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View Full Version : Wonderful News from Fort Hood! Long!


FirstCavWife
07-25-2003, 11:44 AM
I have already told quite a few of you my GREAT news, but I finally have time to post it to the Boards.
My hubby made the Promotion List put out by the Department of the Army for Sergeant First Class!!! graemlins/bcbsalute.gif graemlins/thumbup.gif WOOOOHOOOOOOO!! We have been waiting for this for YEARS and he finally made it. Next year would have been his last possible chance for it, so we are really thrilled!!!
The funny thing is that I've pictured this day in my head for a long time....how it would turn out.
The list is published on a certain day and the day before it comes out the Battalion Sergeant Major will call all the soldiers who are on it into his office at the end of the day. Everyone knows what it means when someone says "Sergeant Major wants to see me in his office before I go home." That statement is cause for congratulations.
So, I have pictured something like this. I get a call around 4:00pm saying that he is going to be late. I roll my eyes and say "What NOW?" and he would say something like "Sergeant Major said he wants to see me!" WAAHOOOOOO!!!! Then I would get dressed up and pick him up for work and we would go out to dinner that night to celebrate!!!
Well, it didn't quite work out like that!!!!
We know someone who is a Sergeant Major and he checked the list ahead of time. He came down to my house and asked me what my husband's middle name was and I told him. He just gave me a smile and a nod to tell me that David made it!!! OM!! Poor guy!!! I gave him this HUGE hug and started crying!!!!! He must have thought I was a nut!
So this is last Monday on Christopher's birthday. Well, I didn't know if David had heard because, like I said, they notify the soldier the day before. He's not supposed to be able to call me because they are out in the field training at Fort Irwin, CA (Death Valley area) so I was a basket case because I was busting with this news!
The list was released Thursday so I was KIND OF expecting a call on Wednesday if there was any way possible for him to get to a phone. WELL THE CALL CAME!!! I was SOOOOOOO excited to hear his voice!!! I said "OMG!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!! When did you find out?????"
But before I finished the last sentence the connection died! graemlins/sobbing.gif
He called back about 6 times before we could finally talk. He asked what on earth I was talking about! I lit into him cuz I KNEW that he was pulling my leg!!! "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW! THE LIST COMES OUT TOMORROW AND I KNOW THAT THEY TELL YOU THE DAY BEFORE THE LIST COMES OUT!!! DON'T EVEN TRY IT!!!!" :D
He just said "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???!!!"
Well, being out there for over 2 weeks in 110+ degrees every day has caused him to lose track of his days. And he forgot all about the list coming out in July (it has always come out in August before).
So I got to be the one to tell him!!! I couldn't celebrate with him, but I got to be the one to tell him. smile.gif smile.gif
He was so surprised!!!!
Coming down on the list means that he is now promotable.....we are expecting that the promotion will come thru by or around the holidays. YEAH! We sure can use the extra $$$!!!
So what does this have to do with BCB????? Well, first of all, this is exciting news in my life and you all are my dearest friends and I wanted to share it with you.
BUT, this story DOES have a Weight Watcher slant to it!!!
Here’s the deal:
When a soldier is first promoted early in his career he/she is promoted by a Promotion Board of his/her First Sergeants and Sergeants Major. The soldier goes before the Board to answer questions and is looked up, down, and sideways. How a soldier looks is a large determiner on getting a promotion! If the uniform is mussed….or the medals put on wrong….or if the soldier IS or APPEARS overweight it can TOTALLY ruin his/her chances for promotion.
Well, when higher ranking soldier is up for promotion they have to send a packet (containing all their evaluations, records, infractions, etc) and a DA (Department of the Army Photo to Washington DC. This photo is VERY important because it is the only ‘look-see’ that they have of the soldier. A soldier can have all chances for promotion ruined just because of having his medals on wrong….or his uniform on wrong….or for looking overweight in his/her photo. Even if a soldier is within his weight-for-height standard, the APPEARANCE of being overweight is not well looked upon!
Well, David was VERY displeased with last years DA Photo. It really made him look fat…..by Army standards, anyway. This years photo was totally different, however!!! They were taken 13 months apart…..except, THIS years was AFTER he lost almost 20lbs! He’s never gone to meetings, but he lost 7lbs the first 2 weeks from me changing the way I cooked, he decided to start counting points too! I ***REALLY*** believe that this weight loss contributed to his getting this promotion!!!!!
Here are his DA Photos from this year and last year….you be the judge!!!!
http://home.hot.rr.com/firstcavwife/2002DAPhoto2.JPG
Taken March 2002.

http://home.hot.rr.com/firstcavwife/2003DAPhoto2.jpg
Taken April 2003.

-Dawn
Walking on Cloud Nine in Fort Hood!!!

