think the punishment didn't fit the crime. But, an impression was made on these 11 men. After the ceremony, the recruits did sign a sworn statement detailing what they heard, hopefully drill sergeants will be held in full responsibility to what they say at ALL TIMES AND THE ARMY can punish their own. Maybe these mistakes can benefit the other recruits in the future and how they make decisions when they mess up. They are known now as the 'ALPHA 11'. All the companies know of them.

After that was all over the ceremony started. The recruits marched in and stood at attention as the National anthem was played. A prayer was said, the Soldier creed was said by all and a few awards were given then they they were given their certificates. There were 11 of them and each was presented with their blue cord. Each parent or parents were invited to come up and put the cord on their right arm and take photos. The whole ceremony probably lasted about 45 minutes. I took plenty of pictures and we are very proud of him. NO he didn't get the ceremony he could of had, but we look at this way. We were able to meet and be much more personable with his 'battle buddies' and take really good pictures and ask questions and meet the other parents. THAT WAS GREAT. Normally there would of been a few hundred people there and been harder to get to him and see all the families. Not every situation is perfect, but God is in control and we can rest in that. (the 2-STAR General did shake each privates hand.) (Jed pictured with him in these pictures... the older gentleman...if you could see the two stars on his shoulder)

So.. enjoy the photos. You can always double click on each to see them bigger.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PRAYED FOR HIM, SENT HIM LETTERS AND BEING SUPPORTIVE OF THE GALLINA'S THROUGHOUT THESE 20 WEEKS. Many of you have walked this walk and know the drill. The ARMY has made every effort to talk to us, answer questions, give us directions and make us comfortable. What ever we expected we have not been disappointed.

Jed is now Private Jed Gallina ready for Airborne school in two weeks.

Home for 24 hours and back to base via greyhound.

Liz