Dear Family,
I received a letter from Evan today!  It is amazing how
it instantly brightened my day!  As done previously, I am typing it out
to each of you verbatim, minus the personal comments. 

Here it goes:

Sunday 25 Jan 09

"Today
is my second full day of Basic and I think we have quite a bit of time
off.  But, I've noticed that plans change at a moments notice around
here.  I understand the logistics behind moving this many soldiers
through Basic is difficult but I would have thought that they would
have the process down better.  Mostly it is hard work and even fun
sometimes.  Other times we are made
to feel like failures because of the impossible nature of the tasks. 
It's funny, I watch the Drill Sergeants talking amongst themselves and
you can tell that 90% of the time they are actors when they are
training us.  They seem to have dual personalities.  Each platoon has 3
DSs.  Mine are DS Cortner (a short, white, female that's very rudely
sarcastic), DS Baumann (a white, male, younger, that I can tell is
actually a little nervous doing what he does but he can still make you
feel like a puddle of mud), and DS Purycar (a middle-aged, white, male
that is more of our buddy than our DS.  This is his first cycle so you
can tell he is just learning everything.  But it helps to have him
balance out the yelling from the other DSs).  We were issued our
weapons yesterday and we carry them everywhere.  
Literally.  The latrine (bathroom) and church are the only places we
don't take them.  Speaking of church- I didn't get to go last week at
Reception and I don't know if I will get to go today.  Like I said,
sometimes they are unorganized around here.  I have another LDS soldier
in my platoon and we are going to ask when and where it is for the next
week.  He is only 18 and is in the Reserve so he can still go on his
mission.  Private Hebdon is his name.  Pretty good kid.  Most of the
soldiers here are pretty decent.  We do have some misfits, and some
people I think are just not all there.  For the most part though it is
just young kids with no discipline and little common sense.  Some of
them have the hardest time learning the simplest things.  I am "Bay
Leader", which means I am in charge of the Bay full of soldiers where
we sleep, shower, etc.  And every night I have to assign people shift
to go on fire guard.  It's very simple and the DSs explained it to us
all, but I had to break it down "Barney-style" (as the DSs like to say)
and show way too many of them that you essentially clean the bay and
make sure no people or weapons are missing.  Not complicated at all,
but some people needed some assistance.  Well, I need to organize my
closet before we get called somewhere".

"P.S. Tell everyone NOT
to send me anything certified, or insured, or Express.  Just send it
regular mail.  You cannot send me food!  Pass that on to everyone
else.  Tell them that please".

My new address for the next 9 weeks is:

SPC. Evan Harlow
CO. B 2-13th Inf. Rgt.
2nd Platoon
Fort Jackson, SC 29207


"P.P.S. 
Basic Graduation is March 27th, 2009.  You and my parents will get an
invite in the mail.  Start looking at plane tickets.  I'll ask the DSs
if you can be here for a week."


He sounds like he is doing ok.  I'm so relieved.  Please keep him in your prayers!  Love to you all!