PICTURES

Tuesday Nov. 9th 2010

Well I was supposed to go to the Claymore Mine today, but instead, I went to the Dentist. They pulled down my gums,..apparently last time I got them cleaned they didnt do a very good job. Plus all of the smoking Ive done. She tore my mouth UP! But now its all nice and purty. After the dentist I took a nap and then helped DS Lilly type some report thing for Batallion.. A fairly slow day. DS Hall gave us some sobering insight!! He said,"Right now there are soldiers, that were standing right where you are, just 4 mos ago, and are now in Afghanistan! They are waiting for you to relieve them! You are the future of the Infantry. Right now you are molded iron, you started from coal 6 wks ago. In the next 8 wks we are going to shape you into a cold steel sword, and make you razor sharp!! Some of you may not make it back home, and believe me when I find out its gonna hurt! I always wonder if there was something I could have trained that person better in! ...But you have got to remember why, you're risking your life!Because you know if those people over there, got the chance to capture your Mother, Father, Brother or Sister, Wife or Child..They would cut there head off on live television, with no remorse, and that should make you sick to your stomach and that should be your drive!! Knowing what they have done and what they will do, given the chance!!"   It was a pretty sobering and inspirational speech! I think it made us all really think about what it is we are doing here, and why we are so willing to put our lives on the line. Its not for the American people...Its for you, our friends and family! If not us then who?? Less then 1 percent of the population serve our country in the armed forces, 0.02% are Infantryman. Really makes you think doesnt it? Gonna close now...PV2 Fonville

Monday Nov. 8th 2010

Mondays are always lame, especially in Basic Training! Its the day we go back to work and kick off a new week. We woke up at 3:50am and did our push-ups at 4:30. I was so happy! I surprised the heck out of everyone, and ran 2 miles in 13:20. I cut a whole Min. off. I weigh 190 lbs. and I smoke and Im the 5th fastest runner in our Platoon. The next PT test, I really want to get a 260 total! I got 220 this time! I still suck at sit-ups..lol. After the PT test I went to our first advanced rifle range. I shot 10, 5 round bursts, on the M2.50 Cal Machine Gun (bullets almost the size of my hand) and the Mark 19 fully automatic Grenade Launcher. I fired the Grenade Launcher far into a little valley, at an ols Bradley Tank. It felt awesome firing these massive, high powered weapons! I took a nap in a field for about an hour, during lunch..lol...During PT it was 35 degrees. during lunch it was 70. Its just been cold at night. We all sleep in our winter sleeping bags. They keep us super warm!Anyway gonna go work on PT and shower. We have a huge Ruck March tomorrow. Oh and thank you for the pics of, Lex, Tyler, Blake and Keifer! They are hanging in my locker:) Cant wait to see my Mom and Sister and Family, on Family day! 18 more days! Good Night..PV2 Fonville
P.S. Please send Ricolla cough drops Fruit Breezes cough drops..LOTS..and Phone Cards..Thanks

Sunday Nov. 7th 2010

Sorry I havent updated in a few days.Been really busy. On Friday I had pre quals. I shot a 33 out of 40. I was pretty happy. That night we went to see Trace Atkins. It really was fun! I dont care too much for country music, but I enjoyed it! We got to talk to some guys in Airborne school. There were a lot of civilians, and a  lot of them were walking up and thanking us for our service. We were free to eat pizza, candy, funnel cake, etc. I had a funnel cake and a Mountain Dew. I almost threw up but it was delicious...lol..Anyway yesterday we qualified. I was really nervous and I messed up bad! I shot 29 out of 40. I still shot pretty high compared to everyone else, but I wanted to do better. My last magazine had a 0 double feed, so I had to miss 3 targets. I was one shot away from Sharpshooter so you can imagine how mad I was!! But oh well I can become an Expert later. For now I just need to qualify. It was a good feeling, walking up and having them put our ACU helmet cover on our helmets, and pinning that Marksman badge on our IBA. Oh I forgot to mention we are the first cycle, ever to qualify in full Battle Rattle! That made it a lot harder!! Its been freezing the past 3 days! So windy and so cold! It sucks! We wear thick thermals under everything and sleep in our big sleeping bags. Also one of our Team Leaders got fired, so guess who was forced back into being a team leader..yep, Me!! Couldnt have come at a worse time. We are doing room sweeps and clearing them and doing live fire missions next week. I have to lead my 6 man team. Also come to find out, during FTX, I will be leading them and carrying the M249 Saw! Ahhhhh....3 Wks til Family Day! It will be so nice to see my Mom, Sister, Bro-In-Law, Niece and Nephews! We have a PT test Monday. It will be cold and Im still sick, super dumb! I love you guys..Please write Me.
PV2 Fonville

P.S. PT test tomorrow and its gonna suck! I have to get a 270 on the one after this in order to get Airborne

Address

PV2Fonville, Thomas RN#209
E-Co.2/54 INF.
8775 Albanese Dr.
Fort Benning, Ga. 31905
The Rn# has to be placed on the back also

Some Of My Writings

Summer has passed and winter is here.
Along with the wind, your voice disappears.
This desperation will soon subside
For too long I have tried
To hold this together, piece by piece
To mend this together strip by strip.
I'll tear away this wall brick by brick.
Here I am standing on top of the world,preaching a Hymn to the hopeless,
A song for the deaf
Watching my world fall to the ground,
We lye here together and barely make a sound.
They all think I'm dying,
But I'm doing just fine.
Its all in my head I'm just losing my mind.
The second you take your very last breath,I'll stop loving you and let it all go.
But until then I'll be right here waiting for you to show.
For now..please excuse My absence
For the life I lead is now in past tense.

Thurs. Nov. 4th 2010

Today we had pre-pre qualification. I shot 31 out of 40. Tomorrow I have the actual pre-qual. If I shoot expert (at least 36 out of 40) I wont have to shoot on Saturday. I really want to shoot expert. Its a big deal to get expert..plus it means I out shot Dad and kept up with Mike..lol.Anyway, all in all, it was a good day. After pre-qual tomorrow, we are going to a Trace Atkins concert..lol. Ive seen him a few times already but it will be nice to just get out for awhile. Gonna cut this short, gotta shower. PV2Fonville

Wed. Nov. 3rd 2010

I'm sitting in the Day Room right now with Humphree. The Day Room is the DS lounge. Its awkward..lol. We just got back from sick call and the rest of our platoon is at the range, shooting. It turns out I have a mild respiratory infection. I have to wear a mask to avoid spreading it and they gave me medicine. So hopefully, I'll feel better soon. While I was waiting outside, I ran into a friend of mine from GED Plus. Blaire, he got put into a dufferent Company. I looked at him and said "Blaire"! He looked at me and said, "Fonville??" He said damn you lost a lot of weight..haha!! We talked and laughed and it was nice...Turns out he is getting kicked out for assaulting a DS..lol! He could be facing some jail time, but pretty unlikely.On our way back me and Hump saw another Familys, Family day. Made me so anxious for my own Family Day! When I see civilians it reminds me that there is a world outside of this place and it makes me feel really happy! When I got weighed at the Doc I had lost 5 more pounds, plus I had my boots on. Its funny cause I felt like I was gaining, because of all the MRE's we eat and they are loaded with calories!! Plus a lack of running  lately.  Oh how the end grows near! 3Wks and 3Days..Then 2 weeks til I go on Christmas Leave! I'll write later gotta get ready to go to EST.

Tues. Nov. 2nd 2010

Well we went to the range again. I shot 26 of 30. Not too bad, but I still need a lot of work. The weather was beautiful today. So cool dark and gloomy. We rode in a deuce on the way up there. We looked like we were on our way into a Worl WarII era, battle, wearing our assault packs and full battle-rattle. Im getting really use to shooting my weapon. I dont even blink when a round goes off, and Im starting to like the smell of the rounds after theyve been fired! Anyway, I filled out a sick call form..Im REALLY sick. My squad leader is really pissing me off..Killebrew has been messing uo bad, so they made me take care of him. That is a squad or team leaders job. Not Mine! Well now hes trying to get me switched to being Killebrews Battle Buddy! I like my Battle Buddy! Also this morning, Garcia corrected our Squad Leader and now Garcia and I have Fire Guard, for smarting off. WTF...Garcia is one of the nicest guys here, Its total BS! Im gonna get ready for Chow and write more later.
1:00am   I'm on CQ right now. Me and Garcia got Gatorade,(not suppose to but we are Rebels). Its our last night doing anything together. From now on Im with Killebrew. I already didnt like my Squad Leader and now Im furious! Other than that Ive been doing better. The 200 page notebook that Mom sent me, is now full of my poems and writing a lot. I'll attach the latest one. Im still sick. It comes in bursts. One second I'll be fine. The next, I cant stop coughing! Gonna close for now..CQ is almost over. I love you..Keep writing me.
Pv2 Fonville

