Thanksgiving at Nana and Duke’s
Posted by Greg Steward | Filed under Photos, Steward Family
As is our custom, for Thanksgiving Day dinner we went down to Kathy’s mother’s place in Colton.
In addition to Kathy’s Mom, “Nana,” and her step-father, Duke, the following were there:
- Wayne and Carol Wilson (Kathy’s brother and sister-in-law) and their children
- Kelly and David Hernandez and child Hayden
- Jodi and Russell Halverson and children Kendall, Cooper, Blake
- Jamin Wilson
- Pam and Paul Hunter (Kathy’s sister and brother-in-law);
- Stephanie and Jethro Smith and children James, Alaina, Ian, and one in the oven;
- Dawson and new bride Anna;
- Janelle and family were unable to be with us
- special guest, Kristi Hill, who returned to Illinois on December 15
Hiking with Parringtons
Posted by Greg Steward | Filed under Photos, Steward Family
On Saturday, September 6, our family joined Carol Wilson, who is Kathy’s sister-in-law, and Carol’s parents, Rolie and Marie Parrington, who are visiting from New Zealand, for a trip to Trillium Lake and Little Zigzag Falls. Kathy’s mom also joined us. It was a great day to be out. Above are “people” shots. Scenic shots are posted at Miscellanies: Trillium Lake and Little Zigzag Falls.
Kristin Lands Job
Posted by Greg Steward | Filed under Kristin
After numerous attempts to get a job at both Target and Starbucks, Kristin was hired on Monday to work at a Starbucks located inside a Target store. Technically, she is a Target employee. She will begin training Tuesday, September 2. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the Steward household will be getting the caffeine jitters as a result of her new job.
Cool Carly
Posted by Greg Steward | Filed under Carly, Photos
Imagine the frustration of being a four-year old that just wants to go out and have a quite meal in a nice restaurant and find that, yet again, the paparazzi have tracked you down. At least she looks cool.
A Steward Family Christmas
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Christmas, Steward Family
We celebrated a typical Steward family Christmas on December 25th. Dylan was able to come home from his Marine training in North Carolina for ten days.
On Christmas morning, unlike many families who get up very early, we got up at our “normal” time. I went to get my mom while Kathy fixed breakfast. After breakfast, we read the Christmas story from Luke, then we opened up presents.
After that, we drove to Kathy’s brother’s house for Christmas dinner.
Recruit Steward – July 23-Aug 17, Phase 3
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Boot Camp, Dylan, Marines
July 23 – August 17 is Phase 3
Dylan’s mail address remains the same.
We received another ten-minute phone call from Dylan on Friday, July 27, the week following the completion of the Crucible. I was away at the L’Abri conference, but Kathy said he came through it all OK. While they had come back to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, they were going to be going back to Camp Pendleton that following week for a while. Their Platoon was doing well enough that they got some of the better assignments during Phase 3 of boot camp.
We also got a letter from him that he wrote on his birthday (July 29). It sounds like he hadn’t received any birthday cards by his birthday which made us a little sad.
There is a video of Dylan’s Platoon that is posted at http://www.devildogs.info. He is 29 seconds into the video at the right end of the top. (This is a Windows Media Player file and the link is a direct link to the video.) The photo of Dylan above is from the video. I think it was taken sometime during Phase 1. (I think the music being sung is an unreleased John Lennon bootleg. Yoko Ono has such a distinctive voice. It sounds like it was recording close to his “Give Peace A Chance” recording.)
Road Trip to San Diego for Dylan’s Graduation – Our current plan is to leave the morning of August 13 and drive to Chico, where we will spend the night with Leonard and Chris Ekkelkamp. If we leave at 6:30 AM the next morning, We will get to San Diego, God willing, around 5:00 PM Tuesday. We will have Wednesday to do some site-seeing and then Thursday is Family Day at the base. We will have from Noon to 5:00 PM to spend with Dylan (but he can’t leave the base). Friday morning is graduation and then we will leave San Diego around 2:00 PM. Depending upon how we feel, we will either drive straight home or get some sleep at Leonard and Chris’s in Chico. Dylan is anxious to get home as soon as possible so he is going to fly, getting home around 10:00 PM Friday. If we drive straight home, we will get home around 9:00 AM Saturday; otherwise we will get home around 5:00 PM Saturday.
