Challenges of Meal time

<p>I recieved my 2nd letter from my Basic today. What a thrill. He is a very good letter writer and he goes into great detail to inform us what is like.
Overall he is doing well and is enjoying getting to know his roommate (after taps). They help each other out a lot. I thought you guys would get a kick out of his discription of meal time for the Basics. We were ROFL
when we read this part. Enjoy:</p>

<p>The food is good here; just getting enough of it without getting in trouble for not using proper “table decorum” can be a challenge (or at least it was mainly at 1st). I have gotten better and I eat a pretty good amount of food each meal. By “ meal decorum” I mean sitting at attention on the first 1/3 of your chair, looking down at the little eagle insignia on the plate in front of you, without tilting your forehead forward. After all this there are certain things you must say for everything you do at the table. There are certain required things to pass the food, pick up food form the table, getting from across the table, and even required statement for picking up your dropped napkin.</p>

<p>It goes something like this:</p>

<p>“Cadet (insert name of cadre), pardon me please sir/ma’am. Sir/ Ma’am May I ask a question? Sir/Ma’am may I make a high-speed, low –altitude pass, and return back to altitude?”</p>

<p>You say that all just to get permission to pick up your napkin!</p>

<p>That's too much 10s mom! Son sounds like he's off to a great start. AND he's keeping you informed. We, too, have a good letter writer. He usually draws a picture or two, which is a riot. We've seen several drawings of shined boots, lightening bolts, a Basic in fatigues doing pushups, etc. He was also one of the cadets in the photo gallery cracking up over a game of "who can keep from laughing while staring down your partner at full attention." !!</p>

<p>After getting thier attention, you have to use a reporting statement too. Sir/Ma'am, Basic Cadet (insert name) reports as ordered. Then talk. ;) Even just to say yes sir/ma'am to an individual. have to use it before every conversation.</p>