Monday Nov.1st 2010

6Am..Im out at the Range, freezing my butt off, making 4 dollars an hr. Why did I sign up for this??..LOL..I was woke up at 4am and told I had duty squad at the Range. So I didnt have to go to PT. Me George,Killebrew and DS Reidel drove all the way to the range and set up equipment, in full battle rattle! So now we are handing out Ammo all day. So boring. At least its a pretty day out. The sun is just rising! We have 2 more hrs before anyone gets here, so we are just talking Story.
3PM..We are finally back. Today was boring but I got to pretty much have the day off from training. So Im not going to complain. When we have a lot of down time, I think alot and my mind wanders. I think about my past, my future and what Im doing at that exact moment. It sucks being so lost and having no one toturn to for help. This whole experience has really changed my attitude towards life in general. There are a lot of things I have taken for granted, including my friends and family. This whole thing has made me a better man and as much as I wish I wasnt here...Im glad I am! I hope that makes some sense. What Ive realized from this blog, what started as a Basic Training Journal of a Soldiers day to day, has turned into a place where I can vent and pour my entire heart into, for the whole world to see. Its weird but it has become very therapeutic. .....Im gonna go try and clean my rifle and get ready for chow. Write more later.
8PM..I just got 3 letters from Mom. Since Killebrew has been messing up bad, the stupid team leaders have assigned me to be his Babysitter..UGH! Im gonna close early. I love you Guys..Good Night:)........Thomas Fonville

Sunday Oct. 31st 2010-Happy Halloween!!

Sunday is finally here! These weeks are beginning to fly by! Im gonna try and make this a long update. We are now starting week 5. This is my 9th week away from home. Its been a long way and a lot has changed. But Im here, alive and better than Ive ever been! It was scary being on my own at first, but I quickly learned to adapt. After losing the reason I joined in the first place I wanted to quit! Then I realized Im here for a different reason. Im here so I can better myself in everyway. Im here so I can grow up, Im here because I didnt wanna end up doing the same stuff Ive been doing for yrs. Ill be home soon and going straight into school, and bettering myself even further! Maybe me and Kaili didnt work out because God is leading me to make another girls life better. I try and look at the positive side of things. I miss her, I miss my old friends, I miss my old life but things are going to be better, I know it! AHHH!!  We just got Smoked for laying across our bed! ...Anyway Happy Halloween!! Really wish I could be with my friends! Last Halloween I was downtown in Waikiki, Having The Time Of  My Life!!! Now Im hoping to at least get a phone call:) I cant wait til Family Day and cant wait to get back home. Im still  unsure of what to expect. I dont know if I have any friends left, I dont know where Im going to be staying,..But I pray everyday that I'll be just fine and make everyone proud!
 I love you Mom. Thank you for updating all of this for me. Your letters make this a little easier and I save every one and I read them over.
8PM
 Well I got to talk to Mom and Dad. Even if its only for a few mins. It still made my day!:) Someone rear ended my car, luckily it was their fault, so no worries. Its funny, my plates are still Washington plates. Im still unsure if I'll even be going to Washington. I really want to be attending Everett still, but I cant do it without Kaili. ..Who knows..maybe I'll find a new roomate. ..Well Im feeling pretty sick right now and have a 30 min AGR run tomorrow morning. I didnt fill out a sick call slip, so hopefully they let me go. I Cant Stop Coughing!!! This place sux! Its literally like a prison! Some of our guys say they had it better at County Lock-Up...Why did we volunteer for this??? LOL...Well Im gonna try and get to bed early. Please write me if you read this.:)
Love All Very Much.. Pray For Me
PV2 Fonville

Saturday Oct. 30th 2010

Right now we are relaxing on the Bay after a great day yesterday. No fire guard last night and got my locker cleaned. We went to the LOMAH range (location of misses and hits). We shot at targets, 175 to 300 meters away.They try and get us good at shooting over 200 meters away.In Afghanistan most of our targets will be around 300 m away or more. Yesterday I impressed the hell out of DS Hunter and Hall.Today Ds Liliy was watching me shoot the whole time. He said Im a great shot and that I have potential to shoot Expert:) He even yelled to DS Reidel, "Farmville may qualify expert!" Out of 40 rounds shots, I made 37. I hit all of my 175 m. targetsat center mass and missed 3 on the 300. 300 Meters you can barely see the target..lol..We go to the PX tomorrow. Gotta get stamps. Im completely out. Anyway Im gonna close early. I have all day to write tomorrow. Love You All, Pv2 Fonville

Friday Oct. 29th 2010

Today has been a great day! I found out I'm a fairly good shooter. I impressed the hell out of my Sr DS I grouped and zeroed in 10 rounds. I really had no idea what I was doing. I just did what they said. I aimed my red dot at the center of the white and all of rounds landed in the black:) He put his hand on my shoulder and ask If I had fired M4 before? I said, Ive never fired a rifle in my life! He said hes gonna keep his eye on me and to keep doing what Im doing. I was really happy! Firing those rifles is fun. They're super loud and jerky..not a bad kick but it jerks. If you look at the pic of me and Geary doing push ups you can see my M4 rifle. After the range we had the Pugil competition, we got 2nd place. Oh I almost forgot we had a huge run for PT this morning. We ran 4 miles in 32 mins. I didnt have much faith in myself, but I did so well! I stayed within the first 4 ranks the entire time and it was a breeze. The constant training is actually working. Anyway I got my mail today from Brenda and Dad & Mom. Mom sent some pics and Dad got my ticket home.It topped a great day! While we were at the range we got to buy a gatorade and power bars from the "gut truck". So effin delicious! Oh and since that whole DS A-hole incident, everyone from our Company calls me "funny man"..lol...Well Im gonna close. I'll write personal letters on Sunday. Hope this holds you guys over until then. Thank you for all the support. It really helps. Good night:)

Thursday Oct. 28th 2010

Yesterday I didnt get to finish writing. Some terrible stuff happened last night. We were in final CQ formation. The A-hole DS that got in my face on that first day, was CQ for the night. Out of nowhere he looks at me and says, "whats effin funny pvt"? I thought he was talking to someone behind me cause I definitely wasnt laughing! But he was talking to me. He said come stand in front and tell everyone whats so damned funny, "Funny Man"!!!  I stood there in front of the whole Company and told him I wasnt laughing! He said if I dont tell him a joke he would Smoke my platoon for 45 mins. til lights out!! I was shaking but I told him a joke and everyone laughed but him. He said I was a Retard and I wouldnt amount to anything in the military. He ask my whole Company, "who thinks I should punch this Retard in the throat so he cant spread his seed and disease to the rest of the world"? NO one said a word! Everyone knew that I had did nothing wrong. They all know how disciplined I am. Oh and just so you know..during CQ, its just the one DS. Everyone else goes home. If my DS were there they would have stopped him. He got in my face and screamed at me to tell him a joke. But at that point I was so enraged that I couldnt. His breath smelled of chewing tobacco and he sprayed me with his spit. He then made me watch as my platoon did push ups for 15 mins! He yelled and ask if I was really that useless!!Our PG then yelled out"ask him the Infantrymans creed"!! Hicks, our PG,knows that I know my stuff when it comes to things weve learned. DS A-Hole said, if I could sound off with the Soldiers creed, Infantrymans creed and Army Song perfectly, he would let my platoon go!! I immediately did all 3 perfectly and I screamed it at the top of my lungs!!! After 45 mins of standing there shaking in anger he let us go!! My entire Platoon supported me and helped calm me down. They knew I didnt do anything..What made me so upset, was the fact that he wouldnt let my platoon go. Even after I pleaded with him to let them go and make me pay!! I cried my eyes out when I got upstairs, but Hernandez helped me understand that he is an Ass and hes not targeting me..hes mad at our platoon because we are always at the top of our game!

Wednesday Oct. 27th 2010

Today we had Combatives for PT. As I was laying there, I realized that the moon was still out, when most of you were still sound asleep in your beds, Im doing PT under the stars..LOL..Ridiculous! After PT we spent 3 hrs marching and doing D&C  at our graduation field. Its been ridiculously hot here, 95 degrees with crazy humidity. Agter the D&C we do Pugil competition to decide who from our platoon would be fighting the other platoons. Geary made it all the way to the finals but ended up losing to Hillman. Its 5PM and we are cleaning the Bay and waiting to go to Chow. We have the Eagle tower tomorrow, the big tower you repel down. I wont be going to range til Friday. Im sorry my updates are so bland. I dont find much time to write.when I do everyone bugs me..lol..Im gonna relax a bit and finish updating later.....................Anyway today we had a 5 mile Ruck March. It started to pour rain.It was crazy pretty! They made me wear a red chem light because Ive lost over 15 lbs in 2 mos. Its an excessive amount in a short amount of time. Well Ive got to close, lights out in a few. Love you guys got rifle range all day. I'll try to write a lot tomorrow.