Some of the fun activities during Phase 3
Week of July 23
1st Uniform Issue & Fit
Swim qualification
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program- Testing
Core Values classes
Defensive Driving Course
Intermediate Physical Fitness Test
Week of July 30
Small Unit Leadership
Final Uniform Issue & Fit
Interior Guard
Physical Training
Obstacle Course III
Week of Aug 6
Family of the Corps Presentation
Practical Examination
Final Physical Fitness Test
Rappelling
Company Commander’s Inspection
Week of Aug 13
Final Drill Evaluation
Battalion Commander’s Inspection
Motivation Run
Emblem Ceremony
Family Day and Base Liberty – Thursday, August 16
Graduation – Friday, August 17
Praying for Dylan:
Pray for Dylan’s perseverance, that he can finish strong!
Isaiah 26:3 says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Pray for Dylan that he would trust in God, that he would keep his mind stayed on God, and that as a result he would experience perfect peace.
(See also the Marine’s Prayer.)
Recruit Steward – July 16, Phase 2 – Week 4
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Boot Camp, Dylan, Marines
July 16 begins Week 4 of Phase 2
Camp Pendleton, 35 miles north of San Diego (see on map); Dylan’s mail address remains the same.
Monday, July 16 begins Dylan’s 9th week of boot camp and this is the big week: Tuesday through Thursday is a 54-hour ordeal called “The Crucible.” See notes below.
Please remember to write him. We have been trying to write every day, but have not been able to keep it up. July 18-26 we are going to be at our church’s family camp and may not be able to get much in the mail.
Recruit Training Schedule for this week.
- The Crucible – Tuesday-Thursday (See below)
- Warrior’s Breakfast
- Core Values classes
- Movement back to MCRD (San Diego) on Saturday, July 21
Road Trip to San Diego for Dylan’s Graduation – Praise God! We were able to get housing on the base for three nights – $38 for four people per night. We have also decided to rent a van and drive. It will be less than half the cost of flying.
Praying for Dylan:
Isaiah 26:3 says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Pray for Dylan that he would trust in God, that he would keep his mind stayed on God, and that as a result he would experience perfect peace.
(See also the Marine’s Prayer.)
The Crucible
The following is from the Description of Recruit Training.
The Crucible is a test every recruit must go through to become a Marine. It tests every recruit physically, mentally and morally and is the defining moment in recruit training.
The Crucible takes place over 54-hours and includes food and sleep deprivation and over 45 miles of marching.
The entire Crucible event pits teams of recruits against a barrage of day and night events requiring every recruit to work together solving problems, overcoming obstacles and helping each other along.
The obstacles they face range from long marches, combat assault courses, the problem-solving reaction course, and the team-building Warrior Stations. Each Warrior Station is named for a Marine hero whose actions epitomize the values we want recruits to espouse. During the crucible, recruits face obstacles that require them to work together.
Bottom line — The Crucible is a rite of passage that, through shared sacrifice, recruits will never forget. With that memory and their Core Values learned in recruit training, they can draw upon the experience to face any challenge in their path.
The father of a previous recruit wrote about the Crucible and it was posted on the Marine Parents Forum.
Gold and the Crucible
I worked in the gold fields of the Yukon when I was in my early 20’s. I’ve bought and sold scrap, placer, and bullion gold throughout my life. I’ve melted gold in a crucible. I know gold and I know the power and purpose for the refining crucible.
The purpose for the crucible is to purify by turning up the heat and removing the dross (impurities).
The definition of “dross” is:
-Waste or impure matter
-The scum that forms on the surface of molten metal
-Worthless, commonplace
“Crucible” is often defined as:
-A Refining
-A Hardening
-A Test or Trial
Synonyms of Crucible include:
Difficulty, adversity, burden, challenges, distress, hard time, hardship, load, ordeal, rigor, severe test, tribulation, and trying time.
In my opinion, the Definition of Gold in the matter before us is:
Each and Every United States Marine Corps Recruit
The Crucible our boys are about to “enter” is their “Main Event” on the road to becoming a United States Marine. This event will underscore the need for, and importance of, engaging in teamwork to overcome the various trials they must face. The challenges will demand the best of their mental and physical strengths. This exercise will, in many ways, reflect the stresses associated with life on the field of battle. The boys will encounter and overcome what appear to be insurmountable tasks and obstacles. The entire process lives up to the name: Crucible.
