Hello bloggers, this is my first blog entry since the creation of this blog. My beautiful wife has maintained the blog for a year and a half and has now encouraged me to participate. So here we go.

I have been at TBS for a grand total of 17 days and it feels allot longer. The first week here is called "in-processing" and is a very long and boring ordeal. We are in a classroom from 0600 until 2100 (9:00 pm). During this time we sit in our seats and listen to briefs back-to-back all day long. There is no eating or drinking in the classroom and the time schedule usually does not leave time for chow. The picture of me on this post was taken during in-processing week and is put in my training folder so that my SPC (Staff Platoon Commander) can identify names to faces as the POI (Period of Instruction) begins.

The academics here are intense. The class load given to us in six months is equivalent to two and a half years of college credit hours. We are expected to master the information and implement it in the field during three week long FEXs (Field Exercises) and a final amphibious assault that is orchestrated and executed by the student lieutenants. Overall it is going to be a pretty intense six months.

The good thing about training in VA is that it does not get to -5 degrees here. I feel for all of you in the great frozen north that are enduring through the MN winter. Ooo-Rah to all of you. We had about one inch of snow here on Thursday night and the base almost shut down for all day on Friday. We had a late start on Friday instead and the base opened at 0900 instead of 0400. People are complaining about the cold here and it has yet to get below 20 degrees.

My weekends consist of talking to Gena and the girls, my parents, and my brother, watching movies (right now it is the Band of Brother series), and working out. Most of the other lieutenants here go off base for the weekend and explore the social scene of the east coast. This weekend we have a 72, or in civilian terms a three day weekend, because of Martin Luther King Day.

I would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers and thoughts. Thank you to everyone who is helping Gena and the girls during our time apart. I am very grateful to have family and friends who are so loyal and giving.

I will be periodically writing posts for the blog as my training schedule allows.

Semper Fi and God Bless
Lt. Disney