Tuesday Oct. 26th 2010

Im sitting in the Dentist office right now. I waited outside of our Company for 3 hrs, while the rest of the Company was out at the shooting range. Its nice here in the dentist office.Me. Renteria, Tako form Hawaii, Wahiawa, Mililani and Johnson are here together. We even get to watch Tv here. Its ESPN. I dont care too much for Sports but its better than nothing! I guess I have a tiny cavity they want to fill. Might as well!

9PM Sorry that last part got cut off, they called me in. It was really relaxing. This sweet young girl (the dental asst.) was talking to me for awhile. She was 21 and just graduated 6 mos. ago. She was a bit flirty..lol..But it was nice. I listened to Fallout Boy and she rubbed my hand til I fell asleep. I got like 6 shots in my gums. Im still super numb! Turns out I have 2 cavities.One that is too tiny to worry about now. They said get it taken care of when I get home. The other one got filled. Now we are super bored waiting for our Company to get back. Crappy part is we cant go in our Bay. Well Im gonna walk around a bit. Hopefully they come back soon.
8PM....Well they got back 2 hrs ago. Geary zeroed in 15 shots and thats good. Garcia has to go back tomorrow so he will be with me. My teeth hurt:( Im in a pretty good mood today and dont feel down anymore. I think getting out and talking to civilians reminded me that there is a whole other world outside of these walls. It felt good to be noticed, even when it was only slightly. I just did PT, we did legs today. Fickling scored 300 on Pt test=perfect and is training Geary and I.Hes helping Geary bulk up and helping me get cut. I really need to shower..lol..I love you all..Mom, Dad, Nick, Cindy, Brenda, Amber and Mike and Mandy..And anyone else taht reads this. More tomorrow. Shower time..Meoww

Monday Oct. 25th 2010

Well today started off horrible. I ended up breaking down pretty much. Im so hurt and upset cause of things in my personal life right now....... My locker was a mess and we ended up having locker inspections and I got smoked after taking a PT test. I did alright on the test. I got a 14:37 on the 2 mile run and 48 push ups and 62 situps. I have a lot to work on. Im really confused. I thought I was bettering myself through the Lord..and then all of this with Kaili was thrown at me. I dont know why. As the day went on Geary and Garcia cheered me up. We literally spent all day indoors because of a huge storm. We cleaned our weapons all day. We have the Rifle Range tomorrow, but I have to go to the dentist. Hopefully my teeth are okay. Im gonna cut this short. I love you guys.
PV2 Fonville

Sunday Oct. 24-2010

Sunday already!!! This week flew by! White Phase has been great so far. Last night we got 10 hrs of sleep. Plus the 2 hr nap I took. No DS, NO yelling, nothing to do but relax. We all love it. Then only thing on our agenda today is Church, Chow and the PX! But this whole upcoming week we are gonna be super busy! We shoot at the Rifle Range everyday..which reminds me! Last night around 10 pm all Hell broke loose! Behind our Bay is nothing but wooded area and there was a Company on there FTX and they were in the middle of a battle. All you could hear were the sounds of gunfire, grenades and mortar rounds! Every few seconds there were loud booms and constant M-4  bursts! It sends chills up your spine. Its a completely different feeling, being able to feel the booms and have this battle going on so close to you! Im not a real gung-ho guy, nor do I even care too much for War! But its a rush and it makes me excited for our FTX. ......Im gonna take a nap..Write more soon.
5pm Well my day has turned to total Crap! I talked to Kaili and we are no longer talking because of some stupid mistakes I made months ago. It hurts but Im staying strong. Im confused and lost but my battle buddies are helping. I was hoping that this new start would involve her, but I guess its hard for her to believe that this whole experience has changed me. I guess I can say Karma bit us both. Ive got a lot of searching and planning to do. I dont even know if I have any friends left. But Jimi if you are reading this, you are just about the only person I have left in Fresno. I'll be home soon and Ill be living in Fresno more than likely. This ruined my day but Im gonna be just fine. I dont know what Im gonna do when I get out of here but Im gonna focus on now and worry about everything when I get there. Maybe I can go Active and get stationed with Geary..lol..If I have friends left and you see this, please write me. This really does make you feel alone, especially at a time like this.

Saturday Oct. 23rd 2010

We are now in White Phase. YAY!!! We had our transitioning ceremony and all had big smiles on our faces! For PT we did Combatives. DS Rhodes took a picture of me getting a guy in the rear naked choke. Then during breakfast he made me and Geary take a pic together in the Push Up position. After breakfast we marched out into the woods to do our final Red Phase assessment. We had a timed course..we ran into a building and there were 2 wounded Soldiers screaming for help. They actually had legit prosthesis and make-up. I had to put a tourniquet on a soldier whose right leg was missing from the knee down. It was pretty hard! I was shaking from the pressure and the realism. After that I performed a needle chest decompression. Then we carried our Battle Buddy 200 meters and called in a 9 line Medivac. Then we plotted locations on a map, pulled our weapons aprt and put them back together in 40 seconds, did a few combative moves and took a written, I passed everything, so did Geary and Garcia.Oh yeah and I got fired from Team Leader. DS Lily ask me if I still wanted to be Team Leader and I hesitated, so he said I take that as a no..LOL1 Right now we are relaxing in the bay. I took a 2 hr Cat Nap.It was so amazing, all the DS'S went home at 3pm, except the DS on CQ. Only bad part bout today is I was doing pullups after Chow and pulled something in my neck! We have so much more freedom, its great! We get to make phone calls in 15 mins. and we can now buy Gatorade..Woohoo..LOL! I know it sounds lame but its a big privilege to us! Me Geary and Garcia are gonna do the same thing we do every Sunday. Sleep, hang out, write, repeat. The new Team Leaders are total Jack Asses. They're having a Power Trip! Geary and I are rebelling!!! LOL!! Well Im gonna close for now..About to make some phone calls! Love to all!:)

Friday Oct. 22nd

8:00AM
We Had upper body today for PT. We only have about ten mins. that we marched to the Gym to do our Combatives. We have our end of Phase test tomorrow. Im a little nervous, but I should do fine. We are about to Bounce. I'll finish writing later.
 Well its 7PM now. We went and finished our testing for Combatives. I am now a level 1 Combative. I successfully completed beginning Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Judo and self defense. I learned how to stop an attacker and kill someone with my bare hands. Pretty cool stuff! We test out of Red Phase tomorrow and go to an Oktoberfest. That sounds awesome! I found 3 other guys from Hawaii. We all sat around and talked story and about how much we miss the Island! I really do miss Hawaii and am seriously thinking about coming back. So Micah and Jake, think about it and cross your fingers! We have a PT test Monday. Gonna rest tomorrow and Sunday. Hopefully we get mail today. Geary wont stop farting! Its horrible! Me and Garcia are dying! He ate too many MRE'S...LOL...Well Ive gotta do some cleaning and get ready for bed soon. I'll close for now..See you soon. 36 DAYS TIL GRAD!!

Thursday Oct. 21st 2010

Today went by fast. It seems this week has pretty much flown by. We woke up at 5 as usual and had an Ability Group Run. We ran 2.5 mile run in 18 mins. It was surprisingly a lot easier than usual. I may be moving to A group soon..LOL..We are all hiding under beds and behind lockers! Drill Sgt Lily is at one end of the Bay throwing Golf Balls at us..LOL! I got pegged in the knee! Today during Combatives, we got Smoked so bad! One of the Worst!! I got really upset!! We were getting smoked because our DS's couldnt teach! I had to really bite my tongue! I visited with the Chaplin after Chow and I visited with Pembleton, my friend who died and was revived in the ambulance! He looked GREAT! I gave him a hug and he said he now has a Pacemaker. He has now been medically discharged but wont be going home for a few wks. He is being awarded a Purple Heart fro his injuries. The Military feels bad for him I guess.
Im super stoked fro Whit Phase! We get to start making phone calls during the week. Since today wasnt very exciting, Im gonna cut this short. We test for Level 1 Combatives tomorrow. Love you. Keep writing me.
 PV2 Fonville

Wednesday Oct. 20th 2010

Dear Mom, I got all of your letters and Cards. They made me smile. Im gonna make this an update too.I got my Butt beat today! Im so tired and its only 5pm. We spent 6 hrs defending ourselves from level 4 combative Ds's. I went up against 3. One of them was huge Kickboxer, that almost knocked me out. I did good for the most part but got hit in the head a lot!.lol....CQ last night, boring as usual, but I got to study my Bible and I made Coffee!  Ive been feeling a little homesick lately. I only think about it when I have down time. I hope I get mail tonight!
Just got back from NOT doing CQ cleaning and hanging out with my Bros for 45 minutes. My body still hurts..LOL! This week has gone by so fast! I love it! 2 more days till White Phase. I talked to my drill sgt and found out if I pass my PT with a 280 by the end of Basic, they will send me straight to Airborne School. Its only 2 more weeks of training..haha. Geary and I were talking about Ranger school, its 2 mos. We said, "Its not that long". and we thought about it for a 2nd and said "what the hell am I talking bout..we havent even been here 2 mos and we HATE it!!!"...LOL...Send Us The LYRICS TO HANDS DOWN!!! We only can sing half of the song! Well Im gonna crash out. Ive got a massive headache. I love you Guys! Pray for Me.