This exercise will remove the dross from their lives. It will purify them in their quest to become U. S. Marines. It will demonstrate to them, individually and corporately, that obstacles are opportunities to overcome. It will prove to them they’re able to accomplish great tasks and defeat what appears to be undefeatable.
The Crucible is a microcosm of their 13 weeks of refining and becoming men. The weeks prior to The Crucible are a time of preparation for the “Main Event.” The Crucible is a time when the heat is turned up and the dross is removed. The remaining weeks are a time of polishing and perfecting.
Like a factory, there are many stages. The Crucible is a very critical stage in the process. Each step is designed for a specific purpose. We send the United States Government raw material: Our Boys. The government directed that material to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. This is a specialized factory designed to create a finished product unlike that created by any factory anywhere. The Marine Corps takes that raw material and reduces it to a lump of golden clay; thereby removing its individual characteristics. The clay is then molded into what will become the resulting product. It is heated in a crucible; purified, hardened, refined, and tested. The resulting product is like pure gold. Valuable and Rare. The remaining steps are designed to polish and reinforce the product. On Graduation Day we will see the final wonderful product created by The Man Factory. A Man!
A man who has earned, and deserves, great respect. A man who will stand in the gap to protect our nation; our very way of life. A man we can count on to stand guard on the wall of liberty while we go about our daily lives. A man who will grant us the blessing that our nights will be a time when we can place our heads on a pillow and sleep with the assurance that all will be well for our nation. Thanks to The Man Factory and the final wonderful product produced by that great organization.
Don’t fear the Crucible. Embrace it. This is where our boys become men.
Recruit Steward – July 9, Phase 2 – Week 3
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Boot Camp, Dylan, Marines
July 9 begins Week 3 of Phase 2
Camp Pendleton, 35 miles north of San Diego (see on map); Dylan’s mail address remains the same.
This is his third week at Camp Pendleton. I have included below some details about this week that I got from www.recruitparents.com This week and the following are going to be challenging. Please remember to write him. We have been trying to write every day, but have not been able to keep it up. July 18-26 we are going to be gone and may not be able to get much in the mail for him.
Recruit Training Schedule for this week.
- Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
- Field Training
- Confidence (Gas) Chamber
- Field Firing
Praying for Dylan: We hear from a lot of people that they are praying for Dylan and I think that is evident. We got another letter and he said that he was sick again, but his spirits are up. He was sick earlier for three weeks until he was treated with antibiotics. He said he was going to stay away from “medical” this time, that the gas chamber (see below) pretty much clears up any respiratory problems.
Pray that Dylan would “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
Pray also that he would be strong and courageous. That he would not be frightened, nor dismayed, because he knows that the Lord his God is with him wherever he goes. (Joshua 1:9)
Also pray for us as we begin to make plans to go down to San Diego for his graduation August 17. Pray that we can get lodging on base which is some of the cheaper options available.
(See also the Marine’s Prayer.)
Week 3 – Field Week
Here the recruits will go out to the field and set up hooches where they and a “hoochmate” will sleep. Hygiene out here is also not fun, but it’s something they have to learn how to do. Ask them about it when they get back. They have lots of things to do this week including a night infiltration course, a day assault course, land navigation, patrolling, gas chamber (where they practice putting on breathing gear in a gas chamber), and combat marksmanship. This is all in preparation for the crucible coming up, where they will be evaluated on all they have learned.
Monday
They will have a fire team assault course where they will learn the bounding technique and the individual rush technique for forward movement under fire. Also in line for today is the short hump out to the bivouac site where they will be staying for the next 4 nights. Here they will set up all the ‘hooches’ which, to do it in any short amount of time, requires a lot of teamwork. That night they will then do the night infiltration course, when they will practice a fire team rush at night…being quiet of course, using hand and arm signals. They will also learn to hit the dirt fast on incoming (like mortars or artillery,) and to cover their shooting eye from bright lights to maintain their night vision.