Tracy136
07-25-2003, 11:54 AM
Dawn - CONGRATULATIONS. I know what an honor that is and what you have to do to earn it. You must be so proud.

By the way, I was born at Fort Hood. My father was stationed there in 1962. And, my uncle was at Fr. Irwin at the same time. What a coincidence.

Have fun planning the celebration.

P.S.: I've always thought your avatar was pretty cool, too.

promise2grace
07-25-2003, 11:59 AM
Dawn, how exciting!! And it's neat that you got to be the one to break the news! It just all gives me goosebumps.

imported_nanab
07-25-2003, 12:15 PM
Dawn - CONGRATULATIONS! I know you are so happy!

By the way, I have been intending to email you - I wondered if you were at Ft. Hood. My dad was Senior Sgt. Major at Ft. Hood in 1969. He passed away in 1997 but the Army was always his love. He spent 27 years and only retired because of health (he had a heart attack while on duty in Addis Abbba, Ethiopia) and back then there was no heart surgery, etc. He had heart surgery in 1988 and lived until 1997. Believe me, he was military all the way but a kinder person you would never meet. Everyone loved him. He and mother lived in Ft. Hood on base until he retired and moved to NC where he could be close to Ft. Bragg hospital. The Army has really taken care of my mom. I really admire your family!
graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

imported_nanab
07-25-2003, 12:17 PM
Dawn - CONGRATULATIONS! I know you are so happy!

By the way, I have been intending to email you - I wondered if you were at Ft. Hood. My dad was Senior Sgt. Major at Ft. Hood in 1969. He passed away in 1997 but the Army was always his love. He spent 27 years and only retired because of health (he had a heart attack while on duty in Addis Abbba, Ethiopia) and back then there was no heart surgery, etc. He had heart surgery in 1988 and lived until 1997. Believe me, he was military all the way but a kinder person you would never meet. Everyone loved him. He and mother lived in Ft. Hood on base until he retired and moved to NC where he could be close to Ft. Bragg hospital. The Army has really taken care of my mom. I really admire your family!
graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

lindalou9
07-25-2003, 12:18 PM
WOW Dawn! What excitement! You must be so proud, and justifiably so! :D

Linda graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

Duchess Talks Too Much
07-25-2003, 01:24 PM
Dawn,

Congratulations to your DH and you!

hugs, Lisa

LuvnLoozN
07-25-2003, 02:51 PM
Congratulations on your DH promotion and that you got the pleasure of giving him the great news!
smile.gif Cynthia

salmam1
07-25-2003, 02:58 PM
graemlins/bcbsalute.gif WTG!!!!!!!! to your wonderful DH, Dawn! I'm sooooo happy for him and you! He is soooooo totally handsome and looks 15 yrs younger in the new photo!

xoxoxoxox
Sal graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

HoneyBear
07-25-2003, 04:29 PM
CONGRATULATIONS, DAWN AND DAVID!!!!! :D

Dawn, he looks like a real mean LEAN fighting machine! He looks so much better now. He really lost it in the face area. He's a cutie!!! Aren't you the lucky one!! :eek: I'm glad he's doing so well.

HoneyBear

nancyny
07-25-2003, 04:32 PM
Congratulations, Dawn!!!

Anytime anyone thinks 20 pounds isn't very much they should have a look at those pictures. It shows so much, especially in his face (there's more change than just the moustache). He does look younger and fitter!

chocolasaurus
07-25-2003, 04:46 PM
CONGRATULATIONS DAWN & DAVID!!! I don't know Dawn, maybe it was the moustache that put him over the edge, LOL. He looks great and you must be so proud. Think of how great you will look when you get to pin it on him! (they used to do that when my DH was in the Army) My DH was on the list for SFC when he went ROTC and switched to the Air Force.
Mary :cool:

cpeterson
07-26-2003, 01:40 AM
Dawn,
Congrats to you and David. 20 lbs. does make a difference. You will have to plan a special celebration for when David comes home.

Cinna

Tinatulips
07-26-2003, 02:13 AM
Dawn,
Congradulations to yo and DH!!! graemlins/bcbsalute.gif
Tina

The Rollercoaster Stops Here
07-26-2003, 06:07 AM
Hi Dawn!!!

Congratulations to both you and David on his promotion. He looks like a totally different man !!!! It's so nice to see, how the loss of the weight and the WW program can make a major difference to someone's life. :D

Karen
Torbabe on chat :cool:

frustrated
07-26-2003, 08:24 AM
Dawn:

I sitting here with :D graemlins/sobbing.gif HAPPY TEARS in my eyes for you and youre family. You must be so proud. Congrats to you and youre DH.

Chrysilis :D
(Janice)

Charlie C.
07-28-2003, 01:56 AM
Congratulations! graemlins/bcbsalute.gif