Tuesday 10-19-2010

I didnt have time to write last night, I was so beat! We have been learning Brazzilian Jiu Jitsu. We spend 6 hrs a day working on it. We've learned a variety of Chokes, Arm Bars, and defensive positions. Tomorrow is a scary day. We have to go one on one with the DS'S They punch us full speed and we have to get them into a defensive hold without hitting back. They wear boxing gloves, but they are level 4 Combatives. They are skilled fighters! Geary was my partner yesterday but he is about 40lbs lighter than me. So now Im with Hernandez. We got our Red Phase counseling. I was excellent in everything and received a 4 out of 5 for my Red Phase score. I want to resign as Team Leader, no one wants to listen to me because Im too nice..UGH!! We have to go form-up..I'll write more later.
8:11pmWE spent the last hour cleaning. Every night we clean..well I dont. I meet up with my close friends from Camp Robinson and we plan our trip to Miami..LOL..We are all going to Miami the 27th of Dec. Its still in the works.:) Everyone has been telling me Ive lost a lot of weight, and that makes me happy! Hard work pays off!!
Me and Hernandez are gonna practice for Combatives tomorrow. Im gonna end up getting knocked out! I'll pray that I dont! I want to be level one Combative..In order to get Level 1 I got to do this! I got a letter from my Grandma and Aunt and Uncle today! It was really nice! It really made my day:) I have CQ tonight. I sit at a desk for an hr and wait for a call to come in that never ever does! Super boring!! I snuck my Coffee from my MRE in. Im gonna make it tonight for CQ..lol. I love and miss you guys ..Still no sign of that letter Ive been waiting for:(...Three more days till White Phase!! YAY!!
PV2 Fonville

Oct 17th

 Today is Sunday, my favorite day of the week!:) When I woke up this morning my whole body was aching. It really sucked! We got in last night around midnight. I was so beat, I couldnt finish writing, so thats why yesterdays update just randomly stops. Its 9:06am. Me and Garcia are in the  Laundry room, like every Sunday. We just got weighed and Ive lost 13lbs since our last weigh. George lost 11 and Garcia gained  about 4. Today marks our final week of Red Phase. Im really excited. We are one step closer to going home! We havent got any mail in a few days, hoping they are just lagging on the Mail. They gave me a SGT rank insignia, that I wear where my unit patch goes. Team leaders are Sgts, Squad leaders are Ssgts. The Platoon has to listen to us as if we were Sgts,
 We are going to church around One, today.We are suppose to get our haircut again. We cut our hair once a week, Its ridiculous!
 I really miss everyone. I hope I still have friends to come home to. Im trying to figure out how Im going to do everything. My life begins in a few mos but before I can do all this, Ive got a lot of things to figure out.
  Six more weeks til Family Day. If you guys have pictures, send them. I need more for my locker. It sucks not being able to talk to anyone. It seems, sometimes like the only person who cares is my Mom...But thats enough:)
3:14pm
Just got off the phone with Mom. Since we are almost into White Phase our DS has lightened up a lot, and have allowed us more freedom, so I got to talk about 5-10 mins. It was great. Apparently Gearys Mom and my Mom have been talking..LOL..We find it funny. Mrs. Geary, Justin is doing just fine. We hate everyone here for the most part, but he has me and a few good guys. He has gone thru everything you have read and most of it, we have done together. He sleeps right across from me and Im his Team Leader. I apologize for his lack of writing..lol..He spends to much time sleeping:)...Anyways we are cleaning our weapons and me, Geary and Garcia are gonna make some playing cards. Haha..We ended up making a Chess Board so we can play Chess and Checkers. The cards sucked!..lol..Me and George decided since we had lost so much weight, we will get Burgers tonight from the Caf! Oh yeah I suck at Chess. But by the end of our cycle we will all be Pros. Haha..I love being a Team Leader when PVTS come to me with a problem=D ...I just pass them on to George..LOL!!!! We are about to head to dinner. I'll write my last update after.
8pm
We just got back from final formation. Geary and George are playin Chess and Garcia and I are gonna do our nightly PT and shower before lights out. I love you guys and cant wait to come home. Goodnight everyone.
PV2Fonville

Oct,16th

3:37PM
We just completed the day Land Nav. Course. We got 7 out of 7 in 4 hrs. This course was a lot bigger and saw some scary Spiders today! Surprisingly though, NO SNAKES! It was peaceful out there. Today was a beautiful day and we took a break and got to sit and think for the first time in 2 wks. I dont know if thinking was a good thing or a bad thing..lol...Mestas just walked up and asked if I blogged about today yet..haha1 They call me The Writer, cause Im always writing in this little Notebook I keep in my Blouse. Anyway today hasnt been too eventful. Just wandering throught the Mountains again. Cant wait til tomorrow. Gonna sleepin til seven and then write all day. Still expecting a letter. Hopefully I get it soon. We have another course in a few hrs. I'll update later. Love you guys!
5:00PMHaha..DS Rhodes just walked up and made me do 50 Push-Ups, cause Mom wrote him on Facebook, asking about Me. Everytime a Family member wants pictures, I do 50 Push-Ups! He took a picture of me doing Push-Ups and I had to wave..lol...If you guys want pictures, consider the Push-ups I have to do..LOL..It was funny, made Me smile!! Gonna take a Cat Nap and eat Chow!
PV2Fonville

Oct. 15th

 Today we are having Pugil Stick matches. We had a 3 mile Ruck March at 6 this morning.We are cleaning and getting ready to head out. My goal to day is to write as much as possible.
8:15pmWell I didnt get to write as much as I wanted to but I will try and write now. We did the Pugil Stick matches and it was awesome. I found something Im good at, beating people with a stick..LOL!! This guy who has been bugging me since we got here, and always disrespecting people..I was the last middleweight, I got to call someone out and I chose HIM!! I was one of 2 guys who knocked someone out! Our bout was over in less than 25 seconds! I got a few good head shots and then he charged me, I stepped to my right and took one good swing to the side of his head. He went down and I slammed a Kill Shot to his chest! It felt so good to put that guy in his place without hurting him! 
 We did our 3 mile March, it was a breeze. Its amazing seeing and feeling myself become so much stronger!
 Tomorrow we test our of Land Navigation, this is the real deal and the hardest course Benning has.
 Today in my MRE, I had the closest thing to Starbucks, we get. It was amazing..For a sec, I thought I was home! Me and Geary want to get Tacos from Jack In The Box. Geary and I get along the best. We think exactly alike. We even sing "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional. There is one lyric we cant figure out..SOMEONE PLEASE, MAIL US THE LYRICS!!!:)
 Geary says to tell all my friends and family "Hi"! Also yesterday I was assigned Squad Leader for 1st Squad. I didnt want the position. I just want to get thru this. I dont want extra responsibility! So I was made Team Leader, which still sucks, but its not as bad. I only take care of Me, Geary and Garcia, Gillette, Filoialii,and Fickiling. George is now Squad Leader. Well I should get some sleep. Long day tomorrow. I love you guys. Im praying to see you all soon!
Pv2Fonville

Oct. 14TH

Dear Mom, Im gonna write you a personal letter and an update, in one. I got all of your letters and you have no idea what a joy it was! Thank you for the pictures and the letters. It means the world to me.
 We are almost into our third week. After the third week, we go into White Phase. We get a lot more freedom in White Phase. We have a 3 mile Ruck March tomorrow morning and Pugil Stick matches. I really am feeling Homesick.Sometimes it feels like we are never gonna get out of here. I wish I could close my eyes and be home. I love you Mom. The last few days have been hectic. I wish I could find time to write more. I'll write more when I can.
PV2Fonville

Oct. 12TH Land Nav.