Tuesday – Gas Chamber
The whole morning is spent learning how to wear, and how to clear their gas masks. All of the masks are checked for leaks or bad filters to ensure that there will be no problems with them in the gas chamber. The recruits practice gas, gas, gas, drills seeing how fast they can get their mask on and cleared before the chamber. Then later that afternoon, they will actually go up to the gas chamber and receive a few more briefs, and a medical screening. People who have open cuts, or breathing problems, like pneumonia, wont be allowed to enter the gas chamber, but don’t worry, they won’t get dropped, they just get to miss out on it. Inside the gas chamber, the recruits will break their seals 3 times, and have to clear their masks 3 times, all on the orders of the instructors inside the chamber. They use CS gas, which is a riot control gas, and is not harmful to the recruits at all. All it does is make them extremely uncomfortable, especially with breathing and watering eyes. To tell you the truth, the pool did the same for me…I hate the water 
Anyways, after the 3rd time they will open the doors and the recruits will come out, rip their masks off and breathe the sweet oxygen again. Their sinuses will be completely cleared out, lol. This gets rid of that recruit crud for a lot of people.
Wednesday – NBC (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare) Today they will learn all the various aspects of these kinds of attacks: reaction drills, how to treat themselves in case of exposure, how to treat others, how to wear MOPP gear (gas masks and funny looking suits you see them wear.) They will learn how to put it all on, and take it all off again, granted they wont be that fast at it…this is only their first time doing it. They will get more practice in the fleet though. They will learn how to use the antidote shots that every marine will carry with MOPP gear, in case of exposure, and the different kinds of gas attacks and what the symptoms are. They will be doing this all day.
Thursday
- In the morning the recruits will get up and have classes on Land Navigation using compasses, shooting azimuths, protractors, and the six-digit coordinate system on topographical maps. They will practice plotting points and reading maps for geographical features to help them identify where they are, such as hills, valleys, fingers, draws, creeks, roads, and other man made features. In the afternoon, they will actually go out and practice what they have learned spending 4 hours out by themselves looking for 6 points they were given to find. This was probably the funnest thing we did on field week. Again, we did not do a night fire, and I don’t think they will either until MCT.
Friday – Combat Marksmanship, yes I said they would shoot some this week as well, and here they will practice at much closer ranges then last week. They will fire at 50, 30, and 20 meters, practicing hammer pairs, controlled pairs, assessment drills, follow-up drills, and moving targets. They will only fire at moving targets from 20 meters, and they will be moving so slow they might as well not be moving. This is a pretty easy, fun day, except for me; the whole range was a big mud pit, which was not so fun, lol. Anyways, here they are just learning the basics of combat marksmanship…it will be elaborated on a lot more at MCT, or ITB (if your recruit is a 0300.) 0300s will get very proficient at these things. After combat marksmanship, they will pack up the bivouac site and hump back down to Edson Range, where they will probably get a hot meal from the chow hall, take hot showers, and sleep in real beds. 
Saturday – Pretty much a day of preparation for the crucible…they will do some MCMAP training, but there’s not too much today. They clean their gear, and get it all repacked for the crucible. Also, rifle maintenance will be big, because of all the carbon buildup from field week in their rifles. Blanks make your weapon extremely filthy, and live rounds (made by the lowest bidder) aren’t much better. In order to reduce jams, and misfires, they have to keep their weapons clean, clean, clean, so they will be doing a lot of that. Also they will be starting to do some prac (Practical Knowledge) for the prac test they will have on finals week in 3rd phase. Everything they learn, they will need to know for that test…but it’s easy because it gets drilled into them on days like today, where there’s not much else to do. It is possible that they may get some free time this evening, though not much, as they have Sunday morning free time as well.
Recruit Steward – July 2, Phase 2 – Week 2
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Boot Camp, Dylan, Marines
July 2 begins Week 2 of Phase 2
Camp Pendleton, 35 miles north of San Diego (see on map); Dylan’s mail address remains the same.
This is his second week at Camp Pendleton. There is an on-line forum for Marine parents and there is a discussion for parents of those in Dylan’s platoon. It sounds from the comments that the DIs are doing their job. There was also some helpful information posted from those who have recently gone through boot camp about what is happening week-by-week and sometimes day-by-day (again, from a recent recruit’s perspective).
Recruit Training Schedule for this week.
- Marksmanship Qualification
- Physical Training
They will spend all day Monday – Thursday out at the rifle range. They will split them up and have half of them pulling down in the pits, while half of them fire, then they will switch out around midday. Thursday will be qualification day, and whatever they shoot that day will determine what badge they get. The DIs won’t pressure them much this week because they want them to be able to concentrate on shooting.