Right now Im in the middle of the Woods. We have been here for nine hrs and we have 3 more to go, one more til dark. Its 6:15pm. My feet are tired and my back is killing me. We have found 6 check points total. # more to go! Its crazy! I couldnt have seen myself doing this 6 mos ago. We have walked over 10 miles. Infantry land nav. is the hardest. However, it is beautiful out here! Wish I could take a picture. So far we have seen 2 Rattlesnakes, a ton of Boar Hogs and some Deer. Also I no longer have a fear of Spiders, Ive ran into, too many to count..lol!! We are taking a water break, and are about to start our night phase. Love you..Finish writing later.
   Well Its midnight now. We got back to the Bay a few minutes ago. My feet have tons of blisters. We've been out there so long, I dont really feel the pain! Ill pay for it in the morning! We found 1 out of 2 during the night time course, with absolutely no light!! Just a compass and a map. We wandered 3 miles intot he Georgia forest. By we I mean Me, Gearge, Garcia and Geary. My Clique..lol. It has been an awesome day. Im beat and tired! I wish I could have one day, where Im not so worn out! Just know that if you have been following this journal, You mean the world to me. Still No Mail!! No one in our Platoon has yet! Time for me, My friend Icy Hot, and My friend Pillow to get together..
PV2Fonville

Awake-A Poem Written On Oct. 10th-2010

 Sitting in silence has grown to become a part of Me. With My eyes closed tight, My mind begins to search and my heart begins to wonder, Trying to grasp hold of any memory distilled inside my head. Soon enough these thoughts begin to flutter, like a pestilence, its out of my control. As I began to take a breath, my lungs become engulfed with a black, dry air. ...I can no longer breathe. I am pushed away from comfort and pure agony runs through my body. Here I sit at my throne, watching my world fall before me. The voices I once knew have long faded way. I quickly realize this is all a dream I imagine the worst because its all I ever had. But now that I Am Awake, I Am Awake.

Oct. 11TH 2010

Today has been a long hard day. We woke up an hour early by accident. On top of that, I had fireguard last night. after formation, we marched one mile to our obstacle course. The obstacle course was a true test of strength and personal courage. I pushed myself as hard as I could and it paid off. Our platoon won the course. The course was a half mile long and consisted of a high crawl in the mud, rope climb,monkey bars, 2 drop walls,tires and a low crawl thru mud under barbed wire, a bear crawl thru tunnels and a 200 meter sprint. I was dirty and beat! After that we had the confidence course. The confidence course was a lot of fun.Luckily I dont have a fear of heights, or it would have been hell! Some of it is hard to explain. Just google Ft Bennning confidence course.I climbed really high and ran a lot. That the best I can explin it...lol...Im a little beat!  I'll write more when Im not so dead tired. Tomorrow Ill be in the woods most of the night. We have day and night land navigation tomorrow. Hopefully I dont get lost...lol...Keep me in your prayers. You are all in mine. Gonna take a long shower and crash.
PV2 Fonville
Random DS Quote~DS to Me; Hurry up and put your shirt on, you white Oxe!! Haha

PS. Look for Echo company 2/54 on Facebook, they have pics

Oct. 10th 2010

Sunday
 Well today is Sunday. We slept in an extra hour. Something my body needed! We did hundreds of push ups and mountain climbers, because someone called DS Lilly, Captain Spaulding. Me, Geary and Garcia have been in the laundry room washing clothes and reading and writing. We could go upstairs and do that but, its safe down here (no ds) and not as many people. The peace and quiet is great! The humming of the washer is actually soothing. So soothing it made Geary fall asleep..lol...Its still pretty early, 9:50am. Ive been reading an awesome book, "Psalm 91 Gods Shield Of Protection" 2 nights ago I read Psalm 91 and yesterday a lady brought us some reading material. I saw that book and it rang a bell. Turns out to be a really great book. I was looking forward to going to the Catholic Church today, but our time to go to the PX is the same time as the service. Made me and Geary a little bummed. I just have to make my own time for Bible study and prayer sometime today. Gonna go write a little more, Ill update as the day goes....3:18pm.....We just got back from the PX, got to talk to Mom on the phone for a few mins. The phone call was a surprise.  When we formed up, they said you all are getting phone calls if you want. Half of our platoon didnt care, but I ran my butt upstairs as fast as possible. It was great to talk to my Mom. I have letters coming and Claire got my letter. I was pretty happy. Someone already stole my cough drops, that I got at the PX. Thats kinda messed up! But oh well I have another package. Geary and I have have been studying up on the Arc Angel Saint Michael. Hes got the virgin Mary tatooed on his forearm. I want to get Saint Michael overtaking Satan as a backpiece. Garcia is drawing it for me. I'll send it when it is done.We need to study now. All 3 of us are laying on a tiny little twin bunk..lol.
 Just got back from chow. Found out me and Garcia have CQ duty tonight.CQ duty is where we sit at a desk and wait for a call over the radio, in full battle rattle. Super boring and ridiculous! Im gonna get in the shower and relax a bit. I love you all. You better write me. PV2Fonville
PS..I have the obstacle course tomorrow.
Random DS quote: DS Reidel "Fonville, COME HERE"
Me: "But I just waxed the floor"
DS Reidel "I dont CARE..WAX IT AGAIN!!"
 Edited for language..LOL

Oct. 09th 2010

I had fireguard last night. when I woke up this morn I was more tired than usual. We marched out in our ACU's to PT. Turns out today was our first day of MAC (modern army combatives) AKA Brazillian Jiu Jitsu.  Today and next Saturday and and all of next week, we are doing combatives. Some of the exercises we did were pretty hard. Im pretty excited because wrestling is one thing Im damn good at. We just got back from our first land nav. course. It was awesome. I was the lead with the compass marking the pace and Garcia George and Geary were with me. We roamed around the woods and found all four locations. We must have walked 5 miles. But I have moleskin and Bengay to get me by..lol...We are about to go eat dinner. Ill write more later.
6:01PM...Just got back from dinner. Drill Sgts are messing with us. Im spending time studying. Tomorrow is our day off. We are going to the PX and I am going to Mass at the Catholic Church with Geary tomorrow. I have my first Communion. Im gonna try and get confirmed.  We are going to get smoked in a minute.We are trying to make up for the 3000 push ups we owe. Long story! Ill write more after..........We ended up getting smoked bad!!! Too tired to write! Gonna pray and sleep. Good night everyone.
                                               PV2 Fonville
PS This place sucks!  

PV2 Fonville, Thomas RN 209
E-Co. 2/54 INF.
8775 Albanese Dr.
Ft. Benning, Ga. 31905
Be sure and put the RN # on the back of the envelope as well as the front.               

Oct 8th 2010

4:27PM
Today has been the slowest day yet. We have been in class for 6 hrs. We are doing finance and I did learn a lot. Now I have a full financial plan. after all of my debts and expenses are paid, Im still gonna have quite a bit left over. This stuff makes me happy! Im not like half these guys who joined to "kill and serve their country". Im using the Military to help me kickstart my career and start my adult life on the right foot. All of the talk about money has been making me think about home. I cant wait to get out of here. I wish I could fast forward time. Im also anxious for mail. Its been about 6 days since I mailed my letters. I should be getting mail back soon. Our DS says we are in trouble when we get back to the bay. We arent sure if they are serious or not. They joke around a lot. Its scary! I guess Ill find out tonight..LOL....................Turns out we were in trouble. We forgot to lock the weapons rack last night. We did 101 push ups because drill sgts unit is the 101st airborne. Its past lights out and Im using my flashlight for light. My Battle Buddy, Garcia and Geary, says to tell everyone "Hi". They think the blog thing is awesome. They call me writer because Im always writing something..lol. Tomorrow we have land navigation. Hopefully we wont get lost in the woods. DS says we will no matter what, because we are MORONS, Hahaha. Good night everyone..I love and miss you all!

Oct. 7th 2010

2:27 PM
Today was crazy.We got back from the gas chamber, about an hr ago. We have been showering and cleaning since we got back. I'll go into detail about that later. This morning we had a group ability run. We ran 3 miles to increase our endurance. It was Hell. The temp was 50 degrees, and we were freezing1 They pushed us hard so that we could make good time! After we did 2 and one half miles, I started throwing up water. Over half of us had to fall out. Someone collapsed and we had to perform a Man Down Operation. It turned out to be one of my good friends, Pembleton, from the GED Plus. Me and 3 other people were trying to get a response but he was unresponsive. The drill sgt checked his pulse and he had none! They called the ambulance and told us to keep running. He died twice. Last we heard he had pulled thru. It was chaos! Those of us from Little Rock were pretty upset. After PT we all hopped on a bus to the gas chamber. It was a good 15 mins away. I got to see more of the Base. When we arrived I wasnt too nervous. They briefed us and said this was to build confidence in us, for our equipment....But thats a lie. It was just to make us more miserable! The chamber was out in the middle of the woods. after briefing we lined up with our gas masks, helmets and weapon on. I was the first group to go in. I was also at the very front. I would be the first person out. We all piled into this chamber and even with my mask on I could taste the CS gas. It burnt the back of my throat. I was nervous, but surprisingly one of the most calm ones in there. They filled the room with CS gas. We were instructed to perform a series of tasks before we could leave. We put our weapon between our legs, put our helmet on top of the gun and break the seal on our masks. When we break the seal we get our first little taste of the gas. I had to say my last name and rank. My eyes started to water and my nose began to run. I quickly sealed my mask and cleared it. after that we had to do the final task. Take the mask of, put the helmet on, put the mask in my left hand, and weapon in my right. We couldnt exit until everyone had done the test correctly. I took my mask off, took a breath and froze. Tears started pouring, snot was running from my nose and I was coughing and drooling. All I heard was coughing, crying and puking! I realized what I needed to do and I did everything perfect, but I still had to wait on everyone else. My mind zoned out and my conscience was telling me "you're okay, you will not die"! I couldnt breathe, I couldnt open my eyes. When I did it burned. My skin burned and my throat was on fire. I actually thought I was going to suffocate! It was carzy. Finally, they gave us the okay to go. I ran thru the first doors and ran straight into the next 2 doors! It wasnt opening!! I started freaking out!...Then I realized there was a doorknob ..LOL...After I ran outside, I tried to open my eyes but the sun hurt. I almost ran into my Sr drill instructor! He said, "Open your eyes! Turn Fonville, turn!!" That first gasp of fresh air was amazing1 They got it all on video. You guys will see it on family day. It was pretty funny. But it sucked. Im glad I didnt freak out too bad like most of the other guys.I'll never go near that gas again.....Im gonna head down stairs. I'll update more later, tomorrow. I love you all and I will see most of you soon1
DS Quote;
DS Lilly; "at least you guys aren as dumb as all those other morons!"
Us; (laughing) Hooah!!
DS Reidel; "Oh shut up! You guys are still Morons..You're just the smartest Morons!"

OCT. 6TH 2010

7:25AM
We are in the Bay waiting to go to breakfast. We woke up at 5 and did PT. Ive noticed a huge increase in my PT ability. Happy about that:) Im a lot thinner around the face and waist, which is awesome! I had duty today so I got to ride in a van, rather than having to march to PT. Its really cold here especially during PT. But I love it! Yesterday when we marched (2 miles) to commo class, I thought to myself, this would suck during summer. Only bad part of winter is cold sweat. I'll write periodically thry the day. About to study a bit and go see the Chaplin.
10:21AM
 We have been in class since 8AM. Its boring and we all want to get out to the field and do something. I have a lot to memorize by Friday...And a lot to remember for the gas chamber tomorrow. Thats what we are doing now.Looking forward to bed time:)
12:10PM
 We were suppose to be going to lunch but turns out we have another hr. I guess I can use this time to tell you more about everything. I am in Echo Company, 2nd platoon. (Outlaws)..My Drill SGTS are DS Lilly and DS Reidel. DS Lilly is super funny and Ds Reidel is pretty laid back.They dont scream and yell like most of them. But they do scream when we mess up. Both of them have purple hearts. DS Lilly was shot 3 times and DS Reidel was blown up pretty bad. They're both a little off..lol.My battle buddy is Garcia, a Mexican boy from New York. We have little mice in our Bay and I havent seen any spiders. (luckily)...Yesterday was the first day that we havent been smoked. I guess we are doing something right. DS Lilly likes to make us laugh, then hit us in the balls for laughing! He walked up to me and rubbed his hat on my face, then swung his hand at my groin and I flenched and he said, "relax big guy" and kneed me in the balls and then we laughed...Its pretty funny sometimes. Beats getting "SMOKED"!! The weather here is cold. Very cold in the morning. During the day its perfect! We are in a woodland mountain area. I was wonder why a place so painfully miserable is in a place so beautiful. Anyway I'll write more later!
3:44PM
 We are back at the bay now.Have some free time for awhile. Dinner isnt until 5. They issued us our gas masks and told some funny stories. Right now Garcia and Geary are planning our Xmas leave already. We all look forward to getting away from this place. Ive been pretty homesick. Anyone and everyone should write. You have no idea how it makes you feel when you get mail. Mom will post the mailing address. Gonna go study and talk story with the guys. Bible study sounds good right now too!:)
8:41PM
 We just got smoked! This little group in the back is constantly messing up. We did 225 Jumping Jacks, and 70 push ups in 30 mins. Im so sore. We also packed our assault packs for tomorrow. We have a huge run for PT as well tomorrow. Its gonna be long and stressful. Ive got fireguard tonight. Gonna pray and get some sleep. Im sure tomorrow will be more interesting. Love you guys. Keep me in your thoughts
PV2 Fonville

PV2 Fonville, Thomas RN 209
E CO. 2/54 INF.
8775 Albanese Dr.
FT. Benning, Ga. 31905
Be sure and place the RN 209 on the back of the envelope as well.

Oct 5th 2010

Dear Mom, Sorry this is written on tiny paper. Im writing this bit by bit. We dont get enough time at night. So I have to write whenever I'm in class. Right now we are in our radio class. I wont have time to write an update and a personal letter too, so I'll combine it. You can post this letter as an update. I didnt have a chance to write yesterday. Today is my 5th day in Basic and my 5th week away from friends and family. It seems like years! As the days go by it gets easier and harder. I have adapted to this lifestyle but I still miss my loved ones. Everyday is a constant struggle to continue moving forward. Civilians dont understand what we are put thru on a daily basis. Each and everyday our body is pushed byond its limit. You're running on minimal sleep and food. Everything you do is fast paced and high intensity. You have these men yelling in your face everytime you make a mistake, on top of all that you cant help but to think and wonder about what your best friend is doing, if your family is ok, or if anyone even cares that you're gone.These things eat away at you. Its even worse when you have unsolved problems back home. I knew that I was strong but I had know idea that I was this strong! Im being trained to kill other human beings. Its a very scary feeling. Especially knowing that I joined so that I could go to college, become an Rn and help other human beings..But I'm here training to kill.
 Its all so scary to see how far I can really push myself. Other than Parris Island, this is the toughest Basic Training location in the United States. Im here going thru it all. A guy who would rather sit around and smoke cigarettes than walk down the street. Sorry that this entry has been a little emotional. Its beeen one of those days. The Movie Full Metal Jacket, refers to something called the 10 mile stare. Its the look in someones eyes that develops over time from seeing combat in real life. My DS.says that most of us will develop that stare by graduation. Anyway I'll try and end this on a happy note. We got our weapons a few days ago. We spent all day on using radios. Tomorrow we have the gas chamber class and Thursday we go to the actual gas chamber. So far today we havent got smoked. Hopefully that doesnt change. Im gonna try and see the Chaplin tomorrow. I must have prayed 20 times! I miss my family and I miss Kaili. I miss alot of things. But Im focused and determined!! I'll be done soon!
    I love you Guys,
   PV2 Fonville
I promise to write a long update tomorrow..Hopefully:)

Day 3 BCT-Oct.3rd-Welcome To Hell!!

  We arrived at reception on Monday, Sept 27th. It was nothing compared to Camp Robinson. They yelled a lot but that was it. They would even call us Gentlemen, and let us have our phones! While at reception, we did our physicals..I got 9 shots and one in the butt (yes it hurts). They issued out uniforms and those ugly BCG (birth control glasses). All of my friends and I from Camp Robinson were in the same sleeping bay, that was awesome.(we wouldnt be so lucky later on). On our 4th day we shipped out. 4 days is very fast! Most of the time it takes about 7-10 days! People say that reception is Purgatory and that it is the hardest part of Basic. Obviously those people have never been to FT Benning, Ga. We had 2 duffle bags that weighed around 80 lbs and 45 lbs, as we sat in our classroom unaware of what was waiting outside for us....A drill sgt walked in and started calling names for platoon assignment. I was called for 2nd platoon. As we started to walk out my heart started to pound! I walked out the door and there THEY were! About 20 Drill Sgts! They were screaming at the top of their lungs! I was very scared1 We ran to a truck to throw our bags on and we marched to our new company. Everyone thinks the actual BCT area is miles away from reception but its less than a mile away. When we got there our bags were thrown all over the place. I found ONE of my bags and began to panic because I couldnt find my other bag. All of these Drill Sgts yelling and cursing, right in my ear. It turned out someone had grabbed my bag by mistake1 I tried to tell the Drill Sgt that I think someone took my bag and 3 of them got right in my face and started screaming "YOU DONT EFFIN TALK UNLESS YOU ARE BEING SPOKEN TOO"! One got right in my ear and said, "You better hope I never get you alone cause I will EFF you up!!" The Drill Sgt I was trying to talk to saw that I was shaking, and (calmly)said, "Dont worry about it Bud, we will get your bag. Someone has it."I have never felt so scared! I was literally shaking with fear! I almost cried. Luckily I didnt! The ones who were crying were getting yelled at more. Overall it was a very hard and stressful day. I hated it. That night I prayed for a half hour! The day went on with classes and more yelling and push ups. ( I will be incredibly "buff" if it keeps on like this). That night when we took showers, we got smoked and had to do push-ups, naked for taking to long getting undressed. We take 30 sec. showers and 4 mins to eat!  The next day we got issued our bullet proof vests, kevlar, (helmets), etc and had to march with it back to the bay through a winding dirt road. It sucked! That day we also had the worst smoking I've ever had. It lasted for 20 mins! Halfway through 3 people quit. It was that bad. I thought about quitting but I pushed through! We have 2 Drill Sgts and one Sr Drill Sgt. We lucked out. They are for the most part, pretty cool guys! They hardly ever yell. They do Smoke us, but not as much as some of the other platoons Drill Sgts do...And they curse A LOT! Other than that they are pretty laid back. Its the other Platoons DS"S that yell at us. Half of my friends got put into 3rd Platoon, which sucked but I still have 2. Goolsby and Slinky, are in 2nd Platoon with me.
 Today is Sunday and we've only been Smoked once so far.A lot of the guys are homesick and stuff. I feel fine.Of course I miss everyone but my time at Robinson got me broke in. Plus I am closer to going home everyday. I have BCT grad on Nov. 28th and get a 2 day pass with my family. Then I get Christmas break for 17 days from Dec. 17 to Jan 4. I cant wait and final graduation is Jan.21, 2011 We have the gas chamber on Thursday. Its gonna suck..lol. I love you all. Thank you for the support. Thank you Claire, I saw what you posted on Facebook. It really meant alot. I'll write more tomorrow..I hope.