The 8 mile hike isn’t as hard as the 5 mile only because there are fewer hills. They will probably get a 5-10 minute break on this one too, where they drop packs, sit down, and drink water. They usually try and do the hikes in the morning too, when it’s not hot yet. Marksmanship week (this week) and grass week (last week) are probably the easiest 2 weeks of training.
Since I am posting this on a Sunday, here are some notes about what a Sunday is like for them.
A typical Sunday… Usually they get to sleep in a little bit, probably to about 6:00 in the morning, but most will be wide awake in their racks by then, lol. Then they will get up and go to morning chow, come back and clean the house for about 10-20 minutes then turn to a free time. A Sunday free time usually lasts about 4-5 hours and is a recruits time to attend services, read and write letters, square away their footlockers, and just plain relax and talk for a little bit. It usually wraps up in time for noon chow, and then they carry on with the drill instructor’s plan for the rest of the day. Usually on Sunday is a field day, which means the whole squad bay is thoroughly cleaned (all the racks are moved to one side while the other is cleaned, and then it’s flip-flopped). They do this on Sunday night because inspection is Monday morning. From my experience, Sunday was the best time to read and write letters because free time during the week was so unpredictable. Of course, that may not be the same for every platoon, it all depends on the Senior Drill Instructor how much time they get on Sundays, but a good average of 3-5 hours. Of course, don’t always expect them to write on a Sunday either because that 4-5 is a very good time to do laundry, square away their possessions, and carry out any tasks the DIs need done. Even if you don’t receive mail…send it. Mail call is the best part of a recruit’s day, and the more mail he gets, the happier he will be.
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Praying for Dylan: that he would remember this is a time of growth and that he can even now take joy in what will be the final outcome of his training. (See also the Marine’s Prayer.)
Also, you might want to read a news story about why you should never try to pick-pocket an old Marine. For extra points, what fact do they have wrong? (I just went back to the article; they corrected the error. In the headline, they referred to him as an “ex-Marine.” Once a Marine, always a Marine.)
Recruit Steward – June 25, Phase 2 – Week 1
Posted by gregsteward | Filed under Boot Camp, Dylan, Marines
June 25 begins Week 1 of Phase 2
Camp Pendleton, 35 miles north of San Diego (see on map); Dylan’s mail address remains the same.
On Saturday, his Platoon moved to Camp Pendleton where they will begin Phase 2 of boot camp.
- 3 Mile Hike
- Marksmanship Training
- 5 Mile Hike
- Core Values classes
- Physical Training – (on-going)
Core Values
The Corps’ Core Values are Honor, Courage and Commitment. These values make up the bedrock of a Marine’s character. During recruit training, recruits are taught these Core Values and the numerous others attached to them, such as integrity, discipline, teamwork, duty and esprit de Corps. Drill instructors, recruit training officers and Navy chaplains teach specific Core Values classes, but drill instructors also talk one-on-one with recruits after other training events to see what values were learned and how they affect the recruits. For example, a drill instructor might talk about overcoming fears after rappelling or not giving up after a long march. For more on core values, please visit Marine Corps Core Values.
Physical Training
Physical Training, or “PT” as it is often called, comes in many forms aboard MCRD. Recruit training uses a progressive physical training program, which builds up recruits to Marine Corps standards. Recruits will experience Table PT, a period of training in which a drill instructor leads several platoons through a series of demanding exercises while he demonstrates on a table. Recruits will also run, either individually or as a platoon or squad. Other PT consists of obstacle courses, circuit courses, or 3-, 5- or 10-mile conditioning marches.
Marksmanship Training
Marksmanship training teaches recruits the fundamentals of marksmanship with their M-16A2 service rifle. This training takes place over two weeks, the first of which is called Snap-In Week. During this week, recruits are introduced to the four shooting positions (standing, kneeling, sitting and prone) and a Primary Marksmanship Instructor shows recruits how to fire, how to adjust their sights, how to take into account the effects of the weather, etc. Recruits also have the opportunity to fire on the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Training machine. During the second week of marksmanship training, recruits actually fire a known-distance course with ranges of 200, 300 and 500 yards. Recruits prepare for rifle qualification on Friday of that week.
Psalm 144:1-4
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
3 O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Praying for Dylan: that he would remember God’s sovereignty even in his training for battle and war and that he would not become proud in his training, but that he would know that it is God who is his stronghold and deliverer. See also the Marine’s Prayer.