NEW ADDRESS:
PV2 Fonville, Thomas RN # 209
E CO. 2/54 INF.
8775 Albanese DR.

Ft Benning, GA. 31905-4777

Last Day @ Little Rock-Sunday 09-26-2010

Tonight is our last night here in Arkansas. Its about 7PM and we've been playing football in the Bay. We took a few socks and rolled them into a ball. We've been playing for almost 2 hrs!As much as I hate this place I'm gonna miss it. It sucks cause just as we get really comfortable, we have to leave. We all hate it here but its really not that bad. Its nowhere near as bad as where I'm going!! We spent most of the day finishing laundry and turning in more gear. After church we had a huge relay race, that took an hour to complete! Not everyone participated, but it was supposed to demonstrate team work. I was very proud of myself and so was my Platoon. I had the hardest part of the relay. I had to sprint 100meters, do 5 eight count push ups, sprint 50 meters and forward lunge 50 meters, answer a military oriented question then sprint 100 meters to the finish line! Sounds easy but it was one of the most physically enduring thing I've done in a long time! By the time the relay got to me we were in 4th. After the push ups I was in 3rd and then I past another guy in the last 100 meters. The lunges made our legs like jello but I pushed past the pain and finished in second!! Half of my platoon said, "I really expected less from you!" Haha..But everyone was proud. We are about to head to final formation. I love you guys and I will write all about tomorrow.
PV2 Fonville

Saturday-09-25-2010

Im on fire guard duty right now. Its about 3:15AM on our next to the last night here, in Arkansas. The majority of the day was spent turning in equipment and cleaning. This morning they ask, if any of us wanted to give blood? I volunteered as I've never given blood before so it was a new experience..and it kept me from the Drill Sgts a few hrs! These last feew days are going by really slow! Tomorrow will be our last day here. Im looking forward to it but I know Im going to miss half of these idiots! Lucky for me a lot of them are going with me to Benning. after all the equipment and cleaning was done we watched The Thin Red Line. By that time the day was almost over. They gave us our phones for half an hr. I called Kaili last night and tonight but no answer. That really sucked. But at least Momma answered and Dad. It felt really good to talk to someone familiar! Im going to go read a bit and do my rounds. Love you Guys!
PV2 Fonville

Graduation Day - Friday 09-24-2010

Today was graduation and it was awesome! We woke up early and did another company run. We watched movies and grad. practice most of the day. We were all pretty nervous and excited. As I walked across the stage, shook the Captains hand and accepted my diploma, I had on overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and pride! I worked so hard for this moment. I felt a big lump in my throat when The Captain said, "congratulations"! I sat back down not knowing what was next.  They said we will now present the top 10% of the graduating class! NG-039, my name was 4th on the list, out of 176 warriors, I graduated 4th of my class. My scores were 80% better than the average high school, graduating Senior in the U.S. When they handed me my coin I teared up. I accomplished something, some said, I never would do!
Not only did I accomplish it but I exceeded at it.This was the first of many more accomplishments! Now that Ive graduated Ive opened up so  many more doors! Im about to make some phone calls! First time in 3 wks! Really excited! I'll write more tomorrow.

Rifle Range - Thursday 09-23-2010

Today was a great day! We woke up and kind of got off to a bad start. We got a cape session (aka as SMOKED). I was drenched in sweat! After we cleaned, we ate breakfast and caught a bus over to the rifle range. We showed up and they gave us a small briefing on the M-4. We zeroed in on our targets. Its almost like a huge video game, except its 98% accurate and with a real M-4. We did the weapons qualifications course and I received Marksmanship. I was 2 away from Sharpshooter. Brown Bear got Sharpshooter. After the range we ate MRE's for lunch, in the field and out of nowhere they tell us, that we each and everyone, passed our GED. We immediately jumped up and started yelling and cheering!! Some were even crying! Today was the happiest Ive seen any of us in 3 wks!! I was super happy!
 As we were eating, a Brown Recluse (specifically the most terrifying thing I've ever seen) ran across Fresnos boot, right by my hand! I freaked out and ran!! Drill Sgt Flood just stood there and busted up laughing! But I was NOT laughing! Earlier that morning we walked outside our Bay to find a Tarantula crawling up, the outside of our wall!! Very CHILLING also!!..Anyway, after all that we went to the Claymore mine course. Me and Brown Bear had to low crawl and plant a Claymore 50 ft in front of our position. It was also fun! We spent the rest of our day getting ready for our graduation ceremony, thats tomorrow. Found out we get our phones back tomorrow! First phone call in 3 wks! Im really excited! Our ceremony is @ 2 tomorrow. On top of that I got a letter from Mom today and Kaili got my letter so put my mind at ease.
 Well my fire guard is almost over..I'm sure tomorrow will be an even more interesting day. Got a Company run @ 05:45) I love you and miss you all1 Thank you for all your support. Two more days and Im outta here and on to Benning.         

PV2 Fonville

Sept. 28, 2010

click HERE for pics

Test Day-Wed. 09-21-2010

Today was the final test day. I took math and science. Got myself all worked up, and it ended up being ridiculously easy. After the test I made the dumb decision of volunteering for something. Me and a few other guys got stuck stocking and unstocking and restocking, the supply room! Im an Infantryman not a supply specialist..LOL!! It was actually pretty nice. Our personal bags that they took away when we got here, were there in the supply room. It had my cell phone and pics. We were unsupervised and I really wanted to have at least my pictures. My phone looked so tempting!! I could have easily have taken it but the Army pushes a set of standards into your head. One of them being integrity, so I didnt touch the phone. But if I had that opportunity two wks ago, I would have absolutely took it! I guess that is one positive thing the Army is doing for me..LOL! I got my pics though and hung them in my locker. After we did that for a few hrs, they gave us rubber duckies (Dummy M-16's) WE stormed rooms and made sweeps of the stairs. They also taught us about weapons maintenance. After that we took our class pictures and did some PT. Now that school is over the Drill Sgts are trying to make us miserable by smoking us every 5 seconds. Tomorrow is going to be cool. We have the simulated M-4 range and a land mine course. No letters again..bummer. Its the only thing I look forward to. Im on Fire guard right now, with Brown Bear. Hes reading The Bible, which is probably what Im gonna do after this entry. I just took a nice hot 20 min shower (benefits of doing fire guard early in the night). We started at ten and we turn it over to the next guys at 11. Hopefully we get our test results tomorrow. Im pretty nervous. After PT tomorrow morning, I think Im gonna go see the Chaplain and pray that I passed. Got a long day tomorrow, hopefully its enjoyable. I love you guys. Keep me in your prayers. I'll seee you all soon.
PV2 Fonville
PS: Brown Bear says, "hi"!

Tuesday 09-21-2010

Today was test day. I took writing, social studies, and english. I do great in all of those subjects but I think I could have done better. But I'm fairly sure I passed! No fire guard last night, so I slept great. after testing we watched Full Metal Jacket. Then we hung out in the Bay for like 3 hrs. I slept in my locker, (we cant sleep in our beds during the day). I got letters last night and they helped a lot. I was hoping for some today, but there werent any. Hopefully tomorrow. Im gonna cut this one short. I have to study for math tomorrow. I promise tomorrows entry will be more detail.
Love you guys..Please keep me in prayers.

Address

Thomas won't be receiving anymore mail at the address below. Once he gets to Ft Benning, which is sometime Monday, I will post his new address.

Camp Robinson Monday 09-20-2010

Well today is the day before test day! Its our last day of school. We test all day tomorrow and Wednesday. After that we get our cell phones on Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday. Then we ship off to Basic on Monday morning. We also have alot of cool stuff after testing! We go shoot M-16's and M-4 at the est range. We have a land mine course, graduation and a lot of personal time. Didnt have fireguard last night, so I got a good nights sleep. We dont have fireguard tonight or tomorrow, so Im relieved. Im cramming right now for the next few hrs, cause they dont want us studying tonight and want us stress free. Im feeling a lot better. My nose is a little runny but not bad at all. Im drinking 4 canteens a day, hopefully it helps. We are all pretty excited to get out of here. We all are looking forward to the Airport! Most of us are already planning what we are gonna get! Im looking forward to a coke (we only have water here), a double cheeseburger, and a cigarette! Man that sounds great..and being able to talk to my friends and family for a little while. Although Im ready to get to Basic, Im gonna miss a lot of the guys here. We've become closer than brothers. Luckily a lot of them are going to Benning! The rest for the most part are going to Leonard Wood. One lucky S.O.B. get to go home! Ive been spending a lot of my free time writing poems and things lately. Last night Morales read one and insisted I let him read one to the Bay. They all like it a lot. I think its because they all have similar feelings. We are all going thru the same things. I'll attach the poem to this letter. The day hasnt been to exciting. Its pretty much, really repetitious. I cant wait to get testing over!
 I love and miss you all. Hopefully I get some mail today. I really need it. I'll end this. About to head to final formation.

PV2 Thomas Fonville


                                    CONFINED
These walls keep me confined, away from my home
 Surrounded by hundreds of people but I still feel alone.
Since the day I departed I have found no rest
 This weight on my heart grows deep in my chest.
Ive learned to push past all of the pain,
 Because I never forget that I am to blame.
Each and every night, I let these tears fall,
 I hope and I pray for an end to it all.
I know that Im strong but my faith grows weak.
 My mouth so dry that I can not speak.
I miss my family, I miss my friends.
  I wish I could go back and tie the loose ends.
There is nothing I can do, nothing to say.
 Alone in this bunk is where I will lay.

Written By: PV2 Thomas Fonville
Date: Sept. 9, 2010                                                         
 

 

Day 12 Camp Robinson 09-19-2010

Today is Sunday our day off, sort of. Had fireguard from 3am to 4am. Brown Bear ended up going back to sleep, luckily I stayed up. The last fireguard didnt wake us up. So we had a rude awakening(the sgts flashing lights on and off) 3rd platoon didnt move their beds around. I guess they got the hint! Sundays are awesome! After we showered we walked out to find our beds stripped of their sheets. The DS said our beds werent up to standards and our wall lockers werent organized. They put us in the front leaning rest position (push-up position) for 5 mins. So much for showering! I was drenched in sweat! We ate chow and I went to church. It felt great to get away from it all! After Church we hung out in the bay. I layed on an empty bunk and took an hr long nap. After that we did some dnc and a 1 mile cadence march. That was their idea of fun!
Its about 1:30pm. not much going on today. We didnt get the phone call. But we are watching a movie later. I'll write more tomorrow. Gonna study now. Test in 2 days.

 Well its Night time now. Just thought I'd write some more. Im waiting in laundry room with Quesada. Bain just walked in with Audrey Hepburn stamps and said, "for some reason, Ive got a thing for dead chicks." HAHA! Today we have all been laughing alot. During first formation a bird landed right next to our formation, and started to chirp! Sgt Perkins turned  and said "Lock it up, knock that chirping off and where the Hell is your battle buddy!!"..LOL..We ended up watching Law Abiding Citizen!

 Well Im really gonna sign off now! Haha. Good night. Love and miss you all!!

Camp Robinson Day 11 09-18-2010

Today we woke up at 4:30Am to the sound of 3rd platoon (whom are 1 floor above us) moving their bunks! These bunks make a loud SCREECH when you drag them across the floor. Needless to say, we were mad! 3rd platoon are the new guys. Not only did we have a rude awakening but last night,  Brown Bear and I (Brown Bear is my battle buddy) had fireguard from 11pm -12. We have fireguard every night, but last night we put our laundry in the wash, did a little patrol and climbed in our bunks to just rest. We ended up falling back asleep! Luckily my watch alarm went off at 1am and we got up and played it off. We could have gotten in big trouble! After we woke up we did some intense PT and while we were stretching, I realized it was Saturday and thought, "damn if this was Saturday back home, I'd be fast asleep til noon". We cleaned up and ate our delicious breakfast (sarcasm). Tomorrow is the one day a week we all look forward too! Sunday!!Our personal day! Wego to church, clean our bay, do laundry,study and get to watch a movie. Doesnt sound like much but for us its a Godsend! There also is a chance we could get a 15 min phone call. another bad part about Saturday, is no mail! The mail on Post shuts down on the weekend, which sucks! I was hoping for a letter from someone! No mail also means the letter from yesterday, this letter (Journal) and tomorrows wont get sent out til Monday. School was very repetitive today. We did a lot of review and more practice tests. I guess theres a reason they have a 98% pass rate. Me and Brown Bear, Fresno (mexican boy from Fresno) FEZ, sounds just like Fez from that 70's show, New York, (old man) and PVT Quesadilla had a Ninja (stupid game, ridiculously entertaining) competition in the laundry room. We had been planning it since last night. Brown Bear won but I was damn close!
 Oh I ended up going to sick call last night. They gave me aspirin and something for my congestion.It helped but I'm still pretty sick. Also forgot to add this to my first entry. When we first got our gear from supply, we also got our heads shaved! We looked ridiculous but luckily my hair grows fast and its coming in nicely:) Gonna get some sleep cant wait for tomorrow and the possible chance of PHONES!!! I love and miss you all Realy hope I get something from Kaili. I sent her a letter a few days ago, but mail takes forever.

PV2 Thomas Fonville:)

Camp Robinson Week 1 Day 10 09-17-2010

My flight arrived in Arkansas around 4 pm on Wednesday Sept. 8. There were 6 of us from Fresno.Two of them were my friends from RSP (drill). We ate, then smoked what was left of our cigarettes, Even the few people who weren't smokers, smoked because we were all pretty nervous and scared.The bus pulled up and twenty of us piled on. The driver said we were only ten mins. away. As we began pulling up the sun was just setting, and we slowly started seeing the dreaded Drill Sgts hats. The DS stepped onto the bus and calmly said "welcome" and to grab our gear and file into the receiving office. As soon as we stepped off they started yelling at us.! It was scary but it got me moving! We processed in at about 10PM and they tokk us to our sleeping bay. We got lucky and all ended up in a new sleeping bay. We quickly went to bed. I heard a few people crying. I kept myself from making noise, but tears were pouring from my eyes.I was scared, nervous, homesick, lost and alone. I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep.
 We woke up at 4:45AM. We formed up and they issued uniforms. They took off my rank and name tag and said we were all the same and some other B.S. After that we ate chow. Its terrible!! We also met our teachers. I have 2 really nice black ladies. They are the absolute best teachers I've ever had! The second day some boys came into our bay and started running their mouths! One thing led to another and I was pushing and arguing with some other PVT. Its blown over since then . The guy doesnt look at me at all, I guess thats a good thing! But their Bay is constantly fighting with ours! The bad part is that we are all part of second platoon and share 2 washers and 2 dryers.There are alot of Morons here.Mainly in Bay 11. My Bay has like one or two.The 14 people in my Bay have become like my brothers. We eat, sleep, shower and shit side by side everyday. My bunk mate is the most down to earth black guy I've ever met. He's 24 and got married at 18 and he's having similar probs as me. He also is pretty religious. He convinced me to start praying. Last Sunday on Sept 12th I was Baptized. Im trying to better myself somehow.We all play stupid games at night, laugh, yell, read, write, etc. We have an hour and a half of free time each night. Our usual schedule is as follows; Wake up, formation, pt, chow, school, chow, school, chow, military learning, personal time, sleep..and repeat. The time actually flies by.I graduate in 1 week and we have a bunch of cool stuff coming up! I'll write more about it later. Ive got a cold! It spread thru our Bay in a matter of hrs! It sucks but oh well. My body has adapted. Ive lost 8lbs and feel much healthier and stronger! I took my midterm yesterday and passed with a damned near perfect score1 Im in the top 10% of my class of 124. Ive elarned to deal with pain, frustration and loneliness. This first week has shown me alot about myself. Please pray for me and write. I love and miss you all. I will write more tomorrow.
PV2 Thomas Fonville
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